Hamilton High School AU

After Class Talk

 Of his time in teaching, there were few students as bright as Alexander Hamilton. On the whole, this year was filled to the brim with students much more clever than ever before. The line up went something like this; Hamilton took center stage, sitting in the desk across Washington's in the very first row. To his left sat the young sir, Aaron Burr, Another youngster eager to impress the head teacher.

And then there was Thomas Jefferson, the teen sat one row back, behind Hamilton, easy access to antagonize him. This is what Washington got to assume young adults were responsible enough to pick their own seats. Today was no exception to the usual routine, of Hamilton's bombardment of answers to questions Washington hadn't yet known he was going to ask, and Jefferson's come backs, contradicting thought after thought, getting Hamilton riled up. If Washington hadn't intervened he was sure there would have been a brawl.

"Alexander, you can take a moment and stay after class." Hamilton opened his mouth, but closed it at once. The look on his teacher's face gave a sense that he wasn't up for an argument. The bell rang, and the other students filed out, laughing and joking with each other. Aaron Burr was the first to leave, a blur as he bolted out of the room, tossing Hamilton a look that plainly read 'I told you so'. Washington walked around to the front of his desk, leaning back against it with his arms folded across his chest as he looked down at the teen in front of him. "Alexander, please, you need to stop this."

"Tell me why do you make me stay behind when Jefferson's obviously the one who started this?" Hostile, of course. Why had Washington expected anything less?

"I keep you behind because I've found in the time that I've known the two of you you're more inclined to listen to me and comprehend what you're being told." On this front, Hamilton didn't bother to argue. He kept his eyes on the floor, not looking at his teacher. Washington waited, and after a few moments he broke the silence. "Alexander... You have always been spirited, filled with passion about your convictions, but as of late, you've been rather violent. You've been near blows with Thomas three times this week alone. Tell me, is there something going on you haven't said?"

Hamilton chose this moment to look up at his teacher. The steady eyes of Washington swayed him towards truth, and for the first time since the beginning of class, the young lad let his guard down. With a heavy sigh, he told his teacher everything.

"My mother was terminally ill, and she passed only two weeks ago. Then, my cousin who I was staying with, out of grief or stress or financial depression or something I don't know, took his own life." Of things he could have heard, this was the last thing Washington expected. With a heavy sigh he closed his eyes and collected his thoughts.

"You haven't missed a day of school since." Was what he finally said. "Alexander, take some time off and grieve. If you don't, you will never get through this."

"School is all I have to keep me sane. Constantly learning new things, trying to make a name of myself, so when the time comes, when I finally have my shot, I can do something great." The passion was there again, any sadness eradicated and replaced with something a lot more powerful. Washington would have called it 'motivation' if the word didn't seem to understate it.

"Son-"

"Don't call me that."

"Listen to me," Washington moved, now sitting in the desk beside his student. "You will have your shot, but now isn't the time. You need to grieve before you can focus on the rest of your life. This will haunt you otherwise. You're a great scholar. Missing a few days will do nothing to your grade; you'll be able to recover in no time at all."

"I'm not concerned with the grade." Hamilton refused to look at the instructor, who was trying so hard to make eye contact now. Washington took another moment. He had to strategize in his head, get all his pieces together. Young Alexander was an orphan now, and worse yet, he had no family to go home to. Of course he would see school as his new home.

"Where are you staying, Alexander?" He asked.

"Foster family at the moment..." Washington nodded. He and Martha occasionally took in foster children. He would talk with her later. Maybe they could give Hamilton a slightly better home to stay in. Both looked to the hallway when they heard a cough.

"John? What are you doing hovering outside of my classroom? I don't have you for another two classes." Laurens, now noticed, walked into the classroom now. Washington noticed how Hamilton relaxed when he entered the room, but didn't comment.

"Sorry sir, Alex and I have next period together. We usually walk there together."

"Do you think you could write us passes, sir?" Hamilton asked, looking back to Washington. The teacher sighed and stood, walking to his desk and pulling out a yellow notepad.

"We aren't finished with this discussion, Alexander. Please stop by my class after school today, understand?"

"Understood." Hamilton stood, taking the passes as he walked with his friend, the two smiling as they left the classroom, Hamilton's eyes shining as they went. Washington couldn't help the smile on his face as he watched them go, before sitting down at his desk to grade papers.