SHOUT - Adopted by Lin Manuel Miranda

PARTY ANIMAL

The first day of April begins with some moron pulling the fire alarm during homeroom. We go out to the parking lot, stand for ten minutes on the puddly concrete, then trudge back inside again. It begins to drizzle during second period, then escalates into a rainstorm by lunch. The forecast predicated cloudy skies, so when school lets out I wrap my spring jacket around my head like a scarf and sprint the three blocks to the subway station. Mother Nature has some serious beef with New Yorkers.

By the time I get off at my stop, the rain has been replaced by a relaxed drizzle with a few pelts of hail here and there. I unwrap my jacket from around my head and pull it over my shoulders. Wilmington is precious as ever. Ms. Rishanki handed back my Shakespeare exam. Through the scotch tape holding the two pieces together, I could hardly make out the C- on the cover. But I passed. That counts for something, right? Gracie and every other Wilmington Drone I know continues to ignore me. Sometimes I get bumped in the hallways, or get the books ripped from my arms and thrown to the floor. I try not to dwell on it. There are no Wilmingtons in Pakistan.

When I push the key through the lock and open the door, the apartment is dark. The blinds are closed and all the lights are off, even the kitchen lamp that turns on automatically at 3:00 each day. I shut the door behind me and chuck my backpack against the wall. "Lin? Vanessa?"

The lights flick on and a chorus explodes from the kitchen. "SURPRISE!!!!"

I spin around and ball my fists. I must've looked real spooked, because Lin, Vanessa, Sebastian, Luz, Luis, Lin's sister, her family, and a few people from The Cast all burst into laughter at my response. A surprise party. What a Miranda thing to do.

Sebastian dashes out from behind the kitchen counter and wraps his arms around my legs. "Happy Birthday, Viddie!"

I try to smile, but my lips feel like they've been torn off. Everyone follows Sebastian and takes turns hugging me, kissing my cheek, wishing me a happy birthday. I was so overwhelmed by this birthday onslaught, I didn't notice the pile of gifts on the coffee table, or happy birthday sign hung from the wall, or the spread of snacks on the kitchen counter. I stutter my thank yous and nice too see you toos with Sebastian clinging to my leg like a sloth. The rain has let up. I watch the clouds part out the window over people's shoulders when they hug me.

Lin and Vanessa lead everyone to the kitchen for cocktails. I count twenty-something people: Lin's parents, sister, brother in law and nephews, then Pippa, Jasmine, Renee, Anthony, Oak, Leslie, Daveed, Jonathan, Chris and Thayne. Lin's family titters in Spanish. The Cast empties the liquor cabinet faster than you could say Schuyler. Lin and Vanessa shuffle through the fridge and prepare the dinner. I lean against the wall and play with my sleeves for awhile before the kids crowd around me and ask me to draw them a picture. Oh, please. They must have caught wind of Sebastian's free mehndi I drew for him during the blizzard. I push through the crowd and fetch my mehndi cone from the guest room, then sit at the counter to demonstrate for the kids. They crowd around me and watch me draw the paste, the daisies and petals and stripes and swirls. Pippa catches my eye and leans against the counter to watch.

"That's amazing," she says when she sees the flowers on my palm.

I try to smile. "Thanks."

"No, seriously." She walks over to my side of the counter and examines the mehndi on my hand. "You should start a business. You could make a lot of money."

"I don't got the time."

Sebastian gallops off to do magic tricks for his cousins. Daveed and Anthony lean over the counter and gasp at the design snaking up my arm. Jonathan joins the group to see what everyone is looking at, then grins when he sees the paste.