Sons of Liberty University | Hamilton College AU

Chapter 2 - Kind of Home Invasion

*Adult Language Warning (Gasp! Ashburn is swearing!)*

Alex

I don't think you've ever been in a car with a bunch of college-aged boys before that were screaming and laughing. It is like a chaotic display of power and testosterone. And Jesus is it loud.

Hercules had finally given way to John and Lafayette's pleads and was now playing something by a guy named Lin-Manuel Miranda.

"WE ARE EXPLORERS READING EVERY SIGN," Lafayette and John shouted in unison. "WE TELL THE STORIES OF OUR ELDERS--"

"WHAT IS THIS EVEN FROM?!" Hercules yelled.

"Moana!" John said happily. His eyes lit up. "Alex, Lin actually freestyled in front of Obama once!"

"Best president ever," Hercules muttered.

The two kept singing, and Hercules bopped along to the music.

"Alex, do you like to listen to music?" Hercules asked.

I shrugged. "Kind of. I might have actually heard one of Lin's songs once."

John immediately looked at me. "SING."

I took a deep breath.

"Hi, my name is Lin Miranda!" I started. "I know you don't know who I am, but I wore these pants, and I'm willin' to dance like an idiot if ya just gimme the chance to plug my show and reach the people. bust my flow, cause the flow is lethal! It's called In the Heights, and the life is sweet, yo! It helps that I get to kiss Karen Oliv-oh!"

John and Lafayette were clutching their sides and laughing. Hercules was shaking his head and grinning like an idiot.

"That," John said, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes. "Was beautiful."

Hercules's phone started ringing. He pulled it out and thumbed the Call button.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Mom! How are you? You guys okay? ... Alex? Yeah, we just picked him up... His family? He didn't really mention anything about his family.... Mom, he's okay, honestly. Why are you so upset all of a sudden?"

There was a long silence. Hercules blanched.

"You can't be serious... That guy? You mean the guy we met last year in Germany? He was..."

There was a brief pause.

"Mom, you can talk to him when we get home. I think he would want to talk about that kind of thing in private."

Hercules looked at me in the rear-view mirror. There was something like shock and hurt in his eyes.

"Mom, Alex is--"

He blanched again.

"...What? He did what?! I can't... You want to talk to John? Okay."

He handed the phone back to John.

"Sarah! What's..."

His eyes grew wide.

"My Dad is there? Why?!"

Brief pause.

"I hate my Dad, Sarah! He's super homophobic and abusive! I told you about that the night I first got here! ... Veronica let him in? Oh my god, I'm gonna kill her.... Wait, what's he doing? Sarah, you need to get him out of there! My siblings' addresses are in my suitcase! If he finds those, he... He's gonna..."