Rewritten Histories

My name is Alexander Hamilton...

Living the life of an immigrant, well no one said it would be easy... And yet, here I am. My whole family gone, and yet their lives- the hole they left- have all been filled by people who truly care for me. Sure, I'm the last within my legacy but now that they're here and nothing would ever be the same. 

I wrote my way out of hell, I'll write my way into this new world and prove that I am worth it all. The people who know me, they'll say that I could never shut up and I will bear that depiction happily till the day that I die. 

I will never let the people around me die because I was too weak to do something about it.

~~~

 So, I've recently learned that you should never let Peggy have the aux cord, and by recently I mean two minutes ago when she pulled up in my driveway absolutely BLASTING the Danny Phantom intro song. Angelica was driving, of course, but she was a bit of a pushover when it came to the youngest Schuyler sister. So, I had to briefly explain to my adoptive father that it was simply- as Peggy says- 'the morning vibe check.' And well, he's cool with the fact that most of my friend group MAY or MAY NOT be on crack, truly 50/50.  

Peggy is a whinny bottom though, so before I could even try to explain to father what a 'vibe check' is, she was at the door and continuously ringing the doorbell till I opened it. She smiled wide and innocently when she noticed her father glaring at her. 

"Ohhhh..heyyy Mr.Washington. Sorry, I thought you were out on another business trip." She giggled, as her cheeks flushed a bright red. Father chortles, before reopening his newspaper and continuing reading. 

"No yeah, he's here for the rest of the month. But hey, it's all good." I explain, grabbing my bag from the hook beside the door. She smiles awkwardly and mutters an apology before grabbing me by my arm and rushing me to Angelica's Honda Civic. Inside the van, I find the other 67% of the Schuyler sisters; Angelica smiles to me, her glasses askew and her hair pulled into a messy bun, it's clear that she hadn't slept too well either. 

And Eliza...

The minute I sit in my seat, she unbuckles herself and wraps her arms around me. Firmly planting her lips on mine as we share a kiss. She looks beautiful, her hair is wavier than usual and her makeup more natural and soft than she would usually go for. She pulls back from me, and I'm sure some of her lipgloss got on me- not that I mind, and I notice that she has a new piercing on her left ear. I gently move her golden brown locks behind her ear so that I can get a better look at it, it's a rose gold bar piercing. 

"When did you get that?" I find my voice asking before my mind can fact check, as it often does. 

"Last night, actually. Peggy did it." She smiles shyly, her cheeks flushing, she's happy I noticed it.

"Hell yeah's I did! She really wanted it, and I was like 'stop whining, I pierce your ear for like five dollars' and she was like 'bet' and she ended up bleeding all over the carpet. Because, news flash, I'm not a trained professional at anything except maybe like being a bad bitch. Anyway, daddy got super mad because he literally just got it cleaned and he KNOWS a professional who- and get this- lives next door!" She took a deep breath and gave me that bubbly smile she always gives when she's telling a story. 

"Damn dude, are you okay?" I ask, turning my attention to Eliza, I hadn't noticed that her ear was still red and irritated. But Eliza just giggles, 

"Honestly Pegs, I told you- it's not a big deal at all." Peggy does that thing with her hands where she touches her fingers together and gets shy. 

"But it hurt...I made you cry." I've been around these girls enough to notice when one of them is off. Peggy, always the optimist, just seems a little less herself. I hesitate for a moment, it's not my place to ask what's going on. 

"I told you, it's all fine Peggy." She reaches over and cups Peggy's face with a gentle touch, the tension that was lingering in Peggy's eyes goes away and she smiles widely. 

"Thanks."

The moment doesn't have time to sit in the air, Angelica clears her throat loudly. 

"Gonna be late, seat-belts on motherufuckers." We all simultaneously realize that we're all in a car on the way to school and immediately buckle our seat-belts. Peggy plays another song I don't recognize, Angelica tries and fails to keep herself sane and Eliza intertwines her hand with my own and her gaze falls to the passing landscape. And I...

I...

Idle hands, fingers itching to write. Begin to form the story that is my legacy within my mind. 

When you're reliving death, I find that car rides are rather short. 

~~~

 The day is short, I find my mind wandering often. But last period I'm called to the front office. The class, in their ever-growing need for something to shut me up, all 'ohhhh' as I leave my English Lit. When I arrive at the front desk, I find Mrs. Minnie behind the desk, her posture relaxed as she types very loudly. But she gives not one fuck, what are they gonna do? Fire her? 

"Mr. Hamilton, good. Just wanted to tell you, I need you to report here Monday morning, we have two students from France flying in as new students. And before you ask, yes you have to. As the valedictorian of your year and top of French Language class, you're the perfect candidate." She paused, shifting her red reading glasses further up her nose. "You're to show them around the school, answer their questions, and make them feel more comfortable. Are we clear?" She smiles, her black lipstick riddled with small cracks,

"Yes ma'am, we're clear." I smile out of duty, to be kind and chivalrous. She moves back to type on her computer, her gaze sharp but expression soft.

"Excellent Mr.Hamilton. We do appreciate you oh so much." She returns fully to her work, I sigh as I leave the front desk. Great, I'll have to get the last of the notes from John. 

~~~