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    “You know what new employee training covers, right?” Charles said, his voice t and eyes sharp. “I don’t want anyone else making the same mistake you just did.”


    “I understand,” Tracy whispered, nodding quickly.


    “Then get out.” He waved her off without another look.


    Tracy stumbled out of his office, her legs shaking so badly she could barely walk straight.


    Charles picked up the fancy coffee cup she’d brought, nced at it for half a second, then tossed it straight into the trash.


    Alicia spent two more days in the hospital. Her best friend Sienna brought her homework to the entrance every day–sometimes Brooke went down to grab it, sometimes Alicia went herself. She ran into Tiffany a few times during those trips.


    Each time, she acted like Tiffany was aplete stranger. Didn’t even look her way.


    But every time, Tiffany put on this pitiful act, calling out to Alicia like some wounded puppy. And when Alicia ignored her? Tiffany’s brothers saw it all. Their hearts broke for their “poor little sister,” and they just got angrier at Alicia.


    On the third day, Sienna showed up with graded assignments. Since it was the weekend, she wasn’t in a rush, so she headed straight up to Alicia’s room.


    When she saw how nice the private room was, Sienna raised an eyebrow. “Did your foster parents grow a conscience? Since when do they spring for the good rooms?”


    Alicia had never outright bad–mouthed the Lawrences to Sienna, bute on—they spent every day together. Sienna knew exactly how things were.


    Alicia worked her butt off just to pay for school, food, clothes… everything. So yeah, seeing her in a fancy hospital room? Total shock.


    So yeah, seeing her in a fancy hospital room? Total shock.


    Alicia shrugged. “I’m paying for it myself.”


    “Wait, what?” Sienna’s eyes went wide. “Did you win the lottery or something?”


    Alicia let out a tiredugh. “No, no. It’s…plicated.” <fn0880> This update is avable on Find[?]ovel</fn0880>


    “Give me the short version then,” Sienna said, leaning forward with curiosity.


    “Alright. So the day I left the Lawrence house, it was pouring rain. I was standing there shaking and freezing when this car pulled up. The driver offered me a ride out of the neighborhood. Halfway through, my stomach


    :


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    started killing me–next thing I know, they’re dropping me off here. They even covered this room and got me a private nurse<b>.</b>”


    Sienna burst outughing. “Sounds like they forced you into a five–star vacation! Was it a hospital spy or something?”


    Alicia smiled. “Probably not.”


    Suddenly, Sienna’s expression shifted. “Wait–what did you just say? You left the Lawrence family?”


    “Yeah,” Alicia nodded calmly. “I’m out.”


    “Where are you gonna live now?” Sienna asked, her voice full of concern.


    After a pause, she brightened. “You should stay with me! I’ll talk to my parents–you can share my room!”


    “I appreciate it, but I’m gonna find my own ce,” Alicia said gently.


    “Rent costs money though! Just move in with me–my parents love you!”


    “I can’t live with you forever, Sienna. Besides, I’m still looking for Richard. When I find him, he’ll need a ce too. Can’t exactly move him into your


    room.”


    Sienna scratched her head. “Okay, fair. But my parents are actually looking for a new ce–my brother’s getting too old to share their room. They want a three–bedroom. When we move, there’ll be space! Richard can bunk with my brother, you with me, my parents get their own room. Perfect, right?”


    Looking at Sienna’s hopeful face, Alicia felt a sharp pang in her chest. This sweet, loyal friend–in her past life, Tiffany had her gang–raped, leaked the video online, and watched as bullying and cyber abuse drove Sienna to suicide.


    All because Sienna chose to be her friend. All because she refused to side with Tiffany.


    But this time, things would be different. She wouldn’t let that darkness touch Sienna again. Not ever.


    Until she was strong enough to truly protect her, she had to keep her distance.


    Tears welled in Alicia’s eyes, but she kept her voice light. “Thank you, Sienna. Really. But I need to do this on my own first. I’ll find a ce, get settled, and when we bring Richard home, he’ll have somewhere to go right away.”


    “Okay,” Sienna said softly. “But if you need money—ask me, alright? I have all my Lunar New Year cash saved up. My parents never took it—it’s all still there.”


    “But


    “Alright, if I run short, I’ll borrow from you,” Alicia agreed with a nod. “But for now, let’s focus on this homework, yeah?”


    Sienna pulled their assignments from her backpack. “Y’know, it’s crazy–you haven’t even been to ss, but you’re acing every assignment. Even the teachers say you’ve improved. Some of these questions… the top student in ss couldn’t solve them, but you got them all right.”


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    It hit Alicia then–in her past life, she’d only been above average. But after nine lifetimes of learning the same material, of course it came easily now. Would people find it suspicious if she improved this fast<b>? </b>


    Better take it slow.


    Sienna waved a hand in front of her face. “Hello? How’d you get so good all of a sudden?”


    Alicia smiled softly. “Let’s just say I figured out a few study tricks.”


    “Really? Can you teach me?” Sienna leaned in, eager.


    “Of course.” Alicia spent the next while exining techniques she’d gathered over lifetimes–memory. patterns, concept–linking, how to break downplex theories.


    Sienna was her best friend. She wouldn’t hold back.


    But some methods were hard to grasp just by listening. Sienna nodded along, though her eyes zed over once or twice.


    “I’ll write everything down once I’m out of the hospital,” Alicia promised. “We’ll improve together.”


    Sienna threw her arms around her. “You’re the best, you know that? I love you!”


    They didn’t talk much longer before Sienna had to head home.


    Walking her out, Alicia ran straight into Tiffany–again.


    They went to the same school now–Premier Academy. Of course Tiffany knew Sienna.


    When the Lawrences first enrolled Tiffany, they’d asked Alicia to “look after her,” so they’d ced them together at Premier.


    But Premier wasn’t a typical college. It offered everything–art, music, acting, flower–arranging, physics, chemistry, biology, botany… you name it. Students could pick whatever interested them. The whole idea was well–rounded learning.


    There were no set majors. Liked a ss? Attend every lecture. Not your thing? Skip it. Mildly curious? Try a few sessions.


    It saved students the trouble of changing majors down the road… and let everyone learn what they truly cared about.


    15:39 Wed, <b>Oct </b>1