Chapter 154 - Sardi's & Social Media

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Abi's POV

Tuesday was my first day of finals. I was exhausted, and was sitting on the couch after school.

"Dad?" I asked, from the couch.

"Yeah Peanut?" I heard him come in from the kitchen.

"Can I go back on social media?" I asked.

"Oh." He sat next to me on the couch, "sure, why are you asking?"

"I mean, I deleted all my accounts a couple weeks ago, and, I don't know, I thought you should know if I was making new accounts."

"Oh, I didn't realize you actually deleted the accounts, sure, I can help." He said, taking my phone. "Twitter first." He added.

"Okay." I smiled, looking over his shoulder.

"What is your full name?" He asked.

"Abigail." I replied, slowly, "Miranda."

"Thanks." He replied, and I laughed a little. "Okay, your username is now Abi_Miranda, if you were wondering."

"Cool." I said, looking at my phone over his shoulder.

"Password? Can you go grab my small blue notebook, it should be in the first drawer on the right in my desk." He requested.

"Sure." I shrugged, then grabbed him the notebook, "what is this?" I asked, handing him the book.

"Passwords." He said, "you're my daughter, so, you need a like, random password, so, copy this down; 7H20W227QV." I wrote the password. "Label that Abi Twitter." He added. And I did.

"Now what?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Profile picture." He smiled, and pulled me to lean on him, then took a picture of both of us on my phone. "Done." He smiled at me, "I followed myself and your mom for you."

"Thanks." I said to him.

"Now, what else do you have? You used Instagram, right?"

"Yeah." I replied.

"Lord help me." He groaned, "Let's figure that out as well." He downloaded the app, and started to make the account. "I'm using Abi_Miranda again, and can you copy this password down now?" He asked, then read off another string of numbers and letters, which I copied into the small book. "I'm also using the same picture, so, that's easy." He fiddled around for a minute, then finished, "anything else?"

"I had Snapchat." I admitted, and he audibly groaned.

"The things I do for you." He mumbled, downloading the app, he signed me up for it, using the same username, but having me copy down another string of numbers and letters. "Okay. Finished Mija." He gently kissed my temple.

"Thank you!" I smiled, and hugged him.

"Of course." He said, gently patting my back.

I logged onto my Twitter, and saw my first notification.

@Lin_Manuel - Peanuts coming back to Twitterico! Her new account is @Abi_Miranda, she's cool, I swear, *sweats nervously*

I started to see more and more notifications rolling in.

@Lin_Manuel followed you back

@VAMNit followed you back

@TurtleLaurens followed you

@GrenoTilo followed you

@LamssHamss followed you

@AaronTveit followed you

@LinkLawson followed you

@QueenJas followed you

I was reading through my notifications when I had a heart attack, or something reminiscent of one.

"DAD!" I yelled.

"My gosh child I'm sitting next to you." He snapped turning towards me, "what requires yelling?"

"Aaron Tveit followed me! On Twitter." I was grinning ear to ear as I handed him my phone.

"Exciting Mija." He smiled, and handed me my phone back.

@QueenJas - @Abi_Miranda @Lin_Manuel, WE MISSED YOU ITS BEEN LIKE 2 WEEKS.

@RCassieL - @Abi_Miranda how are you? Are you okay? We've missed you.

@CrazyHotDog - @Abi_Miranda, heads up, @Lin_Manuel posted a lot of pictures of you...

"Dad?" I looked up.

"Thank you for using your inside voice Peanut, what is it?"

"Did you post pictures of me?"

"Well, I mean, I'm your, you're my, come on, let me have this Mija." He fumbled his words and I scrolled through his account, finding several photos of me.

@Abi_Miranda - Hello Twitterico, sorry I was gone for so long. Love you.

@Abi_Miranda - Also, @CrazyHotDog, thanks for the heads up... I honestly had no idea...

@Abi_Miranda - @RCassieL, I'm great, I'm fine, thanks for asking, quite honestly I've missed you too.

@Abi_Miranda - @QueenJas, I MISSED YOU TOO!

I smiled, replying to everyone's tweets, I forgot how great the majority of them were.

