Alex's hands shook as he stepped off the plane into an incredibly busy airport. He looked around him, eyes wide, his head flicking in every direction as he tried to take in everything at once. Tía Hernandez told him that when he got off the plane someone would be waiting to help him through the airport. He looked around anxiously for a sign that read his name. He spotted one and ran through the mobs of people to reach it.

He stumbled after the man, trying to look around but stay with his guide as they made their way through the crowded building.

After about an hour he had his duffel bag hanging from his shoulder and was heading towards a taxi that was supposed to take him to James, his cousin. He gripped the strap of the bag anxiously, trying to stay calm when he wanted to be panicking. There was so much here. Too much to look at and take in. It was the complete opposite of the town that he used to live in.

The town that was now underwater.

The town that got destroyed.

Gone.

Hurricane.

Gone.

Everything.

Screaming.

Dying.

Everyone.

Hurricane.

The bodies. Oh god the bodies.

Alex pressed the palms of his hands to his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. He took deep breaths, something Tía taught him to do when this happened.

You are Alexander Hamilton. AL-EX-AN-D-ER. There are a million things you haven't done. There are a million things you have done. You are safe.

Alexander repeated those words in his head. He pictured the words as he thought them over and over again. Seeing the words helped him push out the memories of his townspeople. Seeing them all floating in the water, knowing they were all dead and you couldn't do anything about it.

He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and his eyes snapped open. He slowly removed his hands from his ears, breathing heavily as he tried to regain his breath.

"I-I am sorry." He mumbled to the man in front of him. "I did not mean to do anything." He stuttered nervously.

"Whatever kid. Just try not to do it again, ok." The man grumbled in a heavy New York accent.

"Y-yes sir." Alex said fearfully as he climbed into the back of the taxi cab. He gripped the door handle with one hand and the seatbelt with the other. He'd only ever been in a car once before. It was just like this on the plane. He tried to focus on the music playing quietly in the car to calm himself.

Apparently it worked because before he realized, they were already parked on a curb in Washington Heights in front of the apartment building his cousin lived in.

"This is your stop. You know where you're going?" The driver asked.

"Heights apartments, floor seven, room B. Buzz before coming up." Alex said, confidently reciting the instructions from the single letter he exchanged with James before arriving. The only issue was he didn't know how to 'buzz'. He'd figure it out. He always did.

He pulled open the heavy wooden door to be greeted by another person. They were sitting behind a tall counter in the middle of the lobby.

"Excuse me?" Alexander asked, walking up to the desk. "I need to buzz floor 7, apartment B. How do I do that?"

The person smirked at Alex and pointed to a panel on the wall behind him. "Look for the button labeled 7B, and push it. Then wait." The person said, not so pleasantly.

"Thank you." Alexander said skeptically and walked to the box. He located the button and pressed it, a loud buzzing noise startling him. Now I get it! He thought to himself with a smile.

"Is this Alex?" Said a voice from the box. Alex pushed the button again, not really sure how it worked.

"Yes. Alexander Hamilton." Alexander said, feeling rather strange talking to a box on the wall.

"Ah, come on up, the door's open."

Alexander walked over to the elevator and pressed the 7. He was shortly on what he assumed was James' floor and walked down the hall until he came to an open door. Alexander knocked sharply on the doorframe three times in a row.

"Alex? Hey kiddo!" Said the same voice from earlier. A man of medium height with dark complexion stepped out into the doorway. "I'm James. Your cousin."

"Hello James." Alex said, with a forced smile that more closely resembled a grimace. "I am Alexander." He said slowly, holding out a hand for James to shake.

James grabbed Alexander's hand but instead of shaking it, he pulled the boy into a hug. "It's nice to meet you. Let me take that and I'll show you where you'll be staying." James said calmly. He grabbed Alex's bag and slung it easily over his shoulder. It wasn't as if he had a lot of things to bring with him to America anyway.

Alex followed James into a short hallway and through the second door on the left. "Here ya go kid. There's a laptop on the desk in the corner, your school gave it to you. If you need anything just let me know. I'm in the room across the hall."

James left and Alexander was left alone in his room. He dropped the bag James had given back to the floor and rushed over to the desk. His boss had a laptop back on the... the island...

He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't think about that. 

He couldn't. 

He pulled open the laptop and opened a word document.

He leaned closer to the screen, placing his fingers lightly on the keyboard, testing his typing skills. He had so much he wanted to write. This laptop could help him so much. 

A few hours later, and the typing hadn't stopped. The familiar click, click, click of the keys became a regular noise from the room at the end of the hall. 

Finally. I updated. 'Tis a miracle!! 

Anywayyy... I had this chapter mostly written out but it  was crap. So I changed it ALL. This spawned as a result. 

Q: Have you listened to Dear Evan Hansen?

A: Oh my god yes. I love it so much!! 

Stay fiery,

aaron_burrn