16 years after the final chapter, 4 years after previous chapter
Angie was leaving soon and Connor couldn't bear it. Philip had left two years earlier and that was okay for him.
Sure, Angie was a bit depressed as the two oldest were awfully close as well but it didn't bother Connor as much. He and Pip were a million worlds apart. They argued like heck.
Connor was a very mature young boy at 12, unlike Pip, who was still a kid at heart. He didn't know how Theo and Angie put up with it.
Same with the twins. They were as immature as possible, pulling the worst pranks and pretending to act innocent. They had a knack for pretending to be good, that was for sure.
Maybe they should do drama. Connor argued with the twins non-stop, never once agreeing with them.
It was true that the youngest Hamilton was indeed the smartest. He was doing Algebra in sixth grade and Geometry in seventh.
Alexander was especially proud of his youngest but Pip was always his favorite.
Eliza favored her twins.
So that left Connor and Angie. At first, Angie loathed the idea of another Willam or another John.
But when Connor was born, he was an absolute angel. When Angie held him for the first time, she knew which one was her favorite.
The two spent an unnatural amount of time together for being six years apart in age. Connor was mature, gentle, and kind.
Angie liked mature, gentle, and kind. It was a nice change from her other brothers' lack of it. Connor still couldn't stand the fact that his beloved sister was leaving him in a matter of days.
"Connie, are you gonna come with me and Dad to college?" Angelica burst through Connor's door, bouncing. She was excited for college. That only made Connor angrier.
"Maybe," Connor mumbled, hiding his feelings.
"Connie, you have to!" Angie whined, her usually perceptive eyes glossing over Connor's feelings. "I can't do it without you!"
"You got Pops," Connor replied.
Angie rolled her eyes. "Pops is only going because Mom doesn't want to. She's staying with her darling twins." Angelica accentuated the words "darling twins," which made Connor grin against his will.
"Fine, I'll go, only if you buy me a Harvard sweatshirt," Connor teased.
"Ahhh, I can't believe it's Harvard!" Angie started bouncing around again on Connor's bed.
"Yeah, Harvard," Connor murmured. His dream school.
Philip had chosen to go to Berkeley, which Eliza fully supported, though Alexander would have been happier if he had followed in his footsteps.
"Look, before I move in, I want to go sightseeing!" Angelica leaned on her brother's shoulder. "Who knows when we'll get to do this again!"
Connor winced at her words. "Ange, I got some homework."
Angie looked at her brother. "Con, what's wrong?"
"Nothing! I'm just excited for you," Connor bit back tears and his vision grew hazy. "But I need to do a lot of catch-up work if I plan on going with you guys."
Angie smiled at her little brother. "Alright. Pack a bag!"
After his sister left the room, Connor locked the door and shoved headphones onto his head. He turned on his music, Dear Ben Platt, and tried to ignore the fact that the only person who would ever accept who he was would be gone soon.
oOo
"Alright, kiddos!" Alex clapped his hands together. "We are road tripping!"
"Well, you're tripping, that's for sure," Connor rolled his eyes. Angie giggled.
John and William came out, hugging their sister one last time before going out to cause more trouble. Eliza came out last and kissed her daughter's head.
"Be careful out there in the big wide world," Eliza warned.
"Mom, I'll live," Angie replied, hugging her mother tightly.
"Connor, you too," Eliza embraced her youngest son. "Don't let your sister leave your side."
"Isn't it the other way around?" Angie complained.
"We both know your brother is much more responsible," Eliza kissed her youngest's cheek.
"Jeez, Mom, I'll be home in a few days," Connor tried to squirm out of his mother's grasp.
"Yes, but I won't be able to do this for another couple days," Eliza tousled Connor's long-ish hair. He had decided to grow it out, and it was at the awkward stage where it barely covered his eyes.
"Let's go!" Alex called from the driveway.
"Give me a sec, I have to say bye to Nat," Connor and Natasha were very close friends out of the set. Out of their friend/cousin group, she was the only one he could trust. He also knew about Nat's endless flirting with Pierre. Those two deserved each other.
