History Has Its Eyes On You ~ A Hamilton Fanfiction (Book 1, Act 1)

I Live Only To Read Your Letters

°~One Year Later, 1777~°

(Y/N POV)

"Sophie! Up!" Mrs Taylor ordered.
"Uhhhhhhhhhh I'm up..." I grunted.
"Hmph. Charles, you too!"

Murmurs echoed around the room, bouncing from wall to wall.
"Noooooooooo..."
"Whyyyyyyyy..."
"Let me sleeeeeeeep..."
"Are we dead yeeeeeeeeet?"

As the war progressed, more and more orphans had flooded into the school. It was no longer just the three of us. Instead, around ten children sought shelter here. Along with adding the extra few that stayed at home but came for basic education, it was a lot for Mrs Taylor and her fellow tutors to handle.

If it weren't for the school being so secretive and well-hidden, many more would be joining. Unfortunately for them, they were either sent to the camps with the soldiers at war or discarded to the streets. Some say that travelling with the camps is the best possible conclusion, not just because of the increase of food, but the fact that you get to be part of a community and help them by doing simple tasks. For example, cooking, washing, nursing.

But of course, I could never stop thinking about Alexander. A year had passed since I'd be transported here, and yet I could never shift the fact that my existence might change history. For the better or worse, I really couldn't predict it. Alas, Alexander came to visit a couple of times, only to be dragged back into the battlefield. And of those couple of times that I had seen him, he'd looked completely exhausted from the pressure.

Though, being here meant that I participated in various friendships, mainly those being with Charles and Valentino. Once you really got to know him, Charles wasn't that angsty teen curled up in the corner. He'd proven to be quite studious yet flattering, always trying to impress. As for Valentino? Well, first impressions really did say a lot for her. She is the most outgoing 8-year-old I have ever seen, considering how much she is mocked by the others. Not one faulty thing about her... except the fact that she teases her brother way too much.

I rested my cold feet on to the floorboards, shoving my slippers on. I squinted in Charles' direction, mustering a weak smile. Even before I could predict his reaction, Valentino pounced on to my back, causing me to faceplant the floor. "Morning!!" she exclaimed.
"Valentino, noooooooo, it's too early for this. What if Mrs Taylor catches you?" I sighed.
"So what?! It's your big day!!" She laughed joyously, chucking me a dress. "¡Venga!"

Of course. On this exact day one year ago, I'd entered this timeline. As promised to Alexander, I never did tell anybody: I only revealed that it was a 'special occasion'. And for this special occasion, Alexander was planning on visiting for a week.

I read the letter that he had sent me 2 months prior:

My Dearest, Y/N,

To bray out a year of our union together, I am planning on returning to New York for a week or so. I look forward to seeing how much you have progressed in your studies of the French language; I hear that you are abnormally fluent. The top of your class, in fact. Quite the response that I love to hear, to my delight. That being said, I must take my leave for now.

Adieu, my dear.

A. Hamilton.

"With a comma after dearest..." I sang to myself quietly, feeling the nostalgia of my old life kicking in. I hid behind the dressing screen to change, eventually coming out to find Charles reading a book.

His scar dazzled in the sunlight. Once I'd gained his trust, Charles told me the story of how he'd received the scar. In an attempt to move with the colonies, Charles, Valentino and their parents boarded a ship to America. On the way, their parents died of 'purpura nautica', or in my words, 'scurvy'. The two had nowhere to turn to on the streets, and Charles concluded that the only way he could provide for his sister was to start work.

Charles was hired as a chimney sweep, working 16 hours a day. Though it was small pay, it was enough to survive being sent to the workhouse. One day, however, whilst he was tending to a chimney, a fire was lit, latching to his neck and burning it permanently. A scar formed to his skin, and he was stuck with it for life.

He'd found the school from a friend of Valentino's, who was taken in there. Seeing Charles' terrible conditions, he was sent to a doctor and diagnosed with cancer. He was expected to live only for a few more months, making him fearful of himself and hiding it through his quietness. Yet, here he is now, alive and well.

"What's that?" I asked him.
"A famous novel from Spain." he replied, intent on his reading. I peeked at the front cover.
"Quin... Quin su--"
"Quien Cuenta Tu Historia." Charles corrected.
"Oh... What's it about?"
"The story of two young women bound to saving their family from destruction."
"Sounds... Interesting."

I figured Charles would want some time alone, so I went downstairs to the living room. None of the other students were here yet, as the learning started at 7am and ended at 3pm. Being a dame school, only the basics of arithmetic, language and literature were taught. For practising to read and write, I was already quite skilled at it, besides Charles. As for sewing? Not so much. I couldn't even thread a needle.

Mrs Taylor also thought that it was crucial to know how to sing and dance so that we could "enlighten our diligent husbands". For the boys, dancing was only required if they ever got invited to a ball. And, once again, I can proudly say that I am useless at both of those skills, too.

"Mail's here!" A  cheery boy, who I believed was called Russell, called out, dumping a portion of letters on to the ground. I saw no point of going to check if I had any, as Alexander was supposedly arriving today, so I stood next to Valentino.

"I wish I could get a letter." she sighed.
"You will someday." I reassured.
"How do you know?"
"Well, I guarantee there's someone out there who really cares about you!"
"You think so?"
"Sure!"

She bowed her head down so that I couldn't meet her trembling eyes. "Hey. Just because your parents are gone doesn't mean that nobody else loves you. Charles does!"
"...Sure." She spun away, rubbing circles on her shoulders.

"Sophie!" Russell tapped my arm, handing me a letter. "It's for you!"
"Never would have guessed. Thanks." he trotted away, helping others to find theirs. A letter? For me? It couldn't be from Alexander, could it? I cautiously tore it open, tugging the letter out by force.

It read:

Dear Y/N,

It presents me with an unpleasant aura to examine into this matter. What I thought was unlikely not only happened once, but twice, my dear. Another child has gone forth into my path. If she may be from the same existence as you were, God help us all. Therefore, I will not be returning home for 2 days, at the most. I am terribly sorry to have to admit this devastating news, though I hope you a wonderful day.

Adieu.

A. Hamilton.

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N

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