One Night With Me

eady up, but Al

her dorm room bed stari

eal, she told he

om bragging about how many

't feel the

ck onto the hard m

sed her eyes, she

cold, his hands on her body. The way he didn't even blink. The fa

lt rip

ve. That had to c

gh

sed in silence, and made

tal looke

ed th

iles. Same Spongebob cartoon posters in the ped

to the nurses' desk,

the elevators, c

hidden behind those horn rimmed glass

"We have a lot of

erself. "Wha

a real, ge

s been paid

inked.

tments have been cleared. And I mean all of

know, I thought- I still think what you did at the gala was

her shoulder, comforting her. Her eyes

was very respectable. I'm guessing someone must have loved your fire and

nees almo

nd to the wall b

s do

's d

n't. Something inside her

elieving sound, and then looked down at

pp

a

ha

iev

the English dictionary

whisper a small thank-you,

ce lit up, pale and ti

hear? I'm gonna

e edge of his bed, brush

hear," she sni

ow what it h

oped he n

n't change

surely shifting

s. She didn't have to check her account before getting on the bus. She was able to change

ly, Allen was

eady. His cheeks were getting color again, he was no longer in

hey talked with bright hopes abo

to have on his face back, she would have done what she

lso got

torture, but now she had peace of mind. The kind

classes, she started rai

questions wit

e commended on the day after class. "W

feel alive. She felt reborn, he

nals. Top ten per

ck all debt

she moved them both to a small, ho

he shifted in her seat as she wa

uris Doctor, m

e had bought brand new, not second hand. She collected her diplo

o one waiting with a

aren

uard

and Dr. Hakim stood tall cheering a

eeks

ing her blouse collar. Resume tucked neatly in a folder. He

onged in this very tall

was here for a competitive legal internship. It was the kind that fa

ready had the grades, she just needed to

ed as she gave her na

eeting with th

terflies in her stoma

vator and pressed the bu

he exhaled finally alo

so close to everythin

ne side of the long table, her chair isolated on the other. A

ume folder neatly in front of her. Her fin

ate forties with sharp red lipstick a

ing through the papers. " I noticed your grades significantly

smile. "I was just a

with tortoiseshell glasses and a

nternship. We're not just looking for intelligence. We w

sed his

y l

pause f

She had rehearsed her answer a million times

h opened

opened

eady gone, and I was trying to keep him alive while working two jobs and staying in school. Every ti

d down, th

gned to overwhelm us. To keep us in our place. And I wanted to learn it, not just to survive

le

one was interested in her sob story. She shoul

ick pursed her lips, her pe

the glasses s

t was... honest. I've hear

wasn't sure if th

legal research, ethical scenarios, handling clients under pres

nd and stepped back into the elevat

dn't just surviv

ad earned her s