ONE WILD NIGHT

th time during my microecono

the professor's disapproving look. In th

Coll

es

me to the hospital immediately. Your mot

tilted. "H

ent options in person. How

on my

ng against my ribs. Zoe was getting ready for he

r," I said, grabbing my p

t's wrong?

hospital. I ha

keys without hes

utes that felt like hours. I found Dr. Patter

, sit

tell

t progression. Your mother has maybe six months. There

t w

and dollars. Insurance won't c

head. I made maybe fifteen thousand a year between my tutoring and resta

hing else. A payment p

cked everything,

red thousand dollars to save my mother's l

uld find. Emergency loans, fundraising ideas, selling ever

ing hall with a container of food. "And you look like you'r

," I said without loo

ha

to save my mom's life. Two

nd sat on her bed, stud

ossible. I know it's impossibl

hat's th

'm already working every minute I'm not in class. Take ou

ot to be a

rich?" I slammed my laptop s

ment. Then she said, "

irac

e not Maya Collins, responsible

ave time f

then what happens to your family?" Zoe pulled out her phone. "There's this pa

fford hote

to people who don't need help with homework. Drink expensive wine

Z

ou did something spontaneous?

ut it. I coul

stood up. "Which is exactly why yo

ve to

them you're sick. You're taking one

years. But another part, a part I'd buried under endless obligations, whispered that ma

ow to party wit

them pay for everything while you drink their champag

rything. "You make it

ight. What's the wors

black dress, heading toward the Grandview Hotel. The most expensive ho

hecking her lipstick in her compa

t belon

nywhere until the

e in designer clothes moved through the space like they owned it, w

ed the crowd toward the elevators.

t remem

till you

h college students with unlimited budgets. Expensive champagne, catered foo

could observe without participating. Everyone looked so co

ummer internships at daddy's company, I needed air. I foun

irst time in months, I was alone with my thoughts, away from responsibil

oying th

and dark-haired, wearing a suit that probably cost more than

my scene,"

to the balcony, closing the

ay

uld smell his cologne. Expensive, but not overwhelming. "You lo

ed by his directne

ed, and it transformed his entir

tongue, maybe because I was just so tired of carrying everything alone, I told him. About my

ed when I finished. "Wh

at's been planned out for me since birth. The fe

up. He listened like my words mattered, like I mattered. When I started crying about my

eventually, though I

epeated. "But

who'd listened to my problems without judging, who made me

I whis

his hand touching m

. And as he kissed me under the city lights, I let my