CHAPTER II

BOB; THE PURPLE DOG

“Do you want to listen to the radio?” Her father asked.

“No, it’s okay…” She said as she stared outside of the car’s window.

I hope we’ll get there soon, she sighed. Tiffany had asked her principal a day off from school, which the principal eagerly gave her permission; much to her surprise, but the principal simply said that it would bring the school great pride to host a future celebrity among its students. Her father had also taken the day off from work to drive and accompany her to SM Entertainment office. It was a rare thing for her father to do such a thing; taken a day off from work that is, but she knew that he had to. SM Entertainment had made sure in the letter and the phone call that Tiffany must bring her parents to meet with them, and although she was thinking of going alone, it was probably for the best if her father accompanied her. The company didn’t mention anything about what the meeting would be about, as her father had told her, but she knew that they had somehow taken interests in her talents that she showed at the audition. They must have had decided to offer her a contract and train her to become an idol.

Yeah, that must be it, she thought, smiling to herself. Her eyes were shinning with glitters of hope and joy.

“I think we’ll get there ahead of schedule. The traffic is surprisingly clear.” Her father broke her wandering mind. “This had never happened before…”

Tiffany just shrugged at her father’s comment and continued to look at the sceneries passing beside her. She couldn’t help but felt awkward being in the same car as her father. Last time she had to experience this was two years ago, when they had to go to the church for her mother’s funeral, and then to the cemetery, and back home. The ride was pretty much the same as that day; with Tiffany staring at the scenery outside the passenger’s window and her father just drove and stared at the road in front of him. But last time her older sister, Michelle, and her older brother, Leo, were with them. And last time she was crying her eyes out, missing her mom; blaming her because she had left her alone in this world.

She sighed at that memory and tried her best to calm herself. It’s been two years already, and she was sure that her mother had somehow managed to always watched and protected her in her daily life. And she must be the one who helped her pass the audition from heaven. How could she not? Her mom was the only one who truly loved her; she was always there to care for her, to listen to her, and to hold her when things were hard for her.

She’s my angel… Always… She smiled again.

Her mind then wandered far into the future when she had become a superstar and hang out with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and most definitely, her favorite singer, Christina Aguilera. She imagined how she would perform on concerts, live television, and talk shows. She imagined how she would constantly be travelling around the world, just to meet her fans and perform for them. She imagined how she would always be bathed in glitters, wear fancy clothes and expensive jewelries. She imagined how rich she would be, how she would drive around her beloved Los Angeles in pink Ferrari, or sometimes she would just let her driver her around town in a pink limousine, and all she had to do was wave to the crowd, wave to the fans. She imagined how she would attend parties and socialize with famous celebrities. How she would chat and laugh at Robin Williams’ jokes, or become best friends with Jennifer Aniston, or maybe she would even have a famous actor as her boyfriend. Someone like Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise, she hoped.

I bet Liz would be absolutely jealous of me… She smiled at the thought.

Liz…   

It was Tuesday morning and Tiffany was standing in front of her house, twirling her hair with one finger, while her best friend was staring at her intently from the side walk.

“So, what’s your big news?” She asked, as Tiffany walked to her side.

“Guess…” She smiled brightly while they both started walking together to school.

Elizabeth stared at her smiling friend with amusement, before she realized what was going on.

“Oh. My. God.” She held Tiffany’s arm and stopped her. “You did it! You actually did it!” She shouted in joy.

“Oh, my God!” She grasped her friend’s shoulders. “How did you know? Did they call? Did they come by your house? What did they say? What did you say? Why didn’t you tell me last night?”

“Well, as you would recall I did call you last night, but you said you couldn’t talk because you were expecting Nick to call you.” Tiffany answered as she struggled to release Elizabeth’s grasps.

“Oh! Sorry about that…” She said as she let go of Tiffany. “… It just that he promised to call me so we can chat. So I have to keep the line free or he’ll think I forgot…”

They both continued their walk, “It’s okay. I totally understand.” She said.

“Well then, now I’m all ears; so you better tell me everything…” Elizabeth said as she linked her arms to Tiffany’s. “…From the start.”

