Too Young and Blind (High School Hamilton)

Father

Alex

George Washington stood up and offered me his seat but I refused, I refused to sit with that man. He abandoned my mother and me, he skipped out on his payments to my mother to take care of me, he knew we were dying but he didn't care, he didn't show up for my mother's funeral, this man didn't pick me up at the airport, he didn't come to Peter's funeral either, this man thinks he can come in and out of my life at will. I wasn't having it, this man wasn't my dad.

"Alex, sit," I refused again.

"James," I kept my voice even, cool, concise, cold.

He pointed a finger at me like he was scolding a child, "Don't call me by my name. I am your father."

I felt Laf shift uncomfortably and even Mr. Washington looked tense. Washington was a nice man, he probably didn't know this was going to happen. "My father?" I couldn't help the scoff, "You may be my biological father but you are nothing to me."

He stood abruptly and I flinched. The last time I had seen him properly he was leaving my mother, I held onto his leg, he ripped me off and threw me down. I know he would have done more if he had been given the chance, but my mother stood between him and me. Mothers. Mothers were always there for you, always ready to protect you. I hated him, I used to look up to him, now I hate him. My most prominent memory besides when he left was when he kicked us, my mother and me. He was only supposed to hit me, only me, but my mother threw herself onto me, she took the blow, he would have hurt me but he couldn't because of my mother. My mother isn't here now, she isn't here to throw herself over me, to push him out of the door when he throws me to the ground.

"I am the greatest thing you will ever have," James said. He threw his hand up, but mother didn't throw herself in front of me, Lafayette did. When Laf hit the ground I felt the entire atmosphere shift.

"How dare you!" For once I was shocked into silence, Mr. Washington was angry, he was never angry.

Laf being struck wasn't what angered me, Laf getting onto his hands and knees, holding his cheek wasn't what angered me, James looking at him with disinterest is what angered me. He's hurt my mother, he's hurt me, and now he's hurt one of my best friend, somebody I considered a brother.

A punch and a thud knocked me out of my trance, James was on the floor and Mr. Washington was breathing heavily. I didn't know what to do, the need to hit something or somebody had vanished with the shock of Mr. Washington striking somebody, instead I bent down and held Laf close to me, the Frenchman was breathing heavily and clung onto me desperately.

"Get out of my house," Mr. Washington hissed, "You get out and you leave my boys alone! And if you even think of revoking Alex's right to your money I will go public with this, I have security cameras all over my house. Get out and leave their lives." That wasn't a bluff, the security cameras were for well...security, I think all really big houses with important things that can be sold for a lot have cameras.

James stormed off, and I felt arms wrap around Laf and me, "Are you boys alright?" It was Mr. Washington. I nodded and Laf hummed his answer, "Alex would it be alright if I called you son?"

I moved my head to the right so I could see Mr. Washington better, "Can I call you father?" I asked, for some reason it didn't seem weird to call him father like I thought it would.

"You can call me whatever," Mr. Wash-Father replied. I smiled.

"I have a brother, no?" Laf said, he looked up at us and I made a long 'ooh' sound realizing his cheek was going to bruise.

"You do have a brother," Father replied and then stood up, bringing us to our feet with him in our embrace, "Come along Marie-Joseph, let's get that bruise looked after."

Father kept his arms around both Laf and me, taking us to one of 3 dining rooms, this one was the family dining room, the other 2 were for friends and then business friends. Laf sat in his chair, it had white leather and alligator chibis all over the leather, all of the chairs were framed in mahogany. Father turned Laf's head to the wall to look at the bruise better.

"I say ice pack and we're good," Father said, he rang a bell and politely told a the person who came to fetch Laf an ice pack. I was still in shock mostly with what had happened, all of it, it's all happening so fast.

When Laf got his ice pack Father hummed, "Howzabout we watch documentaries in the family room?"

I've only known this man properly for a few weeks but I know that he was very distinctive with his way of speaking, he never slung words together like he just did. When he did though, Laf laughed, and I think that was the intent. A father-son bond was something truly inspiring, I could only hope that in a little while I'd have one too.

"On what?" I asked, I really did enjoy documentaries. I've been watching TV a lot these past few weeks and I really like documentaries about things like the history of evidence viable in the court system or animal documentaries but those make me sad because baby animals die a lot.

"Marie-Joseph's choice," Father answered my question which helped me not think about the poor baby animals. That was fair,letting Laf choose, after all, the guy did take a hit for me.

"American conspiracy theories!" Laf exclaimed like a child. We all laughed.

Father gently pulled Laf up from the chair, "American conspiracy theories it is." 

"Yay!" Laf yelled, hopping slightly for a moment in excitement.

Father put his arm around our shoulders again and led us to our family room, we sat on the couch which was extremely fluffy and conformed to our bodies. I loved the sofa.

"Yay documentaries!" I cheered.

"Yay America!" Laf responded.

Father didn't say anything but I could see him smiling as he chose the series.