rinkling in her nervous grip. This school was her only way out, a shining beacon far f

o missing fingers, worked nights as a janitor at the community college. H

she walked into he

cioeconomic diversity, o

and perpetually bored expression, drawled, "It's not about

d and blue, l

s rippled thr

lank, her gaze fixed

fany cornered he

ging for more schola

bill from her designer wallet. She flick

ice dripping with condescension.

bill, then slowly be

said, her voice even. "I

walked away, Tiffany' s surprised, angry

ge usually off-limits to scholarship kids,

g her iced latte. "And there's something about her face. It

nse, grunted in agreement. "She totally ignor

g on her lips. "So, I have an idea. A little

ew lea

ah Miller fall for them. Wine her, dine her, the whole nine yards.

malicious laughter we

ze?" Cha

id. "And my eternal gratitude

tally" spilled a bright green smoothie down the

aimed, feigning clumsiness. "Let

stain, then at Cha

she said politely

om, acutely aware of the

med Brittany, tried to "help" Sarah with

fiddling with the combination. "We

Sarah replied, gently extricat

this sudden interest wasn't kindness, it was a red flag. She' d dealt with bullies before, the kind w