“Well, how was it?” Sara asked that night on the phone.

“Very nice,” she replied. “I made a couple of friends.”

“Male ones?” Sara teased.

“What was that?” Gabriel spoke up in the background.

“She made friends,” Sara called to him. “Don’t have a cow.”

He made a sarcastic sound and was quiet.

“How do you like your roommate?” Sara continued.

Michelle glanced into the next room, where Darla was searching frantically for a blouse she’d unpacked and couldn’t find, muttering and ruffling her red hair.

“She’s just like me. Disorganized and flighty,” Michelle said, a little loudly.

“I heard that!” Darla said over her shoulder.

“I know!” Michelle laughed. Darla shook her head, laughing, too.

“We’re going to get along just fine,” Michelle told Sara. “Neither of us has half a mind, and we’re so disorganized that we’re likely to be thrown out for creating a public eyesore.”

“Not likely,” Sara replied. “Well, I’m glad things are going well. If you need us, you know where we are, sweetie.”

“I do. Thanks. Thanks for everything.”

“Keep in touch. Good night.”

“Good night.”

“Your family?” Darla asked, poking her head into the room.

Michelle hesitated, but only for a second. She smiled. “Yes. My family.”

Michelle adjusted to college quite easily. She made some friends, mostly distant ones, and one good one—her roommate, Darla. She and Darla were both religious, so they didn’t go to boozy parties or date promiscuous boys. That meant they spent a lot of time watching rented movies and eating popcorn in their own dorm room.

One thing Sara had said was absolutely true; college changed her. She learned things that questioned her own view of the world and things about other cultures. She saw the rise and fall of civilizations, the difference in religions, the rise of science, the fascination of history. She continued her study of French—mainly because she wanted to know what Sara and Gabriel spoke about that they didn’t want her to hear—and she sweated first-year biology. But by and large, she did well in her classes.

All too soon, final exams arrived. She sat in the library with other students, she and Darla trying to absorb what they needed to know to pass their courses. She’d already lived in the biology lab for several days after school with a study group, going over material that was certainly going to come up when they were tested.

“I’m going to fail,” she moaned softly to Darla. “I’ll go home in disgrace. I’ll have to hide my head in a paper sack...”

“Shut up,” Darla muttered. “You’re going to pass! So am I. Be quiet and study, girl!”

Michelle sighed. “Thanks. I needed that.”

“I’m going to fail,” one of the boys nearby moaned to Darla. “I’ll go home in disgrace...”

She punched him.

“Thanks.” He chuckled, and went back to his books.