𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧

𝟎𝟎𝟏 - 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐚'𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

C E L I N E   G R A N T
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"I mean what was that?"

Elena had that familiar look of irritation painted on her face. Although I've seen it a lot, I'm thankful that I've never been on the receiving side of it. "She writes some dumb novel about unicorns and gets the internship?!"

The buzz of the busy street nearly drowned out my best friend's words. Had it not been for her generally loud voice I wouldn't have been able to hear her. We were taking our traditional walk to the bistro, waiting until our next class there instead of the campus library.

"They obviously didn't think it was dumb..." I tried my best not to show my irritation like Elena, but there was clear jealously dripping from my low words.

For what seemed like the hundredth time, a huge internship had been given to one of my journalism classmates and not me. The time and effort that I'd put into the paper I wrote was once again a waste of my time, going useless once again.

I knew that nothing would just be handed to me, but I couldn't help but to wish my parents were wealthy with enough connections to get me into a published article. Just like Avery Vaughn, the girl who just got an internship for New York Times. The same girl whose parents also owns a five-star restaurant in The Hamptons.

"We both know exactly why she got that internship", she hissed, flipping the hair of her freshly done lace front off her shoulders. "Her daddy probably promised someone a dinner table next to the Carters or some shit."

I cracked a small smile at that. Although Elena and I only met two years ago at freshmen orientation, I feel like I've known her my entire life. We were total opposites yet completely similar at the same time.

"You deserved it way more, Lina."

I think Elena Hudson just says that to cheer me up. She says it so much that any other person would begin to believe it- but not me. Because I knew that if I actually deserved it, I would've had that internship the second time she said it.

"And I already know what you're thinking", she begins, rolling her eyes. "You're only saying that to be a good friend." The way she mimics a mouth with her fingers makes me playfully pout. "Which isn't true at all. You deserved that internship, Lina."

"Maybe, but I didn't get it, did I?" I asked, dodging some rushing man holding a briefcase in one hand and cell phone in the other.

"Geez, don't be a Debbie downer honey." She sucked her teeth. Yes, I know that I was probably being a little too dry to someone's who's only trying to cheer me up. But the truth is I didn't get the internship, and the twenty others before that. "Do you think a basketball player wins their first super bowl?"

"Superbowl?" I laughed, brows raising.

The confident way that the brownskin girl nods makes the situation much funnier. No, I wasn't a master of sports, but I'm sure that superbowl was football. You'd think someone who got a full ride for her volleyball skills would know the difference. But that was Elena, and that's exactly why I love her.

I couldn't imagine how my years in New York would have turned out had I not met Elena during my freshmen year. My childhood years were spent in basic Minnestoa, so moving to a major place like New York was definitely a huge change.

So major that my mom didn't really want me attending the New York University, even after they offered me a nice scholarship after I won some state creative writing competition during my junior year of high school.

Being that I'm the only child, my mother is quite protective about the things that I do. Especially if she's not around to make sure that I'm doing them safely and correctly.