Word Count: 1,620

This is in the same universe as if you talk (you're gonna get shot) which you will only find on Ao3 as it is a texting fic. The reason this one isn't? Simple, it takes place in December of 1987.

Alex is about to turn 15. If that's not at all the time for a project like this, age-wise, please know that I am 100% German.

The Wright brothers are here because I saw someone else do it (sadly, I forgot who) and decided that that's perfect.

the fact that you're alive is a miracle

Alexander doesn't really listen to his teacher as she talks in front of the classroom.

There is no need to. He doesn't need to listen to a lesson about a war he had fought in himself, especially since they aren't talking about a facet he hadn't seen.

Honestly, working on his essays is a better option.

Until he hears the words "reports" and "50% of the grade".

From that point onwards, he starts to listen. Everyone in the class is supposed to prepare a detailed presentation about a certain topic related to the Fight for Independence, which Alexander could do in his sleep.

The only 'problem' he could have is that the topics would be assigned and, with his luck, he'd probably get the Signing of the Declaration or something else he hadn't been involved in, but even if that was the case, he wouldn't need to do as much research as the others would have to.

"...Mr. Klein, the Battle of Yorktown...Miss Peterson, the Continental Congress...Miss Hamilton"

Alexander flinches, just like he always does. Why do so many people have to keep misgendering him? Really, what is the point of it all? What do they gain from it?

"Valley Forge…Mr. Axum, Peace of Paris..."

Fuck. Had... had he heard this correctly? Had she just said…?

Alexander can feel the color draining from his face. He starts shaking as the memory of the cold creeps up on him.

This is terrible. So much worse than he had imagined.

He leans over to his best friend AJ and pokes him with his pen.

"Can we switch?"

"I would, bro," he explains apologetically, "but Henderson said no switching."

Both of them knew that once Henderson made a decision, she stuck to it, no matter what.

"Fuck," Alexander whispers. "Fuck."

"I'm sorry, Alex."

Alexander shakes his head. "It's not your fault."

Alexander barely speaks a word during lunch.

He replies when spoken to, but then he is more concise than he has ever been before. He almost sticks to single syllable words.

Of course their closest friends Walter and Oscar—although they sometimes call each other Wilbur and Orville for reasons that AJ had never thought about—worry, but they don't know why this report is affecting Alex so much.

AJ, however, does know, because he recognized Alexander from his old life. It was kind of weird—he had been Alex's slave after all—but they got over it fairly quickly.

He wishes he could tell the others what's wrong, but they'd never believe them. (Or so he thought.)

Reincarnation is not really an acknowledged thing or anything and who would believe that this small Latino is a Founding Father?

Some history nerds might, but their group of friends lacked those completely, unless you count Alexander himself.

How he wishes he could switch his task with his best friend. As AJ had just been a slave in the Caribbean last time, he would have to do research either way and he would gladly spare his best friend the pain of reliving those memories.

"Listen," AJ declares eventually. "There's no point in this. We're going to the nurse and getting her to call the Washingtons."

The fact that Alexander doesn't argue speaks volumes.

It is Martha who picks Alexander up, since George is busy at work at this time of the day.

"Oh, sweetie, are you alright?" she asks as soon as they are in the car, well aware that Alex likes to keep his sickness away from everyone. "Did you eat something wrong? Are you sick? Is it that time of the month?"

"No," Alexander mutters quietly. "None of that. Physically speaking, I'm completely fine."

"But mentally?" Martha prompts. Over the years, she has learned how to deal with Alexander and his reluctance to admit to his own suffering.

Her son swallows, seeming to attempt to find the right words. And considering this is Alexander, that is enough reason to worry.

"I have to do a detailed report on Valley Forge."

It is a good thing the road is so empty, because Martha slams on the breaks and looks at her son on the seat next to her.

The last time she had seen him this distressed, it was when he had confessed to her and George that he was, in fact, a he this time around as well, even if his body disagreed.

"You will not be doing that."

"It's worth 50% of the grade and Henderson explicitly stated that there would be no switching," Alexander replies, fidgeting as he always does, but shivering strongly.