Elizabeth spent the entire day boasting about Tiffany, that she even managed to forget about Nick, her new boyfriend. At lunch everyone in school probably knew about her, and Tiffany was surprised to know how fast a rumor could travel. And so there she was, sitting at the cafeteria table, surrounded by her curious and proud friends, talking about the evening before, and what Thursday would mean for Tiffany’s life. Elizabeth even sat beside her, neglecting her boyfriend who was sitting at the table beside ours with his usual friends.

“God… I wished I went to the audition. Maybe they would pick me too.” Lisa said.

“Uh, not with that voice, they wouldn’t.” Jackie said. “So what does this mean, Tiffany; are you going to sign with a record company or something?”

“I don’t know yet….” Tiffany said, slightly embarrassed.

“Maybe they’ll train you first. You know, they’ll get you a singing coach or something…” Erica said.

“Did you mean vocal lessons?” Dean jumped in.

“Well, maybe they’ll ask her to become a model or something. We don’t know if they’re interested in her voice or her figure.” Anna pitched in.

“Yeah, I didn’t think about that.” Joanne said. “Oh, my God; are you going to be on America’s Next Top Model?”

“I… I don’t know yet. I haven’t thought about that…” Tiffany was blushing. “I don’t think I’m a model material.”

“What are you talking about? You’re definitely perfect to be a model.” Lisa said again, pushing Matt away as he was eager to join the table at the sound of his friend becoming a model.

“Matt, stop grinning. And no dirty thoughts!” Elizabeth shoved Matt aside.

“What? It’s Tiffany we’re talking about. I know I’ll be glad to stand in line waiting for her to be featured in a magazine…” He said, grinning widely. “Preferably in bikinis…”

“Ewww… Gross.” Erica said.

“Okay, stop. No one’s sure what they want from Tiffany, but obviously they want to turn her into a star.” Elizabeth said loudly. “I don’t care if they wanted to turn her into a singer, a model, an actress, or anything else; she’ll do great.”

“And that makes me proud to be her best friend.” She continued.

“Yeah, that’s right!” Linda chimed in. “We have a star in our school, guys!” She yelled out loud.

People started cheering loudly and Tiffany’s face was redder than an apple.

“So, Tiff….” Elizabeth said. “Could you sign my shirt, now? So I can sell it later when you’re famous,” she laughed.

“Okay, sure.” Tiffany played along and picked up her marker. “You know you’ll have a hard time meeting me when I’m rich and famous…”

“Oh, mine too!” Matt shouted.

“And mine!” Joanne joined the fray.

“And my bra, please…” Jackie said, as more people started to crowd the table.

“Here we are.” Her father said, stopping the car.

Tiffany looked at the office building in front of her and checked the address. Yes, here we are.

“I’m going to park the car. You should wait for me in the lobby.” He said while looking around.

“I’ll wait at the front.” Tiffany said calmly.

She opened the door and walked out towards the office. She glanced at her watch and saw that they were early, as it was only 9.30 at the time. As she reached the office entrance, she could see a sign in front of the lobby that says, “SM Entertainment, Co” She looked into one of the glass window and found that the lobby was filled with posters. She could tell that they were posters of idols and stars from the company, but she didn’t recognize any of them.

That was when she realized she practically didn’t know anything about this company. All she knew was that SM Entertainment was a huge Korean talent agency that occasionally searched for hidden talents. The company was supposed to be famous, and she knew that some of her friends talked about them a lot, but she had never taken interest towards them. Of course she knew about Korean idols and celebrities; she was a Korean descendant herself, and she loved to listen to some of their artists, but she never found it in her heart to study their lives in great details. She just lived her life like what her mother always taught her; Live life to the fullest. Experience all different things the world has to offer.

“Okay, are you ready?” Her father stood beside her, signaling her to enter.

“Yeah, okay.” Tiffany smiled and they both headed inside.

Once inside Tiffany followed her father to the reception desk. Behind the desk sat a woman who immediately stood up and greeted them, “Good morning and welcome to SM Entertainment. How may I help you today?” She said smiling at her guests.