@Lin_Manuel - My daughter is tweeting a lot, my heart is warm.

@BurningTheFandom - Hey guys! The rat is back! And with a new account @Abi_Miranda

My heart sunk a little, that's why I left. I stared at the screen watching people reply and retweet that tweet. Rat? What is that supposed to mean? My mind drifted to the slit skin on my ankle and the knife under my mattress, and the gauze hidden in a drawer under my bed. I didn't stop after the first night, how could I? For a minute I felt like I was in control of something, and to be honest, I deserved the pain it brought. I didn't respond to the tweet, I didn't want anyone to worry about me, I couldn't show them what it did to me.

@Abi_Miranda - @Lin_Manuel my heart is warm too, love you all.

As soon as I sent that out, I felt Lin pull me closer, and envelope me in a hug.

"I'm glad you're happy." He kissed the top of my head, "I really am, you're been so sad for so long, and seeing you happy, seeing you happy is everything to me. I love you." He rubbed my arm lightly.

"I love you too." I said, forcing a smile, but my heart was warm. Regardless of how horrible people were, the fact that I was loved it made it easier. Like when you've been outside in the cold and you came inside to a fire and cocoa, and you look out your window and it's still snowing, but you're warm. You know you're eventually going to have to go out into the cold again, but you also know that cocoa and a fire are waiting at home.

I continued to reply to people, trying to remind myself that the Internet wasn't all bad, I eventually dozed off on the couch, phone in hand.

Lins POV

I looked down at Abi on the couch, she was curled up, still holding her phone, her thumb on a button.

"Peanut?" I asked, shaking her a bit, "you awake?" I asked, to no response. I smiled and snapped a picture, what can you say? I'm a dad.

@Lin_Manuel - Peanut fell asleep responding to your tweets, she loves you guys, thanks for loving her.

I sat on the couch, reading for about a half hour, until I heard a knock at the door. I stood up to open it.

"Package for Mr. Lin-Manuel Miranda." A UPS delivery guy was standing at the door holding a large-ish box

"Thank you." I said, taking the box.

"And can you sign here?" He asked, and I signed the paper, saying I received it, "and can you sign this?" He asked, nervously handing me a Hamiltome, "my daughters a big fan." He shrugged, "I promised I'd try."

"Of course." I gave him a little smile, "what's her name?" I asked opening the book.

"Tianna," he said, a smile spreading over his face, "2 n's."

I quickly signed my name, addressing it to Tianna, then handed the book back to the man.

"Thank you so much." He said, looking over it.

"Oh you're totally welcome, have a nice day." I gave him a smile.

"I will, you too." He closed the door, and started back down the hallway.

I brought the box into the kitchen, then saw that it was all of Abi's birthday presents, I mean, it said Playbill on it, so I assumed. I rummaged around in the drawers a bit, looking for my pocket knife to open the box with. Vanessa got angry at me for opening mail with her kitchen knives, like, right after I got them sharpened, but I wouldn't stop, so she got me a small pocket knife to open boxes with, so I'd stop using her knives.

After looking around the kitchen for a minute, I gave up, and used one of her knives, it was fun, I mean, I used the biggest one. I pulled everything out of the box, looking at each individually.

"Honey?" I heard Vanessa walk in, "are you... Lin I told you not to open packages with that knife." She put her hand on her hip.

"To be fair," I said, holding my hands up in surrender, "I couldn't find my pocket knife."

"Okay," she shook her head a bit, "I'll keep an eye out, Abi asleep?" She asked, and I pointed to the couch, "okay, I bought her a birthday present today." She said, and reached into her purse. "I'm sorry I didn't call and ask, but, it was so gorgeous, and you seemed to be spending a lot, I mean, you went to Nordstrom, so..." She trailed off and opened a necklace box.

"Is this diamond?" I asked, picking it up carefully.

"Yes." She said, "but, it's a locket, I was thinking we could put, like a picture of the two of us on one side, and one of Seb on the other, and that's not even the best part." She smiled, turning the diamond encrusted heart over, engraved on the back was:

Family
03/07/2016

"Her adoption date." I smiled, "oh this is perfect, V, she's going to love it!"

