Soft music played as the sweet Carolina air rustled through the wide magnolia tree. The setting sun cast a warm orange glow across Misty’s smiling cheeks, guests from all over town had gathered to her extravagantly decorated backyard to bid her farewell. Small tables dressed in royal red cloth centered mason jars filled with blue violets topped with small candles. White Christmas lights were strung across the perimeter adding an almost mystical spirit to the evening. As the guests mingled and the waiters maneuvered the expertly manicured lawn, Misty stared up at the only home she ever knew. Her family home’s exterior, cut from dark stone with swatches of beige and brown stood at a staggering three stories, towering high over her head. This was the last day she could truly call it hers, tomorrow she was headed to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her mother made her way towards her in her usual long, graceful strides, even at 43 Imogen Bellaford still maintained her youthful beauty. Though she was almost identical to her daughter in appearance, adorning long strawberry blond hair, keen blue-gray eyes and a fair face dotted with doe-like freckles; Misty’s mother always seemed to be spritzed with an air of elegance about her, a feature her daughter never failed to envy. Her mother cradled Misty’s head to her shoulder enveloping her into a deep hug.
“My sweet girl”, she whispered, her voice filling with tears.
“You’re going so far away”.
Misty was apart of a faithful legacy, both her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had attended Vanderbilt, all earning summa cum laude or higher academic distinction.
“I know, but I’ll visit as often as I can”, Misty promised.
Her mother squeezed her once more before pulling back, her lovely face streaked with tears staring intently at her daughter. Suddenly a smile spread across her lips,
“I have a special gift for you”
Deftly racing back into the house she returned with her hands behind her back. Misty’s pulse quickened in anticipation.
“Close your eyes”, her mother instructed
Obediently Misty covered her eyes with one freckled hand. After a moment, her mother’s excited voice sang
“Open”
Removing her hand, Misty saw that her mother held up a silver necklace, its pendant two overlapping hearts covered in tiny diamonds. Of all the jewelry she had ever received, Misty knew by the way the air caught in her throat that this would be the most dear. She turned around and held up her hair as her mother clasped the pendant around her neck.
“My mother gave me this exact necklace when I went off the college too”, her mother smiled.
Misty’s grandmother was such a sweet and caring women of what she remembered from the summers she spent in her upscale Manhattan town home as a child. She couldn’t have been more honored by this gift. Her father, Wilhelm Bellaford appeared at her side, strong arm around her narrow shoulders. He looked into his first born daughter’s stormy eyes, his own glossed with tears.
“You can come home at anytime you feel”, he said.
Her father’s words burned in her mind now as Misty stood in a strange living room, loud music playing and colorful lights pulsating from the ceiling. The air was hot and sticky, the Tennessee night air and the sheer number of drunk college kids packed in one house to blame. Misty stood off at the base of the stairs, her hair dry and damaged from the many manipulations of a straightener and an unholy amount of make up caked on her face. She wore a collared white shirt, short pink skirt and black pumps. These where Varris Candolph’s requirements for public outings, the unofficial Kappa Delta uniform, Varris was the president of the highly exclusive sorority and Misty’s tormentor. Misty uncomfortably sipped the brown concoction in her cup and looked around the room. Her Kappa Delta sisters were all incredibly drunk, stumbling around and making a fool of themselves, a big no-no in the Varris code of conduct manual. Across the room she spotted a handsome guy chatting up his friends, he met her gaze and coyly smiled and excused himself from his entourage. He strolled towards her still keeping her gaz