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“And you're sure you don’t want someone with you? Even if it’s Ally?”

“I promise. I need to do this on my own. Mom is still concerned as to why I need an entourage with me on this thing. I know she’ll use it against me if she thinks someone came with me to orientation. I need to show her I can do this alone so the next week and a half with her isn’t atrocious.”

I grinned. “All right. Well, get out of here before you’re late. I told you. No quickies, no matter what you try to pull.”

She laughed, and the sound filled me with joyous pride.

“You’re insane, you know that?” she asked.

I kissed her nose softly. “Insane for you.”

“I’ll keep in touch.”

“I’ll keep my phone on me.”

And as she pulled away from my grasp, it took all I had to not put my foot down and tell her I was coming with her.

Especially since I wanted to be at her side for purely selfish reasons.

15

Raelynn

Butterflies took flight in my stomach as I took a cab to the bank. The first thing I wanted to do before this damn orientation was get this money in a separate account. A place where neither myself nor my mother could touch it. The bank line was long, and I feared I might miss opening orientation. But I needed this money to be safe.

And this was the only way I’d get away from my mother without her asking questions in order to get it done.

“Welcome to P&R Banking. How may I help you today?”

I sighed. “Yes. Hi. I already have a checking and a savings account with you guys. I’d like to maybe open a third account? Or open an investment account?”

“Well, I can certainly help you with choosing the right one out of the ones you have open. But if you want to open an investment account, you’ll have to go take a seat.”

She pointed and I looked over at the overflowing chairs in the corner. There was no way in hell I’d open up something like that without being late to orientation.

“Okay, well, can I make a cash deposit into my savings account, then?” I asked.

The woman smiled. “Of course! Just fill out this deposit slip and hand it over with your money. I’ll get your account looked up and get you squared away.”

I filled it out quickly, then started pulling wads of cash out of my purse. I felt all eyes on me as I kept taking them out. Counting them in front of the woman before jotting numbers down. I didn’t know exactly how much I had. All I knew was that I had to get it off my person.

Can I open a security box for the diamonds and other shit?

“Here, let me help,” the woman said.

I started handing her money I hadn’t unraveled. And after ten minutes of people cursing behind me, we had a final tally. Seven thousand dollars. I had seven thousand dollars stashed in my bedroom. And at least that in diamonds and jewelry at the bottom of the purse. I smiled warily at the woman and she gave me the side-eye. Like I was someone to be warned against.

“Do you guys have safety deposit boxes here?” I asked.

“We don’t,” she said flatly.

So much for good first impressions.

After the money got deposited and I had my receipt in my hand, I made my way quickly out the door. I used the little bit of cash I kept on hand in a small wad at the bottom to pay the driver, then rushed across campus. I had to find the sports stadium. I felt myself sweating down the nape of my neck and my forehead. Ruining my fucking makeup as I sprinted as quickly as I could.

“Come on, where are you?” I groaned to myself.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of running around, I saw a bunch of kids filing into a massive building. As I dabbed at the sweat on my forehead with a tissue, the butterflies of nerves turned into butterflies of excitement. Older kids at the doors greeted me. One even handed me a water bottle before giving me another tissue. I thanked her and giggled, to which she giggled right back. Then I was handed a program.