"Hamilton?" the Dean said.
"Yes, Sir...uh...Hi Dad" Hamilton stuttered.
"What are you doing here?" his father asked him.
"Just dropping off some notes for Jake Pratt...he's still sick."
"Ahhh" his father nodded his head although the look on his face seemed to say other things.
"What are you doing here this late?" Hamilton asked.
"Just finishing up...I'll walk home with you." He answered his eyes never leaving his son's.
"Right..." Hamilton said.
"Hey..." She said.
"Hey" He answered.
"Did you father hear me?" She asked.
"I don't think so....it was a very long...very quiet walk home."
"A long walk?" She questioned.
"Fifty yards seems like fifty miles when you're walking in silence.
"Well, that's a relief.
"I suppose"
"So how was class today?" She thought changing the subject might help.
"Ok...I guess...lonely."
"Awwww. Miss me?" She asked.
"You know I do." He answered
"Love me?" She asked
"You know I do." He answered. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah, actually. I think I'll be able to go to class by...Friday."
"Good...If I can't talk to you...I can at least look at you." Hamilton sighed.
"Awww Hamilton.... Oh wow!! " Jake exclaimed into the phone. "Guess what's on TV right now?"
"I give up."
"Some Like It Hot. That's like one of my favorite movies of all time."
"Why am I not surprised by this." Hamilton said. Jake could hear him smiling through the phone.
"Hey...I guess this means we're off for the dance on Saturday night...huh?" Jake asked suddenly remembering their pseudo date for the Halloween costume party.
"Well...we were never really on. I mean...well...you know what I mean. And yeah...I suppose we are off."
Hamilton answered. "I don't want to go if I can't hang out with you. How about I come over and we could dance around your dorm room?" A hopeful lilt in his voice.
"Bad idea." Jake said.
"I know...I was just testing you. My parents are chaperoning. They're expecting me to go...and worse...they're expecting to meet my new girlfriend."
"Really? Well...this could get interesting. Hey....I have an idea. What about Bella?"
"Bella?" Hamilton said sounding confused.
"Yes, Bella...she already knows about us. She could pretend to be your date...and that might throw the 'parentals' off the scent. At least for the time being."
"And what about you? You'd be OK with that?" He asked.
"Sure......why wouldn't I be. It's all pretend....right?"
"Right. I guess I'd better go...I've still got French homework to do." Hamilton sighed.
"Bonne' nuit, Mon Cheri'" (good night, sweetheart) Jake said in her best French accent.
"Je t'aime"( I love you) Hamilton responded.
"You...get an A" Jake made kissing noises into the phone and hung up.
Hamilton made his way to the grassy area where Finn most enjoyed conducting his English Literature classes. He stretched out on the manicured lawn and then pulled his knees up to his chest. "Mr. Flemming..."Finn said "Did you get a new alarm clock...you're not only on time...you're early" The few students in attendance chuckled.
"Mmmm" Hamilton said with half a smile while he watched the others arrive slowly.
"Nothing...or...um...no one to slow him down this morning." One boy whispered to another.
Will and Scout joined the group and seated themselves next to Hamilton. "Hey." Said Will.
"Hey" Hamilton responded.
"Gentlemen..." Finn began. "At the request of Dean Flemming, we will be delaying our continuing discussion of Browning today so that Miss Edmunds, your health teacher, may present to you a brief filmstrip entitled..." Finn had to put his hand to his mouth to stifle the smile. He cleared his throat, "...ah...The A B C's of the Birds and Bee's" Finn walked away and began to connect the snakes of extension chords set up so the projector could be used outside. The smile would not leave his face.
Hamilton fell backwards onto the grass. "Oh My God!!" He enunciated the words as he covered his face with his hands. "This had to be my father's idea?"
Will and Scout had matching grins as they watched Hamilton's face turn varying shades of pink.
"Next we'll be watching "Boy's Don't Cry" in Biology" Scout whispered with a laugh.
"This is SO not funny." Hamilton sighed.
"What can I get you guys?" Will asked as he wiped his hands on the apron he had tied around his waist.
"Ahh...strawberry Fribble for me...please sir" Scout said as he returned the Friendly's menu to its holder. Working in the restaurant himself...he knew the menu by heart and yet he always looked at it before ordering.
"Just a diet coke for me Will." Bella said.
"Cheeseburger and fries" Sean ordered.
"Nothing for me...I'm not hungry." Hamilton replied. All three stared at Hamilton in awe.
