**Ryder's POV**
The next morning, Laura went with me to the subway, then to school. She refused to just leave when we reached the building and ended up walking me to my locker, which resulted in her seeing all the crazy stuff I had in my locker ranging from miscellaneous school supplies to t-shirts and socks.
"Do you want me to take some of that back to the theatre?" Laura asked, motioning to all of the stuff in my locker.
"Would you?" I turned slightly and looked at her around the door of my locker.
Laura shrugged, "Yeah."
"Thanks," I pulled a plastic grocery bag with clothes out of my locker and handed it to her, "I'll bring the rest home with me this afternoon. Thank you for walking me to school."
"Anytime," Laura smiled.
Laura left the campus and I pulled my Math/Science/English binder, books, and pencil case from my backpack, leaving everything else in my locker. I quickly found Oliver outside of our 1st-period math class and sat with him when our teacher, Ms. Brookes, opened the classroom door. Math slugged by and science was a welcome escape. English was nothing special, followed by PE that I relished. My last two classes were Industrial Technology and Social Studies, which I found light in, even if I almost cut my finger off in IT.
I found Mike leaning against the fence outside when I exited the campus with my backpack and duffle, which made me look like a kid coming back from sleepaway camp.
"Let me take that," Mike took the duffle from me.
Letting him take the bag, I asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I figured you might want company on your trip home. Plus, we have a surprise for you."
"Okay," I felt a smile creep across my features and this one was genuine, not like the forced ones I always gave my caseworker.
Mike and I took the subway to Times Square then we walked to the Music Box, which was surprisingly quiet.
"Mike...?" I asked.
I didn't get a reply, but Mike's smirk grew larger as we climbed the stairs. The Blue Room door was closed and when we opened it, the lights were off and the blinds were drawn.
"SURPRISE!" the lights flicked on in a bright flash and a scream escaped my jaws.
"What the H---!" I trailed off when I realized that the entire cast and creative team of Dear Evan Hansen were standing in the Blue Room and there was a banner above us.
YOU'RE GETTING FOSTERED! it read on the sign.
"I'm confused," I looked between Mike, who stood next to me, to see the group of people who stood in the middle of the room.
"See!" the scenic designer, David Korins, exclaimed, "I told you the sign wasn't clear enough! We should've gone with 'We're fostering you' ... Whoops."
"Shut up," Laura shouldered to the front of the group, "Ryder, even though David just ruined the surprise, I want to tell you again: Mike and I went through all the paperwork..."
"Can we foster you?" Mike cut off Laura's explanation.
I didn't trust myself to talk, but I ran forward and wrapped my arms around Laura's waist, burying my face in her chest and nodding.
**Laura's POV**
When I'd first met Ryder, this thirteen-year-old had been so guarded and, even though it'd only been a few days, it warmed my heart that she felt safe enough with me to let me hug her. Mike came closer after a few minutes and Ryder switched to his waist in her way of saying 'thank you'. Mike looked at me over the top of Ryder's head, which wasn't hard because he's six feet tall while I'm a steady 5'6" and Ryder can't be more than 5'3".
"We did good," I whispered to Mike.
He moved his gaze back to the top of Ryder's head and nodded slightly. The crowd around us dispersed and people went home, murmuring their congratulations to us as they passed. After about five more minutes, Ryder finally pulled back from Mike and me.
"You'll be staying at my house for now," I explained to her.
"Thank you," Ryder wrapped one arm around each of our waists, "Thank you so much."
At first, I was caught off guard, but then embraced the hug, "Anytime," I told her, placing a hand on Ryder's back, "You're a special kid and you don't deserve anything that has happened to you."
Ryder started crying again and she eventually passed out.
"I'll help you get her home," Mike offered.
"Thanks," I agreed.
I picked up Ryder while Mike got her backpack and duffle, grunting under the pack's weight and we made our way to the subway, then to my apartment.
Hey all. I would just like to let you know that my new story, Adopted by Mean Girls is now available. Please check it out and let me know what you think. If these two are successful, I'd be happy to publish another. Take care of yourself and those around you.
-Spaceheater1
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Adopted by Dear Evan Hansen: Could we go on For Forever?
FanfictionAt thirteen-years-old, Ryder Lukassen was confident that nothing good was ever going to come. Her parents had been killed in a car crash when she was nine and she'd been bounced from foster home to foster home all across New York City ever since. Bu...
