Never Be the Same: Act I (A Hamilton AU) **ON HOLD**

The Day Our Paths Crossed

"For the love of God, can't people board this ship any faster?!" I screamed internally. Ahead of me was a painfully slow line of people, seeking to gain passage to New York City. I'd sprinted to the boarding line after getting off the boat I'd taken here to Nevis in fear that I would miss the voyage. Clearly, my worries were for nothing.

I lifted my gaze to the sky, and attempted to distract myself before my irritation turned into real anger. A thick, fluffy blanket of clouds completely covered the sky. I wondered if the same sky hovered over England, and if Mother could see it.

Oh, how she'd fretted throughout the days leading up to my departure. She refused to let me do anything stressful; said since I was bound to have enough of that in my new life, the least she could do was pamper me for a week. Before I left, she told me that if I ever felt homesick, to look up at the sky, and find comfort in the fact that she could see the same one.

I closed my eyes, and calmed myself down. "What are you getting so worked for?" I asked myself. "You just spent three weeks on a boat and now you're about to spend another two on another one. You should be relishing this time spent on dry land!"

"It could be worse, you know..." a voice commented, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned around to face the source of the voice, blinking. A young man stared back at me.

"Pardon me?" I asked, looking him over. He had fair skin, orange-red hair pulled back into a little ponytail, and a bridge of freckles ran across his nose underneath deep dark eyes that seemed to analyze everything they saw.

"It could be worse," he repeated. "We could be waiting in a hundred degree heat, but the weather is perfect today!" He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, you've got a point," I agreed. "I suppose I'm just impatient."

"That's understandable..." he replied. His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Especially if you've already waited your whole life to board this damn boat!" he added.

"This is your first time going to New York?"

"Yes; but more than that, this is the first time I've ever left this island!"

"Oh my!" I gasped. "Then this really is an exciting occasion for you!"

"Indeed!" he laughed. He offered his hand. I took it, thinking he would shake it, but instead he bowed and planted a light kiss upon it. "Alexander Hamilton," he introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss..?"

"Shelby," I replied. "Evangeline Shelby; but please, just call me Evie."

"Evie," he repeated to himself quietly. "I'll remember that..."

Time went by rather swiftly as we continued to talk. I learned that he was 18 (the same age as me), and was tragically an orphan. He told me how he'd been working for his late mother's landlord for the past five years; and now, with the assistance of the people of the island, he was on his way to study at Princeton University.

"Why, Alexander! Princeton?! That's incredible!" I exclaimed. "You must be very gifted indeed to have been accepted into Princeton under your circumstances." He blushed and turned his head, but there was no hiding the smug smile that had formed on his face.

"Well, I don't mean to brag; but I'd like to believe I truly amaze and astonish at times," he chuckled.

"Even if that's true, don't let that get to your head," I warned. "They'll eat you alive at Princeton with that attitude!"

"Don't worry, I won't!" he promised. After a brief minute of silence and progressing in the line, he asked, "So what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, why are you embarking on this fine voyage today?" I thought for a moment, deciding how much I would tell him.

"There was nothing for me back in England," I answered finally. "So, I'm going to stay with my uncle and cousins while I attempt to pursue my dream."

"And what dream is that?" Alexander inquired.

"I wish to be able to walk onto a stage and use my voice fill the hearts of men and women alike with joy and hope," I replied a bit wistfully. "Preferably through song, but I'll take what I can get."

"That's a fine wish," he told me, "and I sincerely hope you achieve your dream."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." I smiled warmly and he returned the smile.

"You know, now that you've told me that you're a singer, I feel that you oughta sing for me sometime," he teased. "That way, I can say I was one of your earliest fans before you were famous!"

"We'll see about that!" I laughed. "I'm not sure if I'll even see you at all during the voyage!"

"Then sing for me now!" he demanded in a hushed whisper. I looked around. Everyone behind us were completely zoned out, while the people in front of us were attempting to swarm the person in charge of checking boarding passes.

"Alright, fine," I giggled. "But I'm going to be called up soon, so it can't be anything long. What do you want to hear?" Alexander was quiet for a few seconds, then he said:

"Sing something about me." I blinked in confusion. Either he was pulling my leg, or being particularly vain.

"Excuse me?"

"Part of being a singer is being able to write your own songs, right? So make up something about me. It doesn't have to be anything special; hell, you can make fun of me if you want! Just give it a try!"

"Ok, if you insist...." I agreed reluctantly. I stared at him, almost analytically, as I tried to form lyrics. He stared back at me with eager eyes. After what felt like an eternity, I finally came up with something. "All right," I sighed, "but I'm warning you now: this is going to be terrible."

"Nonsense," he huffed. "Go on!" He smiled reassuringly at me, and I took a deep breath. Making up the melody as I went, I began to quietly sing a few verses that came to me.

When I opened my eyes to gauge how badly I did, I was surprised to see Alexander staring at me in awe. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing managed to come out, so he closed it again. I couldn't help but giggle.

"NEXT!" the attendant called. I gave Alexander an apologetic smile.

"Well, it seems our time together is cut short!" I said playfully. "In case we never meet again; good luck at Princeton. See you around, Alexander Hamilton!"

Without waiting for a response, I twirled around, marched up to the podium, and within minutes I was stamped and approved. As I began to walk up the ramp onto the boat, I heard a voice yell behind me:

"You're gonna go far, Evangeline Shelby! Just you wait! Just you wait..."

With that sentiment, I boarded the boat and practically skipped to my lodging, my heart and soul filled with hope. Tossing my suitcase onto the floor, I stood lost in thought for a brief moment before I dug out the journal I used to write lyrics in. I jotted down the lines I'd sung for Alexander, humming the melody to melody to myself:

"Oh, Alexander Hamilton/When America sings for you/Will they know what you overcame?/Will they know you rewrote the game?/The world will never be the same!"