"You and Nat, huh?" Alex winked at his youngest son.
"What? Oh, no, Nat and Pierre," Connor said absentmindedly, texting his good friend.
Alex stared at his son for a good ten seconds before shaking his head and getting in the car.
"Okay, I planned everything out, first, we're gonna see th -" Connor started.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Angie interrupted. "You are taking this way too seriously! It's just college!"
It's just you leaving me.
Connor shook his head and forced a smile. "Jeez, sis, you're acting like Mom."
Angie looked perfectly horrified. "Oh, heck no."
Alex laughed from the front. "Your mother is a perfectly good role model."
Connor and Angie gave each other a look.
"Oh my, Pip and Theo should sleep in the same room!" Angie faked Eliza's voice, making it sound high and nasally.
Connor chuckled. "And James and Angel can have the master bedroom!"
"Of course, Pierre, Nat, William, and Fia can have the other one,"
"Kids, that's enough," Alex said through a wide grin.
"You know, Angie, Connor, you two need to get ships, er, significant others!" Angie kept going.
"I really think Pierre has an eye for this girl in his class," Connor replied, laughing.
"Okay, enough," Alex said firmly, but with twinkling eyes.
"Ange, you don't have to go to college," Connor whined. "Stay here with us."
Angie ruffled her brother's hair. "Until you leave me one day, too? Not a chance!"
oOo
"Massachusetts is beautiful!" Connor gasped, peering out the window.
"You haven't seen the best part," Alex drove into the college driveway and the building loomed over them. Connor's jaw dropped lower.
"Con, it's your first time out of state, right?" Angie asked.
"Yeah," Connor was trying to get the full view.
The Hamilton family used to travel much more, but after Connor's birth, Eliza had been too tired to pack another bag for another toddler, no matter how calm Connor was.
"Wait till you see Florida," Angelica winked.
"Let's get you settled in, kid," Alex started to heave the suitcases. Connor took one and started trudging up the steps.
"Connie!" Angie called in front of all the other college kids. Some sniggered when they realized who "Connie" was.
Connor's face grew red. "Ange! Don't call me that!" He hissed to his sister.
"Okay, okay, but be careful with the bags. We don't want another case like what happened at NYC."
Connor groaned at that memory.
He was 10, and the twins were 11. They were fighting over a bag, one of Angie's. Connor, who was year and a half younger had immense strength and was able to keep up against his two older brothers.
It was when Connor gave one huge pull that the contents of the bag came spilling out due to a broken chain. Angie screamed and Philip, who was about to enter college the following month, tried to quiet his hysterical sister. In the end, Connor calmed her down by fixing the bag.
"Angelica, where do you want your lamp to go?" Alex asked.
"On the table," Angie started unpacking her clothes while Connor set up her picture frames.
There was one of her with Philip and their parents, taken at a summer barbecue before Connor was born. Angie was 5 and Pip was 7.
There was one with the twins when they were just babies. There was also a slightly larger frame with her and Connor, when Connor was 8 and Angie 14. Connor was smiling a wide, partially toothless smile while Angie was hugging him from the side. She was in her high school phase but she didn't wear any makeup, ever.
It was one of the many things Connor respected her for. Even with the unrelenting pressures of proving oneself to their peers, she managed to ignore it all and be herself.
Something even Connor couldn't do yet.
The next frame was one of the entire Schuyler-Hamilton clan, all five kids and two parents.
And then came the poster of the entire Schuyler-Hamilton-Lafayette-Mulligan-Laurens- Lewis-Jefferson-Burr clan with their entire extended families. Each child had gotten their own copy for themselves.
It was taken directly after Pascal's birth, when all the clans finally came to a close.
Until they had their own children.
"Thinking 'bout the future?" Angie noticed her brother's day-dreaming.
"Yeah."
oOo
Connor was struggling. Nothing was worth doing anymore. It was killing him slowly.
Angie dutifully kept up a streak of calling every night, but Connor knew it was a pain for her. He was just a burden waiting to be lifted.
"Connor!" Eliza called. "Breakfast! Now!"
