Elements

Chapter 9

John's POV

Ohmygoddidhejustkissme

I was almost asleep when I felt Alex's warm lips press against my forehead. I didn't move so I wouldn't scare Alex off. 

He sat still for a minute, then I felt him pick me up bridal style. I expected him to drop me because he is a little vertically challenged, but he surprisingly had no trouble. I felt him lay me in a bed. The bed creaked as Alex lay down next to me. 

"Goodnight John." He whispered. I lay awake. I had never slept with someone in one bed. The bed also barely fits both of us.

Minutes pass as I try to fall asleep. Eventually Alex's breathing slows down. 

Alex. He had mentioned gifts. I had almost told him that I have the gift of earth. I know he has one, I can feel it, but if I tell one person I have to tell them all. Including my dad. When I told him I was gay he said 'I never knew you were interested in stand up comedy but you need to work on your jokes.' After I told him I was serious his face went pale. He has never treated me the same. If I tell him that I have the gift of earth he might never talk to me again, and I don't know how anyone else would react. 

I watch as I make a small bunch of bluebells blossom in my hand. Suddenly Alex rolls over in his sleep and unconsciously wraps an arm around me. A few blue petals are knocked out of my grasp and onto the bed. I get rid of the flowers in my hand and fall asleep.

***

Alex's POV

I wake up with my arm wrapped around John I flush and pull my arm away. 

I glance at the clock on my bedside table. Crap! Its already seven? I never sleep this late! I get up and go into the kitchen and start brewing some coffee. While I wait for the coffee I sit on the couch and open up my laptop and start writing an essay for history. I don't need to, but I want to. I write about the newsboys strike of 1899 and how it impacted today society. The words fly through my fingertips as my brain starts buzzing with ideas. We haven't learned about that time period in class at all, I think I picked it up when Herc made me listen to a musical about the strike. 

When I'm halfway through the fourth- fifth? Fifth paragraph, the coffee timer went off. I go pour it into a mug and drink it black. I continue writing for an hour or two when John gets up. 

"Good morning sleepy head." I say taking a sip of my second cup of coffee. He yawns and his cute freckled nose scrunches up.

"'morning." He responds. " How long have you been up?"

"Since seven." I respond.

"Sweet Jesus! That early?!" He exclaims in surprise.

"It's not that early." I shrug, sipping my coffee again. "Do you have any classes today?"

"Yeah, 3D art and botany." He says eyeing Maria's teapot.

"You can make some tea, I think Maria has tea bags in one of the cabinets." He nods and starts boiling some water. "Do you sculpt?" 

"Mm hm. A bit. I've made some small clay figurenes but I mostly make sculptures with things that I'd found. I also draw and watercolor."

"That's cool. What are most of your sculptures made of?"

"Oh, old bike tires, branches, soda cans, wire from old electronics, and I sometimes dry or press flowers that I find" He had stopped himself from saying something. "and it's kind of amazing what you can do with old lampshades"

The tea kettle whistles and John pours it into a mug that Laf had gotten me. He puts in a tea bag, pours in some honey, and sits down next to me. He sips the warm beverage and we sit in momentary silence. 

The door bangs open and Maria rushes in and slams the door shut behind her. She looks as if she's fighting back a laugh.

"Maria!! Get back here- where did you go?" A girl yells from the hallway. Maria slides down the door and stifles a giggle with her hands. She than sees us staring and joins us on the couch.

"I swear to god Maria!! I will find you!!" The girl yells. She sounds a bit like Peggy. 

"What happened?!" John said, surprised.

"I pranked my friend Peggy." She smiles

"What did you do?" John says, a grin spreading across his face.

"I used a hole puncher to make hundreds of little paper dots and then-" She giggles, "I put them on the fan blades in Peggy's dorm room."

"Did she turn on the fan just now?" 

"Yes!!" She bursts into a fit of giggles. "And she did it just as I was leaving." She laughs. "I'm glad I never told her which room is mine." Just then some one starts pounding on the door.

"Maria!! I know you're in there!!" Peggy shouts. 

"Hide mee!" Maria grabs Johns arm. "Alex! Remember, I'm not here!" John giggles and leads her to a closet. I open the door and an infuriated Peggy is standing there. She's wearing her favorite yellow flannel shirt and jeans, and she's covered in tiny white paper dots. 

"Alex. This is an emergency. Where. Is. Maria." She demands. 

"I have no idea, I haven't seen her since yesterday."

"I heard her talking in your room."  She says firmly.

"I swear I haven't seen her." I say trying to act annoyed. She shoves past me trailing paper dots into my dorm.

"Alexander you suck at acting, now tell me where she is." She demands once more. I hear John giggle from the bed room. Peggy storms in. I hear her interrogating John while Maria sneaks out of her hiding place in the closet. I show her out the door and watch her sprint down the hall. Peggy comes in just as I close the door. "Alexander Hamilton you are the worst." She wrenches the door open and follows Maria down the hall. 

I look at John and make eye contact.

We burst out laughing.