Don't Throw Away Your Shot

2. What Time is it? Show time!

Laurens POV

I stepped out onto the road, taking another bite of the apple. I checked my pockets for my phone. With a reassuring nod I turned back and closed the door behind me, not bothering to look at my father. I walked up onto the path, hearing the car speed off behind me. I stuck my hands in my pockets and kept my head down as I trotted towards the entrance.

I rubbed my sleeves against my tear brimmed eyes, looking up as I did so. My expression turned to a frown as I spotted a figure running towards me, being followed slowly by another.

Their eyes glinted in the sun, their curly ponytail flowing majestically in the wind. Their blue jacket and loose tracksuit pants flew out behind them. Their arms were held high above their head, waving. As they came closer I realised I recognised them. Before I could say anything they crashed into me and started suffocating me with a tight hug. I patted his back and managed, between gasps, "L-af-, *gasp*, Pl-ea-se let me-go. Can-not, *gasp*, breathe."

"Oui! Bien sûr, désolé. Il est vraiment génial de vous voir mon ami!" He let me go but kept an arm around my shoulder.

I smiled and reminded him I couldn't speak French too well.

"Ah, of course. I forget. I MUST TEACH YOU, MON AMI!" He said the last with a dramatic hand gesture to emphasize his point.

"Oui, oui. Now, what did you say?"

"I said, 'Yes! Of course, sorry. It's really great to see you my friend!' That is what I said." He grinned gleefully. "What you like me to show you around?"

I forgot how much I missed his French accent, I thought, happily. "Oui," I accepted, nodding.

"Uhh, Laf? Mind introducing me?" a voice raised up jokingly. Laf turned towards the voice, allowing me to see past him. My eyes landed on a tall, man, a bandana around his head; the person whom I'd seen following Laf. He wore exquisitely tailored cream pants. I didn't normally look at the details of people's clothes, but this guy's jeans and sapphire top were just...amazing.

"MON AMI! HERCULES! MUL! Pardonne-moi! I completely lost all train of thought when I saw John, here." Laf gestured to me with the hand that wasn't slung around me.

"It's cool, Laf." He reached out a hand to me and he said, "The name's Mulligan, Hercules Mulligan. Nice you to meet you...John was it?"

I nodded and shook his hand. "John Laurens, pleasure to meet ya. Can I say...that your pants are really great."

He smiled. "Thanks. I get that a lot, actually. I'm a tailor. Well, technically his apprentice, but, the same thing when you're this good." He shrugged and winked.

I laughed, "True."

"Mul, I was just going to show him around the school. Join us!"

"Sure, why not? He seems like a cool kid." He ruffled my hair and I smirked a little.

"Where to first then, guys?" I asked.

"The office would make sense," replied Mul.

"Oui! Allons-y," Laf yelled, grabbing my hand and pulling me along, Mul trailing behind us, laughing at his French flamboyance.

I looked around and saw many students walking towards the back of the building. Some were running with smiles lighting up their faces. The pair ignored them so I didn't bother to ask about it.

With that, we made our way to the office. We walked in and there was nothing really special about it. It had a few rectangular windows, soft carpet, light blue walls, a high wooden bar-like desk behind which the office ladies cooped. We picked up my schedule, student ID and locker number and combo while there. He realised we all had the same classes, so that was something to be happy about.

"Where's the principal?" I asked, eyeing the empty seat.

"He'll be in the auditorium," Mul replied, waving us out.

The rest of the school was quite general; white brick halls, wooden classroom doors, desks and chalkboards in the classrooms. The halls were unusually empty for this time of day.

"Where is everyone?" I question, looking around, noticing the lack of students or teachers for that matter.

"Well, everyone else is in the auditorium, learning what we will performing this year. We already know," Mul replied gesturing between himself and Laf with a smirk. We continued down the long hallway until we pass a cabinet. I turned to see an abundance of gleaming trophies.

I pointed at them, "What are these all for?"

"Those are for when we win the national championships of theatre. There are a few for visual arts and music too," Mul answered. I squinted at the engraved writing labelling each one.

Laf murmured jokingly, slightly out of character, "And all of them go to one man, eh?"

"Alexander Hamilton?" I questioned, looking at the majority of the trophies.

"Most people think he wins because he's the principal's—Washington's—son, but he's actually pretty talented, we would know," Mul chuckled, elbowing Laf slightly.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, starting to walk down the hallway again, the others following suit.

"Well we do choose the best people to be our friends, no?" Laf replied, smirking at me. Mul was wryly grinning too.

I grinned back. "Hamilton," I tested the name, letting it slide easily off my tongue, "you friends with him?" Instantly they burst into laughter. I giggled a little and nodded, "So, he's that kinda friend." They returned my nod.

"Most people get salty at us for being friends with him and that he's won all these awards." Mul motioned behind him towards the cabinet.

"Oui. He causes...trouble..." He grins warily, looking behind him jokingly, as if this guy—or one of his enemies—was going to spring him.

"What kind of trouble?" I asked cautiously, turning to him.

They both glanced at each other and sniggered, like they had some knowledge I didn't. I rose an eyebrow and Laf answered, "Once he told John Adams, 'SIT DOWN JOHN, YOU FAT MOTHER FUCKER' in debate team..."

"What about that time we were debating in front of Washingdad—that's what we call him, the principal, by the way—and Thomas told Alex that his plan wasn't going to work. Then Alex called 'em 'useless as two shi-," Mul broke off into a fit of laughter, stopping in his tracks, clutching his stomach.

"He sounds cocky," I joked, looking back at Mul, who was trying to recover his breath from his fit of laughter.

"Not really cocky, but a little too confident. Don't get me wrong though, he's is actually extremely small," Mul said, catching up with us, wiping tears from his face.

"Petit félin," Laf commented making the gesture for small with his hands. I burst into laughter, letting it ring out through the hallway.

Once I'd recovered, I got suddenly curious. "Oh and about the performance, does everyone contribute?"

"Yeah, they need a lot of people for backstage and actors of course. They actually start the auditions today. Maybe we should try out," Mul gestured between all of us, getting a laugh out of Laf.

"Oui, mon ami. What about you, Laurens?" Laf turned to me.

I scratched the back of my head nervously, "I don't even know what the performance is. And I'm not that good of a singer."

"Oh we should move to the auditorium so you can find out."

A/N: yay we've met people but there are many more people to meet! Sorry if it's too short.
Also if you see anything on tumblr that could be used in this story please send me the url
Unless it's stories from your own lives - those you can message those to me and I may just use them!

(But also I'm not sure how ham and Laurens are gonna get together ;-; help)

-chewtoi

(remember that Washingdad is on your side)