Emma’s Admission

And here it was, of course, it was Clara. With her silly blabbering, she checked the message

. "Come on, Emma, pick my call! I just told you I got my admission letter and you're not even saying anything about it! Come on, , I don't have a dress, I need to buy new clothes. I want you to suggest colors for me, , tell me what should I buy tomorrow, a black bag, shoes? How about my hair? How about I tint my hair?"

Emma didn't even finish reading it she kept her phone and went downstairs to get, water. She dropped her phone on the dining table and brought out her book, starting to read.

Reading is her coping mechanism, especially when it's about arts and music. She is a very good singer, but yet no one has ever heard her voice, because she decided to keep it to herself. She was reading her book, got tired, and decided to go upstairs to take a rest.

It was six AM when she had a very loud scream from downstairs. She hurried, rushed up, and went straight to where the sound was coming from,

and behold, it was her mom downstairs, close to the fridge, holding her phone ,looking at her in disbelief. Emma's heart was beating, what could this be? Why is her mom with her phone? Oh my God, she left her phone downstairs yesterday, what happened?

Emma!!

ma?

She answered frustrated by her mum silence Why is her mom staring at her like that? What did she do? Don't tell me Clara sent those notes,and x videos, she always sends.

"Emma, why didn't you tell me?" Her mom said, with a sound that made Emma even more afraid. Emma became confused,

what is her mom talking about? What didn't she tell her? Why can’t this woman just go straight to the point for once?

"Emma, so how were you able to sleep without telling me this?" you got admission to Columbia University and you didn't even tell me?

Silence... immediately embraced them

Emma's heart was beating, she could not believe it. She kept staring at her mom, in disbelief,

What.?!!! What .. do you mean, Mom? What do you mean? I ..had... admission to university? I didn't check, I haven't checked it, I haven't checked it!"

With that, she rushed towards her mom, snatched her phone from her mom, and saw the message:

"Congratulations Emma stanford you have been offered admission to study Financial Accounting... Do well to check our website for more information on registration and commencement of academic session."

Emma was confused. She hugged her mom, without even knowing it, they both hugged themselves, for how many minutes... They began to cry, it was a dream come true. Her father always wanted her to go to college, and here she was, going to college, Columbia University.

She had gotten a scholarship, someone had promised to sponsor her studies. She decided to break away, to text the man, Mister Charles, her uncle, the man that has been with them since the death of their father, the man that had promised to take care of them, the man that will always be sending their mom food stuff, to make sure they are doing okay.

She tested him about her admission, with that, she rushed out to her room to call Clara, she could only imagine how she would scream.

*****

Weeks pass and then that faithful day came the day for registration The calmness of New York was a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing in Emma's mind. She stepped off the bus, her worn out slippers scraping against the pavement, and gazed up at the towering buildings of Columbia University.

The campus was a sea of unfamiliar faces, that left her feeling like an outsider.

She clugged her bag, the one she'd gotten from a church charity event back in the Philippines, and tried to blend in. But it was no use. The other students seemed to glide across the quad, their designer clothes and sleek haircuts making her feel like a country bumpkin.

She stood there, frozen, scanning the crowd for someone, anyone, who might be able to help her. But everyone seemed to be in a hurry, rushing to their next class or meeting, and no one seemed to notice her. She felt invisible, a ghost hovering on the fringes of campus life.

Finally, she spotted a girl who looked approachable . But as she approached, she felt her words get stuck in her throat. She stood there, tongue tied, unable to strike up a conversation. The girl looked up, raised an eyebrow, and Emma knew she had to say something, anything.

"Ehm... oh, good morning... good morning. I... I am... I am looking for the registry. I need to register... my... my course. I'm... I'm a new student, Emma... Emma Stanford," she stammered, feeling her face heat up with embarrassment.

The girl raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking over Emma's outfit, and replied with a curt, "Take that route " before walking off without another word.

Emma's face burned with embarrassment as she followed the girl's pointed finger. She found the registry, a beautiful room with marble walls and a high ceiling, and gazed around in awe. The room was filled with various sections, with different staff attending to different students, all chatting and interacting. Emma felt like she didn't belong.

As she scanned the room, her eyes landed on a familiar face, and her heart sank. It was Rebecca David, the girl who had made her life miserable back in high school. Her bully, her greatest fear, and now she was here, in the same university. Emma felt vulnerable, trapped. Clara, her best friend, was not here to defend her, and she was on her own.

Rebecca's eyes locked onto Emma's, and a sly smile spread across her face. Emma knew she was in trouble. Rebecca's gaze seemed to say it all "Here we go again."