I wake up from the alarm screeching in my ear. I turn it off and look at the time, 7:30am. I stand up and stretch.
I walk down stairs and into the dining room. Dad is sitting in his chair at the end of the long, smooth wood table. He has the news paper above his face.
"Hey Dad," I say. "Where's everyone else?" Dad looks up from his paper. His hair is down and hangs below his shoulders. His glasses are on the end of his nose.
"Everyone already left for school" he says.
"Shit, am I late? I keep telling Angie to stop changing the time on my clock."
"Language, but no. You aren't late. Your mother and I made everyone go to school early. We need to have a little talk.
"But Dad."
"Go up stairs and get ready. Come down here after you are done." I groan and run upstairs.
I run down stairs dressed in a tight grey t-shirt and dark blue jeans. My put my hair into a loose ponytail and let it fall down onto my shoulders. I look into my full body mirror.
I am about average height for a seventeen year old. Everyone says that I am quite buff, but I look quite scrawny. My sandy blonde, cork screw hair, I realise, isn't in a ponytail. It is more like if someone shot an elastic in my hair.
I sigh and redo my hair. I click my tongue and wink at the mirror, grab my phone than go downstairs into the dining room. I sit in a chair beside Dad at the table. Mom appears from the kitchen carrying a plate. She puts it in front of Dad.
"Good morning Phillip" Mom says. Before I can answer she wonders back into the kitchen.
I look down at Dad's breakfast plate. It has three eggs, two pieces of toast and eight strips of bacon. Dad folds the newspaper and puts it beside him.
Mom comes out a moment later and puts a plate in front of me. It is smaller and has two eggs, a piece of toast and four strips of bacon on it. Dad always gets double more than me. Mom says it is because he is a hard working man, even know every morning she tells my brothers, Dad and I the same thing. I don't really care anyway, I don't usually eat breakfast, at not least with my family, too loud.
"Thank you" I whisper.
"A growing, young man needs a good breakfast" Mom says. I smile weakly as she walks back into the kitchen.
Dad slowly eats his breakfast instead of scarfing it down like he usually does. I look down at my plate. I grab my fork and poke my eggs. I watch the yoke run down it and go onto my bacon.
"Phillip?" I look up. Mom sits across from me where Angie usually sits. "Your father and I have to talk to you."
"What about, if it is about last week when Angie blamed me for putting oatmeal in her shampoo it was Alexander. Angie just blamed me because that is what she always does; it is her way of getting what she wants." I ask putting a strip of bacon in my mouth. Dad puts his fork onto the table and wipes his mouth with a napkin.
"Phillip, don't speak with your mouth full" Dad says. I swallow and clear my throat.
"Sorry" I whisper.
"Hon," Mom says. "Mr. Burr was talking with your father. He said that you and Theodosia have been fighting a lot lately and haven't been spending much time together."
"Mom please don't try to pry into my relationship" I say.
"We have just noticed that you have been distant. We are ju-"
"Mom, it is my life. It isn't yours or Dad's. You don't have to know everything I do!"
"Phillip Hamilton! Do not talk to your mother like that!" Dad yells slamming his hands on the table. "Apologize, now." I look down at my feet. "Apologize to your mother right now Phillip!" I stand up and grab my backpack off of the chair. I walk over to the front door.
"Phillip come sit down!" Mom yells at me. I open the door and slam it behind me.
I walk down the driveway and onto the street. I love this part of New York; so calm, so peaceful. I look above me at the trees covering the Sun. I watch the leaves fall onto the sidewalk. I love November, my favourite month. It is neither too cold nor too hot, it is sweater weather.
I walk down the street to the high school looking at my feet. I keep my hands deep into my pockets. I walk up a couple of steps and head to the door. I put my hand on the handle. I hear some people laughing. I turn around.
George Eaker leans against the wall of the school hanging out with a whole bunch of girls. Francis Laurens hangs off his arm. She deserves so much better. Apparently George is an abusive boyfriend.
Francis' eyes catch mine. She waves and smiles. I wave back. George peers at me. His smile isn't friendly; it is a sleek, scary smile. I look away from him and walk into the school.
I walk up to the second floor of the school where my locker is. I squeeze through the crowd of people. God, I hate this, I am so claustrophobic. Instead of opening my locker I bang my head on it. I have done this so many times that it doesn't hurt anymore.
I really shouldn't have walked out on Mom and Dad. I didn't mean to get so angry; just they don't need to know about Theado-.
