POV: John Laurens

Trigger Warning- Swearing
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I grab some of my paper id normally use for writing to Alexander or Lafayette, or anyone if it's about the revolution, and then a pen.

I sit at one of the empty tables and set my paper on the table. I hold the pencil in my hand, leaning over the table slightly so my face is close to the paper. I look up to see what I'm drawing then looking back down to start drawing. I draw the women and men, the Schuyler sisters, Aaron Burr, my two close friends, and my closest friend. I start to draw the background and chandeliers then the chairs.

I look back up to see if I got the walls and ceiling correct then outline my friends, which was like four people, or three and that guy I really like.

I look to my left to see Lafayette and Hercules probably flirting jokingly or seriously flirting. And then to my left, where Alex is looking down at me, smiling. I jump a little and smile back, "Hi! Hi..".

"Hello Laurens," he says, "Your freckles make you look really pretty..". I awkwardly chuckle and accept the compliment, unsure if he meant that I wouldn't look pretty without my freckles or not.

I notice he starts looking at my lips then at my drawings, turning a bit red when he realises I noticed where he was staring. "Y-you're really good at art and drawing!" He smiles.

"Thanks, I'm not really good at drawing though, but thank you for the compliment though.."

"What do you mean you can't really draw!? Your art is better than every portrait I've ever seen!" He says.

I doubt that, Alex.
He grabs my drawing and holds it up, yelling, "Hey! Look at this wonderful drawing! All of you! Now! See how good it is? The reason is because my best friend made this! John Laurens!" He runs around the room, shoving it in people's faces then points at me while I silently die inside.

Everyone's eyes are on me now as Alex comes back to me and wraps an arm around me. "See? They all love you and your art!". Once again, I highly doubt that, most people don't look happy because they have a resting bitch face, for example, Aaron Burr, he looks at people like they just spilt tea all over him and then the person tries to clean him with a tea bag every time I see him.. until Alex falls or something like that, then he smiles.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup!"

"Well.." I ponder on what I'm going to say. "Can I have my art back?" I ask.

I look at him in the eyes, and he says, "No." And smiles. I want to hit him.

"Why."

"Because."

"The fuck do you mean because??"

"Because I like it, that's why pretty boy." He smiles and pokes my nose.

I smile back, poking his nose back and giggling.

"Anyway," he says, "What're Laf and Herc doing?" And gently pushes my head to the right to look at where they were. "Probably chatting or something, how would I know?".

We talk for awhile, Alex changing the subject now and then as I unconsciously draw on my hands. Alex points at a woman in a red dress, "Qui est-elle?".

"Son? C'est Maria Reynolds." I tell Alexander.

"Elle est jolie." He says.

"Je suppose qu'elle est." I sigh. "J'ai entendu dire que c'était une garce et une pute." I point out.

"Elle est?" He asks.

"Oui, elle l'est, Alexandre" I smile.

We continue talking shit about Maria Reynolds in french. "Hey, this is America, speak American, you freaks!" Someone yells at us.

"One; it's English, not American. And two; we were just going to speak English anyway, so fuck off and mind your damn business, bitch, and we're not freaks, you're the freak." I say to them and watch their face slowly get angrier and angrier.

Then Eliza catches Alex's eyes from across the ballroom so I drag him away from her line of sight so she doesn't try anything with him. The thought of them doing anything... intimate disgusts me. "Why did you do that?" He asks as I link both our arms. "No reason." I stutter as I take him to Lafayette and Hercules, who just came back from doing whatever.

I look behind us to see Eliza searching for Alex so I stand infront of him to obscure her view of my 'best friend' and I start mentally praying that she doesn't find us, but as usual, my wishes don't happen and she comes over to me. She examines me then shoves me aside to talk to Alex.

Fucking rude, bitch. I already don't like her. Alex, to my surprise, notices that she shoved me out the way, and like a normal person, points it out, and she immediately ignores it and starts babbling about something.

I swear I'm going to bitch slap her later if she keeps this shit up.

Alex starts to look uncomfortable, along with Hercules and Lafayette just appears confused and disgusted. "Hey.. can you like.. leave? This is weird," Alex says, rubbing the back of his neck, "And you also shoved my friend to talk to me, you could've at least asked him to move.". She then smiles, "Oh, I'm sorry for making this weird, I'll talk to you in a week then." Then she leaves.

She didn't apologize for pushing me, but apologized for making her conversation with Alex weird, that makes absolutely no sense.

Alex looks at me then at Eliza then back at me, "She was rude."

"No shit." I say and huff.

"Anyway are we gonna go now? This ball has just been made incredibly uncomfortable by Miss Elizabeth Schuyler." Hercules asks and we all agree and then practically sprint to the nearest exit. When we get out, Hercules walks Lafayette home.

And Alex tries to link our arms but can't do it that well, as I'm taller than him. We walk to my house and then it starts to rain, heavily, so I give Alex my jacket to make sure he doesn't get hypothermia. We continue walking as I put my jacket over his head while I start to shiver.

He drops me off at me door step, the rain's heavier than it was when we left that ball. "Well, I'll see you soon?" He says and smiles. "You're not going to stay?" I ask and cup his cheek with my free hand.

"No."

"But why no-"

Before I could finish my question he goes on his toes and kisses my cheek, "I'll write to you in the morning, I love you." He smirks and as I stretch my hand out to catch him but he disappears into the night and suddenly my voice is gone so I'm left standing in the rain.