who was lazing on the sofa, playing the part of a fragile convalescent. My father read the newspaper with a satisfied smirk, occasionally g

They all looked at me with a mixture of pity and annoyance, as if

d, her voice dripping with false sweetnes

tone flat. I turned to my fath

what? You' re not going to colleg

farewell party for Chloe and Mark. I want it t

ph. It would solidify the narrative they wanted to project: that I was a loving, supportive siste

I' ll need a new dress. And some other things.

lit up. The idea of me spending money to cele

couch. "It' s the least she can do. And i

ick wad of cash. It was more than he had ever given me at one time in my l

t on stupid thin

old smile touched my lips. "

s store and buy a tiny, high-quality audio recorder. The second thing I did was go to the bus statio

so consumed by my art that I was naive about the world. Now, I was a fast learner. I researched the university, its specific programs

was looking for: a collection of advanced art theory textbooks. They were the exact o

ld never shop. I didn' t buy a dress. Instead, I bought a very expensive silk

call. I found the number from

familiar vo

t' s Ava

one of the few people who had ever talked to me about my art with genuine understanding. He had left our small

s been a while

isten, I know this is random, but I

eded him to be a point of contact for me, someone outside the town' s web of gossip. I didn' t give him all the

operation on your own family?" he as

on you to be my outside verification source i

st interesting person in that town, Ava. Alright

elief washing over me. I wa

ving room, laughing about some plan they had for the city. I walked

mediately. "Where

touching the soft fa

Mark asked, his eyes

art school and felt bad. He' s an entrepreneur now, very successful. He said that

ut it hit its mark. M

iend?" h

rt. He was telling me just now on the phone that he' s investing in a new art gallery in the city. He wants me t

plausible. And it was designed to do one

alousy. "You' re lying. You don'

I should keep all my original application materials, my portfolio, my acceptance letter... you know, for

lous. You agreed to give the scholarship to Chloe. That inclu

not talking about the official transfer. I just

ked at me, a new, calculating glint in his eyes. He saw me not

ndering what I was up to. Their fear was just the appeti

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