I feel a small hand on my shoulder. I turn around, of course, Theodosia.
Her black, curly hair streaks across her face and her red lipstick stands out. She is wearing a crimson tank top with black tights. Her hair reaches just above her shoulders. She wears a black, laced, choker around her dark skinned neck. She looks kind of like Mr. Burr right now. I have heard she looks a lot like her mother do- did.
"Hey Phillip," she says. "Are you ok?" I turn back around and hit my head back on my locker.
"Let's just say my parents are dicks," I say. I look over at Theodosia. "I'm fine." I take my head off my locker and open it. I take out my phone and check the battery: forty percent. I grab a text book off the top shelf and my battery pack. I slam the locker door closed.
"I will talk to you later Phillip. I have to get to class." I smile and nod. She walks down the hall the opposite way from where I am going.
I sit with my chin on my desk. I stare up at the clock hoping the tiny red hand doesn't reach the twelve. I don't want to go home, I will just get punished. Dad is always on his last string, you know, living with seven kids and a helpless wife.
The tiny hand reaches the twelve and the bell rings. I slowly stand up and walk out of the class after everyone else. I walk down to my locker. I open it and grab my backpack. I sling it over my shoulder and slam the door closed.
I shuffle my way out of the school, past thousands of sweating, hormonal teenagers, finally reaching to the court yard. I take my phone into my pocket. I look at the time, 3:08pm. I put my phone back into my pocket. I go sit down on a platform next to the stairs.
"Hamilton!" I look back over towards the school. George is walking to me fast, his fists clenched. When he reaches me he grabs the collar of my shirt and pulls me up. He slams his fist into my jaw. He lets go of me. I tumble to the ground, almost smashing my head off the platform. "You want to stare at my girl?!" He rapidly kicks my ribs. "Go ahead and look at her. You will just get another one of these." He kicks my jaw. I cough and close my eyes.
"I was just wondering, maybe you could answer it for me. How can a dick like you end up with a girl like Francis, she has done nothing wrong. She deserves better than an abusive boyfriend" I say slowly getting up. I clutch my stomach and rub blood off my lip that poured from my mouth. George gives me an uppercut. I fall and roll down the couple stairs, banging my head hard on the cold cement. I stand back up again. I hold the back of my head. I take my hand away. Dark, red blood paints my fingers.
"You just aren't giving are ya?" George asks.
"First of all, don't use those stupid contractions. It is 'are not' and 'you'. Second, why would I give up?" I ask. The taste of blood fills my mouth. I spit on the ground. There is no salvia, just watery blood that spills across the cement. "You are just a spoiled fucking asshole." He hits me on the bridge of the nose. I feel each step as it breaks. I fall to the ground once again. George sits on my chest and rapidly punches my face.
"George!" It is Francis' voice. "Get off of him!" He looks down at me, breathing heavily. He gets off of me letting me breathe. It feels like my lungs just expanded.
"Francis, you have to understand" George begins.
"George go home" Francis says.
"Babe."
"Go George or you won't see me again. You will have to talk with my Dad." George looks scared for a moment, but it fades almost as fast as it came. He looks back at me. His eyes are full of fiery rage.
"You're lucky Hamilton" George says. He begins to walk away. Once George is out of site Francis kneels down beside me. She is wearing jean shorts and a light gray sweater with a burgundy beanie. I can't remember the last time I didn't see her wearing a sweater.
"Are you ok?" Francis asks. She helps me sit up. I lean against the stairs that earlier, betrayed me.
"I'm fine," I say. "Your boyfriend is an ass you know that right?"
"Trust me, I know more than anyone," I think about the rumours. Apparently Francis didn't come to school for a week because George beat her up then raped her. I never thought the rumours were true. As bad as George is, I don't think he would rape someone.
"Come on." She stands up and slowly starts walking away. I slowly get up and pull up my pants.
"Are you sure I should come with you?" I ask. Francis turns back to look at me.
"I'm not going to bite."
"Just making sure" I say. She looks at me and chuckles a little. I walk up to her.
We continue walking down a couple of streets. We stay silent. Francis helps me balance as I walk. Every couple seconds I wipe blood off my lip and nose.
"Uh," I say. "Where are we going?" She looks up at me.
"We are going to my house. I am going to fix your face up a little" Francis explains.
"Does it look that bad?"
