In New York You Can Be a New Man

Chapter Twenty

If you couldn't tell already, I always make Alexander the emotionally hurt one. Oops. Sorry, please forgive me! Also, the end of this is historically inaccurate, but I'm just screwing around with Alex's emotions. Poor baby.

PS: 10 more days 'til summer!!

***

"Hey, hey, hey! If it isn't the two lovebirds!"

 John and Alexander were currently enjoying a breakfast together, well, they were enjoying it up until when Jefferson sauntered into the hall.

"Leave me alone, Jefferson." Alexander said, his hands clenching his cup of coffee.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm just here to congratulate you on wining the senate seat for debate in our school government! I mean, without anything to threaten you with I have no chance of taking your spot. Don't I?" 

John and Alexander shared a look. Jefferson was acting strangely, and neither knew how to respond.

"Well, I have something that you might wa–"

"–Can you please like go. It's too early in the morning for you." Alexander interrupted Jefferson, turning away from him.

"Fine, but if you make me stop, you'll never hear of my plan."

For the second time that day, John and Alexander shared a worried look. 

"What plan?"

Jefferson smirked, satisfied that he had captured their attention. He walked outside and waited for the two to join him. After a moment of hesitation (and paying the bill), they followed.

"Hey, John, heard that your daddy is pretty harsh toward anyone who's not posh, expensive, and proper like him, hm?" Jefferson said mockingly, tilting his head to the side.

John flinched at the mention of his father but didn't say anything. He could feel anger filling him; this happened every time someone talked about his father. Once John was out of college, John was sure he was going to get away from his father as soon as possible.

"Hey, Jefferson, leave John out of this. This regards me and you, only." Alexander sneered, pushing John behind him.

"Hey, Alexander, I can fight my own fights thank you very much. I don't need your protection, all right?" John snapped, suddenly angry.

When he saw Alexander's eyes flash with hurt, John closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry Alex. I'm just really stressed right now."

Alexander nodded and turned back to Jefferson, who had an smug smile on his face. 

"I think you would be pleased to know that I not only have Mr. Henry Laurens' number, but I also have multiple photos that you would probably find very unflattering. Do you think Henry would enjoy photos of his son drinking booze and a cheap party filled with bastards and losers?"

With that, Jefferson strutted off, flipping his curly hair behind him and flicking his cape behind him. "Ta-ta!"

--

"John, don't worry, I already have a plan. All I have to do is explain our situation in explicit detail and then Jefferson won't have anything on us! Look, I already have the first 18 pages already written in my head! I've got th–"

"Alexander. Shut up. Publishing an essay of words isn't going to solve the problem." John said, eyeing the pacing boy in front of him.

"You're right. I need to write a couple essays. A pamphlet! Perfect! I'll start now. Don't worry, we'll get through this together!"

"No!" John yelled, forcing Alexander to stop pacing and look at him. "I'm going to deal with this. This is my problem, not yours. You aren't my boyfriend, so stop acting like one. Just let me sort this out, okay?"

Alexander just gaped at John. "I-you-we–" Alexander clamped his mouth shut and stormed out of the room, tears prickling at his eyes.

John took a deep breath. He would just have to call his dad and tell him that he was drunk and that it was a dare, nothing more. No feelings involved. Before Alexander did anything stupid or rash. 

"This is for both our sakes. Do it for Alexander." John muttered to himself, whipping out his phone and pressing the contact labeled "Henry Laurens"

--

"Hello, you have reached the senator Henry Laurens' voicemail. Unfortunately, Mr. Laurens is not around to speak to you. Please leave a message at the tone or consider calling back another time! Thank you!" 

John had been getting the same message over and over and over. Inside, it hurt John to think that his father wouldn't even pick up the phone for his own son. But then again, Henry wasn't exactly the most conventional father. 

"Mr. Laurens?" There was a knock at his door, and John jumped. 

"C-come in." John said, turning toward the door and setting down his phone. He watched as a girl who looked strikingly a lot like Peggy walk into the room. Maybe it was Peggy's cousin? Hm, he had never heard of a cousin.

"Hi, I'm Maria. Maria Reynolds. Well, we had volleyball and Marine Bio together last year and–" Maria's voice trailed off, and John noted the large, red slap-mark on her cheek. "To make a long story short, my boyfriend dumped me and I need somewhere to stay. Do you think I could, um, crash here until I can set something up?"

"Sure! My flatmate, Alexander, won't mind if you take the couch. Plus, it will probably break his bad habit of pacing if we have a guest."

"Thank you, Mr. Laurens." Maria mumbled, hanging her head in embarrassment.

John flinched at the use of his last name. "Please, call me John." 

Maria nodded, and John relaxed. Quite honestly, John hated being called "Mr. Laurens"; it only reminded him about his relationship with his father. His father: the jerk of the South Carolinian Senate and more hurtfully, John's first bully. 

"Could I have a hug? I'm awfully tired and scared and–you know what, it's a stupid idea, forget it." Maria said, turning away, but not before John wrapped her in his embrace. 

They stayed that way for a few moments, and the door to the dorm opened again.

"I'm sorry, I ran out I should have–" 

John, his eyes covered by Maria's curly locks, only heard Alexander's voice from the door. John jumped away from Maria and buttoned the the top of shirt that he didn't remember unbuttoning.

"Oh, sorry, if I was interrupting something. I'll just crash at Eliza's place tonight. Don't worry, I won't disturb you again." Alexander left off with an awkward chuckle, but John noticed something tight about Alexander's voice, like he was trying not to cry. "Bye."

Great, just great, he had done something to make Alexander cry twice in one day. 

"This must be a new record." John muttered, before Maria's lips was on his own.