Hamilton High School Musical AU

Chapter 10

INSIDE THE SCHOOL

Various students were heading to their classrooms, while Alex looked around the men's locker room, searching for his teammates, but with no luck so far. He went a bit further and found them all gathered around a table filled with pictures and trophies.

"'Spider' Bill Netrine, class of '72. He was the MVP in the league championship game," Laff said.

"Sam Nedler, class of '02. Also known as "Sammy Slamma Jamma." Captain, MVP of the league championship team," Hercules told Alex.

"The "Thunder Clap" Hap Hadden, '95. Led the Wildcats to back-to-back city championships. A legend," Burr said. 

"Yes, legends, one and all," Laff stated, looking directly at Alex.

"But do you think that any of these Wildcat legends became legends by getting involved in musical auditions just days before the league championships?" Someone said to Alex.

"Get your head in the game!" They all shouted at him.

"No. These Wildcat legends became legends because they never took their eye off the prize,"  Laff told him.

"Get your head in the game!" They all shouted a second time.

"Now, who was the first sophomore ever to make starting varsity?" Laff asked the group.

"Alex!" All the Wildcats yelled.

"So, who voted him our team captain this year?" Lafayette questioned.

"Us!" Everyone shouted.

"And who is gonna get their sorry butts kicked in Friday's championship game if Alex is worried about an audition?" Laff asked.

"We are." The group of guys said not so enthusiastically.

"Guys, come on. I mean, there's 12 people on this team, not just me," Alex told them.

"Just 12? Oh, no. I think you're forgetting about one very important 13th member of our squad," Laff said to him. Laff was handed a picture from a Wildcat behind him and handed it to Alex.

"My dad," Alex breathed.

"Yes, Alex. Wildcat basketball champion, class of 1981. Champion, father, and now coach. It's a winning tradition like no other," Laff responded. Alex looked at the picture, feeling himself fill up with guilt.

SCIENCE CLASSROOM

"From lowly Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, to early warriors, medieval knights. All leading up to... lunkhead basketball man," Peggy shows John a poster of a basketball player with Alex's head, enlarged and superimposed on top of it, making John grin like a maniac.

"Yes, our culture worshiped the aggressor throughout the ages and we end up with spoiled, overpaid, bonehead athletes who contribute little to civilization other than slam dunks and touchdowns. That is the inevitable world of Alexander Hamilton. But the path of the mind, the path we're on, ours is the path that has brought us these people:" She pressed a button and historical articles and pictures appeared on her laptop screen, "Eleanor Roosevelt, Frida Kahlo, Sandra Day O'Connor, Madame Curie, Jane Goodall, Oprah Winfrey and so many others who the world reveres."

"Uh, but what is? You know, I've got Eliza waiting for me to rehearse," John told her. He was about to leave when Peggy shouted:

"John!" He sat back down with a somewhat scared look on his face.

"Alexander Hamilton represents one side of evolution. And our side, the side of education and accomplishment is the future of civilization!" Peggy said slapping various things with her pointing stick.

"This is the side where you belong," Peggy told him, but John still looked nonplussed.

BACK TO THE WILDCATS Y'ALL

"Guys, if you don't know that I'll put 110% of my guts into that game, then you don't know me," Alex told the other boys.

"But we just thought..." Lafayette trailed off.

"I'll tell you what I thought. I thought that you're my friends. Win together, lose together, teammates, an enraged Alex spoke oblivious to Laff and another boy setting up the laptop and camera.

"But suddenly the guy... and the singing," Laff said.

"Man, I'm for the team! I've always been for the team. He's just someone I met," Alex told his teammates, unaware that he was now being viewed by everyone in the science classroom, including John.

BACK TO SCIENCE ROOM

"All right, the singing thing is nothing. Probably just a way to keep my nerves down. I don't know. It means nothing to me. You're my guys and this is our team. John is not important. I'll forget about him, I'll forget the audition and we'll go out and get that championship. Everyone happy now?" They all watched Alex say off of the laptop.

"Behold lunkhead basketball man," Peggy spoke as the transmission ended. She failed to notice the tear that raced down John's freckled cheek, which was relevant in what she said next:

"So, John, we'd love to have you for the scholastic decathlon," She told him. Peggy may be very intelligent, but she was still failing to see how upset John was.

"Did you wanna grab some lunch?" She asked the shaking boy. He manages a weak smile and shook his head at the offer.

"Well, we'll be there if you wanna come," she smiled at him before walking off with her science posse.