"Alert the media... Will...Call Channel 5. This has never happened before." Scout said with an exaggerated wide-eyed look.
"Shut up Calhoun" Hamilton replied.
"You know...that response is getting old." Scout said. Hamilton lowered his head.
"So, is Jake coming back to class tomorrow?" Will asked.
"She's planning on it." Hamilton said.
"I'm glad she's feeling better." Bella said.
"Yeah..." Hamilton said without a smile.
"This is really killing you...isn't it?" Scout said with a sincere look on his face. He glanced over at Bella. He knew first hand what it felt like not to be able to be with the one you love. "So, what about the dance on Saturday? Whose going?"
"Bella, I've been meaning to ask you about that." Will said, "I mean if Sean is working....."
"Whoa, I was going to ask Bella. "Scout said.
"Eh 'em..." Sean said, clearing his throat. He pointed to himself. "Current boyfriend."
"Gee guys, I'm flattered." Bella said with a slight blush in her cheeks. Fending off several suitors was something she wasn't familiar with.
"Well, here's a kicker..." Hamilton interjected. "Jake suggested that I take Bella to the Halloween dance and introduce her to my parents as MY girlfriend."
"What?" Bella said looking confused.
"Hey...you might just have something there." Will said.
"What?" Bella repeated.
"I've got to admit...that's not a bad idea." Scout said.
"What?" Bella said, still being ignored.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...somebody want to explain to me why Flemming is gonna take MY girlfriend to the dance." Sean asked.
Bella yelled. "Hello...I'm still here!"
"I'm sorry Bella...but...it would be the perfect temporary solution to Jake and Hamilton's problem." Will looked at her with a bit of a pleading look.
"Yeah...it could throw his dad off a little to see Hamilton there with a date. A female date..." Scout smiled as he spoke.
"Shut ...." Hamilton hesitated..."Actually, he's right this time. Bella, would you consider going to the Halloween dance with me? As a favor to me and Jake."
"I'm sorry Hamilton...I'd really love to go with you but, I already have a date for the Halloween dance." Bella responded. The three boys looked around the table each looking more confused than the other.
"You do?" Sean said looking the most concerned.
"Yes...I do. Bella smiled. "I'm going with Jake."
"Yes, Sir...uh...Hi Dad" Hamilton stuttered.
"What are you doing here?" his father asked him.
"Just dropping off some notes for Jake Pratt...he's still sick."
"Ahhh" his father nodded his head although the look on his face seemed to say other things.
"What are you doing here this late?" Hamilton asked.
"Just finishing up...I'll walk home with you." He answered his eyes never leaving his son's.
"Right..." Hamilton said.
"Hey..." She said.
"Hey" He answered.
"Did you father hear me?" She asked.
"I don't think so....it was a very long...very quiet walk home."
"A long walk?" She questioned.
"Fifty yards seems like fifty miles when you're walking in silence.
"Well, that's a relief.
"I suppose"
"So how was class today?" She thought changing the subject might help.
"Ok...I guess...lonely."
"Awwww. Miss me?" She asked.
"You know I do." He answered
"Love me?" She asked
"You know I do." He answered. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah, actually. I think I'll be able to go to class by...Friday."
"Good...If I can't talk to you...I can at least look at you." Hamilton sighed.
"Awww Hamilton.... Oh wow!! " Jake exclaimed into the phone. "Guess what's on TV right now?"
"I give up."
"Some Like It Hot. That's like one of my favorite movies of all time."
"Why am I not surprised by this." Hamilton said. Jake could hear him smiling through the phone.
"Hey...I guess this means we're off for the dance on Saturday night...huh?" Jake asked suddenly remembering their pseudo date for the Halloween costume party.
"Well...we were never really on. I mean...well...you know what I mean. And yeah...I suppose we are off."
Hamilton answered. "I don't want to go if I can't hang out with you. How about I come over and we could dance around your dorm room?" A hopeful lilt in his voice.
"Bad idea." Jake said.
"I know...I was just testing you. My parents are chaperoning. They're expecting me to go...and worse...they're expecting to meet my new girlfriend."
"Really? Well...this could get interesting. Hey....I have an idea. What about Bella?"
"Bella?" Hamilton said sounding confused.
"Yes, Bella...she already knows about us. She could pretend to be your date...and that might throw the 'parentals' off the scent. At least for the time being."
"And what about you? You'd be OK with that?" He asked.
