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Chapter 4

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*Flashback*

Butterflies filled my stomach as I held a neatly folded campus map in my hand. I was ecstatic when my 9th grade counselor told me that I was accepted into their CEFYS program (Computer Engineering for Youth Students.) Out of 476 applicants, I was the only one accepted. I was given a placement exam, and received a perfect score, graduating high school at the age of 14.

Whitman College was less than a mile away from my high school, I was informed that I will be starting my bachelors there in an advanced program based on my test scores, the tuition fully paid for.

I looked around the campus, intimidated by the older students who looked to be in their early to mid 20's. I clutched onto my black backpack and quickened my pace. I made sure to pull my sleeves down to hide the bruises that marked my arms.

I stepped into the small classroom, taking a seat in the back to avoid the already unwelcoming stares from other students. I grabbed the hood of my black sweatshirt and pulled it over my head, a habit I had when I just wanted to disappear.

"You lost kid?" A man with a full beard asked me as he walked past. Tattoos covered his neck and face, only adding to his intimidating appearance.

"I-I, um..." I stuttered and looked down at my hands.

"The middle school is a little further away from here. This is Whitman College kid." He said skeptically, raising his pierced eyebrow.

"I-I'm here for C-Computer Programming 189." I managed to say, but it sounded more like a whisper than a statement. He gave me one last look before he left to the front of the room.

A few minutes later, an older woman entered and took a seat at the front of the classroom. She cleared her throat to get the classes attention. She was gorgeous. She had ocean blue eyes, and soft features. Her nose was slightly upturned. She was a tiny woman, about 5'2. She was well put together, perfectly manicured nails, her wavy dark brown hair falling to her shoulders. Her outfit was pristinely ironed and neat.

"My name is Miss Jones, I am your instructor for the course. Before we have our speaker come up, please open your laptops and log onto my course site: passcode is WC189. If you do not have a laptop, please raise your hand." She stated, her voice had a hint of an intimidating foreign accent. Embarrassment flooded over me once I realized that I was the only one without a laptop.

Miss Jones walked up to me with a used laptop in her hand, a standard Dell with a large sticker of "Whitman College" logo on the front. She smiled at me and handed me the laptop.

"You can borrow that for the semester. I trust you'll return it." She whispered to me and smiled.

I gave her a small smile back, and ran my fingers across the logo. This was the first laptop I've ever held.

After explaining the syllabus in detail, a college recruiter made his way to the front to talk to us about our programs for our masters degrees.

I listened intently as he explained the top colleges for Computer Engineering. His PowerPoint showed slides of MIT, Harvard, Stevens Institute of Technology, and my heart stopped when pictures of Stanford's campus graced the projector.

It was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. The grass courtyard adorn with crimson and white flowers. The programs were exceptional, and the architecture was slightly rustic. The dorms looked incredible, with two comfortable looking twin beds inside with a closet. My 14-year-old year heart swelled with hope and visions of my future.