Sister Circle✔️

44. Chill Out

Lark POV

Back at school felt different now.

She did not tell her new sorors that she would have to drop out in her last year if she did not come up with a way to pay for the rest of college. How was she going to do that? She had no idea how much she owed. She went to the Bursar's office soon as she could to see what her balance was.

"Nine thousand, six hundred dollars!"

She looked over the statement and felt sweat beads on her forehead even though it was a cold and chilly day outside.

She did not have a job, how was she going to pay that? She had a few hundred dollars in savings from what her father gave her as a weekly allowance, which was now shut off.

No need to panic, she had thirty days before the next part of the payment plan was due. She could easily get a job and have the first check by then. Her parents did not want her to work before, she needed her focus to be on schoolwork. Now they left her no option.

Her next stop was at the Student Employment Center. She looked over all the jobs on the board. Cafeteria workers, office workers, landscape crew members, campus painters, Bookstore cashiers, librarian assistants, and lots of fast-food workers needed. She was not picky, she would do anything long as it paid the bills.

She did not know where she would have time to work with her class load, plus President of the Black Student Union, and a new member of MAX. How was she about to do this?

Where there was a will there was a way.

She applied for several on-campus jobs, and if those did not pan out, she would find an off-campus job. Feeling a little hopeful, she headed back to her residence hall and saw Zavrina talking with several Resident Assistants. She waved to her and waited to see if she would be done soon so she could at least speak to her.

After a few minutes, Zavrina walked over to her.

"Hey, soror!" She smiled big. "I just love saying that. Hey, soror."

Lark laughed at her. Still needed some adjusting for her. Though wearing the letters on the yard and getting the acknowledging stares was nice. She did not realize how much others admired MAX till she was in it.

"Hey, Zav."

"You wanna hang with your Spec? We have some time to kill before the Sister Circle meeting tonight."

She was a bit nervous about their meeting later tonight. It would be the first one as a MAX. Sitting upfront with her new sorors would be a rush. Not only that, it was one of the topics she submitted while online.

"I was uh...going to chill in my room-"

"Nonsense, you have to eat dinner, right? We can go grab something to eat."

She shrugged. She did not want to get into the whole money issue with Zavrina, and she knew if they talked, it would probably come out.

She checked her phone and saw a text from Frankie. She smiled as she texted him back.

"Girl, are you even listening to me? Are we going to get something to eat?"

"Sure."

They walked through campus, Zavrina stopping to speak to students that stopped her wanting to say hello. Sometimes she forgot how popular her friend was. She still felt like a nobody, even though as President of the Black Student Union, that meant she was well-known to at least most of the African American students.

They finally made it to McAlister's Deli. Every dollar she spent now was precious to her. Eating at McAlister's was included in her meal plan so she was good with that.