“Uh, yes. We have an appointment at ten.” Her father said.

“Name, please?” The woman asked as she looked at her computer.

“Stephanie Hwang.”

“Of course. Let me see…” The woman said again while checking her computer.

It didn’t take long before she looked up again and smiled at Tiffany and her father, “Yes, Stephanie Hwang and her father, I presume?”

“Yes, I am the father,” he said.

“Well, you’re fashionably early.” She said, keeping her smile, “Would you mind waiting for a while? In the mean time I will check with the manager.” She continued as she kindly pointed them to the nearest seats.

“Of course, thank you.” Her father said and gestured Tiffany to sit.

Her father took the time to look around the office lobby; he stared at the posters on the wall for a while, and then walked towards the desk and picked up some flyers. And then he walked towards the window and stared outside for a while before deciding to read the flyers he got earlier.

Tiffany sat there and glanced at her father who was reading his flyers in front of the window. He’s probably nervous for me, she thought.

Or maybe he felt awkward sitting with me too…

Or perhaps he regretted leaving his work… She was annoyed at the thought and sighed.

She then spent the time to really observe the lobby. There was a large oval reception desk at the center of the lobby, a few rubber plants as decoration in each corner of the room, plenty of idol posters, a black leathered sofa, which she was sitting in, a black small coffee table in front of her, and a few magazines on top of it. There was a glass door beside the sofa, leading further inside. She could see the hallway behind the door with small cubicles at both sides.

And why aren’t you nervous? Her conscience suddenly said. She looked at her hands that were resting on top of her laps.

Should I be nervous? She asked herself.

She was a bit surprised with herself as she was very calm; too calm in fact, for someone who was invited to a meeting that would change her entire life. She thought about how she was not too excited when she stood in line waiting for her audition; she was in fact a little annoyed when she had to sweat and stood for hours that day. She remembered how she was nervous and tried her best singing one of her favorite song; but she couldn’t remember why she had pushed herself to perform her best.

I never dreamed of becoming a star, or celebrity, or anything like that…

I just thought it would be fun to try something different…

And when the judges said they would contact her, she didn’t have any nervous thoughts. She was already happy with the chance given to her, that she didn’t have too many thoughts about the result. In fact, she was quick to return to her daily routines that she didn’t even had a single thought about the audition. Not until her father told her about the mail and the phone call that evening that she started to feel excited.

Mister Pink…

“Miss Stephanie Hwang?” A tall, handsome man was standing not too far from her.

“Yes?” Tiffany said; a little surprised as she was suddenly pulled from her wandering mind.

Her father turned around and moved closer to the gentleman.

“And you must be mister Hwang.” The man smiled and reached out to offer a handshake.

“Yes, that would be me.” Her father said, shaking the man’s hand firmly.

“My name is James Stewart.” He turned to Tiffany to offer her his hand.

“Stephanie-um, Tiffany.” She said, as she shook the man’s hand.

“Please follow me.” He said as he turned to her father again.

Both of them followed the man in white shirt, black pants and tie inside.

“Mister Stewart…” Her father said as they walked through the glass door.

“Just call me James, sir, please.” He said without looking back.

“I’m the scout manager of this company.” He said as he stopped and politely pointed to a small cubicle on his right. “Have a seat.”

Tiffany and her father went inside the small cubicle and sat on the chairs available.

James walked behind them and sat behind a small desk in front of the two.

“First of all I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation.” He said as he pulled out a stack of papers from his office drawers and put them on top of his desk.

“Yes, well we would like to say that we feel honored by the opportunity given to us.” Her father said.

“Well then, before we start, would you like some refreshments?” James said.

Her father turned to Tiffany who shook her head, smiling politely at James. “We’re fine, thank you,” he said.

Tiffany took a deep breath and felt her heart was beating faster.

James smiled and started, “Well then, I’m not a person of small talks, so let’s get to the point. You probably already knew the reason we invited you here.”

“Steph-Tiffany here was selected from the audition we held a week before,” He continued.