"It does, though when I am done with you it will look so much better, much handsomer. Plus do you want your parents asking why you didn't get fixed up?"
"Not really, they will just yell at me earthier way. We are already in a fight."
"Can I ask why?"
"Just me and my girlfriend. Shit like that."
"Oh yeah, you have a girlfriend. Who is she?"
"Theodosia Burr."
"She's cool. We have science together."
"Yeah, anyway my Dad is always trying to find out everything about my life. They want me to have an independent life, but they keep prying every chance they get."
"I know right! My Dad is always trying to find out everything I do and everywhere I go. He can be really annoying sometimes."
"Your Dad is John Laurens right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"My Dad and your Dad are colleges in politics."
"Wait, your Dad is Alexander Hamilton, isn't he?"
"Yeah, they spend a lot of time together."
"Defiantly, every chance my Dad gets, he is talking about Mr. Hamilton."
"Yeah, my brother always tells me about the texts he finds between Mr. Laurens to my Dad. Though whenever he starts talking my Dad tells him to go up to his room and tells his not to talk about it, defiantly not in front of my mother."
"My dad would be secretive about his life, but I doubt he has ever kept a secret a secret. He is such a big blabber mouth." We walk up to the front door of Francis' house. She opens the door and closes it behind us.
"I'm home!" She yells. Her voice echo's off the walls. Mr. Laurens walks down the stairs. He smiles at Francis, but looks confused when he lays his eyes on me.
"Hello Phillip," he says. His voice is not like Dad's. It is kind of high pitched while Dad's is low and kind of scary. "You may not remember me, but I met you when you very young." I know Mr. Laurens use to have long hair, but now it is short. He is wearing a blue suit with a white shirt underneath.
"I kind of remember you" I say. He gets to the bottom of the stairs where Francis and I stand. He shakes my hand.
"Did you get in a fight?" He asks. I almost forgot that is why I am here.
"He did," Francis says. "I brought him here to fix him help a little."
"Do you need any help?"
"No, but thank you." Mr. Laurens nods and walks down a hall. Francis takes my hand and we go up the stairs. She leads me down numerous halls that eventually lead to her room.
"You can sit her if you want," Francis says patting her bed. "I am going to go get the First-Aid kit." She leaves the room when I sit on her bed.
Her room is unlike mine. Her bed is soft and squishy while mine is rock hard. She has six stuffed turtles on her bed covering the three pillows. A white desk sits in the corner of the room. Pictures of her and Mr. Laurens cover the wall behind her desk. The wallpaper is gray. Stars on strings hang across the walls.
Francis walks back in the room with a small white case in her hand. She sits beside me and lays the box on the bed between us. She opens the case revealing bandages, Peroxide, cotton pads and cloths. She grabs the bottle of the Peroxide, a cotton pad and a bandage. She puts the Peroxide on the cotton pad and put it on my lip. I wince and close my eyes. She pulls her hand away.
"I know it hurt, but it will help. It gets the dirt out of the cut." Francis says putting it back on. I can feel the dirt being pulled out of my lip. The Peroxide burns. She dabs it in different places on her face. By the time she is done my face feels swollen and sore. She finishes it off with bandage.
"Take off your shirt" she says.
"What?" I ask shockingly.
"Take off your shirt. Just in case he ripped the skin," She looks at me. "When he was kicking you." I nod and smile. Francis turns away from me and grabs bigger bandages out of the First-Aid kit.
"Oh, ok," I say. I take off my shirt and place it neatly folded beside me. "You didn't have to turn around you know." She looks back over at me.
"I know, I just thought it would make you more co- Whoa, you are really built." Francis says looking at my stomach. I look down and see deep scrapes close to my chest.
"The cuts aren't that big, so that is a relief" Francis says. She slowly wraps them in bandages.
"They aren't big? Well, I thought totally different."
"Try not to move. If there is anything like glass in the cuts it could go in deeper with more movement, we wouldn't want that."
Francis puts some Peroxide on a cotton pad and dabs it lightly on my chest.
"I never thought I would be in your room with my shirt off," I say. She looks up at me. "I mean like getting fixed up. I mean I never thought of it any other way. Wait, uh, I shouldn't have said that. I just thought I would never be in your house, let alone your room." Francis looks back down and finishes with the Peroxide and bandages me up.
"I think that will do it." Francis says, closing the First-Aid kit.
"Thanks for the help" I say.
"No problem. Just promise me, don't do anything active for the next couple of days. You could make it worse."