"I hope so." She said, holding the pendant of the necklace in her hand, "we have to get ready, Sardi's in 45 minutes." She stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek, "can you wake her?" She asked, referring to our daughter, who was currently sound asleep on the couch. "I feel like she likes you better."

"Oh, no V, V she loves you, you're her mother, of course she loves you." I wrapped my arm around her waist.

"I sure hope so." She leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Why don't you wake her?" I asked.

"Okay." I heard her sigh, and walk over to the couch, I quickly hid all evidence of her gifts in the hall closet then stayed to watch V wake her up. I didn't hear anything they said, but saw Abi wrap her arms around Vanessa the instant she woke up, a small smile spread over my face, as I saw my wife return the hug, and gently rub Abi's back. She took her hand and walked her back to her room, and for the second time today, my heart felt so full.

About a half hour later, Seb was with a sitter, Abi was in the backseat with a light pink dress on, my wife was next to me looking like a goddess, and I was wearing my The Visit shirt with a Black Blazer, and driving the family to Sardi's.

I was getting a caricature on the wall, and after we were going to stay and have dinner. My parents were waiting outside of the restaurant when we pulled up.

"Are you excited honey?" My mom asked me, as we approached them.

"Oh yes definitely, this is a dream come true." I smiled, and took my wife's hand as we walked inside, to the flash of cameras. I looked behind me to see Abi move closer to her mom, who's arm was already around her.

A small crowd formed around the table where the little cartoon drawing of my face lay, I was standing there, and they were giving a little speech about the tradition and me, and to be honest, I feel like Jamie Wellerstein in that one scene of The Last Five Years where he's talking to publishers and Cathy is standing in the crowd after his book reading, and she's smiling at him. Vanessa and Abi were standing in the little crowd, smiling at me, Abi standing in front of Vanessa, with V's arms around her middle, hugging her.

The mans speech finished and there was applause, they unveiled the little picture of me, which I admit, was quite fantastic, I signed it, and they hung it over a table, which, incidentally, is where we were seated for dinner.

Dinner was nice, my parents were thrilled about Abi's solo, and were very excited for the concert, which was actually just day after tomorrow. I also promised A I'd help her prep for it.

By the time we got home, all three of us were dead tired, it was all I could do to say goodnight to Abi and collapse on my bed, a couple minutes later I felt the left side of the bed sink down, and I turned over to see my wife slipping underneath the blankets.

"Hi." I smiled at her.

"Hey." She gave a little yawn in response.

"Come here darling." I opened my arms and she scooted over a bit, resting her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her there, "I told you she loves you." I whispered.

"Yes you did, I'm glad." I looked down to see her smile.

"I love you Vanessa, and you love me." I kissed the top of her head.

"How presumptuous." She said, giggling, "Lin-Manuel, I love you." That was the last thing she said, before drifting off to sleep.

•••

Hi.

I want to rant.

Okay.

So, my number one Wattpad pet peeve is when the author makes the main character a singer, but doesn't make them trained. I've just read so many freaking books where the main character is super self conscious about their voice and then they're finally coaxed into singing and they're like, a full fledged Julliard level powerhouse, and they get a recording contract, and they have that line like "I always just sang for fun, I never really thought I was any good, I didn't really work at it."

NOPE. That's not how it works. I'm a singer. I've been in voice lessons for years. A voice isn't a God Given talent it is carefully honed and in worked at, belting is a technique, quite honestly, if you are not a singer do not write that the main character can sing it is highly misunderstood.

I made Abi a singer. I did this for several reasons.

1.) She's into theatre, most (not all, please don't spam this with 'I like theatre but I don't sing, ha ha I'm weird') theatre kids sing.

2.) Spoiler Alert: she's going into theatre professionally (she also going to a performing arts college so don't worry she's find to be trained)

3.) Her voice is based off mine. Sorry.

Also, I gave her the WIDFL solo because if we did that song in choir last year I would have personally shanked anyone who tried to touch it with a plastic spork. (stargold28 can attest to this)

Thanks for reading!

- Abi

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