Favorable (Jamilton)

8. Hamilton

Alexander walked into the lecture hall as silently as he possibly could to avoid getting stared at. He wasn't sure how many people knew about the favors and a part of him hoped that John was just being dramatic when he said that half of the campus was afraid of him, but the stares that he got when he sat down told him that at least some people knew about them. A few people looked back at and stared while they whispered to their friends. The grey cellphone in his pocket seemed to weigh more than it was worth in his pocket. Hamilton wasn't sure why he brought it, but he was starting to regret it. It was just a reminder that what he was doing probably wasn't the best choice. 

"I heard he killed someone," someone whispered. 

"Oh please."

Hamilton kept his head down. The stares seemed to burn into his soul. It occurred to Alex that maybe Maria held up her end of the bargain and got the word around campus. He hadn't gotten any calls yet, so he wasn't so sure that was the case. 

As Alexander waited, he decided to see if he knew anyone in the class. Some of the people looked familiar from his old high school but there was one face that stood out from everyone else's. Really, it was her hair that gave her away, long, tight curls bounced as she jumped from seat to seat, greeting various other people that she might have known. 

Eventually, the woman found her way to Alexander's seat. 

"Is that who I think it is?" Angelica sighed as she sat next to Alex. 

"Angelica Schuyler. I didn't know you went here," he muttered. He hadn't talked to any of the Schuylers since the incident. He tried to make eye contact with her but she had the same dark eyes and Eliza, which was where the resemblance ended, but whenever he looked at her eyes, he saw a heartbroken girl after finding out about an affair. 

"To answer your question, yes. She does go here as well. Of course, she's trying to get a license in child services. She wants to help kids bloom into functioning members of society." Angelica laughed like she wasn't sitting next to her sister's ex. "She always did have a soft spot for kids."

"Uh, yes, she did. But I didn't ask if she went here." 

"No, but you were thinking it." Angelica's expression was suddenly sober. "You really hurt her, you know. She's burned every note that you've ever given her and she keeps saying that you deserve the same, which I agree with."

Alexander flinched at his former "favorite older sister"'s harsh tone. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I heard that you got involved with the underground job ring that's going around and I know which job you were assigned. I'm here to be your first customer." Angelica reached into the small purse that was hanging at her side. She pulled out a wad of cash. "There's two hundred here."

Alexander stared at the money. Again, he was reminded of someone else. This time his mind flashed to the night with Maria when she handed him the wad of cash.

Relax, she'd said. From a friend to a friend.

Alexander looked back up at Angelica hopefully, she rolled her eyes.

"It isn't for nothing," she muttered.

Alex's heart dropped for a second. Of course, it wasn't for nothing. "What's it for then?"

"I want you to lose all of our numbers. I don't want you talking to me, or Peggy, or Eliza. As much as I want to be your friend nothing comes above them, and I want to punch your face in for what you did to my sister. Eliza was trusting and kind before she met you, and you took that trust and showed her that trust isn't something that everyone deserves."