Shaken (An Adopted By Lin-Manuel Miranda Story)

f i v e

I walked along the streets of New York feeling much more confident than I had earlier that morning. I was wearing an adorable pair of jewelled jeans with a slightly oversized white tank top, a hoodie with the words 'King's College' set across it. Oh, and I was walking to church with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

That was cool too.

The immediate moment we left the shop, me with my new clothes on, he started to talk to me. "Well, it's a good thing I was going to donate those jeans and the shirt today, eh?" He asked and I nodded. "You really didn't have to do that for me, sir. That was very kind of you," I replied, him laughing. "Please, call me Lin. And you are?" He asked and I swallowed. "Ari. Ariana," I said back and he nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Ari. Since we're still a few blocks away from the church..." he started, looking over at me, smiling. "Let's get to know each other. I'll start. Favourite colour?" He asked and I said quickly "yellow." "You were sure of that one," he chuckled and I laughed. "Yellow has always been a favourite of mine. Adam was never a fan of it, but he still supports me in everything I do although our tastes are different." He nodded, looking back on the sidewalk. "That's awesome, man. Y'know, my abuela was the person I always went to with anyone, almost like your dad." I laughed and he turned slightly red, turning his head to me. "What did I say?" He asked, nervously chuckling. "I'm sorry, Lin. I just..." I started, giggling dryly. "My dad left me to die in the streets seven years ago," I explained, and he looked me in the eye, showing a sympathetic look. "Oh, Ari I'm so sorry," he said and I shook my head. "Thank you, but I'm glad he's gone, in all honesty. He was a bad man," I told him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up..." I stammered. "No, no, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that word. I know that not everyone has a mother and father," he replied and I smiled. "It's ok, Lin, honestly," I assured him and he smiled as well. "So how many blocks until we get there?" He asked and I looked down the street. "Actually.." I started, a smile growing once again. "We're here." Seconds later we arrived at a small building, a little church fit for about five hundred. "Thank you so much, Lin. I appreciate it," I said sincerely, expecting him to leave, sadly. "Actually... I was thinking of going to church this morning. Mind if I sit near you?"

Lin's Point of View

From the outside looking in, it would probably seem like I was creepy, to be honest. But if I can be selfish, I'd say that a few people know who I am from my works. If there was any suspicion - any at all, action would be taken. By the girl's face, though, I could tell she knew who I was. I could tell by the way she talked, in an amused and excited voice, just after she'd spilt the tea all over herself. I could tell that she was a good kid who knew her street smarts, and that if anyone else were to do this for her, she'd kindly decline and get help right away. One point of me, as selfish as it sounds, wanted her to be an orphan. Oh so badly I wanted her to not have a family, in which I could take her in and teach her all about theatre, give her lessons on writing and be like a child to the cast, too. Someone that I could rely on, and that she could rely on too.

But I needed to remember that she knew who I was. Maybe she was just acting that way because I was around.

Either way, I decided to ask her if I could join her for church. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree, and she nodded, smiling. "If you want to, that would be so cool!" I chuckled and nodded. "Of course!" She ran up the stairs and opened the door for the both of us, revealing a large and beautiful lobby. "Hey, Pastor E, I'm sorry I'm late," she told a chilled man in his thirties in a suit and tie. "No sweat. You ready to sing again today?" He asked and she nodded. "Of course, as I always am!" The pastor then swooped to her ear, and whispered something I couldn't hear. She immediately burst into laughter, and her pastor chuckled as well. "Of course not, I wish!" She giggled and waved to him as she walked back over to me. "Want to go in? I have seats saved in the very front, for me and whoever I choose," she informed me proudly and I nodded. "Sure." I was amazed at how casual the church was, everyone wearing nice shirts and jeans. "I'm going to warn you now that I have to leave at the very beginning, I have to do a little singing thing," she said, almost embarrassed. "It's pretty fun, and despite what people ask me, it's not nerve-racking anymore," she shrugged and opened the doors to reveal all the chairs. I held the door for the man behind me and nodded. "That's so cool!" "I know, right?" She giggled and we were suddenly at the front, taking our seats. "I'll be back in around ten minutes, okay?" She asked and I nodded as I watched her get up on the stage, adjusting a microphone and talking to a girl beside her of an older age. I looked around the auditorium for a while, admiring it's beauty and all the diversity that lay through it, when I got tapped on the shoulder. I looked around, and a man with long, dark hair and a woman with the same hair as him stood behind me. "Hi," said the man, with such a low pitched voice it was almost surreal. "My name is Adam Driver, and this is my co-worker, Daisy Ridley." My head immediately clicked, it was the Adam and Daisy that Ari had talked about. "Nice to meet you, my name is Lin-Manuel Miranda." I stuck out my hand and one by one they shook it. "We just wanted to tell you," the woman said in a British accent, "That I have no idea how you two met. I don't know your story, I don't know why Ariana is wearing your clothes..." she trailed, but smiled, calming my nerves in the slightest. "But she admires you. I haven't seen a more sincere smile from her, not in a while," she nodded and Adam took over. "We run the orphanage down a few streets. Ariana is one of the first kids that we took in, and remarkably, we still have her. But we just wanted to tell you that Ariana looks up to you. You've been her writing inspiration for months now, possibly even a year, if I dare say so." "We just wanted to thank you," Daisy said and I grinned widely. "Well, thank you for letting her out on that walk this morning," I said, looking at both of them. "Also, I'm sorry about the clothes. Her other clothes are in the bag on her seat, right next to me. You see, we met when she accidentally ran into me and spilt tea all over herself," I explained and they nodded, looking at each other. "We can take them for you, if you want," Adam said and I nodded, handing them to him. They waved, smiling as they walked away, me doing the same.

"Alright, everyone! Welcome to New York's smallest church!" Ari called from the microphone up on the stage, and people were whooping and laughing. "So the first song, as it usually goes, is a solo. Today, it's my day. So, I'll be singing 'Oceans.' Hope you enjoy."

She picked up a ukulele and started strumming away, adding her voice.

And that's when I knew I had to foster her.