The youngest Hamilton ignored the unfinished homework that lied on his messy table. He used to be a meticulous boy, but the last few weeks had taken their toll. Eliza had noticed the change in her young son's demeanor and she intended to ask about it.
"Honey, I know it's been hard these few weeks," Eliza started. Connor remained silent. "You can talk, you know."
"Yeah, I know," Connor mumbled over his toast.
"Aww, look! Connie's gonna whine, whine, whine all night!" William teased.
"Shut up!" Connor retaliated.
"Connie needs to calm down," John continued.
Connor stood up up from the table with a loud bang, causing his plate to fall and shatter into a million pieces. Eliza screamed when she heard the loud crack.
"What? What happened?" Alex ran into the room and stared at his three sons. There was a thick, heavy, suffocating silence that Connor couldn't bear. He couldn't breathe. He could barely move. He forced himself to grab his backpack and sprinted outside, not looking back at the mess he had made.
School was just another long day after another. Nat was usually with Pierre, who were good friends. The three of them had sort of a squad before Natasha and Pierre started experiencing "those feelings" for each other. Sure Connor sat with them at lunch for lack of any better friends, but he usually left them to themselves, as he had some of Eliza's genes.
And then there was the fact that Connor got bullied.
It was a secret he managed to keep from everyone. He didn't think it was that big a deal. There were the occasional taunts, some pushing, some notes in his locker, but nothing he couldn't handle.
"Oh look, a freak," Some kid would jibe and Connor would have some snarky comeback.
"I didn't realize I was a mirror." The kids usually went silent at that point and Connor would carry on with his merry day. Except for the days where he had nothing to say.
"Wow, does it talk?" One kid sniggered. Usually, Connor would reply with "Only for things that are worth it" or "No, it's deaf and blind, too!" but today he was out of witty things to say. He ducked his head and walked quickly to his locker.
"I heard he's one of those rich kids,"
Connor almost smiled. He'd heard that taunt before.
"Yeah, and both his siblings are in expensive-ass colleges,"
Language, Connor thought mentally.
"I bet they bribed the place!"
Okay, that was a new one.
Keep your cool, Connor.
"The boy wasn't even that smart."
Connor balled his fists and shoved them in his pockets.
"I bet the girl failed school, but since they were rich sh -"
The kid didn't even get to finish his sentence before Connor found his fist on his face.
oOo
Eliza was tending to her small pepper garden when the phone rang inside. She picked it up to find that it was from Connor's middle school.
"Mrs. Hamilton?" The voice said.
"Speaking," Eliza replied tentatively.
"It's about your son..."
oOo
"I can't believe you punched another kid!" Eliza scolded. "What has gotten into you? And the missing assignments? The ditching class?"
"It's nothing," Connor muttered.
"No, you will not lie to your mother," Eliza was at her limit. "Why? Why the violence? You would never do this of all my children."
"Maybe you don't know me that well," Connor said, under his breath.
"I'm sorry?" Eliza stopped walking.
"Mom, don't make a scene outside," Connor kept walking.
"Connor, you will not disrespect me," Eliza opened the house door and closed it behind them. "What happened?"
"Nothing!"
"Did they hit you first? Who do we need to sue?"
"No, it's not like that."
"Did they mock you?"
"No, nothing happened!"
"Then why?"
"No reason."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not!"
"You don't hide things from your mother."
"Would you like a list of things you don't know about me? I get bullied! They were dissing Angie! I dated a guy! I'm not normal! I'm -"
Connor was cut-off by his mother hugging him like she did whenever he got upset as a kid over the littlest things. Like how he couldn't reach the cookie jar. Or how he couldn't hang out with the big girls. Or when he flat-out rejected Philip's offer to play Mancala (though Philip was the one with hurt pride over that one).
"You know what what my first reaction was when you came into this world not crying?" Eliza sniffed. "I thought you were dead. I thought I would never hold my live son."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Your father," Eliza laughed slightly at the memory. "He did everything in his power to make sure you were breathing. He wanted all kinds of tests done. But you know what you did?"
"What?"
