Camp Lotus

Chapter 14: Partner

I'm bad at this. Sorry.

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Day: 10/60

John

Laf looks at me, a little worried. "Um, mon ami?"

I nod. "Yes?"

They hold out their wrist towards me. A bright green and blue bead bracelet is on their wrist.

"That's they/them, right?"

They nod.

"M'kay."

"It's okay if you don't want to use they/them for me. It gets confusing sometimes so you can use she or he or something, whatever you want."

I smile at them. "I'm going to use they/them. It won't confuse me. Besides, my partner uses they/them."

"You're dating someone?" They smirk and tilt their head.

I blush and shake my head. "No, I meant my partner in theatre. Alex. Hamilton! That one!" My cheeks somehow get redder and I drop my head onto the table.

"Hm... You seem to get pretty flustered whenever Hamilton is mentioned or around."

I sit up straight, shaking my head and beginning to pack up my stuff. "Nope. Wrong. I don't know what you're thinking but no! I do not have a crush on Alex. Hamilton!"

I growl and pull my bag over me, standing up.

Laf laughs. "Okay."

I blush and step over the bench. I push open the door, and step outside. There are dark clouds, the sound of thunder rolling over the hills. I inhale and smell rain, it's not raining yet but that's usually a good sign.

"John!" Peggy shouts, jumping on my back a second later.

"Gah! Hey Peggy. Have you seen Hamilton?"

"I think they were down by the lake. I dunno, last I saw they were going that way." She jumps off my back. "Are you going to go find them?"

I nod. "We need to finish the script today so Chuck, Mettatron, and Mary can edit it."

"Okie dokie, see you later then."

I walk down towards the lake, following a dirt path. I bump into someone.

"Oh, Laurens," Jefferson says. "Didn't see you there, sorry." He smiles at me but there's something fake about it. He's probably just upset that I got cast as Hamlet.

"Hey, Thomas. Have you seen Hamilton?"

He shakes his head. "If they're not in your cabin I'd go find them quick, they don't like rain storms."

I nod and start towards the lake.

"What's wrong, Alexander?" I hear someone say. I get out of the trees and can see Hamilton standing on the deck facing someone.

"Leave me alone, Aaron."

The person, apparently Aaron, steps towards Hamilton who steps back. "I just want to talk to you."

"You just want to talk? Did you just want to talk when you kissed me at Laf's party? Did you just want to talk when you shoved your hand down my pants?"

"Alex, please. I've apologized. I was a little drunk, I didn't know what I was doing."

"Yeah," they scoff, "and I didn't know what I was doing when I told Theodosia what you did."

"You're the one who told her? You bastard."

"I'm an orphan too, are we going to keep talking about this? You were my first friend when I came here."