Chapter Text
His hands were shaking for a solid 20 minutes. 15 of them from excitement; the rest, well, from complete utter paranoia. What is my dad gonna think? That thought ran through his mind the whole walk over to his father's office. He had to tell him. He couldn't lie about this one. He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. The rough sound of his father saying "come in," made him shiver, and he pushes the door open.
Sitting behind a desk sat Mr. Henry Laurens, and let's just say he was the man that was currently frowned upon by many people, known for his rude sexist and racist remarks. His son however, John Laurens, didn't agree with him. In fact he despised it, he hated everything that had to do with his father. He would never let that show, however, especially in front of him. He played the "daddy's boy" all his life and is quite good at lying, but his father didn't think of him as the "perfect son". Which brings us to this dreadful conversation (on John's side that is).
"U-um....s-sir..." He says nervously, not knowing how to start.
"Well, what is it? Why have you oh-so-rudely interrupted me while I'm at work?" His father asks, very annoyed.
"I...got a letter, and I've been accepted..."
"Into what college?" He asks before John finished.
"...King's College, in New York." Henry Laurens makes a noise, a noise of disapprovement. John looks up at him, a small feeling of confidence makes him keep going.
"Sir, I know you don't approve of this, but I've always wanted to go to New York, and this college has lots of classes in different varieties and amazing teachers and-"
"Have any other colleges responded to you? Any others that you've been accepted in?" He interrupts, again.
"No..."
"The University of Alabama?"
"No sir, I was declined..."
"Any that involve NOT moving away from South Carolina?"
"No sir..."
Henry sighs. John fidgets, fumbling with his hands to try and keep himself calm. After a short while of silence Henry slams his hand on the desk, making John flinch.
"Alright fine, I will let you go to this school, BUT!" John starts to smile, but it fades after he yells again. "I will pay for your trip there, but you will have to pay for yourself during school, meaning either get a job that you won't be useless in or starve. And I get to sign up classes for you, you will need to have a major in specific classes to become a lawyer,"
Back at it with the lawyer stuff. Yep, Henry wants his "pathetic excuse of a son" to be just like him, while John truthfully wants to be a marine biologist. He loved turtles after all. John nods at these conditions.
"Yes sir, I understand sir," he says a bit too quickly.
"Alright, go pack up now, I want you gone in the morning." He says, and waves his hand at him to usher him out.
"Yes sir! I will!" John runs to the door and rushes out, desperate to get back to his room. He makes it with no problem and sighs happily, ignoring the fact that he was a sweaty mess from being so nervous. That happens a lot, so it's normal for him. He takes his suitcase out and packs all the things he needed for college, while daydreaming about what it might be like to have a roommate, to have time to himself and most of all, freedom from his father. Or so he thought.