"Over a Book" [MODERN HAMLIZA]

"Will they tell your story?" - Chapter 14

"Everything."

Alexander stared at her, and she was unable to read the expression that wrinkled his face.

"God, you're gonna think I'm lying- or even crazy," He muttered. His nervous tick showed; his hand sweeping up toward his hair instinctively, tangling his fingers through it. His gaze had glided downwards, clearly stressed, but he looked up sharply again when she spoke.

"Well, humour me, then." Eliza sighed, pulling her legs up to cross them on the soft bed.

Alexander took a deep inhale, resting his palm against his forehead. "Alright, it started when I moved to America for the first time. I'd met with Laf and he let me stay at this place with him. He said I had to get a job to help pay the rent, but in the meantime, he'd let me stay for free. I hated freeloading so I spent many nights looking for a suitable job that didn't have too many qualifications; I'd barely scraped enough money to get to America and study, let alone have any schooling beforehand.

I worked as a retail worker, a caretaker, sometimes even a janitor, but I was never good at any of them. Nobody could understand my accent right away - it was thick when I'd first arrived. So, working with people was difficult, until my accent cleared up.

About two years after moving here, I had been walking down the street, until I heard some sort of fight coming from an alleyway. I went to go see what was happening, and I overheard some words, I can't remember exactly what they said but it was a larger group of people threatening two or so others. Something about money, I'm pretty sure.

I tried to intervene, yet it only ended up in the larger group turning on me. They attacked me and I defended myself." Alexander shrugged as though this was nothing, but he was wringing his hands anxiously.

"I managed to fight pretty good. Well, according to the other two, anyway. The larger group eventually moved away after they realised I wasn't going to give up on defending the two people, despite suffering many, many injuries. I hadn't really gotten into too many fights by then. I mean, it'd happened before, but not often enough to know what to do.

Anyway, the two people that I'd defended came up to me and thanked me profusely, and they told me they'd come and see to my wounds at their place. So, I agreed, and let them take me."

Eliza interrupted. "You let strangers take you to a random place you didn't know about?"

"I was new to the city still, I'd rarely gotten out! I didn't know I shouldn't trust others. Everyone back at home kind of just knew each other." Alexander waved his hands in self defense, before taking a deep inhale, and continuing.

"So, they led me to their 'place', which actually turned out to be a hideout for - this is going to sound really dumb - a type of gang."

"What?" blinked Eliza.

"Yeah, a gang," Alexander nodded. "Turns out, the guys that I fought were a rival gang to them. I got invited to have a meeting with their boss and.. um..."

"Do not tell me you work for a dumb gang."

Alexander grimaced. "Would you rather I lied...?"

Eliza placed her head in her hands and sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "So, that's where you get your money, but you need to stay hidden under Lafayette's name so rival gangs can't find you." She clenched her fists over her cheeks, letting her fingernails scratch over the soft skin. "Why'd you never tell me before?"

"I didn't think you'd particularly be happy to know that." Alexander wronged his hands, watching her nervously.

"I'd rather you tell it to me before I even got close to you! At least it would make me think I knew you better, or, make me think you actually trust me!" Eliza stood, her eyes opening and her fingers now running through her own hair. She paced around the room. "Those guys you fought in the alleyway - allies, or enemies?"