Chapter Text
It was an early spring day, the lawns of the White House glistened with the morning dew on the grass. The air was moist, the sun barely breaking through the foggy air, and a certain light in the Residency had been on for hours.
Alex had been up since the crack of dawn.
Today was the day. Today would determine the rest of his life. Today he found out if he’d gotten accepted into law school.
There was no use in trying and failing to fall asleep. He had too much energy. Making an executive decision, he pulled out his running shoes. He tied his laces, pulled on a fresh shirt and was out the door.
No phone, no headphones. He already had too much going on in his head. He needed to disconnect.
As if knowing what Alex would do on the day he was to receive his college admission news, Cash was waiting at the East Wing exit ready to go. No words passed between the pair, Alex nodded at him and the two were off. Cash running a few paces behind Alex as usual.
Dry pavement. Crisp air. Birds chirping. Any other morning Alex would deem it the perfect conditions, but today all he could focus on was what lay ahead. What if he didn’t get in? He’d be a complete embarrassment. His mom would be so disappointed, his dad too. What was he going to do?
Right turn. Hard footpath. Heavy breathing. If he didn’t get into an Ivy League, the press would have a field day. They’d think he would never be suited for politics. How can he run a country and not get into a top university? All the best presidents went to Ivy League’s! His mom went to Harvard for god sake, he needed to meet the standard she’d set.
Deep breaths. Dripping sweat. Faster pace. But the big question that weighed on Alex’s mind was, what if he got into one of his UK choices? He hadn’t told Henry, how could he? See him get all excited, only for Alex not to get in. He didn’t want to get his hopes up…but it was possible. In the autumn, he could be moving across the pond to be in the same country as the love of his life.
Alex slowed down his pace, checking his watch. He’d been running for over an hour. Behind him he saw Cash coming to a halt, eyeing him cautiously. It wasn’t common for Alex to run this distance in this amount of time ever. He knew something was up.
Alex tried to school his features. The last thing he needed was the Secret Service thinking he was on the precipice of a mental breakdown.
He really should call Henry.
He knew what today was. He’d been listening to Alex freak out about it for weeks. But something held him back, he wanted to do this himself. Prevail or fail, it was his decision to bear wasn’t it? He had to live if he gets in or not. He has to decide if the US or England is the best fit for him. It was on him.
But this was Henry. Henry was his light, his calm. He wanted him to be a part of it.
With more conviction, Alex jogged back to the White House, easing his pace. He had an email to check and a phone call to make.
– - -
Alex got back to the White House dripping in sweat.
It was more appropriate business hours when he returned, so as he brazened through the halls, the normal bustle of the place was upon him. Many staff acknowledged him with nods and smiles. A few even wished him luck for today.
Gosh why did everyone know? That was even more pressure.
He took the stairs of the Residency two at a time before he was safely holed up in his bedroom. Alex went straight for the shower, completely bypassing his phone, not having the mental capacity to deal with that right now.
He was the First Son of the United States of America, he wanted to live up to that title. No, he needed to live up to that title. No ifs, ands or buts. He needed to cement his family’s legacy and law school was the first step.
Alex didn’t know how long he was under the water, but by the time he came out, the air was steamy and the mirror foggy. He really needed to stop procrastinating.
Reluctantly he came back into his room and collected his phone off the night stand. There was an email from Nora, a sweet good morning text from Henry, but what grabbed his attention was the missed call with the area code 617.
Someone from Boston had tried to call him.
As his eyes bulged, his fingers moved swiftly to listen to the voice mail.
“Good morning Mr Claremont-Diaz, I hope you are well. I’m Dean Baraby, from Harvard Law School, and wished to speak to you regarding your admission directly. Please call me back.”
Alex forgot how to breathe. Harvard fucking law school?!
Obama, Kennedy, Claremont. The list goes on! Harvard was the school for American Presidents.
Alex tried to calm himself before he dialed the Dean’s number. After the third ring, a thick Boston accent came across the line, “Hello, Dean Baraby speaking.”
“Mr Baraby,” Alex started, “It’s Alex Claremont-Diaz. I apologise for missing your call this morning.”
“Oh Mr Claremont-Diaz, no problem at all. “ He chirped. “Are you well?”
“Yes, very well, sir.”
“Excellent. I have some good news for you. It is my great honour to inform you that you have been accepted into Harvard Law School’s Class of 2027.”
Alex was stunned. He got in. He got in!
“Wow!” Alex exclaimed, too overwhelmed to say much else. “Thank you so much.”
“Well of course. It will be an absolute pleasure hosting you here in the fall.”
Alex gulped. Was the Dean expecting an answer this instant? He wasn’t ready to commit to that. As much as Harvard was his dream school, he still had other offers he wished to consider.
Alex had to shut this down quick before he overcommitted himself.
“I appreciate it Mr Baraby.” He said, putting on his politics voice. “I will review Harvard’s written acceptance offer and revert back as soon as I can with my response.”
“Oh don’t worry Alex, we can skip all that fan fair. We are happy to take a verbal acceptance.”
Alex knew where this was going. Harvard wanted to lock down the President’s Son. He would be a major PR get.
Alex laughed his fakest laugh, “I appreciate the enthusiasm Mr Baraby, but I’m afraid I will need to discuss with the White House Advisors before I make any commitment. The safety of myself and all students must be addressed first, and from there we can discuss the details.”
The Dean seemed taken aback, “Well of course. Makes sense. I appreciate your regard for all our students Mr Claremont-Diaz. We are eager to hear your response.”
“Yes I will be in touch in the coming days. Thank you Mr Baraby.” And he hung up.
Alex took a sigh of relief. The first hurdle was over, he’d gotten in to law school. Not just a law school, but the law school.
He couldn’t wait to tell his mom, his dad, but most importantly Henry!