Rumours Only Grow [Jamilton]

Scene Five {Thomas}

In Which I'm Confused and My Roommate is Terrified

Really? That was all he had to say about my songbook? I showed Alexander Hamilton my songbook and all he has to comment on is my calorie count?

"I don't need to eat more." I rolled my eyes as I held out my hand to receive my songbook. I knew this was a bad idea. "You didn't even read the lyrics, did you?"

"No, I read the lyrics." Alexander shook his head as he placed the songbook into my extended hand. "I just didn't want to comment on anything too personal."

"Look, Hamilton." I stood up. I opened my dresser, hiding the songbook under a few pairs of jeans like I usually did. "I weigh far too much. I've been trying to lose some weight. If I eat too much, I'll get fatter than I already am."

Alexander mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath and stood up, stretching as he walked over to his dresser to prepare for bed. 

The rest of the evening and my morning the next day were far from remarkable or important, so I won't document them. However, my afternoon was quite remarkable and important, so I will document that part of my day. 

There was silence in the dormitory, besides the clicking of Alexander's keyboard as he worked. That is, until there was a boom of thunder, accompanied by a flash of lightning that crossed the dark and cloudy background of the sky. These factors combined seemed to be the reason my roommate's typing ceased. 

"Something wrong?" I asked, looking up from my phone.

"N-Nothing." Alexander stuttered. That was the first I'd ever heard him stumble on his words. He shut his laptop, staggering out of his chair. "I'm going to take a shower." He picked up a random t-shirt and pair of jeans from the floor next to his bed. 

"Alright. Just don't take too long. I want to have one in thirty minutes." I leaned against the head of my bed, watching as Alexander swiftly disappeared into the bathroom. 

~~~

"Hamilton?" I knocked on the bathroom door again. It had been an hour since he entered the bathroom. Maybe it was just the raging storm outside, but I hadn't heard any water running during the entire time Alexander had been in there. I heard a soft whimper, which ignited my curiosity. I moved my hand to the doorknob, twisting it before pushing open the door. 

I've never seen anything more shocking in my life than the scene I saw before me. The  Alexander Hamilton was curled up in the corner of the bathroom, his violet-blue eyes glazed over as he stared blankly at the design of the tile floor. He was shaking slightly. The silence from him, which typically was a miracle, confused me. I was even more confused by the words he spoke that snapped me out of my trance of shock.

"I could've saved them." Alexander mumbled. His voice was barely audible with the roar of the storm outside. I'm not sure if he was even aware of my presence at the time. 

"Save who?" I asked softly. I seated myself a few feet away from him, hoping I wouldn't startle him.

Alexander jolted slightly at the sound of my voice. He blinked a few times, wiping his eyes. When he turned to me, I felt on edge more than usual. The passionate fire that was usually held in his eyes had vanished, almost as if it was doused by the storm. Was he afraid of storms? "I could've helped them get to safety, but I was too busy trying to save myself. I'm such an awful person, Thomas."

Were my ears deceiving me? Did he really just call me Thomas? Alexander Hamilton had never called me Thomas. It was always Jefferson or a witty insulting name that he had thought up. I realized that I should probably comfort him, although words were never my strength. 

"It's instinct to put the safety of yourself above the safety of others. I'm sure that you aren't a bad person, Ha- er, Alexander." I reassured. I hesitantly rubbed his shoulder, hoping the touch was comforting. 

"But it's not supposed to be my instinct. I'm supposed to be a hero. I'm supposed to be saving people and helping them out. It was so heartless of me not to help them out." Alexander shook his head. He moved away from me until he was pressed against the edge of the tub. 

"You can't always be a hero. You have to let it go, you know? I know it's hard when the past is haunting you, but you must keep your eyes on the future." I couldn't believe I was telling someone this, nonetheless Alexander Hamilton. I would never even consider following my own advice, and here I am, telling someone to focus on their future. 

"I don't know how to." Alexander looked over at me. "Do you know how to?" He asked hopefully. 

I hated to let down someone who seemed so helpless, but I had to be honest. "No, but I'm sure I can come up with something. Just give me a little time and I'll try to provide you with an answer." I promised. 

"I hate waiting, but I suppose once won't hurt me, will it?" Alexander let out a sad chuckle. Another crack of thunder caused the amused expression he wore to leave his face. 

"How about I let you use my earbuds?" I offered, pulling out the tangled mess from my pocket. "They help me calm down." I would never offer my earbuds to someone else unless I felt the situation was worth it. 

Alexander reluctantly took the lump of wires out of my hand, beginning to untangle them while I pulled out my phone to find a station that would keep him calm until I could find something else out. However, my pursuit of this perfect music station was stopped by the dormitory doorknob jiggling fiercely, the door soon enough opening. Who would have a key to our room? The answer to that question was John Laurens, and he didn't seem very happy at all. 

"What the hell are you doing, Jefferson?" John's eyes narrowed as he approached us, tugging my wrist to force me up. My phone fell to the ground. 

"J-Just comforting your friend is all." I stammered. To be honest, John Laurens can be quite intimidating. 

He looked over to Alexander, taking a deep breath before lowering his voice and softening his tone so he wouldn't scare Alexander. "I think you should leave." John gave me a false smile, which entirely contradicted his first reaction. "He's my friend, I've got this." 

"Alright, okay." I pulled my wrist away from his grip, briskly leaving the two of them to avoid possibly being murdered from a very overprotective best friend. What was his deal?

END SCENE FIVE