Matt insisted on parking the car, coming inside with me, and waiting until it was time for me to pass the security check and board the airplane, but I wouldn’t do that to him. I wanted to just hop out of the car, go through the check-in, and wait by the gate.

Anxiety and dread danced in my chest as Matt stopped the car in front of the departure area. This was it. Me, starting anew. Making my own destiny. Living my own life, with my own devices.

We stepped out the car, and Matt helped me take my bags from the trunk. When my three bags were on the sidewalk, I extended my hand to my brother. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem.” He took my hand and shook it hard. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“You too. You can come visit me any time you want.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, as if I had money to pay for a ticket to D.C. any time I wanted.”

I shook my head. “Well, then you better starting saving some now.”

“I will,” he said, staring straight at me.

Leaving my little brother was harder than I thought. He had been my best friend since he was born, and because of our tight conditions, none of us had left home. We had stuck together, done everything together. Until now.

“Take care, Matt,” I said.

“You too. Go rock the world,” he joked.

Shaking my head, I picked up my bags and entered the check-in counter. I checked in, I got rid of my bags, I went through security, and sometime later, I boarded the plane.

When it took off, I looked down, to where I was born and raised, to the place I had never left my entire life. In a way, I would miss it, but I was ready.

I looked to the horizon, past my small town, past California, and took a deep breath.

To new beginnings.

* * *

Mason


I stared at the door of the apartment, then to the piece of newspaper in my hand. This was the one from the ad, all right. The building was dark and dirty, and the apartments’ doors were a sick, fading green. This one in particular was worse. The number six from sixteen had twisted down on its screw, the edges of the metal covered in rust.

Okay, it was bad, but I had gone to the others I had added to a list before coming to D.C. and none was good enough. The good ones were too expensive, and the cheap ones were crap. I just wanted to find a decent one, and this had to be it. I had been up and down all day and I was exhausted.

Holding my breath, I knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a thin guy with round glasses and a joystick in his hand. “Can I help you?”

I showed him the newspaper. “I’m here because of the ad.”

“Oh, sweet. Come on in.” He retreated and let me in. “I’m David Brown.”

I told him my name and we shook hands.

Besides the outer part of the building, the apartment looked nice. It was small, but clean. A sitting area with a large TV and a Play Station 4, an adjacent kitchen, and down a small hallway, three doors: two tiny bedrooms and a bathroom.

“This one would be yours,” the guy said, opening the door to one of the bedrooms. It had a queen bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a tiny closet. Better than most I had seen. “I know it’s not much, but it’s probably the best you can get for this price range.”

I sat down on the mattress. Not too bad. “Yeah, it’s been a hard day.”

“I know. I’ve been there,” David said.

We walked back to the living room. I decided to talk to the guy, get to know him. He was in the first year of his masters of a chemical engineering degree, he worked in research at the university, and he liked to play video games and watch action movies. I told him about looking for a job until I started working at the university. Well, even so, I would probably need some extra work here and there.

“Bartending, huh?” David pulled two beers from the fridge and gave one to me. “There’s a bunch of clubs and bars and restaurants downtown. I’m sure if you go around, you’ll find plenty of jobs. Oh, and there are always plenty of events around the city. You should contact some catering companies. They’re always in need of extra hands.”

Hmm, that sounded promising. Much better than in my hometown, Nowhereville in Central California, which only had movement during spring break or summer.

I sat down my beer and grinned. “All right, man, I think I’m staying.”

* * *

Charlotte


“Oh my God, I’m gonna be late.” I groaned as I took out my roller skates and threw them in the trunk of my car. Thank God my mother never got close to my car, otherwise she would freak out and complain her daughter wasn’t the one she knew with those skates and the chalk and the paints.

Well, I wasn’t.

“Calm down.” Liana closed the trunk and handed my purse back. “If you don’t calm down, then you’re gonna be late.”

