It ended, it began

"Poverty is not a hindrance to success."

We gave a standing ovation to Christian's valedictory speech as he descended on the stairs with teary eyes. I teared up, well, half of it phony so everyone won't think that I'm a numb skull. I exchanged hugs with my classmates, closest friends, favorite teachers and the last one I ever embraced inside the celebrating-yet-in-sad-departure gymnasium was my grandmother. Jana, my best friend cried too. Only that to her, weeping was obligatory so she won't have any regret.

"Your cheeks stink." grandma said after she kissed me. Maybe it was make-up mixed with tears and wet kisses that generated the stench. I laughed though. "Why don't you invite Jana along? I'll treat you out."

"She's celebrating too, with her parents." I smiled. We headed down to Dunkin Donuts with my brother and gave cheers. Finally, I'm over high school. Months from now, I'd be linking through the university, meet new people, stay late at night, and finally have reasons not to sleep in my own bed.

Before anything else, lemme tell you what I was thinking before graduating:

1. I'm not staying in this drenched city. I'm moving out.
2. I won't attend that must-not-be-named university they keep on insisting. I have hopes and I've been already shunned at my dream school.
3. I'm taking up a course I don't like. Forgive me if I'd shift.
4. Don't expect me to be great in academics. You'll just disappoint yourselves.
5. If i did excel, never ever pressure me.
6. Let me do my own thing and I'll prove you wrong.

"River, you're gonna be late!" my grandmother's voice was enough to make me jump out of bed early in the morning. My cell phone alarmed before that but I refused to pick up. It was the first day of school. Normally, girls would crumble in front of the mirror fixing themselves up. But I'm not normal, am I?

So I entered the portals of the "university" and I was not excited as I had been every school year. I didn't give a damn to how I looked in the must-not-be-named university uniform. Never in a single molecule of a bread crumb did I choose this school. And never will I show some good of me to people I had no interest in meeting with in the first place.

After dealing with my resentment, I concluded:

1. No matter how I try to detest my situation, I can obviously do nothing about it.
2. I'll just have to bear with the alienation until I can find some friends to trust.
3. Pretending isn't bad when it is badly needed. [but never pretend that you're happy if you're not].
4. Don't come late. You'll lose the best sitting places.
5. Smile. [Make sure they won't notice it's fake].
   
6. Prepare everything [don't be like me, but thanks to that...]

I looked at my new seatmate and found him scribbling something.
"What's that?" I asked. He didn't answer. Now, that was very welcoming.
"It's our prospectus." Smiled the girl next to him. "Have you filled it up yet? Here."

She was nice. And seeing her helping me like this made me feel secure.

"Sheine Marshaw, by the way." she added. "He's Van Walker." she pointed to the guy before. "He's just shy, but he's good."
"Yeah. River Driscoll." I nodded.
"Will you be joining us then, River?"
"Darren! You're late." Sheine slapped his chest. "It's a good thing we saved you a seat, Mr. Cunningham."
"Yeah." Darren smiled.

And since that, we hang out.