air on camp

t q

icip

before she u

Lingered. Curled around her like smoke. She kept her chin up, he

uld not

t h

t t

eathing had been shallow at dawn. The pharmacy had called ab

of her mind, Leo's voice re

ve to carry ev

e d

alway

o the main lectur

ctor was a

was on t

Scholarship Reci

omach d

nally highlighted students from disadvantage

s felt d

were alrea

tch

iti

arms folded, lips curved in s

ulse bega

essor was

the firs

stack of printed pap

, her voice carrying easily in the hall

ter ri

t l

cruel

expec

didn't

continued. "You don't wan

phones

cor

ojector

st slide

of Aria

ront - the

The peeling paint

pread acros

fingers

. "A girl from... here... making it in

her s

hot of a m

er's name

balance cir

ouldn't

"some of us work hard for what we have. And som

the back

s ears

forward. "T

ice was

ste

ord, isn't it? Scholarships. Financial aid. E

li

ersity assistance un

liation w

as su

eci

eren't laug

were s

hat wa

l them, Aria. Tell them how y

landed l

shifted i

that wasn

was

swal

est fel

red at the edges

ack of

efused

t h

front

ne," Aria s

aned closer

the back of th

L

't meant

that three times

he'd

one ha

he saw t

ression

con

cur

ol

ticed him i

ture str

. "You're just in time. W

n't loo

oked a

irst time sinc

n't look

oked co

down the a

asu

parted ins

ched th

in the

s in Vanes

ones re

t off,"

linked. "E

proj

ice was

n't nee

"It's just information.

lly looke

n his gaze made

y, gesturing to the sc

lence

. She's the one pretending to be abo

d charit

hands

not

t wa

ched past Vanessa, pressing

reen we

as

his wrist. "You

d free ef

aid quietly

tared

iti

im to

di

," he continued. "Pu

sharpened. "Since

b

hall held

rned sl

t everyone could

integrity isn't a

lication

's face

?" she asked, disbeli

dn't he

osing wha

sn't r

sn't d

was

d f

le in Vanessa's

arity case with a savior complex. You t

rds wer

jaw tig

e he could

a sp

St

them look

e was sha

from

rest

id, eyes on Leo. "And I don't need you to t

nhaled

was utte

mall?" she continued, voice steadier. "It do

a's lip

ound

gaze did

Yes, my mother is si

sper r

she said. "Every grade. Every

ion swam

linked

rewrite my story be

re i

t a

gni

omehow - was

shoulders

ret this," s

held h

said softly

it felt like

ing had been

sta

popul

ow

her papers stiff

lause f

heavy

owly lowered

urned

u ok

a stupid

ayed sl

d t

phone

t through the

own n

ered auto

ell

pau

drained

ou mean she

orld n

ear her elbow as she

" she w

her p

eathing

m co

ung up

re hall di

humil

onfron

l o

?" Leo

ooked

wasn't se

breathing," sh

d t

nees g

er before she

the fir

n't push