Alexander made a second FWN account: imma_lean_forward

Completely mortified by what Laf had sent, (2000% not what he'd meant to do,) he abandoned the hotdamnilton username completely (as beautiful as it was) and made a new account, to send literally any message but that to TurtleLaurens. He and Laf had discussed the name for quite some time - it was between that, and just_you_wait.

Alex had gone for just_you_wait initially, while imma_lean_forward was Laf's idea - and in the end, he'd gone with the latter, since Laf had pointed out that sitting forward, or stepping forward, or leaning forward, and speaking out was kind of his thing. He didn't shut up, and he made sure he was heard. Including when it wasn't really his place. (See: especially when it wasn't really his place.)

So, there it was: new username, new icon, (a bald eagle looking into the camera like it's on the office,) new identity.

He sent TurtleLaurens a ton of votes, and then commented on the last chapter: I love this so much. Please, keep on writing! This is actually so fantastic, I don't even have words :D

Laf had looked over his shoulder. "And you didn't do that yesterday because...?"

"Psh, shut up."

That evening, he'd got a reply:

TurtleLaurens
Ahh, thankyou! That means a lot! :)

And he's sent, in return:

imma_lean_forward
You're welcome! You deserve all the attention you get, and more! (also the reference back to Fisher's doggo tweet a couple of chapters back did not go unappreciated :D)

TurtleLaurens
omg I hadn't thought anyone else had picked that up
I added it and then realised what I'd done after I'd published it, it was so obscure XD

imma_lean_forward
Wow, I'm surprised I picked it up then - I literally discovered this fandom a week ago and I'm so far in it's easier to just swim down at this point lol

TurtleLaurens
SO. TRUE. Welcome to the fandom. There is no escape :)

imma_lean_forward
Wait does this make Windon a metaphore for the entire BC fandom?? XD

TurtleLaurens
Lol yes, I wish I'd thought of that. I should stop thinking about that, it'll get out of control XD
That's genius tho! You should write fanfiction, friend :3

imma_lean_forward
Noooooooo
I mean I'm super into writing essays but
NoooOoooOOO XD

TurtleLaurens
Keep talking then, I want to steal your ideas XD

imma_lean_forward
*draws half-formed and neglected ideas closer to self despite the fact that I will never actually act on because I'm always pooping around on twitter* mine

TurtleLaurens
XD
Idk I don't have twitter
I'm more of an instagram person

imma_lean_forward
Ahh. You're one of *them* XD

TurtleLaurens
#tumblrgrammerandproud

imma_lean_forward
Is that a thing?

TurtleLurens
Is now :3

imma_lean_forward
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ if you say so
Tumblr is great tho

TurtleLaurens
Tumblr is life XD

imma_lean_forward
Also important question, trying to prove a point to a friend. What's your opinion on the history of Japan meme?

TurtleLaurens
It's pretty dead, but it will never be as dead as (de)motivational posters.

imma_lean_forward
omg TRUE
I don't miss those tbh

TurtleLaurens
Mm, I feel like ordinary tumblr posts filled in a lot of the gap but did a better job at providing humour

TurtleLaurens
Omg I just googled 'why did motivational posters die' and legitimate posters about intended to motivate you are coming up including some that are founding father themed??? On like, the first page of results???

imma_lean_forward
lmao that's beautiful
well done America
Our appreciation of the founding fathers and the legacies they tried to leave behind is sooooo thorough
*slow claps*

TurtleLaurens
I sense salt. You are salty.

imma_lean_forward
Okay this is completely unsolicited but permission to go on a long and unnecessary tangent?

TurtleLaurens
*will probably regret this lol* granted

imma_lean_forward
THE FOUNDING FATHERS (OR MOST OF THEM AGRICULTURE GUY NEEDED TO STEP UP HIS GAME) CREATED A GODDAMN BRILLIANT SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH WOULD WORK SO MUCH BETTER IF WE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK AND PUT SOME EFFORT INTO CHANGING HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS
LIKE
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
IT WAS NOT MEANT TO WORK LIKE THIS

TurtleLaurens
*is legitimately curious* ?

imma_lean_forward
Okay so

imma_lean_forward
The people on the electoral college aren't meant to just go with the popular vote. They're meant to be intelligent people qualified to make an informed decision to check the potential ignorance of the general population so that we have someone who's, you know, *good* as president
Good meaning not a tyrant but still
$10 bill guy wrote a federalist paper about it
Can't remember the number
And there are a TON of other things like that and they bug me so much

TurtleLaurens
Okay I would call you a massive nerd but I also find this stuff kinda neat
But also they owned slaves
Which wasn't cool

imma_lean_forward
Yeah true
I mean it was the social norm at the time
And slaves didn't really qualify as people in most people's minds
Like what if people suddenly suggested that potatoes were sentient and deserved civil rights, like that would blow our minds just a little bit

TurtleLaurens
Idk somehow I feel like I'd get used to that idea pretty quick

imma_lean_forward
I've known you for literally an hour but we're 100% at the stage where that doesn't even surprise me XD

TurtleLaurens
#givepotatoescivilrights2k16

imma_lean_forward
lol yes you should run a presidential campaign
I'd vote for you

TurtleLaurens
XD regardless of whether potatoes need civil rights or not I feel like I'd do a better job than our cheeto-dusted friend

imma_lean_forward
As if that'll happen tho
Like Trump CAN'T be president
This country can't collectively be that stupid

TurtleLaurens
Hopefully
Presidential debate only 19 days away

imma_lean_forward
Ahhhh good I'm not the only one counting down XD
*is also a huge debating nerd. Like, the debate captain*

TurtleLaurens
I'm kinda interested in politics but the debating scene here is super toxic, I'll leave it to you *shrugs*

imma_lean_forward
Fair enough, ours is also pretty toxic, but in a good way XD

***

Thursday afternoon. This was something Hamilton had been waiting for for two years. Debate club without Thomas Jefferson.

