Coffee & Biscuits

15|newfound friends

The drive to Hudson University was about 1 hour 30 minutes but in the sunny weather it felt far less. Rebecca George and Aria Willows had skipped school for this reason, something Aria had only done once in her lifetime and by then regretted it badly. Today she knew that she was doing it for a good reason so whatever consequence was to come from this she was ready to embrace it. Never before had she felt stronger and more determined that she was doing the right thing and that after prom this nightmare would be all over.

"What are you smiling about?" Rebecca broke the serenity in her mind.

Aria took in the environment around her that was Rebecca's car. The music playing on medium volume, the windows open enough to let the warm breeze through and Rebecca George looking effortlessly beautiful. The scenario was strange since this wasn't somewhere she'd ever be if Brody hadn't put his hands on her, but as strange as it was it felt oddly right, now.

"I'm really glad we're doing this, that's all. I haven't felt like we've gotten anywhere with this plan until now, it gives me hope." Aria responded.

Rebecca's face softened a little, "I know, I was thinking the same thing before. I haven't seen her since last year when she was a senior but she told me I could contact her whenever I needed her, I never thought I'd actually would."

"Do you think she'll actually help us with this?" Aria was a little unsure still, after all if it was her she'd most likely want to forget about a past that horrific.

"Oh I know she will. After what happened to her she changed her major to become a police officer, because she wants to help girls and women like us. She knows that fear is what's kept her and now us away from the police, the fear of not being believed, and that has to stop." Rebecca explained.

This girl, Aria had yet to remember her name, was a heroine in the making. As they continued driving Aria thought about what she was going to do for college once she'd been accepted. Her motivation to leave high school was stronger than ever but she had yet to think of what major would suit her best. After this incident she felt different and so did the world around her, so she couldn't just move on and pretend this had never happened - no she needed to make a difference too.

Then she turned to Rebecca, "What are you going to study in college and where do you want to go?"

Rebecca smiled, "If everything goes as planned I'll be leaving for Caltech after summer is over. Not many people know this but I am really good at computers and I might end up working for Google or Apple in the future. All I know is; I want to do something people won't expect me to do."

"And what do they expect?" Aria asked even though she knew the answer.

"They all think I'm going to New York to study fashion or perhaps that my grades are too bad to even get accepted to college in the first place. Either way they'd never think to see me thriving at Caltech - so that's what I'm going to do."

Rebecca was like a Russian doll, the more Aria found out the deeper it went. The fashionable mean girl she had been so jealous and at times terrified of was only an alter ego, the real Rebecca was someone she could consider a friend.

---

Hudson University had just renovated their entire campus and now consisted of one contemporary building after the next. Aria and Rebecca looked more than impressed as they walked up the steps into the formal lobby. The eagerness of starting college shook the two seniors and Aria felt as if the time until it started would be unbearable.

"There she is," Rebecca pointed to a young woman walking down the sandalwood colored steps toward them.

The tall young woman sported short black hair and a bold red lip and had the most confident walk Aria had ever seen. Despite people zooming past her and not noticing how gripping she was Aria and Rebecca sure did notice. Aria couldn't remember her name from their school anymore. She hadn't been very attentive in regards to previous prom queens and especially the seniors that reigned before her senior year, but she did remember that face.