The next day I was in the car with Vanessa, on my way to school.

"Can you get a ride home again? Lin has his He4She interview today, and I, obviously, have work."

"Yeah, I'll ask William."

"Thank you so much!" She said pulling up in front of school.

"Thanks for driving me every morning!" I said getting out of the car.

"Happy to! Have a good day." I went inside, and William ran up to me again.

"Hi!" He said, finally reaching me.

"Why are you meeting me at the door now?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah." I was a little concerned.

"Just," he sighed, "follow me." He led me to the cafeteria, where he always hung out before school started. As we walked in I saw a large mass of people grouped around someone.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Luke. He's filling everyone in on what happened Tuesday."

"Wait, the true story, or his version?"

"Which version do you think?" He asked looking at me seriously, I sighed loudly.

"I need to talk to them."

"No. That's not a good idea..." He continued talking but I was already walking over to Luke.

"Luke?" I called from the back of the mass. People moved out of the way for me.

"Hey." He said nodding at me.

"We need to talk. After school. Bring Sam and Nick. Just talk. Nothing more, I need to talk to you guys."

"Anything for you." He said jumping down from the table he was sitting on. "What do you wanna talk about?" He wrapped his arm around me pulling me into him. He whispered in my ear, "come alone."

"Um..." I pulled away a little, "a lot."

"Meet you out front after school."

"Alright, and Luke." I smiled a little, "remember what my dad told you Tuesday."

The day went by quickly, as if the universe was anticipating what was going to happen after school today. Before I knew it I was out in front of the school waiting to talk to the 3 boys who made my life a living hell.

"What's this about?" Nick asked stepping in front of me, I was sitting on a bench.

"I just, I needed to talk to you guys about something."

"Spill." Sam said.

"Yeah. That's what I was wondering, can you guys spill? Just tell me why."

"Why what?" Nick asked.

"Nick tell me why you can't just leave me alone. It's been almost 3 months since I lived with you, I haven't done anything to you, I've tried to stay out of your way, I haven't come clean about what actually happened. I've done everything right, and I feel like I deserve to be left alone."

"Well. The day after you left, you said that you came from an abusive home at a televised press conference." He wasn't wrong, that did happen, I didn't realize at the time, that I could just say no comment.

"Yeah, but I didn't go any further than that. They asked me how it was abusive, and I said I didn't want to say anything, then they asked who was specifically doing it, I said no comment."

"Then a week later you got us suspended. How do you do that without telling someone?"

"I had a black eye. Lin saw it. What was I supposed to say?"

"I don't know, tell him you ran into a pole or something!"

"Already used that one, didn't work."

"Then my family was told we couldn't Foster again because of you." I looked down at my lap, remembering that day. "Then you did tell the principal."

"Ok. I get it. I did tell some people. Although, I wouldn't of had to tell anyone if you just left me alone. Why do you keep doing this to me? Why not someone else?"

"Because you're easier."

"How? My boyfriend walks me to all my classes and Lin picks me up from my classroom, Vanessa drops me off. I haven't gone anywhere alone in weeks, how is this easier?"

"You act like they actually give a crap about your safety."

"Excuse you?"

"You're a pity project."

"Wait what?"

"You think your boyfriend gives a crap about you?"

"Yes." I said quietly, trying to re-affirm it.

"No. No he doesn't. He's way out of your league. He only stays with you because he feels like he has to. He's a nice guy, he just doesn't love you."

"Nick," I started.

"Wait," he cut me off, "I'm not finished. The cast."

"What about them?"

"They don't care either."

"What do you mean?" I asked, nervous and confused.

"Lin? Yeah, he doesn't care. Do you think that he would adopt a kid, through the Graham Windham organization? The organization that Eliza Hamilton founded? Do you think that was a coincidence. No way. He adopted you because it makes him look good. It's a good story, he adopted you to get good press. You don't matter to him. You don't matter to any of them."

"What are you saying?"

"You're a pity project." Sam asked

"Yeah they adopted you." Nick began, "It's going to be nice for a couple months, then you're going to realize it. They won't be warm and friendly anymore, they'll take you places, the outward appearances will be great, but you'll know that they don't care, and they don't."

"It costs money to adopt." I said quietly

"Yeah, that's not a big deal for the creator and star of the biggest musical of the decade."

"No. I know they care. I know they care."

"You're cute." Luke said sitting by me, flinging his arm over my shoulders."

"What do you mean?" I asked looking at Luke.

"Well. You believed that your insanely popular boyfriend actually cares about you, and you believed that the cast of Hamilton cares about you. It's cute."

"They do."

"Where are they then? You say Lin picks you up after school? It's after school. Where is he?"

"He has an interview with Emma Watson today. He4She."

"What about your 'boyfriend'?" Sam turned to me.

"You said come alone. I'm alone."

"Yeah, and I'm grateful." Luke said pulling me into him. "Break up with William. Tell him a little bird told you he didn't care, then come back to the little bird." He turned my face to look at him, smirking.

"Luke stop." I said ripping my head away from him. "I'm not going to break up with my boyfriend."

"Its either break up with him, or cheat on him with me." He picked me up and put me on his lap.

"Luke stop." I said, trying to get up, but he pulled me back into him by my waist.

"HEY! CUT IT OUT!" William ran over to the bench I was sitting on. Was he hiding behind a bush? "GET MY GIRLFRIEND OFF OF YOUR LAP." He came over to up pulling me off of Luke's lap despite his harsh grip. "She's not a pity project." He said to the boys in front of me, "you're not a pity project." He whispered to me.

"Dude, how did you come out right at that moment?" Sam asked.

"I've been listening to this entire conversation. Do you think I would let my girlfriend go to talk to the guy who broke her ankle and someone who molested her, alone? What kind of a boyfriend do you think I am?" He held my closely into his waist. "Let's go home." With that he walked me back to his car.

Well. I don't like this chapter. Felt kind of forced.

Thanks for reading

- Abi