It's not uncommon for rural girls to drop out of school to work, especially when they have a brother at home. Parents are more likely to push her out to earn money and support the family early on.
That was the case with Verine Hayes's best friend since childhood. When Verine saw her again, she was heavily made up, wearing a revealing sundress, and her nails were vividly colored in line with her eyeshadow palette. She spoke with a disdainful air of arrogance, but it was undercut by her lack of confidence.
She painted a glorious world for Verine, full of bustling traffic and grand mansions. There, people dressed fancily and lived beyond ordinarily, it was like a dream. Verine listened, wholly enraptured.
Later, the boy she fancied also moved to Pethkids, and she no longer hesitated.
She rushed out with her duffle bag and ran into her head teacher who had come looking for her.