"Got it," Francis gets up and puts the First-Aid kit on her desk. "Why did you help me?"
"What?" Francis turns around.
"Why did you stop George from beating me up?"
"Well," she comes and sits beside me, closer than we were before. I can feel her warmth press against my body. "The whole thing with George and I isn't going so well. You looked really hurt. George is just a real pain in the ass."
"Would you still do it if you and George were in a healthy relationship?"
"Of course, I consider you as a friend."
I thought about it for a moment. We have never really talked. The only time we got close to having a real conversation was when the Laurens' were over for dinner.
"Isn't he always an asshole?" I try to stay on topic: George being a complete asshole.
"Do you remember when we were in, like, grade six? We always use to hang out."
"Whatever happened with us being that close?"
"I remember perfectly. It was when Theodosia and Aaron Burr moved. They always lived in the area, but she went to the private school across town. Once they moved she couldn't go there anymore. Once she came to our school you started hanging out with her and I started hanging out with George."
I can't believe I didn't remember that. Now that she says it though, I remember everything. I have always felt something for Francis, than Theodosia moved. We have seen each other before, but once I got to know her I started liking her. It wasn't until grade nine when I asked her out. At first she rejected me, than by grade ten she asked me out.
"Anyway," I say. "You were talking about George?"
I hate bringing up my past; Mom and Dad use to fight a lot, mostly about money and me. I remember the first time I saw Mom cry, it was horrible. I actually remember, the first and only time I saw Dad cry. I shake the memories out of my head.
"Yeah, I think I am going to break up with him. He just really isn't the guy for me. Phillip, can I tell you something esle?"
"Go ahead." Francis sighs and rubs her hands on her thighs.
"I have always liked you. When Theodosia moved it broke my heart to see you with her. Once I started hanging out with George my feelings for you died down, but ever since the day you beat up George last year my crush has come blooming back."
Last year I beat up George. Everyone was at a party and he was drunk. He was trying to pull Francis into a bedroom. I don't know what happened. I just punched, knocked him out. I just remember Francis crying and yelling at George to stop. My instincts to help her kicked in.
"Really?" I ask, bewildered. Francis turns away and blushes. I keep looking at her. She turns back around and seals her lips with mine. She quickly pulls away and stands up.
"I am so sorry. I am an idiot," Francis says. "Oh shit, Theodosia! God, what if something happens? What will happen if George finds out?" I stand up and go close to Francis.
"Francis calm down," I say. "You are not an idiot. You are far from idiocy." Francis turns around and looks up at me.
She goes on the tips of her toes and kisses me again. I wrap my arms around her waist and she wraps her arms around my neck. I hear a knock on the door. Francis pulls away. I sit on her bed and she opens the door a little bit. Mr. Laurens stands in the hallway.
"I have to go see Mr. Hamilton" he says. "I thought that I would bring Phillip with me." Francis looks at me and opens the door the rest of the way. Mr. Laurens looks at me for a moment. I hope his shocked expression is because of my wounds, but even I am not that dumb.
"Yeah, I fixed him up" Francis says. I grab my shirt and stand up. I slip it on.
"O-Ok," Mr. Laurens says. "Are you sure that is it?"
"Dad!"
"Just checking, I care for you."
I walk over beside Francis. "See ya."
"I will see you tomorrow." Francis says looking at Mr. Laurens. I walk out of the house and to Mr. Laurens' car with him. We back out and head down the street, slowly.
"Mr. Laurens?" I say looking at his blank expression. "It isn't what you think. She was just helping me." He looks at me then back at the road.
"I hope it is what it looked like" he replies.
"What?"
"I hope my daughter broke up with George Eaker and is now with you."
"Why?"
"George is not the nicest to Francis. Also I work with his father. Just between you and me, they are all dicks."
"That is true sir, but I am sorry to tell you that I am already in a relationship."
"With whom?"
"Theodosia Burr, sir."
"Well good luck telling Mr. Burr that you cheated on his daughter."
"I didn't cheat on her. Francis kissed me. That isn't cheating."
"I didn't know you kissed. I was just assuming, but anyway, I am glad she brought you home instead of George. Oh, and Phillip?"
"Yes sir?"
"Don't call me Mr. Laurens. It makes me sound old, call me John. The same goes with the 'sir' thing."
"Sorry sir, I mean Mr. Laurens, I mean John." He smiles at me. He pulls into the driveway. We get out of the car with it still running. We walk inside.
