The taxi's engine hums as Evette stands by the curb, her suitcase at her feet. The August heat clings to her skin, but she barely notices it. Her heart pounds, not with sadness, not with fear, but with excitement.
"Call when you land, Evette," her mother says, trying to sound firm, but her eyes give her away. She's trying not to cry.
Her father claps her on the shoulder. "Don't get into trouble."
"I'm going to law school, Dad. Not prison."
"Same thing," he mutters.
She laughs, but her 13-year-old sister, Aria, just rolls her eyes. "You're acting like she's moving to another planet." She crosses her arms, pretending she won't miss her, but Evette catches the quick glance at her suitcase.
She sighs. She should feel more emotional about leaving, right? But all she can think about is Westgate Law College. The campus, the prestige, the future she has been dreaming of. And Evan.
Evan James. Her best friend since second grade. Blond hair, green eyes, and the only person who has ever really understood her. The fact that they will be in the same place again sends a flutter of excitement through her.
The taxi driver clears his throat. "Miss?"
She grabs her suitcase handle. "I'll text you guys when I land."
Her mother nods, her father waves, and Aria just shrugs. But as Evette slides into the car, she swears she hears her sister whisper, "Don't forget me."
The door shuts. The car pulls away. And she doesn't look back.
She sinks into the taxi seat, exhaling as the city blurs past. Atlanta has been home her whole life, but soon, she will have her own dorm, her own space, a new life. No parents, no Aria barging into her room whenever she feels like it. Just her, Westgate Law College, and the future she has been working toward.
She pulls out her phone and opens her messages. Her fingers hover for a second before she types.
"Hey, I'll meet you at the airport?"
Evan and Evette have known each other forever. Since second grade, when she had walked into class, overwhelmed and already regretting everything. She had barely made it to her seat before her eyes started watering, and that was when Evan had slid into the seat beside her, offering half of his sandwich like that was a normal thing to do for a stranger.
"It's peanut butter," he had said, pushing it toward her. "It makes people feel better."
It hadn't, but she had stopped crying. And they had been inseparable ever since.
She stares out the window, watching the familiar streets turn into long stretches of highway. Life in Pennsylvania is going to be different. Harder. The classes, the workload… living on her own. It's a prestigious school—people dream about getting in.
And she has gotten a scholarship.
That fact still hasn't fully sunk in. She should be more nervous. More scared. But instead, she just feels ready.
Her phone buzzes.
"Yeah, the flight leaves in an hour. I've almost reached."
She smiles a little, tucking her phone away. One hour, and everything will change.