The Uncanny Accuracy of Fate

Chapter 2

2

"Hi everyone! I'm Phillipa, but you can call me Pippa, and this is Morgan!" Clearly noticing the fact that I'm at a total loss for what to say next, Morgan steps in.

"Pippa plays Eliza Schuyler-Hamilton and I'm a dance captain and swing in Hamilton at the Richard Rogers theatre. So we've got some time today and we were thinking we'd play some games, answer some questions, and maybe a few of you could perform for us before you come see the show tonight!" As she says that last part heads turn and whispers started flying.

We get the kids into a big circle and start with a name game. Cynthia had thankfully thought to give them nametags, but I know opening with something easy like this will help relax all of us. The girl who I had spotted earlier sports a nametag that read "Camille" but she introduces herself as Cami. Noticing she looks anxious, I smile reassuringly at her before instructing everyone to grab a partner.

The kids quickly split, leaving Cami stranded.

"Well," I turn to her, "I guess that leaves you and me!" She looks at me with wide eyes.

"Woah. I mean-yeah, I guess it does." I laugh and move to put my hand on her back to usher her towards the front, but she flinches as I reach towards her.

My heart sinks. Had she thought I was going to hit her? Had someone hit her before? I quickly scan her for any signs of abuse, but her scarf and sweater hides most of her body from me. Morgan's voice breaks me out of my trance, as she begins to explain the simple mirroring exercise we're going to do. I try to put the thoughts from earlier out of my mind as Cami and I begin moving together, but my brain keeps conjuring up scenarios concocted from the horror stories I'd heard about the foster care system.

I keep an eye on Cami as we play party guest, Yes, and..., and Left with the group, but don't notice any other strange behavior from her. In fact, the girl is razor-sharp, and fast as lightning with her comedy. I try to convince myself that I'd made up the flinch, and that she really had just been about to sneeze or something, and my motion was an untimely coincidence.

After about an hour and a half, we've exhausted our collective knowledge of improv games and answered every question the kids could think of, including one about what it was like to kiss Lin every night from what appeared to be a very smitten girl. I make a mental note to tease him about it later at the theatre.

"Okay! You're all going to see me and Pippa tell a story tonight," Morgan pipes up. "So for the remaining time we have left, I want to open the floor up to you guys. Tell us a story."

"Whether that's through words, song, dance, it's up to you," I add. "Eliza's legacy is the reason we're here today, so that people don't stop telling her story. Now's your chance to have yours heard!" Realizing how preachy I sound, I quickly add, "but no pressure!!"

After about a minute of uncomfortable silence, a girl named Ashleigh stands up and does what she tells us is a piece of spoken word, but may have just been an excuse for her to say as many curse words as possible while passing it off as artistic vision.

A couple people perform after Ashleigh, but I barely notice them as I look at Cami. Every time a new volunteer is asked for, she rises almost unnoticeably out of her seat, but never makes it all the way out. After the next performance, a piece of contemporary dance, I decide to give her the boost she clearly needs.

"I think we have time for one more," I muse. "Cami? Do you have something you'd like to show us?" She looks at me shell-shocked for a moment, then gathers herself and nods. She gets up and slowly walks to the front of the room.

"So I don't have anything I wrote myself," she begins cautiously, "but this song means a lot to me and I.." she trails off. "I think it's telling an important story, even if it isn't entirely mine."

She glances at me one more time, then takes a deep breath and begins to sing what I instantly recognize as "Stranger to the Rain" from Children of Eden.

By halfway through, I have tears in my eyes. She has a sweet voice, but that isn't what moves me. As she sings

"Orphan in the storm, that's a role I've played before

I've learned not to tremble when I hear the thunder roar

I don't curse what I can't change, I just play the hand I'm dealt

When they lighten up the rations, I tighten up my belt

I won't say I've never felt the pain, but I am not a stranger to the rain"

I'm struck for what feels like the first time by the brilliance of Schwartz's lyrics. Cami's place in the system is her mark of Cain. Even as I applaud her performance, I can't help but feel sad that she is so young but clearly has already walked through more than her fair share of "the rain". Her acting is so raw, so real, that it clearly came from somewhere more than her imagination.

After Cynthia has the kids thank us and they begin to disperse, I approach Cami again.

"That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us." She looks startled as I approach her, but smiles and graciously accepts my praise.

"I can't wait to see the show tonight," she tells me. "I've never seen a show on Broadway before."

"I only hope I can top the performance you just gave me," I say honestly, as she blushes and looks down. "Cami? Can I give you a hug?" I ask. I see something flash through her eyes. Is it panic? Relief? It's gone too quickly for me to tell, but she nods and walks into my outstretched arms. I feel her relax into me as I hold her close for a couple of seconds before we both let go.

"I think I have to go now," she glances over her shoulder at the departing group. "Thank you again!"

"Thank you!" I reply as she turns and leaves. "I'll see you tonight!"

I watch Cami leave with a weird feeling in my stomach. Why did I already feel so protective of this girl? And what the heck was going on in her mind? I make up my mind to get more out of her tonight after the show.

"I'd say that went well!" Morgan's stacking chairs, and I quickly run over to help her.

"Yeah, definitely!" I agree. "We should really be doing more stuff like this with the Eliza Project." Morgan and I finish cleaning up and go our separate ways, but my mind remains with the girl who'd captured my heart just an hour before.

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here is part 2! Again, tell me what you think: the good, the bad, and the ugly.