Critical (Jamilton)

23. I Can't Find Usnavi

After the show started, Thomas smiled proudly as he watched the twins and their synchronized finger movements. They seemed happy and focused to be sitting on the stage as two of the best clarinet players there and all of their older siblings watched with pride as the song went on.

"I'll be right back," Alexander whispered around halfway through the show. 

"Where you goin'?"

"If you must know, bathroom," Alex murmured. "I can handle it on my own."

Thomas nodded and watched Alex make his way out of the cafeteria where the concert was. One of the directors was talking about new members of the band and options other than concert band. 

Out of curiosity, Thomas looked around the room for Andre, since he was supposed to be one of the directors. He couldn't help but feel even the slightest bit paranoid when he couldn't find the man. He thought about where he could possibly be if his job was already performing. He tried telling himself that he worked backstage or something out of the way since he was new but was there even a backstage with band? Thomas thought about asking one of the twins after the show.

He forced himself to let it go as the band started playing again. Thomas almost wished his mom were there, but that was weighed out by his complete pride of his siblings. The music was actually pretty good, especially for being a seventh-grade band.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed to the point of not being able to see. The band kept playing but they seemed to be getting out of touch with each other, leaving the music so quiet that almost everyone in the audience jumped at the sudden screeching of the fire alarms.

For the first few rings, everyone was confused. Then one of the directors turned to the audience with his phone's flashlight on and gave them instructions on what to do while another guided the kids off the stage and the last one held doors and pointed where to go with his own flashlight. By the time people realized what was happening, they were shoving to get out, despite the faculty's request to stay calm. In all of the noise, Thomas got separated from his sisters.

Once they were outside, Thomas shoved through the crowd, only stopping when he found his sisters and Randolph all congregating in the same area. He took one look at the group, counting every one of his siblings, but not finding Alex. 

He rushed up to them, making sure he didn't just get blocked from view.

"Where's Alex?" He asked no one in particular. 

"He was sitting right next to you," Martha reminded him. 

Then Thomas remembered that Alexander never came back from his bathroom break. He turned to go back into the building, only to be yanked back by one of his siblings. 

"You aren't going back in there," Jane said. 

"He's still inside!" 

"And someone'll get him out." 

"Jane--"

"Thomas Jefferson you are going to stand out here where it is safe until someone tells you otherwise. Alexander's smart. He knows how to handle himself, just keep yourself safe right now," she scolded. Thomas wanted to argue with her but the look in her eyes told him not to. "I want him to be safe too, but you're my priority."

Thomas nodded and sat on a lamp post, staring at the building nervously. 

Then he saw two people coming out of the building. He ran up to them when he saw it was Alex being pushed along by Andre. 

"What the hell happened?!" Thomas yelled, pulling Hamilton away and checking over his face. Alexander didn't even seem to register what was going on. 

"He was in the bathroom when the alarms went off! I just found him like this, I don't know!"

"Andre, I swear if you did anything--"

"I told you, I'm not here to do that!" 

Thomas scoffed and focused on Alex. He tried everything to get his attention, anything from talking to shaking, but it honestly looked like he wasn't even in his body. 

The officials were saying that it was fine to go back in, that one of the teenagers that came to the show probably pulled one of the alarms as a joke. The crowd started going back into the building but Alex still looked out of it. Thomas told Anna and Randolph that he needed to take Alexander home. They were more than understanding, saying that they could use their 'screech needles' at home. 

Once they were home, Jefferson sat Alexander down on the couch and tried snapping him out of it again, only this time, it worked. 

The focus came back to his eyes along with pure terror.

"Alex-- Hey, calm down," Thomas said when Hamilton started looking around in a panicked way. "It's just me, I had to bring you home. What happened?"

"I-- I saw him in the bathroom. I don't know why he was there, why was he there?!"

"Who? Andre?" 

Hamilton shook his head furiously. "No, no not Andre. It wasn't Andre. Not Andre, it was him, I can't figure out why he was there. He tracked me. No, he tracked you. I shouldn't have come back, he found me here--"

"Hey, we aren't doing this again. We're protecting you here, now who are you talking about?"

"Him! It was him, don't you understand!? I'm dead, hes going to kill me--" Alexander shook his head again. His arms curled around his sides, resting around the area that Thomas remembered the scar being.

Jefferson did the only thing he could think of doing and gently grabbed Alex's face, forcing Hamilton to look into his eyes. 

"Nobody is killing you, now tell me who was there."

Hamilton swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, taking in a deep, shaky breath. 

"King."