"Look, I'm not saying this has to be big. We can start with posters or something."

"Posters?"

"You know, posters. Tolerance ones. Like with cheesy slogans on them? 'It's okay to be gay.' Shit like that."

It was two weeks after Alex's first day at school, and he and Laurens were working together on a project for Debate Team that had the added bonus of extra credit in social studies. Not that they were exactly agreeing on everything, but it was fun.

"That's hella cheesy," Laurens snorted, "but sure, keep going."

"Well, we don't need approval to put up posters or anything, so I think it will be the first step in the right direction of tolerance here at school. It doesn't have to start big." Alex's eyes were wide with excitement.

Laurens smiled fondly, "Yeah, we'll work on it." Privately he didn't think the posters would do much, but he liked to listen to Alex talk. What the fuck?! I'm being creepy again! Stop it, John!

Alex grinned, "Awesome!" He opened the door 112 and bounded inside, Laurens trailing behind him. He in equal parts hated and loved the way that Hamilton made his heart race and hands go sweaty.

He 100% hated how he didn't know if Hamilton would ever be able to reciprocate his feelings.

"Good afternoon, soldiers." Mr. Knox stood at the front of the classroom with a stack of paper. "We'll start out today with some short speeches about one thing you think could be improved about this school."

Hamilton elbowed Laurens excitedly in the side, tugging slightly on his ponytail. Laurens had leant him one of his hair elastics. It was hard for Alex to stop blushing.

"You have five minutes to write your speeches. Remember, you should not have begun writing these already. Begin." Mr. Knox made his way to the front of the classroom again after passing out the sheets of paper.

What could be improved? Everything, Alex thought wryly. But for starters, a GSA. And that was the topic he filled a page and a half writing about. When the timer went off and Alex looked up, he realized that a few other teachers had filed into the room.

"We have some guests for today," Mr. Knox said, gesturing to Mr. Washington and Mrs. Hays. "Now, let's bring out our first speaker. Sergeant Samuel Seabury, you have the floor." Mr. Knox moved to sit at his desk as an unremarkable boy stood up at the front of the classroom. Seabury was one of the higher-ranking members of Debate Team, who wrote essays in an incredibly formal tone and in very short amounts of time with ease, but that didn't mean that he wasn't an asshole.

Seabury grinned at the class, though his aggressively shaped eyebrows made it seem more like a smirk. Shuffling his papers imperiously, he cast his gaze around the class, eyes landing on Alex for a fraction of a second longer before beginning.

"Personally, I do not think there is anything that needs to be changed about our wonderful school. Certain people—" his eyes flicked over Hamilton and Laurens—"would say otherwise, but I know for a fact that our school is perfect the way it is. There have been whispers of a GSA." His lip curled. "But our school does not need that here. These people do not speak for me, nor do they speak for anyone. They have obviously not taken the time to do any research, as it is well-known that creating such facilities for our school could result in other programs being defunded by the School Board. To talk about this without the necessary knowledge is a dangerous game to play. I know for a fact Principal King will not stand for this—this treason!"

As his speech went on, Seabury's ears had turned redder and redder. Hamilton's eyebrows furrowed as Seabury continued to talk for his remaining three minutes.

"Thank you, Sergeant Seabury for your, ah, illuminating speech. Would anyone care to respond?" Mr. Knox said pleasantly.

Hamilton's hand shot up.

"Private Alexander Hamilton." Mr. Knox smiled, "Your response?"

Hamilton walked up to stand next to Seabury and grinned forcefully, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Seabury here would have you believe there is nothing to be changed about this school and I have to—respectfully—disagree. There are people here who need a voice, a safe space to be themselves without homophobic"—assholes—"people telling them what they can and can't be. We need a GSA so people can express themselves safely." Hamilton paused here to look at Seabury, whose face had turned a lovely shade of purple, "It's hard to look at you with a straight face. The ideas that you've been recklessly spouting have no place in this century. You call what we want to do to improve this school treason? Then I say that the revolution is inevitable!"

"Do you even hear the blasphemous words pouring out of your mouth? None of your suggested 'improvements' have a place in our school, and we should not even discuss them!" Seabury burst out.

"My dog speaks more eloquently than thee." Alex mocked.

"Hamilton!" someone exclaimed.

"I pray Principal King shows you his mercy," Seabury spat, not even changing his formal speech when Alex made fun of it. "For shame."

You want to keep talking about this school like it's a fucking country? Fine! "For the revolution!"

"For shame!"

"For the revolution!" Laurens called out from his seat.

Seabury turned back to the class, "There is nothing that needs to be changed about our school—"

"If you repeat yourself I'm gonna scream."

"Our school is glorious the way it is, we don't need a GSA."

"Don't start the debate, then not finish it with me!"

"Private Hamilton! Sergeant Seabury!" Mr. Knox stood up at his desk, "If you can't have a civil debate about this, you will be forced to sit the rest of the session out. Hamilton, you are not allowed to insult anyone personally. Please, control yourself."

Both Seabury and Alex deflated, glaring at each other.

"Does anyone else have anything to add to this discussion?"

The class was silent, students sitting in their seats with varying levels of astonishment and laughter on their faces. A few were whispering to each other, but no one spoke up.

"Take a seat Hamilton, Seabury." The eyes of the class followed Alex and Seabury to their respective seats. Seabury stared resolutely forward, anger obvious in his eyes. Alex was less subtle, outright glaring at him until Laurens poked him on the shoulder and whispered to him to stop.

A few more debates went on: about the power of the student council, about redoing the gym, putting more funding into the arts program...but Alex couldn't concentrate on them.

He was tired of people telling him that he couldn't do things. He'd prove them wrong. His hands balled into fists as he imagined what he should start doing to shift the balance of power. He looked at Lafayette, who was also glaring at Seabury, and at Laurens, whose hands were also fists. He felt comforted by the fact that he had friends standing behind him.

That was when the intercom crackled on.

Notes:

Kind of a cliffhanger! Wait, not really. I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter, and see you next update!