Chapter Five: Friend from abroad

The anger of having been punished passed. I confess that I thought about quitting the sorority and asked to leave. But I wanted to be part of a group of preppy girls. So I persisted.

The next few days I spent doing my chores completely silently. Once a week I would go there and work for one to two hours. They made us do this to save money, so they wouldn't have to pay employees.

They did some tests on me, like telling me to clean the windows and of course this time I left the curtains closed behind me.

So little by little I was accepted.

Five months passed. And being part of the sorority started to become advantageous.

As I gained their trust, I was given important tasks. Like buying clothes for Ashley. Yes, she trusted me to choose a nice outfit that suited her. Another test if I failed.

I was instructed to go to certain stores and show my sorority card. This way I would get discounts, and they could buy things for me too, which I loved!

It was in one of these designated stores that I met a woman named Poline. Who ended up becoming my mentor.

She owned a very fancy, high-class store. The saleswomen in the store were so well dressed and smelled so good that they could be mistaken for customers. I showed the saleswoman my card to get an exclusive outfit for Ashley. The girl, who looked like an angel model, saw the card and looked at me. Then she told me to wait.

I was apprehensive, it wasn't a credit card, it was a business card, but they had told me that they would know what it was about. The saleswoman came with a mature woman, not very old, dressed in a blue-purple blazer, very elegant. It was Poline. She had the card in her hand, she made me follow her eyes to the drop symbols and then looked at me and asked me:

" Are you a Darling or Friend?"

" Currently Darling in the process of being approved for Friend!"laughed and Poline laughed too and surprised me by saying:

"I was once a 'Friend'!"

She had been a member of the Pink Flavored Drops sorority.

"How cool to see a senior. What year were you?"

" I was in the class from 97 to 99, then I left."

" Haven't you become a Diva?"

"I was one year away from becoming one. But I refused..."

"Refused?!"

"Yes! Once you become a Friend, everything gets better, but to become a Diva... do you know what it takes to become one?"

"No!"

I answered with innocent sincerity. Poline realized something and said to me:

"So you still don't know?"

"What should I know? You could tell me since you're a senior."

"I'm sorry, we only tell you the essentials for a Darling. But you'll find out when you get to your third year of the course. Who's the leading Diva?"

" Ashley!"

"Ashley is still there?! When is she going to drop out of college? He must be in his fifth or sixth year of college by now."

"Were you Ashley's classmates?"

"Yes! We graduated in the same year, in Fashion."

"Cool! I'm also studying fashion. But if I'm not mistaken, Ashley is studying psychology."

"After 1999 she graduated in architecture, nutritionism, tried quantum physics but didn't understand anything, went to physical education, studied music, and I don't know what else. Some people get addicted to studying in college to always be surrounded by new people."

"Wait! Let me get this straight, you and she studied in '97? But..."

I looked at Poline, she was a woman in her forties, while Ashley appeared to be younger, although I could see that she was older than her classmates when I looked at her.

"The age difference?" Poline asked. Then she laughed. "Some mature faster than others."

I didn't mean to say she was old, it's wrong to say that to a woman who fights so hard against cruel time and her damn wrinkles! God, I hate wrinkles!

Poline looked at my purchases and said, since it was your first time here, you could take the purchase as a gift on my account.

I was amazed, the bill had come to a total of four thousand dollars. Including some clothes I had chosen for myself.

"Can I really take it?"

"Yes! You can, but promise me to come back and talk to me, Friend to Friend!"

"Yes, I promise." I tried to get my purchase, oops, present, quickly before she changed her mind. And I was leaving the store when Poline said to me before walking through the door:

"Give my regards to Ashley, time passes but friendship remains."

I left the store feeling grateful.

I arrived at the pink mansion and Ashley was there, on her Mac laptop, surfing the internet. I placed the pink and gold bag from the store on the office desk in front of her. She was happy and clapped her hands.

"Let's see if your time in college has created good taste."

She pulled out the dresses and jewelry and loved each one.

"Okay, I like it! You can go now, Darling, I'm going to change."

Before I went, I wrote on my cell phone screen that I needed to speak. This is how I had to do it:

" Go on, Darling, speak!"

"The shop owner, Poline, sent her regards to you. She told me that you went to school together."

Ashley's look of contempt was unique.

" Poline is a loser! I don't like her. And before you ask me why, you can go now Darling, I have an appointment after the sun goes down. Go! Go! Go!"

I was shooed away like a puppy.

But I didn't care. After all, being in a sorority is like accepting such insulting attitudes. But what intrigued me was why was Poline older than Ashley?