What you know (Hamilton cast)

Twenty-six

Kelsey's POV
"Happy birthday!" I jump back, scared, and feel Lin grab me my waist so that I don't fall, laughing before Carleigh takes my hand and leads me back in the room. A bunch of the cast is here. Anyone without kids, basically. I'm greeted by lots of friends and given careful hugs, as if I will shatter underneath them. I keep my hands close to my chest, playing with a necklace I have on with a heart on the end that my cousin gave me yesterday morning. We play games like kids but It's pretty fun. We also do some freestyle and I find myself relaxing around them again. Carleigh notices as we laugh when someone tripping over their words free styling. We then play react and act. I'm glad that others are having fun because I don't want them all to be here on their day off just to celebrate a stupid day for someone else.

"Kelsey, you wanna go?" I shyly shake my head and continue to watch, playing with my necklace. Then I blow out the candles on the cake and we cut it up. I hope that I can get away with not eating any and I almost do but Alex passes me a plate as soon as he notices. I thank him but of course don't feel much like eating it. We went to a breakfast buffet not too long ago and I got eggs and juice which actually filled me at even if Lin thought that I would need to eat twice of to begin to feel full. My stomach shrunk from the last few days. I mostly talked to Carleigh and had some fun here. People start to leave so it's only half of us watching the picture on the little screen. I got away with only eating half of the slice. Eventually, everyone trickles out.

"One year until you can drink." Lin says.

"God, you're so young."

"I'm not that much younger than Phillipa."

"But I can legally drink." She says, taking the CD out.

"Well, I don't like alcohol most of the time so it's no problem." They fake gasp.

"You drank, underage." Lin says, shocked.

"You don't like alcohol." Anthony says. I fake gasp myself.

"I normally like being in control of myself."

"You still drank." Lin repeats.

"You know I have. I know you looked in the cabinet."

"It was for medicine. How'd you know that?"

"My stuff was moved."

"I should have been more subtle." I laugh and keep cleaning up, despite Lin telling me that I shouldn't since it's my birthday. I get home in the afternoon and grab my shoes and bag, headed back to the studio. I teach the seven year olds and then the back studio is mine for a while. It's a small studio with old caged windows and metal barred in the back against the radiators. There are tape marks on the floor but it's my favorite studio. I plug in my phone and find a song and start choreographing. I forget everything but the last move, the current move, the next move, and how each make me feel. My leg extends to the back and I face my hips to the side wall, arms behind my back, looking in the mirror and bending my leg to attitude behind me. I pull it back the other way, my hands on the floor, sliding my leg under and through, and then roll to my back, catching my breath and staring at the ceiling light. I glance at myself in the mirror and then roll to the other side of me, looking at the windows, curled up on the floor.

"That was amazing." Carleighs voice startles me. I jump to sitting, looking at the door where she stands.

"Thanks but it was in no way amazing. What are you doing here?"

"It's your birthday, silly. We can't just leave you."

"But I wanna dance." I complain. She laughs.

"Can I join you?" I nod. "Any way you can teach me that combination?"

"Year, sure."