She felt like she was in the middle of a mystery movie. The coffee shop was almost as dark as the outside, where it was raining hard.
"We need your help again," James said. "His name is Alexander Hamilton. We need you to find out anything and everything about him and his past. The usual procedure."
After a moment, she shook her head. "I don't want to do this again, James. I've already told you that." She stood and started to leave.
"Wait," James called, stopping her. "If you don't help us, you know what we'll do, right?" She tensed just as lightning struck, knowing exactly what he meant.
Blackmail was an extremely cheap tactic.
But it works so well.
It took John a very long time to realize how weird the group chat was.
It was originally called "VIVA LA REVOLUTION", and was composed by John (drunkturtle), Herc (MFDemiGOD), Laf (BAGUETTE), and Alex (ImmigrantBastard). Then Angelica (BestSis), Eliza (CinnamonRolls), and Peggy (PEGPEG) joined. Eliza had renamed the chat "LGBTQTEES" after the boys found out that Eliza was pansexual and Angelica was aromatic (hence why no one succeeded at flirting with her).
The names weren't even the weird part.
On a particularly stormy night, at about 11 o'clock...
PEGPEG: GUYS THERES A STORM
CinnamonRolls: We know, Peggy.
MFDemiGOD: Thanks for waking me up
BAGUETTE: You were awake watching television
drunkturtle: go to sleep its fucking wednesday
PEGPEG: BUT THERES A FUCKING STORM AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH
BestSis: She likes storms
MFDemiGOD: obviously...
CinnamonRolls: I can hear her jumping on her bed from my room.
drunkturtle: omg she's crazy
PEGPEG: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHGGGTHIS IS AWESOMEEEEEEE
CinnamonRolls: Where's Alexander?
drunkturtle: probably asleep or doing homework because he's not a crAZY DUMBSHIT WHO WONT STOP TALKING AND WAKING ME THE FUCK UP
BAGUETTE: ...
BestSis: ...ok then...
ImmigrantBastard: hElp
MFDemiGOD: ?
ImmigrantBastard: hELP Me
CinnamonRolls: Alex, what's wrong?
ImmigrantBastard: Ils sont tous morts
BAGUETTE: WAIT WHAT
BestSis: What is it?
ImmigrantBastard: ILS SONT TOUS MORTS
BAGUETTE: JOHN CHECK ON HIM IM COMING OVER
drunkturtle: What did he say?
BAGUETTE: He said "THEY ALL DIED". SOMETHING IS WRONG
PEGPEG: LOOK AT THE LIGHTNING!
drunkturtle: EVERYONE COME OVER NOW. ALEX JUST SCREAMED
BestSis: OMG WE'RE ON OUR WAY
MFDemiGOD: SHIT OK
John hadn't even seen the last two texts. He had shot out of his bed and sprinted into Alexander's room.
To say he was a mess was an understatement.
Alexander was huddled in the corner under his desk. His hair fell loose around his head in a tangled mass. His head was hanging between his knees and his arms were tight against his chest. Alex was shaking and mumbling to himself, jumping at every lightning strike or roll of thunder.
John knelt in front of Alex and grabbed a hold of his shoulders.
"Alex? Alex what's wrong?" John tried to get in Alexander's line of sight, but he always seemed to be looking through John at something in the distance. "Alex, talk to me. What's wrong?" John noticed that his eyes started to fill with tears.
The door to their dorm room slammed open, causing Alexander to shriek. Hercules and Lafayette appeared in Alex's room a moment later.
"Oh mon Dieu," Laf murmured when he saw Alexander and they rushed over immediately.
"What's wrong with him?" Hercules asked John who just shrugged in response.
Alexander suddenly cried out, "Get out of the water!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" John wondered. "There's no water. We're inside." Alex didn't seem to hear him.
"Ils sont tous morts. Ils sont tous morts. Ils sont tous morts." Alex continued to repeat the phrase, shaking his head.
"My God, Alexander!" John shouted. "What's wrong?"
"He has PTSD," The three boys turned at the sound of Eliza's voice behind them. "At least, I'm pretty sure."
Angelica and Peggy stepped inside as Eliza sat down in front of Alexander. She gently placed her hands on his cheeks and turned his head towards her. Eliza leaned forward so that her eyes were just inches away from Alexander's. Too close, John caught himself thinking. Then he remembered what was going on.
"Alexander," Eliza said. "Can you tell me what's happening right now?"
"The hurricane is here," Alex told her, before continuing to chant the French phrase.
"And where are you right now?"
"Nevis."
Eliza turned around and told everyone, "He thinks he's in the middle of a hurricane at home. We have to bring him back to the present before this gets worse."
"How could this possibly get worse?" Herc questioned.
Another lightning strike.
Another scream.
John couldn't take it anymore. He pushed past Eliza and grabbed onto Alexander's arms.
"Alexander, listen to me," John said over the storm outside. "You aren't in Nevis. You're in New York at Princeton College. There's no hurricane; it's just a little bit of rain. No one is dying. None of us are dead. Look at me, Alex. I'm okay. We're okay."
John's voice grew quiet as Alexander's sobs began to fade away and his eyes focused. His body relaxed and he took a few shaky breaths. Alex looked around the room at his friends, finally landing again on John. Alexander let out another wail as he threw himself at John, surrounding him in a hug. The rest joined in, trying to keep Alex safe from the nightmare that was just outside the window.
HOLY CRAP that was a loooong one. I like it though, so...it is what it is!
Lams fluff has just started and is about to get stronger! Aw yeah!
Also, mystery lady! Oooboy!