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Chapter 7 - Angst and ships

(A/N: May contain distressing/sensitive content)

Alex pov

I found myself in Washington's office. I couldn't remember anything that had happened except being really upset.

"Oh, son! Are you alright? Who did this? Does anyone else know?"

"I'm fine, I don't remember and don't call me Son"

"So you don't know who it was?"

"Um..." I racked my brains. Suddenly everything came back to me and I started to cry.

"Shhh shhh. It's ok. Just tell me who it was"

"J-Jefferson..."

"I'll call him in now-"

"No!...just...I'll be fine"

"But son-"

"Honestly! I'll be fine...and I already told you not to call me son!"

"Alexander..."

"I'll be fine! Just leave me alone" I got up and left Washington in his office, looking hurt.

I decided to cut class and go straight home, but what I saw made me wish I hadn't.

Laf pov

I sat opposite Herc in the cafe; we didn't have classes for the rest of the day because the teachers were being nice. He was rambling on about something but I wasn't listening. I was just staring into his eyes and sipping my frappuccino.

"Then she said she'd talk to me about it, but I don't know what I'm supposed to say. I just don't feel it ya know?"

God, he had the nicest eyes and a smile like...woah.

"Laf?"

I loved him so much.

"Earth to Lafayette...hello?"

"Huh?". I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Were you even listening?"

"Of course I was listening!"

"Then what did I say?"

"She wants to talk to you but you don't know what to say"

"And who is she?"

"Um...that's when I started listening"

"Ugh! If you don't care about my problems, I'll go home!"

"No! Stay! I want to hear. I do care about you...I mean your problems...obviously"

"It's Eliza. She's always been sensitive about me and other people, but since Sunday, she's been ignoring me completely and I mean it was just a dumb game we play and I didn't even mean it-"

"You didn't mean it?" 

"What? Well...I...not...not like that" 

Of course, he didn't mean it like that! What was I thinking?!

"But, for a while now, I've felt something not quite right about our relationship. And I was gonna tell her but there was never the time...I just don't know what to do" 

"Just tell her when you arranged to meet. If she has something important to tell you, my first guess is that she feels the same way"

I hated seeing Herc like this. He was so gentle and sweet and he was always patient with me when I was being weird. He didn't deserve to be treated like this. Especially by that Eliza girl.