I slipped into my car. “Are you going back to Washington now?” When I couldn’t go to Washington for over two weeks because of my mother’s schedule, Liana came to Richmond so we could skate together. That was what true friends did for each other.

“I’ll probably stop by Starbucks first. After all, it’s Monday and that cutie is probably working.”

I shook my head. Liana had been flirting with a college guy who worked at Starbucks here in Richmond for ages. “It’s the last week of May, Liana. You don’t know if he already left for the summer.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” She winked. “We can’t be the only dorks who take a bunch of classes during summer, right?”

“We sure aren’t.” I smiled. “All right. Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Your hands!” Liana said, a finger pointed to my hands around the wheel.

My gaze fell to my palms. They were multicolored with chalk dust. “Oh, for Pete’s sake.”

“Wipe it on your seat before leaving the car. She won’t notice. You can take your car to wash later.” Liana glanced at her wristwatch. “Now go!”

I sped away, fighting the urge to bite my dirty nails. A little prayer surged in my mind, hoping my mother wouldn’t be home and see my hands like that. Oh, if my hands were like that, so were my knees. And possibly my shorts too.

Of course, my mother was home. We were supposed to leave for Washington in thirty minutes, for a fancy ball celebrating Memorial Day. Peyton McClain stood in front of the house, watching as her employees carried her luggage to the car.

To gain time, I parked the car in the back of the house and ran into the Executive Mansion through the kitchen.

Please, still be outside. Please, still be outside.

I reached the second floor when my mother called me. “Where were you?”

My heart stilled. Slowly, I turned to my mother, keeping my hands behind my back. “At Starbucks with Tracy.” I didn’t like lying to my mother.

“Oh, good. How is she?”

The tension in my shoulders melted away. “She’s fine. Her father is traveling on business so she drove here to meet with me. Beats being alone in her house.” That part wasn’t a lie. Tracy’s father was always traveling.

Her sharp eyes dropped to my shorts. “Are you ready to go?”

“I just need to change and pick up my bags.”

There was a moment of silence as those brown eyes examined me. I forgot how to breathe for a second, expecting my mother to find out all my secrets.

“Hurry.”

My mother walked out and I almost fell on the stairs.

Chapter Six

Charlotte


“You look beautiful,” Donnie said, wiping his glasses on a handkerchief, as I descended the front stairs of the hotel, holding the skirt of my long champagne gown up so as not to trip.

By my side, my mother held her light gray gown up on the stairs. Wearing neutral colors, we both looked elegant and formal, the way my mother liked.

I plastered a smile on my face and halted before the opened limo door. “Thanks.”

Elegant in a tuxedo, Donnie helped us both into the limo. The corners of his mouth looked like they would snap from his wide grin.

Why couldn’t I think he was handsome and good boyfriend material? Well, he certainly was cute and he could make a terrific boyfriend for someone in my position. Yet, my heart didn’t race each time he held my hand, and I couldn’t surrender the few times he leaned in to kiss me.

My mother held all attention during the short ride, hosting an enthusiastic discussion about politics with Donnie, who seemed happy about the subject.

I, though, fought against the rising discomfort in my stomach. The night would be long and boring.

Trying to calm my mind, I looked out the window to the streets of Washington. Two minutes and I regretted it—roller skaters rushed on the sidewalk and, a block ahead, we passed a gallery exhibiting charcoal drawings.

My distress grew once we emerged into the fancy ballroom and the swarm of mostly unknown faces closed in around us, greeting us and ushering us in.

My mother glided with grace and talked to everyone. Every single person in the huge room. One thing I couldn’t deny—my mother was an excellent people person. Except with her own daughter.

Donnie fell into the same dance, and I followed, as a proper date, though I kept my mind on the enormous crystal chandeliers, the large windows under heavy velvet curtains that led to outer balconies, and the beautifully arranged flowers on the tables.

If it depended on me, I would ditch Donnie and leave the party. Well, if it depended on me, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place, with a date I didn’t like or want to like, and strange people who I didn’t care about.