The Journey

First Day of College

After breakfast, Imelda went to work while Mirabel drove her own car to Universidad de Mariposa. The campus was beyond beautiful, and there were many different buildings, each one with a different subject. Mirabel parked her car in the south parking lot and went on her way to the K-Building, where her math class would be.

"Well, today is the day I start a whole new chapter in my life," Mirabel told herself. "Nothing can ruin it for me."

Mirabel was going to wish she hadn't spoken the minute she heard a boy say, "Que bueno, Mirabel." That was one voice she never wanted to hear again in her life—and when she turned, she saw a group of people she never wanted to see again: the popular kids from high school.

"¿Q-Q-Qué?" Mirabel gasped.

"Hola, Mirabel, long time no see," the girl with dark red hair said with a sweet smile.

"Nayeli?" Mirabel gulped. "Dolores? Rocio? Camilo? What are you all doing here? I thought you said college was pointless."

"It is pointless, but we missed being the most popular muchachos in school—and since we can't do it in high school anymore, we decided to come here to keep it up," Camilo said.

Mirabel was dismayed—she was positive she'd be free of the popular kids from her high school only for them to follow her to her college. Now she'd never be happy. "Que bueno," she said awkwardly.

"Sí, it feels good to be surrounded by people who are inferior to you," Nayeli smirked before taking out a compact and applying lipstick.

Mirabel rolled her eyes in disgust. It was pathetic of her old snotty high school classmates to waltz onto college campus just so they could be better than everyone else. She didn't see how they could be better than all the students here since they weren't going to take any classes.

"I suppose you're going to take some art classes and reading classes, eh, Mirabel?" Dolores surmised.

"Well, literature is a required course, Dolores, and since graphic design is my major, I have to take art classes," Mirabel said.

"¿Qué?" Camilo blanched.

"Sí, yo se," Mirabel said. "I haven't changed much since high school. I'm still taking literature and art classes, but it's something I have to do because it's an obligation for each student."

"No, what do you mean graphic design is your major?" Camilo asked.

"Oh, in college talk, a major is something you want to do for your career," Mirabel said.

"¿Qué es eso?" Rocio asked.

"A career is something you love that you do for work," Mirabel replied. Suddenly, her watch beeped, indicating that she had to get to her math class. "Tengo que irme. I have math class at 8:10. Hasta luego."

Camilo, Nayeli, Dolores, and Rocio just stared as they watched Mirabel walk off—and she was still in earshot when they started talking.

"Typical Mirabel, always doing art and reading and focusing on classes," Nayeli sniffed. "She really hasn't changed since high school."

"Can't she do something different?" Rocio asked. "She's not in school anymore."

"Yo no creo, Rocio—yo no creo," Camilo sighed.

Mirabel had heard what her old classmates said, and her heart sank. She really thought she'd put her painful high school days behind, but with those cabrones having followed her here, it was going to be hard to move on. On the other hand, those muchachos were more stupid than Mirabel remembered because technically, college is school.