Shaken (An Adopted By Lin-Manuel Miranda Story)

e l e v e n

My world seemed to blur around me as my eyes brimmed with tears.

The halls collapsed and my feet wobbled as I ran to the restroom as fast as I could.

I locked myself in a stall and rubbed my temples, staring at my old phone, rereading the message that had just been sent to me.

'I give up on you. You're just... just a weirdo. You aren't like the rest of us. Now, you'll pay with our friendship. Sorry, Ariana. I'm never talking to you again. Have fun!
Kisses,
Mikayla.

I hyperventilated as I read it again. A text from my only friend. A friend that treated me like crap, never went to school, and was a terrible person in general, sure, but still my only friend. I balled my hands into fists as I cried, thinking it might numb the pain. I grabbed tissues and frantically dabbed my eyes, knowing there was only one thing to do.

Call Lin.

I dialled his number, the number I memorized in case of emergencies, and held the small device up to my ear. Each ring was long and slow, filling me with more agonizing dread for the conversations to come, and the fact that I had no one my age to talk to anymore.

He picked up the phone with a happy tone. "Mi tortilla! How's your day been?"

My knees slammed to the ground as I sobbed, the voice triggering more tears. "Ariana, are you ok?" He asked and I gasped for air. "Please pick me up," I managed to breath out before choking on another sob. "I was just about to leave, honey. Come to the back doors."

I dabbed my eyes again and let out another sob, standing up to go to the mirror. I decided to try to hold it in... everything... until I got to Lin. My eyes squinted as I tried to calm myself, doing little. I tried to breathe deeply, tried to think of happy times but it wasn't working. I decided the best thing to do would be to cover my face in a hoodie and look down, try not to make a sound.

I tightened the strings of my (or should I say, Lin's) hoodie as I let out one more loud cry. I sniffled and took a deep breath in, my lip quivering as I did so. I shoved my hands and my phone into my pocket, closing my mouth and breathing quickly as I speed-walked down the hall as fast as I could, itching to get to the back of Royal Alexandra High. I sighed a breath of relief as I reached the cold metal, pushing on it as I saw Lin.

His long hair was tied up in a neat bun, his clothes formal, trying to make a good impression on those who ran my school. His eyebrows were crinkled in concern as he looked into my eyes. I stared into his for a second, before I let out another burst of tears, running up to him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, me being tall enough to do so. He rubbed my back and whispered into my ear, "Mi tortilla, everything will be alright."

"Let's go to the car," he mumbled and I nodded slightly, him holding me up as we walked to the car... whoever's car he was referring to, that was.

Parked out in front of the school was a small vehicle. He opened the door of the backseat for me and I slid in, him sliding in beside me. Instead of making a reaction to another one of my favourite people in the universe behind the wheel, Phillipa Soo, I continued to cry. In all honesty, I didn't know who was driving. My head was too deep into the ground to care. I curled up into a ball careful not to let my dirty feet touch the leather seat, Lin took me into his arms again and I cried into his shoulder as he signalled Phillipa to start to drive. "Mi tortilla, can you tell me what happened?" He asked and I nodded into his shoulder, sitting up straight as I dabbed my eye. I pulled out my phone and simply unlocked it, handing it to him. I leaned my head against the window and he head as I slipped on my seatbelt. He looked at me with sincerity in my eyes as I covered my face and nodded. "Was she close with you?" He asked and more tears spilt from my eyes. "She was the only friend I had," I croaked, my voice hoarse. "She drove all my other friends away."

He looked through the mirror at Phillipa, who looked back at him and then to me. I, being to upset, still hadn't noticed the presence of Phillipa. "Honey, if it doesn't work out, it was never meant to," he told me, assuringly. "I guess today was just the day that she decided that it was done. Trust me, I know how much of an impact people can be on you. But you just have to trust that everything will get better. Adam, Daisy, and I are always here for you, day or night. And even when you move in with me, I'm sure Adam and Daisy are always up for a midnight call from their favourite kid," he told me, looking me in the eye as I sniffled and turned to look out the window. "It's just hard, you know?" I looked back at him. "She hurt me so much before, but every time she made me come crawling back by making my other friends turn their backs on me. I don't know how she did it, but she did..." I trailed and took another deep breath, starting to calm down. "I've fallen for her tricks for merely a year, but she made me feel special, like I was loved and wanted for those months. And the fact that she meant so much to me even though she hurt me so many times... and she just treated me like I was nothing... it's' painful," I swallowed, my tears slowing down to a drizzle. "She sounds like a mythic bitch," he mumbled and I laughed. "She is, she is." He put his hand on my shoulder and I looked at him.

I studied his hair, the way it perfectly formed into the small ball at the top of his head. The way his eyes were the same colour as his locks, the way that he calmed me down.

"On the bright side, you didn't pass out and your head didn't fall into a toilet," he joked and I laughed. "True. Thank you, Lin. I'm sorry. I know we just met, but you're the only person I-" I started, and he cut me off. "No need, Ari. I'm always here to help you, no matter what." He smiled at me and I reciprocated. "Now Ari, I'd like you to meet the lovely woman driving."