Chapter 1 - Declined at 9:14
"Your full scholarship was canceled at 9:14 this morning."
The woman standing on our porch said it so gently that, for a second, I thought I had misunderstood.
Behind me, my mother was still shouting about babysitting.
"Zarya isn't leaving for college," she told my aunt Renee.
"There are two little girls here and seventy catering orders next month."
I was eighteen, standing between a packed suitcase and the kitchen where I had practically raised my sisters.
The university representative held a blue folder against her chest.
"I'm Leah Santos, from Northvale University. I was scheduled to go over Zarya's move-in plans."
"Good," Mom said.
"Then you can explain why a scholarship doesn't excuse her from her responsibilities."
Leah looked at me, not at my mother.
"Zarya, may I speak with you privately?"
"Whatever it is, say it," I answered.
Mom folded her arms.
Aunt Renee moved closer, as if she already knew I would need someone standing beside me.
"Our system shows that you declined the Horizon Fellows award through your student portal this morning," Leah said.
"The request was processed."
The room seemed to tilt.
That award covered tuition, housing, meals, books, and four years of a future I had built after midnight while everyone else slept.
"I didn't decline anything."
"Are you certain you didn't ask someone to do it for you?"
"I'd rather cut off my own hand."
Mom made an impatient sound.
"This is getting dramatic."
"I earned that scholarship," I said.
"I know," Leah replied.
"That's why I drove here after seeing the withdrawal."
Renee set her car keys on the table.
"Zarya can stay with me until move-in day," she said.
"She isn't losing college because somebody wants a free babysitter."
Mom's face hardened.
"You think you can take my daughter?"
"I think she's old enough to leave."
Leah opened her folder to a page marked ACCOUNT SECURITY.
"There's one more thing," she said.
"The person who canceled the award also changed the recovery phone number on Zarya's account."
She read the last four digits aloud.
May you like
I turned toward my mother.
They were the last four digits of her phone.
