Jefferson's POV-

Seabury didn't turn up (which was only to be expected if he had to debate in the same team as Hamilton) so the numbers were perfect.

"Now," Washington said, trying to be heard above the smaller conversations happening around him, " For our first mock debate of the season, our topic will be 'that America should cease providing foreign aid to countries who are known to abuse human rights' "

He detailed the speaking orders on the blackboard:

Affirmative

1. Marquis de Lafayette

2. John Laurens

3. Alexander Hamilton

Negative

1. Angelica Schuyler

2. James Madison

3. Thomas Jefferson

"Now, as this is an informal mock debate, you will be given 15 minutes to prepare. I don't expect you to come with a fully-fledged speech but just with a few dot points so you can speak about the topic for about 4 minutes. However, this is just a rough estimate..."
He continued on, rambling for a grand total of 2 minutes and 34 seconds (I timed it) by which time Angelica and I had already outlined our case.

Speaking third negative would truly give me a chance to decimate the Affirmative team, but only if I was able to confidently argue against all their points. Not only would Hamilton be sure to notice any slip-ups, but Angie would never let me hear the end of it if we lost.

Her speech was already laid out impeccably on paper. I wrote out and explained Madison's speech onto six of my pigmented magenta palmcards- being third, mine could wait.

Madison's POV-

Lafayette stood up and began his ramble- with the majority in English and some in French, Washington and I were the only two who couldn't understand what he was getting at.

Hercules Mulligan clapped wildly from the front row. They didn't even make an elementary attempt to conceal that they were dating.

"I now call upon the first speaker of the negative team and the second speaker of the debate, Angelica Schuyler, to begin her team's case."

As soon as this was said Jefferson gave a look of confusion, and I knew what he was thinking; 'Her team? She joined just this morning!' Though he was incredible he could be very conceited on occasion.

The thing was... he didn't actually seem at all charmed by Angelica. He wasn't gazing at her, enraptured by her beauty, he wasn't stunned by her incredible debating, he just didn't seem to be in love. Of course this could just be me reading too much into things. Of course he was probably just concentrating on mentally rehearsing his speech, I doubt he would have let a girl (even a fierce one) stop him from giving a stellar performance- that's what his speeches are, grand performances of intellectual superiority.

"And in conclusion, that is why America should provide funds to third-world countries even if their values differ from ours and their beliefs are not as advanced as ours are here in the US."

It was now Laurens' turn. He stood up before Washington had a chance to thank Angelica or to call him to the front. Slightly shaking and blatantly nervous, he shuffled to the desk and laid out a strange assortment of papers and palm cards, all of different sizes.

The person to my right was already laughing and poor Laurens hadn't even started his speech. God, I love Jefferson but god, he can be absurdly horrible sometimes.

John forgot his speech. He stumbled through rebuttal, and simply read out the one word dot points- one was 'values', the other was 'incentive', and we tried to understand what he was getting at as best we could in order to write rebuts for me.

I had to speak- if I did even slightly better than Hamilton's boyfriend than we would win. Alex's team was a polymath, a walking bundle of nerves and a french dude. We could do better than that.

"And I now call upon James, the second speaker of the negative team, to continue his case"

Jefferson's POV-

Madison stood up, concealing his nerves well, and walked forward to the desk with my impeccable palm cards. I say concealing his nerves because, well you haven't really gotten a chance to know my friend but he's a trainwreck waiting to happen. He was surely nervous after Hamilton had been so disrespectful last time.

He spoke well during his rebuttal, if a little slowly, bringing himself to move on to his first point. Over and over I said to myself, 'He is going to be fine. He is going to be fine.' but in all reality I wasn't so sure. Even if we won, which was highly likely, and even if he went through his speech better than he did last week I knew he was still going to beat himself up about it.

"And now onto my first point.. uh, my substantive, um... "

He was fumbling. He was falling. He... I couldn't bring myself to think about what must have been going through his head.

"Yes, onto my substantive. Under the status quo, countries that are provided with foreign aid are provided with aid for a reason. That reason is that without that aid, citizens of the country would be worse off."

Quickly regaining his composure like that was... truly fantastic. I had to make sure to tell him that once the debate was over.

The rest of his speech ran incredibly smoothly. Sure he wasn't the most confident of speakers, but once he got on a roll and forgot whatever it is that was causing him stress he was fine.

Madison's POV-

Hamilton stood up, with an incredibly smug look on his face, and started:

"In this debate I have identified three main clashes: the first being the effect implementing the topic would have on citizens of said countries, the second being the effect the topic would have on the systems of government in these countries, and the third being if it is in America's best interest to continue supplying these countries with aid."

Jefferson managing to look both flustered and composed whilst hurriedly scratching out rebuts as Alex continued on.

After a good 6 minutes he was requested, courtesy of Washington, to conclude his speech and sit down.

Thomas left his seat, walked around to the front of the desk and began a lengthy introduction.

"Imagine living in a country where.. no. Imagine being born into a country that abuses human rights, imagine how hard life in those countries must be, and then imagine hearing that because of your country's government system, because of something that is utterly out of your control, that all the aid you receive from America is cut off. Poof. Gone in a puff of smoke."

Seeing and hearing this, even from behind, was a spectacle. His hair, his glorious hair...
I mustn't think that. He is straight, and my best friend. Friends must stay friends, no matter how gay you are.
Yet somehow I doubt this familiar spiel, for the first time ever I doubt it when I tell myself this. Maybe there's a way? Maybe there's a chance that in some other life, in some other time, in some other place, we might become us?

"And to conclude, we are proud to negate."

Washington spared no time-
"The negative team won. I'll tell you why tomorrow. Now (as he glances at his watch face) you must be off to class."

I had art first period, with Thomas. Finally, some time to relax.