"I'm home! I brought someone!" I yell. Mom comes rushing to the door.
"Hello John," she says. "Alex will be with you in a minute." She looks over at me. "Phillip! What happened?" Mom touches the bandage on my cheek. I push her hand away.
"Nothing, I'm fine. Francis Laurens fixed me up," Mom looks at me. "I'm going up stairs. Thank you for the ride John." I shake his hand and head up the stairs. I walk down the left and hall the end. I open my door and close it behind me, locking it. I flop down on my bed and look at the ceiling. I close my eyes.
I wonder what Thea would think if she found out what I did. I can still taste Francis' lips on mine. I hear a chime from my phone. I take it out and check. An unknown number pops up. I check what the text says.
'Hey Phillip. It's me Francis I got ur number from Thea'.
I roll onto my stomach and text her.
Me (right now): Hey, I want to tell u that I might break up with Thea.
I send it. She starts texting. The haunting ellipsis come up. I hear a knock on my door. I stand up and unlock it. I flop back down on my bed.
"Come on in!" I yell. The door opens revealing Mom. My phone chimes. I click it off and put it down beside me.
"What happened to you?" Mom asks. She comes into my room closing the door behind her. She sits on my bed. I sit up beside her.
"I said nothing happened" I say.
"Phillip, I don't ask a lot from you, your siblings or your father. I just want to know this one thing because you are not ok. Something did happen."
"Mom, you don't need to worry. I solved a problem. You don't need to get involved. Everything is over." She looks at me for a second than stands up. She opens the door then turns back towards me.
"If you want to talk I will be down stairs making dinner." I nod and she leaves. I grab my phone and check Francis' message.
Francis (one minute ago): Is it because of me? What I did?
I turn my phone back off and put my hands together. I get up and bang my head against the wall. I keep it there and look at the ground. I punch the wall and drag my knuckles down it, listening to my skin rub against the wallpaper.
"Phillip!" I hear John (once of my annoying little brothers) yell from the other side of the wall. "Quit hitting the wall! I am trying to do my homework!" I back away from the wall and walk out of my room. I go down the hall and knock on Angelica's door.
"Angie, open up!" I yell. I hear her get up. She opens the door looking at her phone. She puts her phone in her pocket and looks up at me. Her face goes a ghostly pale.
"Phil! What happened to you?" She asks. I grab her hand and bring her into my room. I lock the door. I walk towards the end of my room and put my hand over my face. I instantly pull away, wincing.
"Are you just going to stand over there or are you going to tell me the happened?!" She yells at me. I turn to Angie and walk over to her.
"I will tell you, but you have to swear not to tell Mom anything" I say.
"I never tell anyone anything. I don't tell Mom the money I steal from her every week just like I don't tell you about the girl I am dating. Shit, forget what I said."
"Ok, the money I don't care about, but you dating a girl thing we will get back to." Anggie presses her index finger on my lips and shushes me.
"As I said 'forget what I said.'" I push her fingers off my lips.
"George Eaker beat me up."
"Why? She asks touching my face.
"Because I looked at Francis Laurens."
"Well that was a real dick move."
"Yeah, anyway Francis stopped him and took me back to her house. She put some bandages on me then she kissed me," Angie's face goes pale again. "You still with me Angie?"
"Yeah, keep going." She says like nothing happened.
"Anyway, she said she was going to break up with George because he is a dick. After I kissed Francis all I can think about is breaking up with Thea. We have been fighting and not communicating well. What do you think I should do?"
"Kick Thea to the curb!" I stare at Angie blankly; her eyes are hyped up with adrenaline.
"Do you think before you speak?" I ask.
"Most of the time my brain is asleep so my mouth does all the work." She adjusts a pencil on my desk.
"What is your real opinion?"
"Kiick hheerr ttoo ttthhhheee ccccuuurrrbbb." Angie says very slowly. I turn Angie around and grab her hips. I lead her to the door of my room. I open it and put her out into the hallway.
"Thanks for the advice" I say politely. I close my door and lock it again. I sit down on my bed and grab my phone. I answer Francis' text.
Me (right now): you did nothing wrong. I have been thinking about it for a little while. I am not sure if she is thinking about it though.
I wait for her answer.
"Kids!" Mom yells. "Come get dinner!" I slip my phone into my pocket. I walk down stairs and turn left into the dining room.