“And we would like to offer her an opportunity to join us here at SM Entertainment.” He smiled as he looked at Tiffany.

Tiffany’s eyes grew bigger. This is it, she thought to herself.

“This is probably a chance of a life time. As you may already know, Tiffany here has a special talent. I personally had watched the recording, and I can say in confidence that you, Tiffany; are quite blessed. A little rough around the edges, but it’s not something we can’t work on.”

He stopped to look at the father before continuing, “Long story short, we would like to train Tiffany under our management. I believe SM Entertainment will be the perfect place for Tiffany to further hone her talents. We have been cooperating with numerous idols we scouted throughout these years, and we are proud to say that our management is one of the best in the world.”

Her father just stared at the man in front of him. His mind was probably filled with so many questions right now, but he decided to let the blonde haired man to talk first. “We are only offering the chance, of course.” James smiled again and brushed his blonde hair with one hand.

“The decision rests with you; sir, and ultimately, Tiffany.” He said before turning to the girl, “If you want to further shape your talents, to find out where they would lead you, if you want to become an idol; we will help you with everything we have to make your dreams come true.”

Tiffany just stared at James in amazement, not knowing what to say. This is really happening, she thought.

“Can you tell us more about the training you offered?” Her father said when he realized that Tiffany was at a loss for words.

“Well, we are offering our trainee program; which mainly consists of vocal and choreography lessons, etiquette and self management class, among others. We also provide several coaching services; anything to help our trainee to improve their talents or to help them discover new ones.” James explained.

“Some of our trainees would find their passion for acting; so we provide them acting lessons. Some would want to have a career in modeling; and we would be more than happy to assist them.”

Tiffany listened to the explanation seriously; just like when she listened to her teachers’ lessons in school.

“We also provide accommodation; such as dormitories for trainees without residence in Seoul, and we can arrange for them to attend carefully chosen schools. Our company will even pay for your daughter's tuition--"

“Wait. What do you mean by Seoul?” Her father interrupted.

James smiled and said, “Yes, sir. Seoul, in Korea.”

“Does that mean she has to stay in Korea?” Her father asked; he was clearly confused.

“Correct; our headquarters is in Seoul, Korea. We don’t have subsidiary company here in the U.S.” James said, trying to sound understanding, “This is just our scouting office. Our job here is to find talents and offer them our program. If they agree with the terms of the contract, they will be sent to Korea to start their trainings…”

The ride home was too quiet. Tiffany stared at the window as usual, while her father drove in silence. They were both deep in thoughts. As soon as they arrived at their home, Tiffany walked straight to her room. She sat at the edge of her bed and stared into the distance. She recalled how the meeting went afterwards…

“Are you suggesting that we should just pack up our lives here and move to Korea?” Her father sounded upset.

“Not at all mister Hwang, I was just trying to explain how this program works…” James said, trying to calm the man in front of him.

“It’s a difficult choice, I understand, but my job here is to ensure you that Tiffany won’t come to any harm there. She would be placed in a dormitory with restricted access. No outsider will be allowed to enter, with the exception of their families, of course. And female and male trainees will be staying in different buildings. All their activities and classes will be carefully observed, and we will take responsible if any harm…”

“She’s too young!” Her father stated firmly.

“We are aware of that, mister Hwang. That is why we asked for you as her parent and guardian to discuss the matter.” James said while loosening his ties.

“Perhaps you could arrange for her mother to…”

“My wife is dead. She’s been dead for two years now.” Her father quickly said, clenching his fists.

“I am very sorry for your loss, mister Hwang.” James said.

There was silence for a while before James braced himself and continued, “It would be such a waste of Tiffany’s talents if you decide to refuse this offer. It would be best for her to start at a young age…”

“You don’t decide what’s best for her! I decide what’s best for my daughter.” Her father was clearly upset.

“I understand, sir. And I apologize for being rude…” James said. He looked at Tiffany with some sympathy.

The girl was listening the whole time and she couldn’t think of anything to say at the time. She just stared at her hands on her lap and stayed quiet.

