"Ah...three doors down, on your left." Scout said pointing.
"No...I'm serious. I need a girlfriend...and fast." Hamilton said slightly out of breath.
"And what's wrong with the one you currently have?" Scout questioned.
"I need another one." Ham stuttered now talking with his hands.
"Newsflash Flemming...you are NOT the God you think you are." Scout said sarcastically but with a smile on his face.
"What?" Hamilton looked confused.
"Let's start over...and keep in mind that Will's not here to interpret." Scout said, "Why do you need another girlfriend?
"My mother found that bottle of nail polish that I bought for Jake. She thinks I have a girlfriend and I...well... it seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem is that I don't have a girlfriend...I mean I do...but my girlfriend is actually a boyfriend... well she's NOT my boyfriend...I mean she's a guy...well, she's not a guy. Damn, you know what I mean."
Scout stared at Hamilton with his mouth open. "I hate to admit it...but I am following you...I think."
"Where's Will anyway?" Hamilton scanned the room with his eyes.
"I'm crushed" Scout said as he placed his hand over his heart. "Will went to Bella's to help her with Geometry. He'll be back in a while."
"Damn" Hamilton said.
"How's Jake?" Scout asked.
"Oh God...in all this commotion I haven't even called her today. I've got to go talk to her...maybe she can help me."
"Again......I am hurt." Scout dramatically stabs an imaginary knife into his heart. "But I'll recover. If memory serves me...you aren't supposed to be seen with Jake until all this nonsense blows over. Ahh, no pun intended."
"Yeah...well...that idea sucks!....... and don't even say it Calhoun!" Hamilton allowed Scout his signature smile. "I have to see her. I have to talk to her."
"Fine...tell her I said hi and I hope she's feeling better."
"Yeah...thanks for your help." Hamilton said as he banged the door shut before hearing Scout's reply.
"No problem buddy...glad I could clear things up for you." Scout said...to himself.
Hamilton walked the familiar corridor and knocked on the door. "Come in if you're on high-dose antibiotics" Jake called out.
"Jake...it's me."
"Hamilton?" Jake questioned.
"Yeah...I need to talk to you. It's important."
"Hang on a sec..." Jake crawled out of bed and unlocked the dorm room door and allowed Hamilton to enter.
Dean Flemming sat alone in his office. He should have left hours ago...but the newest letter on his desk bothered him greatly. He sighed out loud. Two boys gone already and another one due to be pulled out tomorrow. "What am I going to do?" He said aloud to himself. He felt nothing would be accomplished as this late hour so he packed up his briefcase and intended on heading down the path that lead to his house. He shut the lights off in his office and headed for the door when he realized that he had forgotten to switch on the voice mail answering machine. He headed back to his desk. As he approached the darkened door the second time three young freshman students came around the corner.
"Like he's not queer?" One boy said to the others.
"Come on...they are always around each other. Ryder said he saw them making out in the Common Room once." The second boy added.
The Dean left the door closed and concentrated on the boys conversation.
"No way..."said the third boy. "I don't think they're fairies. I just think...
The third boy was cut off sharply by the first young man "Look my parents don't want me to stay in a GAY school...so I'm leaving tomorrow.
"Rawley is NOT a gay school" the third boy answered.
"Well it looks like it's going to be." The first boy said confidently.
The third boy, obviously the more intelligent of the three..."Look, it's not like you can turn gay. It's not something you can catch from someone."
"My parents wanted me to try out for crew this year...but I'm glad now I didn't. Can you imagine being in the shower with them?" The first boy made rude gestures with his hands as he stuck his tongue inside his left cheek.
"Uh...gross!" the second boy yelled.
The three boys passed the Dean's office and continued down the hall. Dean Flemming stood in silence until the three freshman were out of sight. He opened the door and locked it behind him as he left.
"Whoa...slow down a minute." Jake said as she wiped her running nose with a Kleenex. "What nail polish?"
"I bought nail polish for you and my Mother found it. She thinks I have a girlfriend."
Jake smiled..."You do."
"I know...but...the problem is that my Father thinks that there is a gay couple on campus and Will, Scout and I thinks that it's me and you." Hamilton said.
"But Will and Scout know that I'm a girl." Jake sounded confused.
"But everybody else doesn't."
"Oh...I get it."
"Will thinks we should stay away from each other for a while. Maybe this will all blow over."
"No pun intended" Jake said as she smiled.
"Have you been talking to Scout?" Hamilton questioned.
"What?"
"Nevermind...look I should go..."
Jake nodded her head in agreement. She hated to see him this upset, and she knew that she was the primary cause. Another backlash from the whole Jake/Jacqueline charade. "Look...things will work themselves out. Don't worry. Ok?"
"Right..." Hamilton said. "I hear West Point has a really good photography program."
"Stop it Hamilton..." Jake hugged him briefly and then turned her head to cough again. "If anyone is going to leave Rawley...it WILL be me."
"I'm not going to let that happen...I love you." He said looking into her eyes.
"I know..." She backed up and blew him a kiss. "Call me later...we can talk."
Hamilton caught the imaginary kiss and blew one back to her. "Feel better." Hamilton turned and opened her door. He stepped halfway into the hall and then turned back to look at her. "I love you..."
"In sickness...and in health." She smiled
Hamilton walked out of the door and ran straight into his father who standing in the hall.
