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Aurora Augustine*warning explicit content ahead

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Aurora Augustine
*warning explicit content ahead

I was a liar and I prayed to the god that I didn't believe in every single night before I went to bed that I didn't get caught.

I created a life around me that wasn't real. None of it was real.
I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be like them. I wanted more for myself. I wanted everything that anyone I had ever looked up to had.

And he was holding me back.

"Was the plane ride okay?" He asked through the phone speaker. I bit my lip, doodling with my pencil on a stray piece of paper that I found amongst all of my luggage. Somehow, even though this tiny dorm room was filled with suitcases and boxes– I had never felt more at ease in my entire life. Despite what felt like being on the run, and deep down having that dreadful feeling that I would be caught– I felt alive.

"Yeah, it was okay. No turbulence." I eyed the car keys of the 2003 Honda Accord that I had bought with my money while at the airport. I met the guy on Craigslist while using one of the computers at the public library. I was so nervous, I couldn't stop shaking when I handed him what felt like my life savings of two thousand dollars.

"What time is your first class tomorrow?" He was full of questions tonight. What time did I get in? How far was my walk to the campus after the taxi he sent for me dropped me off? Did I meet anyone? Did my books make their way to my dorm room? Do I have air conditioning in the June Pennsylvania heat?

"It's at nine but I'm going to wake up early, go for a walk, and get a good breakfast in me." I stood up from the uncomfortable wooden desk chair that came with the room. I put my dressings on my bed before he called me.

"I'm proud of you sweetheart. Attending an Ivy League school is huge, and you are doing amazing things. I can't wait to watch you thriving with economics."

A lump of guilt and regret found its way into my throat. "Right Dad, well it's getting late. I'm going to shower and then head to bed. You know how crazy Philadelphia can be." He chuckled. Of course, he did know how crazy it could be but as I looked out the window of my campus dorm room, I didn't know anything at all about how crazy Philadelphia was.

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