"That really cute thing that Pascal does in his sleep. You didn't cry, you smiled. Your first reaction to this world was a positive one. And if that isn't the cheesiest thing."
"Jeez, Mom, you're making me cry now," Connor grinned through his stream of tears.
"Now, what was this about dating a guy once?"
oOo
"Hey, Angelica, right?" Angie was putting her books away when she saw another student, who was probably around her age.
"Well, I go by Angie," She eyed the boy, careful not to stare. "And you are?"
"Richard. Richard Price," The boy smiled. "But I go by Richie. You're the Hamilton kid, right?"
Angie sighed. "It's what we kids are known for, yeah."
"Sorry! I didn't mean to be rude or anything, just that your mother's voice is beautiful and your aunt's music is actually amazing." The boy rambled. "You take after them?"
Angie scoffed. "I wish. My cousin, Angel, she took after mom and auntie. The only Hamilton with a golden voice is my brother, Connor."
Richie smiled. "He sounds great,"
"He is great. You should hear him belt Dear Ben Platt, I swear he sounds exactly like the guy who plays Mike Faist. Kinda looks like him, too."
"I bet he'd get along great with my little brother, Evan, he's perfectly obsessed with musicals."
"Who isn't?"
"Uh, me?"
"No way, I need to introduce you to all the musicals like Rent, Waiter, Miranda, Be Less Cool, Veronicas..."
oOo
The Schuyler-Hamilton household was especially quiet that night as the twins had decided to behave for once and also because the two Hamiltons were coming home.
Eliza had begged her daughter to come back, who readily agreed. After explaining Connor's "situation" to Angie in hushed tones, the only Hamilton daughter bought the first ticket out, only to be met by her brother, who was also going back to surprise them.
"Pip, are you just going back to see Theo?" Angie teased as Philip blushed. Theo, following in her parent's footsteps, had decided to go to the college their parents had gone to.
"Well, I guess I can tell you," Philip took a breath. "We're dating."
"What else is new?" Angie scoffed. "Anyway, we're almost here."
Philip stared at her for a second.
"Okay," he muttered.
Angie got out of the car and rang the doorbell while Philip parked in the driveway.
John and William opened the door. "Angie?"
Eliza squealed, her voice insanely high. "Oh, you're here!"
"I didn't come here all alone," Angie gestured to Philip, who was coming up the footpath.
Eliza's voice went up a few pitches. Angie tried not to cringe "Philip!"
Alex walked in. "Oh hey, Angie, Pip. Wait. Philip?"
"Hey, Pops," Philip smiled at his family.
Angie scanned the house for signs of the youngest Hamilton. "Hey, where's Connor?"
"He's at Natasha's with Pierre," Alex said absentmindedly. Eliza gave her a look that clearly said, he probably has no idea.
Great. Connor was lost.
"I'm gonna go find him," Angelica left the Hamilton driveway to a place only she and Connor knew about. At the edge of the cul-de-sac where some rich family lived, there was a small clearing that led into the woods.
"Hey, Connor?" Angie called.
"Here and queer!" Connor popped out from behind a tree. "I mean, ignore that last part."
"Well, that took an unsurprising turn," Angie grinned. "So, what is you doing heere?'
"Are, Angie, and I am just here for fun," Connor leaned against a tree awkwardly.
"Guess what I got you from Harvard," Angie said, bouncing on her toes.
"What?" Connor asked suspiciously. "A cute guy's number?" He joked.
"I don't know if he's cute or not but you're right on the number part," Angie handed him a piece of paper.
Connor's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah, he's my bo -, er, friend's brother," Angie stut13tered.
"Why, dearest sister, would you get me a stranger's number?" Connor deadpanned.
"Cuz you need it, and he's super musical obsessed," Angie chuckled. "Also, Mom told me you're really ga -"
Connor clapped a hand over her mouth. "Not so loud!"
"What do you say we go back home now?" Angie asked, removing Connor's hand from her mouth.
"Only if I get to meet your boyfriend first!"
Angie rubbed her brother's head.
"Only if you don't kill him."
STILL NOT THE END!
Hope you enjoyed!
- Eliza and Angelica