Tears.
They stung the back of her eyes until she couldn't pretend to be adjusting her artificial lashes anymore.
One slid down the corner of her right eye, trailing her chubby cheek and stopping only at the intersection between her jaw and neck.
“Award for the best graduating student of the year goes to….Sandy Adams!”
Before she knew what was happening there were shutter clicks and light flashing in her eyes. A warm towel dabbed her cheeks, trying to save her makeup from the impact of her tears.
That warm towel was the exact reason she was crying.
It was her older sister, Wendy.
“Go Sandy! We're proud of you!”
She took deep breaths in, trying to widen her smile as the school paparazzi crowded around her on her way to the podium.
Amidst the smiley faces and loud applause, the tall blonde-haired who was her sister, stood out the most. Her smile was the brightest, her claps the loudest.
Sandy was born ten years after Wendy. After her parents had tried severally to get Wendy a sibling.
Wendy told her that at first she wanted the baby to be a boy, but when her mother presented the brown curly haired baby to her, she fell in love almost immediately.
It didn't take Wendy anything to hijack the baby. She was the one who stayed up at night to feed the bottle, change Sandy's diapers, and take her for walks.
She'd rush back from school every afternoon, tossing her backpack in a corner so she could lift her sister in the air and twirl her around.
As the years went by, Wendy took up the role of personal assistant, preparing Sandy for school and ballet classes and setting a working schedule for her social life.
Wendy was by her side during every sickness, every win… every loss.
Now that she was finally done with college as the best graduating student, she owed it all to her sister.
“We're definitely going clubbing tonight. Bills on me!” Wendy squealed when she got down from the podium.
She couldn't even respond without the tears interfering, she just threw her hands around her sister's neck.
“Hey…. it's okay,” Wendy kept whispering in her ears.
“Sandy Adams?”
Wendy dabbed the towel around her eyes, gave her a huge smile and pushed her forward.
“This is Sandy.”
The woman in the black ponytail did a once over of Wendy and completely ignored her. She turned back to Sandy and gave a small smile.
“Hello, Sandy. My name is Anita Roderick. Senior consultant for Flying Heroes Literary Academy.”
“Oh…” Sandy slid her hand into the woman's firm grip. “It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you.”
“Yes. Can we talk in private?” She glanced disapprovingly at Wendy again.
Sandy turned around and her sister winked at her reassuringly. She turned back to Anita and gave a weak smile, following the woman through the crowd in the hall to the parking lot.
“You see, Sandy, I've been following you since you were pronounced the smartest kid in Louisiana during that spelling bee…”
Sandy chuckled, “That was six years ago, and it was an exaggeration.”
“Maybe not. You've managed to keep straight As since you were fourteen. You're a genius.”
Sandy's smile widened.
“The academy I work for, we only work with geniuses. Because of this, I've been sent to recruit you into the graduate assistant program of the institute.”
“Hold on….I just graduated and you want me to become a lecturer!?”
Anita's smile widened too. “Yes, Sandy. We're going to train you to become one of the best lecturers in the state. Only if you accept the offer, of course.”
Sandy raised a brow, “What's the offer?”
“You'll have to travel to our head branch in Washington for three months. That's where the training will take place.”
Sandy nodded her head. “Well, I'd like to have some time to think about it.”
Anita's smile wavered a bit. “Sandy, as a graduate assistant you'd be earning five hundred dollars monthly and when you come to work with the institute, it doubles to a thousand. Think about it.” Then she walked away.
Wendy hurried out to hug her again when she noticed Anita had left. “Hey, what's wrong?”
“She's saying I have to go to Washington for three months. I can't go to Washington alone, what about you? What about the plans we made to start up that food place you've always wanted?”
“Heyyy…. don't sweat it. Don't even think about it. This is your life. This is everything we've worked towards. Go for it.”
Sandy pushed her sister away from her, tears streaming down her cheeks in torrents. How could she do something that hideous?
Wendy had always wanted to open her own food place, but because her dad died and she had to work and save for Sandy’s college fees, she kept her own dreams aside.
Sandy made a promise then that no matter what, she'd join her to set the place up before pursuing her own life, but now she had to make a choice.
Her family needed that money. If she earned five hundred dollars, without having to pay for accommodation then it would help Wendy channel her own salary into her life and her dreams.
Her mom wouldn't have to worry about them either. She could even be sending money home.
But if she did that, she'd be betraying her sister. Maybe it was for the best.
She hurried back to the parking lot and hailed Anita's car which was just rolling out.
“I'm not taking it.”
“What?” Anita's eyes widened with shock.
“I'm sorry, I can't. Maybe I'll work with your institute in the future, but right now I have a restaurant to open.”
“A restaurant? Miss Adams are you sure you…..”
But Sandy wasn't listening to her. She was heading giddily back to her sister to pay her back in her own good coin.
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