Chapter 4

Alex and John walked out of their English class, laughing. John's eyes sparkled playfully and Alex blushed. John was really friendly, and Alex really valued their friendship. In the past weeks, he had grown closest to John, by far, though Lafayette and Hercules were close seconds.

"I guess this is where we have to part!" John exclaimed.

Alex smiled sheepishly and hoisted up his tote bag. John rapped him across his knuckles and winked flirtatiously. He bounded off down the hallway.

"You and your faggot friend having fuuuuuun?" someone hissed into his ear.

Alex reeled away in surprise. Jefferson was grinning maliciously at him, James hovering a few feet away.

"N-not so loud!" Alex begged.

Thomas smirked and began to talk in quite a loud voice. "Alexander Hamilton is in loooooove with a b-"

James slapped a palm over Thomas's mouth, his eyes wide with horror. Thomas brushed away James's hand.

"What's wrong, Jemmy?"

"Thomas, I know you hate him, but you c-cant go around saying things around here in public! Not only will he get in trouble, but we will have to be Interrogated."

Thomas looked appreciatively at James. "Jemmy… I didn't realize that before. Good thinking. We ca- I mean don't want to get in trouble."

Thomas turned back to Alex. "Ta ta until later, bastard!"

Thomas grabbed James's shoulder and pulled him away. James looked back at Alex over his shoulder and Alex mouthed a silent "thanks." James nodded and then turned back to the front.

He headed towards his history classroom, his intention to tell Lafayette all about his encounter with Thomas.

"Laf!" Alex bust out as soon as he sat down next to the french boy. "Thomas did the Thing again, but this time, in the publicity of our school halls!"

"No!" Lafayette cried out, shocked and stunned. "Did anyone say anything?"

"No-" Alex began.

"Good," Lafayette interrupted, his eyes darting from side to side. "We can talk about this later. The classroom's starting to fill up."

A boy named Samuel Seabury was walking idly in between the rows of desks. Suddenly, someone stuck out their foot and sent him flying. Lafayette and Alex both turned to the boy who tripped Samuel.

It was charles Lee.

No one liked Charles Lee but Charles Lee. He had thick, very dark hair that was shaved on the side, his brown eyes were cold and flat, with tones of murky gray in their depths.

"Oh, sorry, Sammy," Charles smirked as Samuel got up, blushing furiously and shying away from Charles's sharp gaze.

Samuel trudged slowly towards the back of the room, head bent. Alex watched Charles like a hawk. Something in Charles's gaze had shifted when he saw Samuel. Alex didn't think it was hate. It wasn't friendship either.

'Oh my fucking christ,' Alex thought, 'was that love? Does that mean Charles is a Loner? He's not going to last long by himself. But maybe he has a strategy, after all, pretending to hate someone you love his easy. Love is barely any different than hate.'

At lunch, Alex took his usual spot next to John. Their knees brushed in the warm afternoon sunlight. They shared their lunches, something they had established after the third day of school.

Alex and John laid out all their food, and ten split it evenly. All the other members of the Revolutionary Set thought it was weird, but Alex and John didn't mind one bit.

Hugh settled down next to Angelica, his girlfriend, and rolled out the Map. They had drawn all over it, working out possible strategies for infiltrating the manor.

So far, they had managed to choose a path that was almost always in the blink spots of the security cameras. The parts when they could be seen were carefully planned out. First, James and John, the swiftest and most nimble, would go out a fire black paint onto the lenses of the cameras, coating them with the sticky substance.

Afterwards, they would pass in threes. There were going to split into two groups in the first basement.

That was all Alex could catch before everyone started talking at once. Alex looked over at John, who was leaning back against the steps, eyes closed, and enjoying the sunlight.

'Damn, he's so beautiful' Alex thought, admiring John's figure.

Suddenly, John's eyes snapped open and he caught Alex looking at him. Alex, mortified, quickly looked away.

"Hey, Alex?" John laughed.

"Y-yes?" Alex stuttered.

"Come sit here with me." John said, patting a space right next to him. Alex, gratefully, plopped down next to his friend.

Their shoulders were brushing, which sent a thrill down Alex's spine. John was so incredibly cute, and he also was so kind, funny, brave, and well… perfect. Alex sighed internally, wondering what he wouldn't give for John to be his…

The bell rang, jolting Alex out from his daydream. He quickly gathered up his things and walked with John towards their third period class, AP Math, Level D. It turns out the John also excelled at Math.

When they entered the classroom, Alex and John chose seats right next to each other in the back row, in the corner, next to the window, where they always sat. Alex neatly unpacked his things while John just dumped the whole lot onto his desk.

He rooted around in the pile, obviously looking for something.

"Dammit, where's my pencil?" he grumbled.

Alex stifled a laugh, reaching for a pencil that was inches away from John's elbow, in plain sight.

"You mean this one?" Alex giggled.

"Er- yeah. That one," John said, snatching the pencil out of Alex's grip.

The math class droned on, rather boring even though the concept they were learning today was quite challenging. Alex and John mastered it after the first twenty minutes of class, and spent the rest of the hour messing around with each other.

John had folded a paper triangle football, and he was flicking it, aiming for Alex's nose. The paper flitted upwards and jabbed Alex in the eye.

"Ow!" he whisper-shouted.

"Oh- sorry Alex!" John exclaimed, his eyes widening apologetically.

"No, it's okay, John."

"Are you sure?" John questioned his friend.

"Yes," Alex insisted.

John moved his hands softly up to brush against Alex's face. Alex stiffened.

'John, what- this is in a public area!' he thought to himself.

But then, John's real intents were made clear and Alex felt himself relax. John was turning Alex's face from side to side, peering into the eye he had hit. He was trying to make sure that Alex was really okay.

"John, I promise that I'm fine!" Alex exclaimed, smiling and blushing slightly as he brushed John's hands away.

Luckily, no one in the class was paying attention to them. They also sat in the blink spot of the security footage. They were safe… for now.

'For now? What? Do you actually expect something to happen later? LIke… something gay between you and John?! No way. Get out of here, Alex. Sure he's your best friend, but he's way out of your league.'

"Alex?" John asked, his eyes concerned. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Alex asked. Something must have been showing on his face. "I'm fine," he said quickly.

John blinked, not believing Alex, but allowed the subject to drop.

"Hey, do you want to come to my place after school? We can hang out or do whatever" John asked Alex as the hour bell rang.

"Sure!" Alex exclaimed. "That would be nice."

It was friday, so they didn't have any school tomorrow.

"Great!" John grinned, and he flashed Alex a dazzling smile and his flirty wink. Alex almost melted into a puddle, right in front of their history class.

***I pulled an all-nighter. I just posted this chapter to see what I wrote like on no sleep. May be reuploading this. I hate myself. Why did I do this to myself