I am not stupid // Lams

I Know Him

Light flooded the room and the burning white seeped through my closed eyelids. I groaned and dragged my pink blanket over my face. I calmly laid there for a moment, slowly falling back into my dream realm when I heard a loud clatter and a loud "SHIT!" I pushed away the blanket and sat up in bed, squinting from the sun coming through the windows. I looked around the room and didn't spot John until I looked to the ground. He was squatted down cleaning up a large mess of what looked like pet food. There was a broken dish beside him and he didn't look happy. I snickered to myself. "What happened?" I asked, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. John stood from his squat and tossed the pet food in the trashcan between our two desks.

"I have to go find a pet store." He said, frantically looking through our closet. He pulled out a large hoodie and some grey sweatpants. He slipped the sweatpants over his boxers he slept in, and the hoodie over his pajama shirt. He looked as if he were being swallowed up by the clothes, and it reminded me of a puppy. Don't know why it did though...

He shoved past me to get to his nightstand and he started practically throwing things off the top of it and from his drawers. He pulled out loose change and a couple of dollar bills. Once he had found all the money in his nightstand he had laid it out on his bed and begun counting it. It didn't look like more than three dollars all together, and by his disgruntled groan, I assumed I was near correct. I opened my top drawer of the nightstand and pulled out my wallet. I had a lot of cash in there and I pulled out two ten dollar bills. "Here, take this." I said, handing him the cash. He looked at me as if he were not going to take the cash, but he swallowed his pride and took it swiftly.

"Do not touch Anthony!" He called as he ran out the door. I frowned, who was Anthony? Then I realized the animal in his tank. I walked my way over to the habitat and opened the lid. Chilling with his body in the water and his head on the rock, Anthony the turtle sat alone.

"Well aren't you a cutie."

I walked with my hands deep in my coat pockets. Though it was only October 5th, the New York air was getting chilly. I pulled out my phone just long enough to check if I was still on the right way to the coffee shop I was going to.

My best friend Maria lived close to the college in a small home with her husband. Though I've never met her betrothed, she's told me lots about him. I hope he's good, if not I'll have to beat him up, I mean she is my best friend, and though she is two years older than me, I feel the strong need to protect her.

Our eyes met as I stepped into the coffee shop, and a smile lit up my face. She stood up from her seat and ran into my arms, engulfing into a large hug. We hadn't seen each other since her wedding, which was a year ago. "Oh my god Alexander!" She said, pulling her body away from mine, but still holding my shoulders. "My little college boy!" She squealed in excitement and I pulled her into another hug, laughing. After the second long embrace we got in the line for coffee and pastries.

"So, Alex, I need to hear about this college life of yours!" She said, trying to sip her hot chocolate without burning her lips off. I chuckled, whipping off a bit of crumbs the sugary pastry had left around the corner of my mouth.

"Not much, M. I've just been here for a night."

"Well, do you have a room-mate?" She asked with true curiosity. I laughed bitterly.

"Psh, do I have a room-mate." I took a sip of my latte, closing my eyes.

"Oh- oh no, Lexy boy, give me the tea!" She said, grabbing my hand in hers. I laughed at her eccentric personality.

"He's an asshole. I asked him what his name was when I walked in, and as I was trying to introduced himself he was like," I cleared my throat and straightened my body, getting ready to do an offensive impression of John. "Oh, I knooooww who you are. You're Alexander Hamilton! Blah blah, rich man, blah blah. I don't even know how he recognized me!" I sighed in frustration, realizing I was going to be stuck with this bastard for my entire freshman year of college. "But on the brightside he has the cutest pet turtle named Anthony."

I made my way down the hall of my dorm, getting my key out, but as I reached the door, I noticed it was opened slightly and I heard voices flooding through the crack. I was about to step in and make myself known, but the conversation caught my ear, and I waited on the outside to listen.

"So, tell me about this god awful room-mate," A french accent spoke out.

"Ugh, oh my god. Alexander Hamilton. You know him?" John's voice hit my ears, and I felt my jaw clench.

"I know him yes. Or rather of him. He's the son of James Hamilton?"

"Yep. That bastard."

"Why don't you like him, John?"

"He's an egotistical ass. Dude is crazy rich. I bet he doesn't even have the brains to be here. His daddy probably just bribed the school with their gallons of cash to get Hamilton in here. It's damn stupid. I work so hard for what I get, and he just gets it handed to him! God, it makes me angry. I bet he thinks I'm some dirty scum. Ya know," John paused. "He told me to grab 'All my clothes' when we were setting up the closet, 'cause I guess my humble stack wasn't good enough for him." I felt my whole body shaking with anger. Okay, John. If that's how you view me, then that's how I'll be.

I stepped into the room, accidentally slamming the door shut behind me in my anger. I knew my face was hot and red, but I tried not to let it show. I glanced at the two men. "I should get going, John." The French man said. As he passed me, he greeted me with a quick 'Monsiuer', yet I ignored him. John and I stared at each other for a minute, before I turned away from him and sat in front of my desk. I wondered if he had spent the whole twenty I had given him at the pet store, but I didn't ask. He needed it more than I did, and even if I did dislike the kid, he had a point when he said I was rich, because, well, I was rich.