Rumours Only Grow [Jamilton]

Scene Seventeen {Thomas}

Alexander Gets Us Caught (And Somehow Not In Trouble)

"M-Mr. Washington, sir!" I stammered, almost dropping my cup of coffee. I could already see myself being handed a bright pink detention slip and listening to my father yell at me over the phone. It was all over. I was going to end up being taken back to Monticello and put in the stuck up boarding school there. I couldn't believe my luck. I was doomed. I may have been exaggerating, but I really couldn't see how this would turn out to be in my favour. 

"Thomas Jefferson. Glad to see you're finally getting along with Alexander." His eyes narrowed as he sat down across from the two of us. 

"Of course, sir." I took a sip of my coffee in an attempt to calm myself. I could feel myself start to have difficulty breathing. Great. Not only was I going to get detention, but probably pass out if I couldn't pull myself together. 

"Please, Mr. Washington. It was my idea to sneak out in the first place, not his. He, in fact, was the one who warned us about getting caught. I should've listened to him and stayed in the school. Please, don't get him into trouble. I'll take the fall for it. It was my fault." Alexander pleaded. 

Mr. Washington's stern expression remained for only moment more before he let out a light laugh. "It's okay, son. I wasn't planning on making you two go to detention or anything of the sort. According to Mr. King's many complaints about Thomas, they don't really get along. I'd like to keep their interactions short and sweet in the form of his theatre class." This principal had to have taken some kind of theatre class to trick us like that. 

"You're letting us off of the hook? Oh my gosh, thank you so much." I let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Really, I can't thank you enough." Not only was he saving me from an unpleasant teacher, but also my unpleasant parents. 

"No problem. Just make it back on campus undetected." Washington nodded. "If anyone finds out that students are being allowed off of campus with no punishment, the school could get into trouble. Like I said, I'd like to keep your interactions with Mr. King short and sweet. It's a wonder he hasn't made up a reason to give you detention yet, Thomas." He chuckled. "Anyways, please get back on campus as soon as you can."

"Immediately, sir." I stood up, finishing off my coffee and throwing the cup away. I closed the container of cinnamon rolls to save for later. 

~~~

"I told you we shouldn't have gone out." I huffed as we briskly walked towards the school. "We were almost given detention!"

"Thomas, relax. There was no way that Mr. Washington would give us detention. He's a lenient principal. As long as the public doesn't find out, he'll let anyone off of the hook." Alexander chuckled. He was pretty amused with how upset I was about the situation. 

"But what if someone finds out? My parents will yell at me over the phone, demanding to know why I would ever do something so stupid. I don't have all the answers!" I exclaimed in frustration. "And then I'm going to get a lecture whenever I come home for the summer. 'Oh, none of your siblings got into trouble or broke anything, Thomas. You're such a failure of a Jefferson. Do you want the companies or not?' O-Of course, Father. 'Then start acting like it!'" I rambled on slightly. I did that, whenever there was a topic I was extremely passionate about. 

"You know you're creating an entirely fake situation, right?" Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Like, that hasn't even happened yet, Mr. I Can See The Future." 

I paused, feeling my face heat up as I let out a light chuckle. "I'm sorry. I do that a lot. I'm an over-thinker and a worrier, so I spend a lot of time doing these things."

"You should worry less. Smile more as well. Sounds like something Aaron would say, but it's true. You barely smile. It's kind of sad when you think about it." Alexander shook his head. 

"Telling me to worry less is like telling a person you just stabbed to bleed less." I shrugged. "It's hard for me to stop worrying. If you think it's sad I don't smile much, you should quit thinking about it."

"I'm just saying." Alexander paused. "How about I sit at your table today? I've never gotten to sit with you guys. I have no idea what it's like to be part of the Jeffersquad." 

"Is that what you call us?" I looked over to him. "I mean, I'll have to ask James and Aaron first." I really didn't want to, considering I had literally told them at lunch about my crush on him, but I didn't want him to ask why not. Besides, he would probably start debating on it with me. Confrontation makes me nervous. 

"Alright! That's fine with me." Alexander smiled. 

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, shielding my screen from Alexander's eyes as I began to type. 

Group Chat: Southern Democratic Republicans

ToffeeSkinnedVirginian: Guys, I need to ask you something. And you'd better take it seriously. 

NumberTwenty-Nine: I'm listening.

SmileMore: You can count on us ;3

ToffeeSkinnedVirginian: Yeah, right. 

ToffeeSkinnedVirginian: Anyways, Alexander wants to sit at our table.

NumberTwenty-Nine: AW YOUR HUSBAND IS COMING TO ASK FOR OUR BLESSING?!?!

ToffeeSkinnedVirginian: James, what did I say?

NumberTwenty-Nine: Okay, okay. I was just joking. 

SmileMore:  (He wasn't.)

ToffeeSkinnedVirginian: No mentioning my crush on him. Otherwise, I'll have to find Aaron's list of ways to kill people.

SmileMore: Pfft, I don't have a list of ways to kill people. 

SmileMore: I have an essay on it. 

NumberTwenty-Nine: You have our word, Thomas. We'll act normal. 

"So?"

I shut off my phone. "They'd be glad to have you as a guest at our table." 

END SCENE SEVENTEEN