“We are done here.” Her father said as he stood from his chair. “I am very sorry, mister Stewart; but we have to decline your generous offer.”

He tapped his daughter on the shoulder and Tiffany looked up. “Let’s go,” he said.

Tiffany reluctantly stood up and followed her father, without even looking at James. She was upset by what was revealed in their meeting, and didn’t have any strength to voice her opinion.

What was I to say? Should I just say that I wanted to accept the offer? She thought.

What about my life here? My school, my friends… Liz… Michelle… Mom… I would have to leave everything and everyone behind. And it’s Korea, for God’s sake. I barely know anything about the country. And my Korean .

They were already outside when suddenly a voice was heard, “Mister Hwang!” James shouted as he ran towards them.

“Please, think it over.” He said as he glanced at Tiffany and turned to her father once more. “This is my card. Please reconsider and contact me anytime.”

Her father reached for the card and took it. He stared at the man in front of him who was smiling politely, not knowing what to say anymore.

“Thank you.” He finally said.

“You’re welcome, mister Hwang. Have a safe trip.” He said, still smiling at the two.

As Tiffany and her father turned around and walked to their car, James thought to himself, they’ll be back. I’m sure of it. James was an experienced manager; he was accustomed with dealing with families like the Hwangs. He had been in the business for some time now and he always trusted his instinct; and at the time his instinct was telling him that Tiffany was perfect. He saw something in Tiffany’s eyes that convinced him that the little girl could transform into an idol. A beautiful and talented idol; he believed. He also believed that everything he said earlier will somehow convince Tiffany to join SM Entertainment; after all, he practiced those lines hundreds of times, and he rarely failed.

He watched as Tiffany and her father disappeared in the crowds and turned around with a smile on his face. He walked towards the office where he had spent five years working in with confidence, and said to himself, “They’ll come around.”  

Well, I guess it was never meant to be… she sighed.

She was not too disappointed at the time, but she couldn’t help to feel so helpless. She lied down on her bed and closed her eyes.

“Tiffany. Tiffany…” Her father called. “Come down, the pizza’s here.”

She reluctantly opened her eyes once more and head to the kitchen.

“Forget about this idol thing; it’s no good.” Her father said as she sat herself at the dining table.

“It’s not right for you to be far away from home,” he said once more. “And I can’t just leave my job here, you know that.”

Tiffany took a slice of the pizza and stared at the kitchen’s window. “Yes, I know that, dad.”

“Good. You should just concentrate on school and your grades.” He said while he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“You can find a good college and become a lawyer just like you always wanted.”

Who said I wanted to become a lawyer? She thought as she ate. Oh, right; you’re the one who was always forcing your ideals to us.

Even Leo grew tired of your demands…

The phone rang and her father stood to pick it up. “This is the Hwa…” And then silence.

“And I should be asking you when you would be coming home, young man...” He said firmly.

Speak of the devil, she thought.

“It’s your older brother.” Her father said, handing the phone over to her.

“What?” Tiffany said to the phone.

How’s my little Mi-young? She could hear Leo Hwang’s voice over the phone.

“This is not a good time, Leo.” She simply said, annoyed by the name he called her; her Korean name that sounded really old, although she felt a little happy to be hearing her older brother’s voice again. If he was around their father wouldn’t had pay too much attention to her and would simply had pestered Leo instead.

Leo Hwang was her free-spirited older brother, perhaps very similar to her; after all, they shared the same birthday, among other things, like the same dark wavy hair, big dark brown eyes, and plump lips. They were not very close, the siblings; mainly because Leo was too busy with his friends and his jobs and his band, that they never had chance to hang out much. But Tiffany knew that if she ever needed his help, she wouldn’t even have to ask.

Elizabeth once said that she had a crush on him, before she met Nick. And a couple of her friends once admitted the same thing, but somehow he rejected them. I prefer college girls, he said proudly. He was only one year older than Tiffany, and they went to the same high school; although because of his free spirited way of life he rarely went to class. School was not meant for me, he always said.