"No...I'm serious. I need a girlfriend...and fast." Hamilton said slightly out of breath.
"And what's wrong with the one you currently have?" Scout questioned.
"I need another one." Ham stuttered now talking with his hands.
"Newsflash Flemming...you are NOT the God you think you are." Scout said sarcastically but with a smile on his face.
"What?" Hamilton looked confused.
"Let's start over...and keep in mind that Will's not here to interpret." Scout said, "Why do you need another girlfriend?
"My mother found that bottle of nail polish that I bought for Jake. She thinks I have a girlfriend and I...well... it seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem is that I don't have a girlfriend...I mean I do...but my girlfriend is actually a boyfriend... well she's NOT my boyfriend...I mean she's a guy...well, she's not a guy. Damn, you know what I mean."
Scout stared at Hamilton with his mouth open. "I hate to admit it...but I am following you...I think."
"Where's Will anyway?" Hamilton scanned the room with his eyes.
"I'm crushed" Scout said as he placed his hand over his heart. "Will went to Bella's to help her with Geometry. He'll be back in a while."
"Damn" Hamilton said.
"How's Jake?" Scout asked.
"Oh God...in all this commotion I haven't even called her today. I've got to go talk to her...maybe she can help me."
"Again......I am hurt." Scout dramatically stabs an imaginary knife into his heart. "But I'll recover. If memory serves me...you aren't supposed to be seen with Jake until all this nonsense blows over. Ahh, no pun intended."
"Yeah...well...that idea sucks!....... and don't even say it Calhoun!" Hamilton allowed Scout his signature smile. "I have to see her. I have to talk to her."
"Fine...tell her I said hi and I hope she's feeling better."
"Yeah...thanks for your help." Hamilton said as he banged the door shut before hearing Scout's reply.
"No problem buddy...glad I could clear things up for you." Scout said...to himself.
Hamilton walked the familiar corridor and knocked on the door. "Come in if you're on high-dose antibiotics" Jake called out.
"Jake...it's me."
"Hamilton?" Jake questioned.
"Yeah...I need to talk to you. It's important."
"Hang on a sec..." Jake crawled out of bed and unlocked the dorm room door and allowed Hamilton to enter.
Dean Flemming sat alone in his office. He should have left hours ago...but the newest letter on his desk bothered him greatly. He sighed out loud. Two boys gone already and another one due to be pulled out tomorrow. "What am I going to do?" He said aloud to himself. He felt nothing would be accomplished as this late hour so he packed up his briefcase and intended on heading down the path that lead to his house. He shut the lights off in his office and headed for the door when he realized that he had forgotten to switch on the voice mail answering machine. He headed back to his desk. As he approached the darkened door the second time three young freshman students came around the corner.
"Like he's not queer?" One boy said to the others.
"Come on...they are always around each other. Ryder said he saw them making out in the Common Room once." The second boy added.
The Dean left the door closed and concentrated on the boys conversation.
"No way..."said the third boy. "I don't think they're fairies. I just think...
The third boy was cut off sharply by the first young man "Look my parents don't want me to stay in a GAY school...so I'm leaving tomorrow.
"Rawley is NOT a gay school" the third boy answered.
"Well it looks like it's going to be." The first boy said confidently.
The third boy, obviously the more intelligent of the three..."Look, it's not like you can turn gay. It's not something you can catch from someone."
"My parents wanted me to try out for crew this year...but I'm glad now I didn't. Can you imagine being in the shower with them?" The first boy made rude gestures with his hands as he stuck his tongue inside his left cheek.
"Uh...gross!" the second boy yelled.
The three boys passed the Dean's office and continued down the hall. Dean Flemming stood in silence until the three freshman were out of sight. He opened the door and locked it behind him as he left.
"Whoa...slow down a minute." Jake said as she wiped her running nose with a Kleenex. "What nail polish?"
"I bought nail polish for you and my Mother found it. She thinks I have a girlfriend."
Jake smiled..."You do."
"I know...but...the problem is that my Father thinks that there is a gay couple on campus and Will, Scout and I thinks that it's me and you." Hamilton said.
"But Will and Scout know that I'm a girl." Jake sounded confused.
"But everybody else doesn't."
"Oh...I get it."
"Will thinks we should stay away from each other for a while. Maybe this will all blow over."
"No pun intended" Jake said as she smiled.
"Have you been talking to Scout?" Hamilton questioned.
"What?"
"Nevermind...look I should go..."
Jake nodded her head in agreement. She hated to see him this upset, and she knew that she was the primary cause. Another backlash from the whole Jake/Jacqueline charade. "Look...things will work themselves out. Don't worry. Ok?"
"Right..." Hamilton said. "I hear West Point has a really good photography program."
"Stop it Hamilton..." Jake hugged him briefly and then turned her head to cough again. "If anyone is going to leave Rawley...it WILL be me."
"I'm not going to let that happen...I love you." He said looking into her eyes.
"I know..." She backed up and blew him a kiss. "Call me later...we can talk."
Hamilton caught the imaginary kiss and blew one back to her. "Feel better." Hamilton turned and opened her door. He stepped halfway into the hall and then turned back to look at her. "I love you..."
"In sickness...and in health." She smiled
Hamilton walked out of the door and ran straight into his father who standing in the hall.