"Sure......why wouldn't I be. It's all pretend....right?"
"Right. I guess I'd better go...I've still got French homework to do." Hamilton sighed.
"Bonne' nuit, Mon Cheri'" (good night, sweetheart) Jake said in her best French accent.
"Je t'aime"( I love you) Hamilton responded.
"You...get an A" Jake made kissing noises into the phone and hung up.
Hamilton made his way to the grassy area where Finn most enjoyed conducting his English Literature classes. He stretched out on the manicured lawn and then pulled his knees up to his chest. "Mr. Flemming..."Finn said "Did you get a new alarm clock...you're not only on time...you're early" The few students in attendance chuckled.
"Mmmm" Hamilton said with half a smile while he watched the others arrive slowly.
"Nothing...or...um...no one to slow him down this morning." One boy whispered to another.
Will and Scout joined the group and seated themselves next to Hamilton. "Hey." Said Will.
"Hey" Hamilton responded.
"Gentlemen..." Finn began. "At the request of Dean Flemming, we will be delaying our continuing discussion of Browning today so that Miss Edmunds, your health teacher, may present to you a brief filmstrip entitled..." Finn had to put his hand to his mouth to stifle the smile. He cleared his throat, "...ah...The A B C's of the Birds and Bee's" Finn walked away and began to connect the snakes of extension chords set up so the projector could be used outside. The smile would not leave his face.
Hamilton fell backwards onto the grass. "Oh My God!!" He enunciated the words as he covered his face with his hands. "This had to be my father's idea?"
Will and Scout had matching grins as they watched Hamilton's face turn varying shades of pink.
"Next we'll be watching "Boy's Don't Cry" in Biology" Scout whispered with a laugh.
"This is SO not funny." Hamilton sighed.
"What can I get you guys?" Will asked as he wiped his hands on the apron he had tied around his waist.
"Ahh...strawberry Fribble for me...please sir" Scout said as he returned the Friendly's menu to its holder. Working in the restaurant himself...he knew the menu by heart and yet he always looked at it before ordering.
"Just a diet coke for me Will." Bella said.
"Cheeseburger and fries" Sean ordered.
"Nothing for me...I'm not hungry." Hamilton replied. All three stared at Hamilton in awe.
"Alert the media... Will...Call Channel 5. This has never happened before." Scout said with an exaggerated wide-eyed look.
"Shut up Calhoun" Hamilton replied.
"You know...that response is getting old." Scout said. Hamilton lowered his head.
"So, is Jake coming back to class tomorrow?" Will asked.
"She's planning on it." Hamilton said.
"I'm glad she's feeling better." Bella said.
"Yeah..." Hamilton said without a smile.
"This is really killing you...isn't it?" Scout said with a sincere look on his face. He glanced over at Bella. He knew first hand what it felt like not to be able to be with the one you love. "So, what about the dance on Saturday? Whose going?"
"Bella, I've been meaning to ask you about that." Will said, "I mean if Sean is working....."
"Whoa, I was going to ask Bella. "Scout said.
"Eh 'em..." Sean said, clearing his throat. He pointed to himself. "Current boyfriend."
"Gee guys, I'm flattered." Bella said with a slight blush in her cheeks. Fending off several suitors was something she wasn't familiar with.
"Well, here's a kicker..." Hamilton interjected. "Jake suggested that I take Bella to the Halloween dance and introduce her to my parents as MY girlfriend."
"What?" Bella said looking confused.
"Hey...you might just have something there." Will said.
"What?" Bella repeated.
"I've got to admit...that's not a bad idea." Scout said.
"What?" Bella said, still being ignored.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...somebody want to explain to me why Flemming is gonna take MY girlfriend to the dance." Sean asked.
Bella yelled. "Hello...I'm still here!"
"I'm sorry Bella...but...it would be the perfect temporary solution to Jake and Hamilton's problem." Will looked at her with a bit of a pleading look.
"Yeah...it could throw his dad off a little to see Hamilton there with a date. A female date..." Scout smiled as he spoke.
"Shut ...." Hamilton hesitated..."Actually, he's right this time. Bella, would you consider going to the Halloween dance with me? As a favor to me and Jake."
"I'm sorry Hamilton...I'd really love to go with you but, I already have a date for the Halloween dance." Bella responded. The three boys looked around the table each looking more confused than the other.
"You do?" Sean said looking the most concerned.
"Yes...I do. Bella smiled. "I'm going with Jake."