He spent his time either working part time or practicing with his band; he said he could not wait to leave the Hwang residence. Their father was tired of trying to set things right for him that eventually he just decided to let him be on his way, but deep down he knew that Leo wouldn’t do anything that would hurt their family’s name. The day before Tiffany learned about the audition, Leo left to help their older sister, Michelle, moved into a college dormitory; since their father was too busy with his work anyway.

It was supposed to be a one day trip, but he decided to prolong his stay; saying that he wanted to be acclimated with college atmosphere. Whatever that means…

So is my baby sister an idol now? He asked, teasing her.

“Who told you that?” Tiffany was surprised as she clearly remembered she had never told him about it.

Michelle… He replied.

“Oh, figures.” She said. “Well, I didn’t make it.”

What do you mean you didn’t make it? You already passed the audition thing, right? Leo sounded confused.

“Well… Dad didn’t like the terms…” Her father turned to look her in the eyes before sitting down again.

Oh… Was the only thing Leo could say.

“Yeah…” Tiffany just stared at her dinner.

Well anyways, I’ll be back in a couple of days; I miss school and everything, you know. Leo broke the silence.

“Okay.” She said. “Is Michelle there?” She missed her older sister.

Nah, I’m hanging out at the mall right now. He said. So, tell me everything when I get home, okay? See ya. The call ended.

“What did he want?” Her father asked.

“He said he’ll be back in a couple of days.” She continued eating, while her father stood and walked out of the kitchen.

She was lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Elizabeth had called earlier and they talked about the meeting. She was surprised to know that Tiffany would have to move to Korea to train to become an idol; they always thought that Tiffany would just train here, in the U.S. She understood her father’s concerns and felt that it was probably for the best if Tiffany declined the offer.

There will be another chance…

You’re Tiffany Hwang, the beautiful and talented…

You should go audition for our talent shows here…

Those were her comforting words. And although Tiffany said it was okay, that she wasn’t really hoping to be an idol, Elizabeth kept trying to cheer her up; she kept telling Tiffany how wonderful it was to be living in Los Angeles, the city of angels, to be a proud American, to have football and diet coke and cheese burgers.

Tiffany opened her eyes and found herself sitting at the beach. Her feet were playing with the sand and her skin could feel the warmth of the sea breeze. The sun was starting to set; painting the clouds orange. The sound of the waves hitting the beach was so relaxing, that Tiffany didn’t realize someone-or something was sitting beside her.

“Oh! You scared me!” She almost jumped at the sight beside her; a large purple Labrador dog was sitting there, its head towered at the same level of Tiffany’s, staring at her.

“You’re… Kinda cute…” She said after composing herself.

“But why are you purple?” She petted the dog’s head, “Not that purple doesn’t look good on you…” She giggled.

The dog just stayed there and enjoyed Tiffany’s treatment. “Good boy… Who’s a good boy? You are… Yes, you are…”

“Stop spoiling him.” A familiar voice said.

Tiffany looked up and found the shining little girl she met in the woods. She was wearing the same white dress as before, “He’s going to start asking me to pet him all the time now.”

Tiffany giggled, “Well, I’d be glad to pet him for you, when you’re not around.”

The girl sat down beside the dog and hugged it from the side. “He’s already spoiled.”

“No, he’s not.” Tiffany said as she too hugged the dog. “He’s a good boy. A good adorable dog…”

They stayed like that for a while; enjoying the sunset, the sound of the waves, the sand between their toes, the now-slightly-cold sea breeze, and the warm, fuzzy and soft fur of the purple dog.

“What’s your name?” Tiffany asked the girl.

“He doesn’t have a name.” The girl said.

“I was asking for your name, silly, not his…” Tiffany glanced at the girl; but her face was still covered with light, making it hard for Tiffany to capture any detail.

“What should we name him?” The blonde girl ignored Tiffany’s comment, “How about Mister Purple?”

“No!” She said quickly.

“I think it’s cute…” The girl said, as she tightened her hug.

“We’re not naming him Mister Purple.” Tiffany rolled her eyes.

“Why not?”

