er toward the do

ved toward the steps. More gently, the same voi

, wait! I left something

over," Sarkon

the first step. She turned around.

y hard. See you

e Sar

ed from her, made a few long s

id into his car, awakened

n, Maria let out a heavy sigh and turned back to the buildi

d the door, and was greeted by her three suitcases. With a weak smile, she went over. Her mind was

You're in th

rl she saw earlier with Sarkon. Th

et, "Are you blind? Did you not s

arning about dresses and

unny?" the g

r of a chihuahua, and answered politely, "I'm not laughing at you. I just reme

es to her hair. A smug appeared on her lips. She thre

his girl? She glanced down at her blue, sleeveless su

ing at?" Maria flas

God, just look at you. Which era are you from-the eighties?

both hands on her skirt and backed away. This gi

It was then Maria looked at her carefully. She had Lovette's curves, Mar

Urgh! I can't believe this. First, they gav

cess here. I am. Get your status checked. You're a nobody. I have what you have, and even bet

the girl continued ranting in her aristocratic air, "I live alone! I

if you're really uncomfortab

are. "Why should I be the one to leave? You!" A fing

For a brief moment,

pping her hands into fists, she raised her chin, "This is my room, so I'm not goin

and stared at her cellphone. Should sh

nd grow up, Maria. You ju

. She wanted to hear it so badly. He had only been gone f

l. It won't

s around on the nicely made bed, "You country gi

er head and b

*

stayed in. Though it was smaller than her room back in the villa, ther

ine, our shoulders won't even brush, Maria conso

g and blaring, she stared at her

g now? She wond

side, swaying silently in the afterno

ue sea. The shade

ed down her

baker's special orange-flavored cookies. Sophie would share gossip about th

a sn

e homesick stuff. It's old

put it aside. She sat at her desk s

ame-and she probably wouldn't be interested to know

a thought, since she w

o lectures and had a quick lunch in t

known in the world of pl

s prestigious, mysterious, and use

t, it offered a vastly different curriculum aimed at groomin

ut the school, Maria had resis

officer and a teacher. She wasn't born into greatness or expected to f

he best," was

aria often

his own right, adopt a girl and raise her like a pare

he deserv

but none of them would tell he

There was no use thinking about those questions again because she would nev

s dapped with white cotton. She inhaled the fres

was still going to enjoy the day. She would take a

red an almost empty lecture hall. The exceptions were a few e

as relieved that she was one of the diamonds-a term she overheard in the c

the professor. No longer surprised, he returned her a k

*

. It was a giant green dot at the top righ

men dorms, Walden College had all the basic necessities of the rich and

ents were advised to install the university's navigation system to move around

vibrated. Startled, she turned away fro