I woke up on the bedroom floor, feeling a little stiff.  I sat up and moved my head from side to side a bit to loosen it up.  I'd woken up before my alarm clock, which would be going off in my own bedroom.  Pushing myself up, I made my way to the hallway bathroom and got in the shower.  Last night was a little blurry.  I'd woken up in the night, feeling lonely again.  I wanted my mom, but I couldn't have my mom.  I could have Lin and Vanessa, though.  Despite my best efforts, I was beginning to like them a lot.  They were different than my mom, but it was okay.

I felt kind of babyish, knowing I'd slept in their room.  That's what little kids did.  My emotions were a mess lately, though.  I was getting upset easily and I was starting to feel resentful of the other kids at school.  I didn't know them all, but I was pretty sure none of them had a parent in prison.  None of them were probably living with their parent for the first time.

After my shower, I sauntered out to the kitchen where Lin was feeding Francisco baby food in his high chair.  Sebastian was watching PJ Masks on the TV.  "Morning, Nora," he greeted me.

"Morning," I mumbled, going to the pantry for my Cap'n Crunch.  Thinking about the day ahead, I poured my bowl and drenched it with milk.  It was hard to keep my eyes open.  Lin walked over to get a washcloth to wipe off Francisco's face and noticed me dragging.

"You okay?" He asked.

I shrugged, frowning.  "I'm tired."

"The floor's not that comfortable," he pointed out.

"Can I stay home from school today?" I asked, really not feeling up to it.

"Why?  You not feeling well?" He asked, and he walked over to feel my forehead.  "You don't feel hot."

"I just don't want to," I admitted.

"Nora, you really need to go if you can," he told me.  "You're behind because you missed the first two weeks of school."

I grumbled, not sure how I'd make it through the day.  I threw on some clothes and pulled my hair up in a ponytail, not really caring how I looked today.  Grabbing my overweight backpack, I dragged myself to the subway.  I made a mental note that I should try coffee.  It seemed to work wonders on adults.

When I got to first period, a perky girl sat in the seat next to me, smiling.

"Hi!" She said.  She was what you would call a popular girl.  Full of spunk and outgoing.  Perfect clothes, perfect hair.  In other words, not someone I would hang out with.  Or even talk to.

"Hi..." I said, confused.

"Word around the street is your dad is Lin-Manuel Miranda," she said and I rolled my eyes.  I hadn't advertised it.  I really didn't want the attention, but here it was.

"Umm...yeah?  Why does it matter?"

She extended a hand towards me.  "Hailey Stevenson.  I'm part of the drama club.  Would you be interested in joining?"

I reluctantly shook her hand.  Truthfully, I had never even thought about drama club.  It wasn't offered at any of my previous schools. 

"Uh, I hadn't really thought of it," I admitted.  "I'm not really into acting."

"But if your dad is LMM, you must have some talent," she went on.  Why was she referring to my dad as an acronym?  "We're holding auditions for Pirates of Penzance in a couple weeks.  You should try out."

She handed me a flyer, which was incredibly overdone for a high school production.  I tucked it in the back of my student planner and forgot about it.  Being "LMM's" kid, as they said, was giving me some cred, which was nice.  They must think his coolness rubbed off on me because I was his offspring.  But really, he was just a huge nerd.  Who else would write an entire musical about a founding father?

After third period, I decided I couldn't take it any more.  I could barely keep my eyes open, and my back kind of hurt from sleeping on the floor.  I went to my locker and loaded it with my textbooks for homework, and took off.  I was pretty sure Lin was out of the apartment today, so I'd have the place to myself.  Once I'd arrived home, I dropped my backpack at the door and went straight to my bedroom.  I kicked off my shoes and shorts and climbed into bed.  Almost instantly, I was asleep.

I was awoken a couple hours later by Vanessa knocking at my door.  She must have gotten home early.

"Nora?  Are you okay?" She asked, coming inside and sitting on my bed.

I rubbed at my eyes and yawned.  "I don't feel good," I told her.  "I just needed a nap."

She tucked some stray hair away from my face.  "I got a call from your school which is why I'm here," she said.  "They said you didn't show up for 4th period or anything after that.  Did you not go to the nurse?"

"I didn't know I had to," I lied.  She gave me a look.

"Nora, you know it's important that we know where you are at all times.  You can't just leave school," she told me.

"Sorry," I apologized.  "I just really felt like crap."

She sighed.  "We'll forget about it this time, but don't let it happen again."

I nodded, cuddling into my pillow.  "Are you doing okay?  You've been in our room the last two nights."

"Just lonely I guess," I admitted.  "Sorry if I'm in the way."

"Don't worry, Nora," she reassured me.  "Usually Sebastian makes his way in a couple nights a week.  It can get crowded."

"Can you bring me some water, please?" I asked her.

"Sure.  I'm gonna go start dinner.  I'll call you when it's ready."

I drifted off to sleep again and was woken up a little after 6 by Sebastian.  He'd been sent in to tell me it was dinner time.  He climbed up on my bed and laid down next to me.

"Why are you in bed?  It's not night time," he informed me.

"I don't feel good," I told him.  "Don't you take naps when you don't feel good?"

He nodded.  "And mommy sings me songs."

Lin was at the door and he wandered in.  "Hey.  Vanessa told me you've been napping all afternoon.  Are you feeling any better?"

He sat on my bed and felt my forehead again.  Sebastian took the opportunity to crawl into his lap. 

"A little," I told him, finally sitting up.

"Do you want to stay home from school tomorrow?" He offered.

"I don't know," I said.  "I'll see how I feel in the morning."

Lin picked up Sebastian and carried him to the dining room, where he set him in his booster seat.  I joined them, still waking up.  The nap did help, but now I wondered if I'd be able to get to sleep tonight.  After dinner, I made a small dent into the epic pile of my homework.  Around 10:00, I could feel my eyes drooping and decided to give in for the night.  I was too tired to be lonely, and fell into a deep sleep in my own bed.