"Helloooo dear children of this wonderful school." An unctuous voice filtered over the PA system as a few people groaned.

"Not King again," Laurens grumbled, "He does this. All. The. Time." His words were punctuated by him hitting his forehead on the table.

"I've been hearing some nasty rumors around our hallowed halls," the voice continued, and Hamilton thought that he knew where Seabury got his way of speaking from. Why did everyone in this place act like they were still in the eighteenth century? Hamilton looked around the room. Mr. Knox looked annoyed. Mr. Washington looked like he wanted to walk out of the school and never return.

"It looks like all of you are saying that you want...change."

Is this guy crazy? Alex wondered.

"You seem to say that you don't want my love. At least...you want my love unconditionally. But there are prices to pay, you know," King rambled.

"Good God, not again," Lafayette groaned.

"Dear me! I feel a song coming on!"

Oh, no.

King gave a small vocal warm-up, and then started singing. What the hell? This school is insane!

"You say...the price of my love's not a price that you're willing to pay."

Mr. Washington stood up, practically knocking his chair over. "I'll go talk to him." The other teachers in the room nodded gratefully, looking all too long-suffering. Alex wouldn't have been surprised if Mr. Washington just dived out of the first window he was offered. Actually, he would have been. Mr. Washington was a loyal person.

"Let's see, what should I say next! Oh! You cry-yyy-yyy, and...oh, what rhymes with that?" Principal King's voice abruptly changed. "Whatever. The point is, you're all being idiots about this. I have the power here. You don't just openly declare...rebellion. Why are you all so sad? After all, we have an agreement. I give you guys the money that you need to have a nice school, and you love and revere me in return!"

"He's...power-mad?" Alex asked Laurens.

Laurens nodded. "I don't know why we put up with this."

"Now, you're all making me very, very mad," King hissed. Chills went up Alex's spine. What the fuck? Is our principal a vampire or something? "Remember, despite our estrangement, I'm your man."

And then he was singing again. "You'll be back. Soon you'll see." There were sounds of typing, and Alex heard King whisper, "RhymeZone...rhymes with see...oh!" He went back to singing. "You'll remember you belong to me."

Alex choked slightly. "What the hell? Is he crazy?"

Laurens groaned. "Yes."

"Does he not get the very nasty implications of saying stuff like that?"

"No."

"You'll be back! Time will tell. You'll remember that I served you well."

"Bullshit!" a guy named Philip Schuyler yelled.

"Mr. Schuyler, be...polite…" Mr. Knox said, trailing off, and looking very much like he wanted to insult Principal King himself.

"Oceans rise. Empires fall!"

Oh. My. God. What the fuck does this have to do with anything? Why the hell are we still listening to this?!

"And we have seeeeeen each other through it aaaall…" King abruptly cut himself off. "And remember, if things get at all...nasty, then I will have to fail all of you to remind you just how much I love you."

King was humming now, but Alex was suddenly very afraid. King didn't have the authority to do that, right? Right?

"All of you guys say that the love we have is destructive, and that you don't want me anymore! Well, you'll be the ones complaining when I'm gone. You just don't listen! Whenever I talk about how I'm feeling, you change the subject to the budget or to tolerance or to some bullshit like that. Well, stop changing the subject! I love you guys too much to talk about boring stuff like that. You're my sweet, submissive little students."

Alex's face was burning red, and everyone else in the class looked either embarrassed or like they couldn't quite believe what they were hearing.

"You're my loyal little students. Forever. And ever. And ever! You'll be back, okay? Just like every other time you've tried to break away. 'Cuz I'll fight this fight and I'll fucking win it, got it? I just want your love, your praise, whatever you have to give. And once you give me that, I'll love you until I die! If you leave, I'll go mad. Just wait and see."

What the hell-fuck?!

"So don't throw this away! 'Cuz when push finally comes to shove, I'll fucking fail all of you little shits—"

Mr. Washington's voice suddenly came over the intercom. "Mr. King, you can't say that to students."

King's voice was suddenly amiable once more. "I can't?"

"No. You should turn the intercom off."

"Aw, but Georgie!" King sounded like he was pouting. "Is this because you think I don't love you? You'll always be my favorite, you know."

"Mr. King, you need to stop." The annoyance in Mr. Washington's voice could be heard over the intercom.

"I love you all, dear subjects—I mean, students! No, subjects, actually—"

The intercom abruptly turned off. Mr. Washington had done his job. But— "What the hell was that?" Alex demanded.

"That," said Lafayette, "was Principal George King the Third."

"Oh my God! Is he even sane?"

Cortlandt Schuyler shrugged. "He's rich. He's the son of the superintendent."

"What else matters?" Paul Revere finished.

"Soldiers, I need you to calm down. You can't talk like this in school."

"Mr. Knox, we can't let this go on," Alex insisted. "This is crazy! There's no way that this is a safe learning environment."

Mr. Knox shrugged, starting to smile. "Well, I need to go get some water. If you all happen to talk about what you want to do while I'm gone, I'm sure that I won't be able to stop it." He left.

"We need to get rid of him," Hamilton declared.

"He'll hear about this!" Seabury declared, walking out. Lafayette locked the door after him.

"Let's do this," Laurens declared.

There were sounds of consensus from around the room. Alex grinned. He loved feeling like part of something. He felt ready to change the order at this school.

Laurens started talking again. "Raise a glass—"

"To freedom!" Lafayette interrupted.

Laurens raised his eyebrows. "I was going to say 'to getting rid of King,' but your way is fine."