“Because… Because we’re naming him Bob.”

The shining girl laughed, “Why Bob?”

“Why not? It’s cute.” Tiffany insisted. “And I like the sound of it. Bob.”

“Bob.” Both of them said and laughed.

“You still haven’t told me your name…” She asked again after their laughter ended.

“I told you I will tell you later.” The girl shrugged.

“No, you told me you would tell me the next time we meet. And this is next time.”

The girl giggled and tried to hide it with her hand. “I meant the next time we meet in person, Bob.”

“Oh, well…” Tiffany shrugged. “I don’t think there will be a next time…”

“Why? Don’t you want to meet me again?” The girl turned her face to face Tiffany, confused.

“I’d love to.” She sighed, “But my dad told me not to.”

“Why did your father say that?”

“Hmm… Probably because he thinks I’m too young.” She turned her gaze to the open sea. “Or maybe because he’d be lonely without me around.”

Tiffany released her hug on Bob and then placed her hands on her knees.

“It’s not that I mind staying home, Bob.” She said, “And it’s not like it’s my dream to come here…”

The blonde girl stared at the ocean in front of her, as Tiffany tried to voice another reason.

“And this place is just too far…” Tiffany continued. “I don’t know anything about this place, Bob.”

The dark haired girl stood up and walked around the beach, “I don’t know anyone from here. I’d be lonely…”

“Well, you’ll have me…” The face-shining girl stood up and kicked the sand on her feet.

“An old friend of mine once said; live life to the fullest. Experience different things in life." She said as she followed Tiffany on her walk.

Tiffany smiled at the remark and said, “So I’ve heard…” Those words sounded familiar.

The girl patted the sand off of her dress and shrugged, “Well, a lot of people say things like that…”

“But when that old friend of mine said that…” She continued, “… It felt different…”

“Different how?” Tiffany asked as they both walked side by side.

“Because I trusted her.” The blonde simply stated.

The purple dog started to follow them and ran circles around them. Tiffany laughed at the silly dog and turned to look at the face-shining girl, before she started to run towards the water, “Come on. I’ll race you.”

The blonde girl quickly accepted the challenge and ran with all her might, while the Bob stayed clear of the water; whining and wiggling his tail. Both girls played in the shallow water for some time, laughing and giggling all the time, spraying water at each other.

When both of them were tired, Tiffany relaxed herself and floated around on her back. The little girl moved closer and took her hand, slowly guiding her through the water.

“How do you know this isn’t the place where you belong?” She asked.

“How do you know that I’m not supposed to stay home, with my family?” Tiffany replied as she stared at the sky above her. It’s so orange…

“Because I’m not there, dummy…” The blonde said, smiling.

Tiffany could see a glimpse of that smile and smiled back. “You know what it’s like back home, and you pretty much have an idea of what your future would be like if you stayed, Bob…” The girl continued.

“But here, you can be anything you want to be and more… You’re the only person responsible for shaping your own future.”

She let go of Tiffany’s hands and looked up, and reached out both of her hands to the sky, “This is a magical place where all your dreams will come true…”

Tiffany stood and watched as the blonde girl twirled in the water, her face shone like pearls, and her hands splashed water in every direction.

So beautiful, she thought as the girl kept swirling around and the setting orange sun was her background.

As she finally stopped and faced Tiffany she said, “Will you trust me?”

Somehow everything felt right for Tiffany, somehow she knew that everything would turn out okay; this is my dream now, she made up her mind.

Tiffany closed her eyes and smiled in content. “Yes, I trust you…”

Tiffany’s father was in the kitchen that morning, sipping his cup of coffee while reading his newspaper, when he heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Tiffany was already dressed for school, with blue T-shirt and light grey jeans, and sat across from her father. He knew that Tiffany would then pick up some toasted bread and spread her favorite strawberry jams on them, before she would eat them. After finishing her breakfast she would then head for the front door and wait for her best friend, Elizabeth, to pick her up for school. Yes, that was their morning routine. That was what about to happen, until Tiffany broke the tradition and said, “Dad, I’m taking the offer.”