WE ARRIVE AT Tilghman'splace within minutes. Dinner was absolutely delicious. I had the All-American Burger and I demolished that thing. Fries and Dr. Pepper included. My tongue still tastes like meat and grease.
Laurens pulls up to Tilghman's apartment and parks the car, coming to a sudden holt. I jolt a little against the seatbelt but other than that I remain perfectly fine. I follow Laurens and unbuckle myself before grabbing my phone off the charger and kicking the passenger side door open. I can hear music booming from inside Tilghman's apartment and people whooping and laughing. I swallow hard, staring at the house with wide eyes as I wrap my thin arms around my small, narrow frame. I dig my teeth into my bottom lip. Well, here we go.
"You sure you want to do this, Alex?" Laurens asks as we cross the parking lot towards the sidewalk and walk in a line between cars. He arches an eyebrow, eyeing me worriedly. "I feel like I'm pressuring you into doing this..."
"Yes," I say, turning to face Laurens as we walk. "I want to do this, John."
"Are you sure? I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to. I can take you back home—"
"No." I say it flatly, almost tersely. I narrow my eyes at him. "I want to do this, John. I'm seventeen. I'm old enough to make my own decisions! I'm not a puppy who needs to be watched all the time!"
"Right, right," Laurens says, pursing his lips together. "You're right. My apologies. It's just...if something were to happen to you, Lafayette would surely kill me."
I grimace at the mention of myadoptive brother's name and my heart clenches, so it suddenly feels hard to breathe.I can feel my throat burning as I exhale shakily out my mouth, my eyes blinking. I still haven't gotten a message from him, letting me know I close my eyes for just a moment.
"Can...Can we not talk about him?" I whimper. "Please?"
Laurens frowns. "Right. Of course. Sorry."
We walk in silence.
I keep my head down, watching my feet stepping one foot in front of the other, my arms around myself. Laurens walks ahead of me and up to the door. I hop onto the curb of the sidewalk and follow him. We reach the white door and Laurens raps his knuckles against the wood three times and steps back a little. I stand just behind his shoulder.
"You don't have to drink or talk anyone if you don't want to," Laurens says, glancing at me over his shoulder. He shrugs. "You can just sit for all I care."
I roll my violet eyes. "John, relax. I'll be fine. I'll text you if I need anything."
Laurens nods just as the door swings open. He turns his attention back toward the door and grins. It isn't Tilghman who opens the door, it's a boy with dirty blonde hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, letting a few bangs dangle in front of his dark blue eyes. He has a faint peach fuzz growing on his chin and a round, angular face. I notice a few whiskers under his nostrils and just above his upper lip, a small mustache already forming. He appears to be nineteen or perhaps twenty. Tall, roughly the same height as Laurens, muscular and incredibly handsome. He could be fit for the military.
"There he is!" the boy in front of us exclaims with a wide smile, flashing bright white teeth. He opens his arms out for Laurens. Laurens embraces his friend tightly, patting his back before slowly pulling away.
"Hey, Ben," Laurens says, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "How've you been?"
"Been alright. You?" Ben asks.
"Same," Laurens says, stepping into the house.
I follow in after him, remaining quiet unless spoken too.
YOU ARE READING
Helpless (Book 1)
FanfictionSeventeen-year-old Alexander Hamilton should feel lucky. He should feel lucky that he survived the hurricane and the illness he and his mother had when he was twelve. He should feel lucky that he has a family now, an adoptive one at that. He doesn't...
