Chapter 12 - The Story She Tried to Sell
By the next afternoon, half my relatives had received the same message.
Zarya is overwhelmed. She asked me to handle her college situation and now she's blaming me.
Mom even attached a photograph of me crying at Dad's funeral, seven years earlier.
"She's using a grieving child as proof I'm unstable," I told Renee.
"Then don't fight her photograph with another photograph," Renee said.
"Fight it with facts."
Ms. Patel helped me prepare an accurate timeline.
At 8:45 a.m., she'd unlocked the engineering lab for me.
At 9:14, the portal accepted the withdrawal request.
At 9:20, I'd signed a log for a box of printer filament.
At 11:03, I'd texted Renee about picking up my summer project supplies, excited to have more room in my dorm.
The evidence didn't tell us exactly who had touched the keyboard.
It did show that I hadn't made a deliberate choice to abandon college.
During the next committee call, Dr. Rowan listened and asked a question that made my heart race.
"Would you be willing to state, on the record, that you never authorized the withdrawal?"
"Yes."
"Even if the review concludes a close family member made it?"
"Especially then."
He told me Northvale had offered the released scholarship place to a student on its alternate list, subject to final confirmation.
"I won't ask you to take another student's opportunity away," I said.
"I'm asking you not to let someone steal mine."
Dr. Rowan was quiet for several seconds.
"There's a way to request an additional funded place," he said.
"But it needs an extraordinary authorization."
"Who gives it?"
"The scholarship trustees."
I looked at the calendar.
May you like
Their emergency meeting was in two days.
And they wanted a statement from the person who had changed my recovery number.