"Does your teacher know…?" she asks as she starts the car up again. She has to get Alex as warm as possible as soon as possible.

"No. But I don't want to tell her," he argues his mother's unspoken argument. "All the world would know in the span of a month."

"You shouldn't be forced to remember that. You might've been an adult once—and even then it would be terrible—but you're just a teenager now. This is just—unintentionally—cruel towards you. You should argue. You do that for every other thing," she points out.

"I know," Alexander admits. "But I don't want everyone to know all the things I did wrong. I'm a new person now and I'd like to use that chance."

"You have a point there, I suppose," Martha acknowledges.

"Plus, it's not as if reincarnation is a widespread phenomenon."

Martha nods, as she doesn't think there's anything she can say that can help.

Neither of them speaks another word as she brings him to his bed, covers him in several blankets, and goes to make him a hot chocolate and some cookies.

"Why did this have to happen in December?" she mumbles to herself as she stands in the kitchen and prepares as much hot chocolate as she can.

"And you're sure you can just storm in there?" Walter questions. Because honestly, who does that? He knows that AJ and Alex have been friends since the latter started to be fostered by the Washingtons, but knocking should still be a thing after roughly three years of friendship, right?

"Sure." AJ shrugs. "I do it all the time."

Oscar accepts that with a shrug on his own. "And you promise you'll tell us what's wrong with Alex?"

Which was an important issue. How are they supposed to help their friend if they don't know what's wrong with him?

"I'll speak with them about it." AJ nods. "But I can't make the decision for them. It's not just Alex's and my secret."

"That sounds reasonable," Oscar agrees. "Besides, we have a secret like that of our own."

Walter looks at Oscar for confirmation before he proposes to tell them as a sign of trust.

"I'm listening," AJ declares.

He is less surprised than Walter thought he would be.

"Can I tell them?" Was the first question he asked. "I can guarantee you that that's going to help."

"Uhhh, sure, I guess," Walter responds.

When George arrives at home that evening, having collected Lafayette from school, the two of them worry.

"Alexander wasn't at his school," George his wife the second he closes the door behind him and his younger child.

"I picked him up earlier, but I couldn't get through to you," Martha informs him, pushing a cup of hot chocolate in his hand and another one in Lafayette's.

She ushers the two of them in the living room. The fireplace is lightened and most of the blankets they own are down here.

"Not zat I'm not zankful for ze 'ot chocolate," Lafayette states, gesturing around, "but why all of zis."

Martha looks at them grimly. "You're going to need this once you hear why Alexander is already home. Now sit."

Obediently, George sits down on his usual chair while Lafayette does the same.

Martha places a blanket or two around each of them before she takes a deep breath.

"There is no way that I can say this without you freaking out, but Alexander has to do a detailed report about Valley Forge."

George freezes for a second—and his choice of words doesn't really help there—as he watches Lafayette snuggle deeper into xeir blankets and take a sip of eir hot chocolate.

Which is a good idea, he supposes, following his child's example.

George is immensely thankful that his wife had been so thoughtful during the process of explaining everything to them. The warmth helps keeping the memories (the blood, the pain, the hunger, the death) at bay, at least for the moment.

For a minute or two, there is an oppressive silence in the living room.

"We can't let him do this," Lafayette eventually manages to say. "We just can't let that happen."

"It's not that I disagree with you," AJ declares as he casually strolls into the living room, "it's just that Henderson will not allow to switch topics—I double checked—and it's worth 50% of our grade."

"In other words," George sighs in realization, "Alexander will push himself through it."

AJ nodds."Exactly."

"So what can we do to stop that?" Martha questions.

All occupants of the room look clueless for a minute, until AJ remembers that the twins are waiting outside.

"They didn't want to come in with me," he explained. "I'll go get them, but they want to know why this is affecting Alex so much."

"Tell zem," Lafayette basically orders. "Zey will believe us if they are true friends of you."

"Oh, believing won't be a problem," AJ assures them.

"Why not?" George wonders.

"Because, as it turns out, they're the Wright brothers," AJ informs them with a smile.

"Why am I not surprised?" Martha shakes her head. "Go get them."