Trust [Lams AU]

11

Trigger warning: offensive slurs, rape mention

This chapter a bit darker just because I want to showcase Alex's internal struggle and the way everything that he went through in Nevis has impacted him. As much as I enjoy soft wholesome Alex, I need to include a little bit of dark Alex too. Also no words can describe how much I love writing bad boy/social outcast John. 

Enjoy!

Alex's next class was English.

He walked to the classroom and approached the teacher, repeating the same "I'm new to this school I don't know where I sit" song and dance he'd been doing all day.

"You can take a seat in the back behind Thomas." The English teacher, Mr. Stein, said, pointing to a tall boy with curly black hair.

Alex walked to the back of the classroom and took his seat.

The boy behind him, Thomas, was having a conversation with the boy next to him.

"Yo, James, you'll never guess who texted me last night." Thomas said, looking down at his phone screen as he talked.

"Please don't tell me it's who I think it is."

"Yes. It is. She said 'how are you.' With two 'u's."

James looked exasperated, like they'd had this exact conversation many times before.

"At this point you're basically a sin to her."

"That's not true!" Thomas looked offended. Then he stood up and yelled to someone sitting across the room. "Yo, Aaron, am I a sin?"

The boy, Aaron, was sitting in the front of the room three rows away.

"What?" Aaron said, standing up so he could hear Thomas better.

"Am I a sin?"

Aaron thought for a minute, then replied, "Yes, Thomas, you definitely are a sin. Especially to Sally."

"Who are you to be talking about sins? I heard what Theodosia was saying last period."

The teacher cleared his throat from the front of the room, ending the conversation. Alex was glad. If he had to listen to them for one more second he would have clawed his eardrums out.

"You can discuss your sins on your own time." Mr. Stein said, looking as though he'd made this exact announcement many times before. "In the meantime, today we're going to be discussing symbolism in The Awakening. Everyone please take out your books. Alexander, you can take a copy from the cart."

Alex stood up and walked over to the cart, picked up a copy of The Awakening, and sat back down.

Mr. Stein was already writing on the board.

"The first symbol we're going to be discussing is water. Who can tell me, what do you think water symbolizes?"

"Did you hear that our math teacher is going to move our seats?" Thomas said to James, apparently not caring that the teacher was talking.

"It's cuz all we do is talk the whole time." James replied, also not caring that the teacher was talking. "He thinks that by moving us away from each other it'll make us stop talking."

"That's stupid. He's pretty just inviting me to be on my phone more so I can text you." Thomas said.

Alex clenched his fists in frustration. He couldn't focus on what the teacher was saying. All he could hear was Thomas and James' conversation.