Alex was still up at his locker, sitting with his back pressed against the cool metal, texting Daniella. Daniella had been an interesting character, not unlike Hamilton himself. Loud, good with people, an incredible multi-tasker, and capable of throwing all the shade when she wanted to. She was about Hamilton's height, too, with her dark hair braided into cornrows, then pulled into a bun. They'd stayed in touch, even after she's graduated, and making sure that happened was among the best decisions Hamilton had ever made. He's grin wildly whenever a text from her appeared on his lock screen, and they'd text about the most insignificant things, including West Wing memes. (See: especially West Wing memes.)

Dankiella

We have debate now omg>

<HAM FAM HI ITS BEEN TOO LONG
<OMGGGGG
<WISH I WAS THERE 😝

Jefferson's in France this week>
IM FREEEEE XD>

<XD Enjoy it!
<How's Mr Paine?
<And Aaron
<Please tell me you haven't killed Aaron

Not yet 🙄😆>
Give it some time>
Haven't seen Mr Paine yet>

<Late again lolllllll

I may or may not still be at my locker tho so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ >
Is there seriously nothing you're meant to be doing rn?>

<Nah
<Watching The Newsroom
<Alone
<In my room ^^

Lol you introvert>

<yup

anyways imma go>
Don't want to be late>

<See ya, good luck x

He picked up his stuff, and made his way down to B106. After Daniella left, Hamilton had expected to be the sole captain this year, but nooo, Jefferson had to ruin his plans when his faction of the debate club had recruited a handful of new people late last semester, who had evened out the vote. And that was...okay. He could handle Jefferson. (At least, that's what he tried to convince himself as he dumped his bag outside the door, trying to savour this debate practice as if it was his last.)

He was surprised to see the room empty, save only one person, Jo Jay, his vice. He didn't know her very well, but her face was familiar. Thick, dark brown hair with an undercut, almond eyes and a face dotted with freckles. Short stature - shorter than Alexander. She looked up from her phone as he entered. "Hey."

He grinned. "Hey. Can you catch?"

"Er, probably?"

He reached into his shoulder bag and produced a mug, tossing it to her. It fell easily into her hands. Alex pulled out a chair, sitting on the table behind it. "Tradition. And, er, sorry in advance about me and Jefferson."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Just so you know, I'm not siding with either of you. And everyone else calls him Thomas."

He shrugged. "Sorry anyway."

Other debaters slowly began to filter into the room. There were three debate practices a week - one Monday, one Thursday, one Friday. On Monday, the Grade 11s and 12s would meet, and on Friday, it was the 9s and 10s, plus the captains. Thursday was the only time everyone got together. All of that was on top of individual team meetings, organised by each group of four, which typically took up one lunchtime. Mr Paine, the debate supervisor, was pretty relaxed, and let the captains organise most things, so long as he had numbers and names of students participating in each competition before it was too late to register. He also helped both juniors and seniors out with their speechwriting, and adjudicated any mock debates the captains put on.

As the clock ticked over to 3:40, the last few people were putting down their bags outside - by now, Angelica Schuyler was giving Aaron Burr a probably-well-deserved lecture in which he couldn't get a word in edgewise, James Madison was watching passively, as Calhoun and Jackson had a heated argument over some other thing, and Monroe sat on the shelving along the back wall, Muhlenberg beside him, peering over Monroe's shoulder at his laptop.

Everything was normal. Alexander suddenly regretted not making coffee during English to smuggle in here now.

Jo slid up beside Hamilton. "Did you see Mr Paine's email then?"

He blinked. "No, I hadn't checked since yesterday."

She shrugged, and pulled her phone out of her pocket, opening up Safari, and passing the phone to Alexander. "He made a draft for all of the teams besides the freshmen. Are we announcing those?"

"Yeah, we should. I printed out some sheets to give to the freshmen with who they want to be with and stuff, and I had a list of seniors who were willing to coach them. Would you be able to sort all of that out?"

"Sure," she said, glancing at the clock. "Should we start? Where's Mr Paine?"

"I ran into him on the way down here - he's at a staff meeting until four, so we're on our own," he said quickly, before jumping up onto the table and waving his arms around a bit. "Hey guys! Over here, quiet down!"

The room was reduced quickly to a quiet murmur, then silence, as everyone looked at Alexander with varying degrees of impressedness. He was unfazed. "Hey guys, happy new year, hope you all had a good summer, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Mr Paine is late, and Thomas is in France (thank god) so you'll be dealing with Jo - yep, that's the one - and me. I'm Alexander, call me whatever the hell you want, including but not limited to a potato, and I'm the debating captain - I'm literally a pro at this so don't be afraid to bring any questions to me. Everyone good so far?"

Stunned silence.

"Awesome! Okay, freshmen, or anyone else who didn't respond to Mr Paine's email at the end of last semester, you don't have a team, so go and see Jo. She'll-"

Jo coughed. "They. Gender neutral."

"Oh, my bad. They'll sort you guys out, she's - they're - crap - sorry - they're good with that sort of thing. Hopefully. People who did debating last semester or signed up before the semester's end, come with me next door and I'll tell you your teams, and then we can set up some mock debates to get us started. Angelica and Aaron, I'm leaving you in charge of that second part. All good?"

Stunned nodding.

"Great. Let's go, guys!"

He was vaguely aware that he was grinning like an idiot. Especially in Thomas's absence, he'd forgotten how much he loved this.