Orphanage AU: Lams

Chapter 30: John Laurens is Going Home

I used to have so much time on Monday and Wednesday, those were my big writing days. Guess who signed away their freedom? MEEEE. I'm in golf. 

As in, 2 hours 15 minutes Monday and 3 hours and 45 minutes on Wednesday every week. WHAT. GOD HELP ME.

---John's POV---

The couch was pretty comfortable and the next morning I woke up well rested and ready for a new day. Alex was already up, his hair wet and tied back.

"7:23 and you're already up and showered? How early did you get up?" I realized what I was saying as I spoke. 7:23? The alarm hadn't sounded. "Did you turn off the alarm last night? Does that mean you naturally woke up at 6:00? Or did it ring and you turned it off before I woke up?" Wait, no that couldn't have happened because I was a lighter sleeper than Alex. "How the hell did you naturally wake up that early? How much do you sleep?"

Alex was laughing and ticking off his fingers. "So many questions. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven."

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm feeling energetic." Mostly because I was with Alex.

"Yeah," Alex answered my questions. "I turned off the alarm last night and naturally woke up around 6:20, showered and are. And grabbed coffee." He added after a pause. I noticed he didn't answer my last two questions. How did he naturally wake up that early and how much did he sleep.

He gestured to the kitchen. "Help yourself. I'll go unlock the bathroom s and the like. You're on lunch duty today, so if you want to help Mr. Heere out this would be a good day. I aim to do a bit of grocery shopping during lunch, so you will not be seeing me then... but maybe I'll meet you near the picnic tables during recess. And that's the overview of my plans for today, so I will be off!"

With that he was out the door, whistling. I grinned at his retreating form. Today would be a fun day.

~ ~ ~

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Hey." Alex laughed. Miranda vibes all around.

I slid him a tray across the rough wood of the picnic table. "Lunch?"

"Thanks."

We ate in comfortable silence for a minute, which, of course, I had to break. "Nice spot." It was a woody scene, trees around us, dirt and pine needles crinkling with every footstep, birdsong peppering the peaceful quiet.

"Yeah. Most of my favorite spots to think are in nature. I occasionally presume they make my writing sound more intelligent." Alex confessed, gazing up to the treetops.

I shook my head, smiling. "No, I think that's just you. You're a very intelligent sounding person."

Alex blushed, and silence reigned once more.

I was admiring a blue jay when my phone buzzed. I fished it out of my pocket and checked it.

Mother: Hey love, sorry to bother you but I really think you need to come back home. For a day or so. ASAP.

I blinked at the screen for a few seconds before I processed what she'd said. Mother would never ask me to come back unless it was really urgent, and now I couldn't shake the feeling of dread. What if Father was getting even more violent? What if Mother was really hurt? What if Junior-

"Hey, are you ok? You look relatively faint. Maybe we should get you back to the orphanage?" Alex's voice broke through my thoughts again and I jumped.