Taking My Shot- Adopted by Hamilton

Chapter 3-What Time is it? Show Time!

"I have never seen something more beautiful," I say as I sit in my seat in the Richard Rodgers theater. I never dreamt I'd be in this theater, let alone see a show here, let alone that show be Hamilton. I look up at the stage, it's just like it is in pictures and all I want to do is run onto it and sing my heart out. Luckily I'll be doing that soon. While I'm looking around the theater, astonished by it's grace and beauty, Lin walks on stage. I'm sitting in the second row and he's so close I could touch him, not in a creepy way, just like stroke his hair a little, okay Riley that's still creepy. Anyway, so he comes out and waves at us and my whole class erupts in applause and screaming, me included. As he gets closer to the front of the stage I yell out, "Hi Lin!" He looks down at me and smiles but then his smile drops and he looks concerned, I furrow my eyebrows and give him a look of confusion. He gives me a reassuring smile and looks back at the crowd of crazy teenagers. Why was he looking at me like that, did I say something? Was there something on my face? I take out my phone and use the camera as a mirror and notice that my jaw is swollen and my cheek is bruised where Mr Brown slapped me, I mentally groan. I really hope Lin doesn't ask about it. I put my phone down and Lin begins to talk.

"Hello hello hello!" Lin says and the crowd laughs, "Guys I'm super excited to see what you all have prepared for cast and I. Speaking of the cast let's bring them out!" All at once the cast of Hamilton runs on stage and I about have a heart attack, I mean I love them all and they're all so talented and amazing, and they're right in front of me. Lin passes the mic around and they each introduce themselves.

"Hi, I'm Lesile Odem Jr, and I play Aaron Burr."

"Sup guys, I'm Anthony Ramos, and I play John Laurens and Philip!"

"I'm Chris Jackson, and I play George Washington."

"Hello everyone! I'm Phillipa Soo, and I play Eliza!"

"Hey guys I'm Daveed Diggs, and I play Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson!"

"Hi I'm Renee Elise Goldsberry, and I play Angelica!"

"Hello peoples I'm Johnathan Groff, or Groffsauce as the internet likes to say, and I play King George the third!"

"I'm Jasmine Jones, and I play Maria Reynolds AND PEGGY!" She says, and the half the class that's actually listened to Hamilton laughs.

"Hey so I'm Oak, and I play Hercules Mulligan and James Madison!"

"And I am Lin-Manuel Miranda, and I play Alexander Hamilton," Lin says, winking at the crowd causing everyone to laugh since they already know him. I mean I knew everyone up there but there are some kids in my class that are uneducated so its good they did introductions. "Alright so basically what's gonna happen is we're gonna watch your scenes that you've prepared and then we'll have a Q&A, then you'll have a lunch break and then we will have your class representative give the "What Hamilton means to me" speech. After that you guys will get a quick dinner break while we get ready and then you'll watch the show! Sound good?" Lin was met with lots of screams and said "Alight well if you need to change for your scene do so now, we will start in five." I get up and rush to the bathroom with my bag and change, getting back in time so watch the cast take their seats in the front row. And because I'm the crazy fan, I go and sit in the second row behind Lin and Johnathan. They both turn around and smile at me and I smile back not knowing what to say as I pull my hair into a ponytail to match Lin's. Lin once again gives me a concerned look, crap he's gonna say something. But what he actually says surprises me.

"That's quite an outfit, who are you playing?" Lin asks, I think he can tell I don't want to talk about why I have a bruise on my cheek and a swollen jaw and I'm thankful for that.

"Oh just you wait," I say, Lin and Johnathan laugh then turn back around. Yes I did just made a Hamilton reference about playing Hamilton to the guy who created and plays Hamilton, well I can check that off the bucket list. I notice that Johnathan and Lin start whispering as soon as they turn around, lucky for me, I have pretty good hearing and can snoop all I want. Actually I had to bend forward to put something in my backpack and overheard their conversation but same thing right?

"Hey was it just me or did you see the bruise on her cheek too?" Johnathan asks, crap.

"Yeah I saw it earlier when I was on stage when she said hi to me," Lin said, I'm screwed.

"Should we say something?" Johnathan asks, oh heavens Lin if you say yes god help me I will-

"No." Lin replies cutting off my thought that was about to get real nasty, "Not now maybe later when there's not so many people around." Of course, for fucks sake Lin.

I sit back up and my friends come sit by me, and before we know it my teacher is telling the first number to head backstage. I get up and my friends wish me luck, I head over to my teacher who is standing by the door leading to backstage. Once we get back there we all make sure we're ready and then the music starts. I stand backstage while everyone is rapping the verses leading up to my entrance, it feels very lonely backstage, since I'm not really friends with any of the people in this group and we all just kinda stand alone and wait. I hear my cue to go onstage and I run on and sing "Alexander Hamilton," and the crowd erupts with cheers but I don't break character, "My name is Alexander Hamilton, and there's a million things I haven't done but just you wait, just you wait." The song keeps going and I move around the stage along to the music and up the stairs on the last "Just you wait!" I come down the stairs and head off stage waiting for the ending. I hear my cue and run on stage and to say "Alexander Hamilton!" Along with my other group members. We hold our ending pose and the audience claps and I hear the whole cast cheering, we all bow and head off stage, and I stay waiting for my group since I'm on again.

Once my friends get backstage the whole atmosphere changes and we get super hyped. We get in a huddle and whisper shout, "What time is it? Show Time!" Then we hear the music and Conner and I head out on stage to start "Aaron Burr, Sir". We make it all the way to "The Story of Tonight", and the audience goes wild, especially the front row. After that performance I head back to my seat since I'm not in the next one which is, "The Schyler Sisters". When we get back to our seats Lin turns around smiling at me.

"Good thing I was willing to wait for it, that was amazing," he says, and turns back around. I just got complimented by Lin Manuel Miranda and he made a Hamilton reference, another thing off the bucket list.

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Chapter Three! Hopefully it wasn't too short, and I enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoyed reading it :) Thanks for reading!