This is a story about the boy who my universe revolves around.
The part about my universe revolving around him is completely coincidental- I didn't choose that, and he didn't actually intend to have this effect on me. It just happened when he start...
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Rehearsing after outside school hours with Exander teaches me one thing: that his casting as Hamilton was spot on.
He's a machine. He apparently memorized every song, every line for every character, and all of the harmony lines for every song.
In September.
And he joined the school halfway through the month.
He corrects me on small, essentially irrelevant words any time I slip up. Which isn't often, because I memorized the show over the summer. But he still catches every mistake, every time.
And whenever he isn't rehearsing with me or Spica, he's rehearsing with his brother at home, or he's rehearsing by himself in the basement, sometimes with his little sister as an audience, and sometimes not if she's asleep. And during classes when the teacher isn't lecturing, he'll have his earbuds in, listening to the soundtrack.
Basically, he rehearses constantly. He's committed. I'm honestly impressed (and it makes me even more attracted to him).
We fall into a routine of rehearsing on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Spica has an art class or something on those days, so it gives us the opportunity to all rehearse together (or for Exander to rehearse with Spica alone, because it makes Spica happy and I want my sister to be happy) and then when Spica leaves for her class, Exander and I have a solid couple of hours to ourselves.
It shouldn't make me as happy as it does.
"...I heard your name at Princeton. I was seeking an accelerated course of study when I got sort of out of sorts with a buddy of yours- I may have punched him. It's a blur, sir. He handles the financials...?"
I love rehearsing alone with him. It gives me the chance to shamelessly stare at him. And his energy while he's performing is incredible. It makes me feel alive and breathless just watching him. I'm currently lounging on a couch in the living room while Exander's performance takes up the rest of the room. "You punched the bursar."
He perks up, looking way more satisfied than one should after discovering that the title of the person they may have punched is the bursar. "Yes! I wanted to do what you did, graduate in two then join the revolution- he looked at me like I was stupid, I'm not stupid. So how'd you do it? How'd you graduate so fast?"
Beat, beat. "It was my parents' dying wish before they passed."
He frowns, which isn't part of his usual performance. "Are you certain you ought to be rehearsing whilst seated? Breathing is essential to singing- rapping possibly even more so. And not assuming an upright position stifles you."
I roll my eyes, trying not to smile. "I'm breathing."
"But sitting bends your torso, hence limiting your lungs' capacity."
