Got in!

When Arianna arrived at the shop, she didn't let her mother know what happened to her in the alley. She would keep it to herself since she wasn't hurt, she did some petty work around her mother's shop before leaving for home to go prepare dinner.

Nickel was almost done with his punishment, so she went straight to the kitchen. She hummed a tune as she went through the cupboards looking for ingredients available to make dinner, cooking has always been an easy task and also a way out to bring out all her frustrations. And right now, since Sophia made mention of the exams, her mind has been bothered, so cooking might ease her up a little.

She decided to make some beef soup since that was the ingredients available at home, without further waiting she commenced her work. Arianna was able to prepare the food quickly before her mother came from the shop, and by that time Nickel was done. After freshening up, they had their dinner and went to their separate bedrooms.

She walked to her room window where she could see the sky from and stared at the moon; she whispered a little prayer to it and stayed there for some minutes before going to bed. She was conflicted about her dreams, and going to bed meant that she would be there with the strange man who always killed her at the end of it after confessing her feelings for him. She sighed, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, looking at her fan rotating and counting from one to hundred. She wanted to sleep, but sleep eluded her, like it knew once her eyes closed she would be tormented for the rest of the night.

After much battling with her thoughts, Arianna was able to close her eyes when the clock hit 10, for some minutes nothing happened. But then she started turning and mumbling some incoherent words, then gasped and sat up on her bed. She was breathing heavily, and she could hear her heart beating with how loud it was. This time, she couldn't remember what happened in her dream or if the strange man appeared, but all she knew was that it was scary and wouldn't want to return there again.

****

The day brightens and sunlights sweeps through Arianna's window pointing directly to her, she was lying on her bed sleeping like a baby. Arianna was only able to get some sleep when it was past midnight, and all she needed now was a long rest, but it seems the universe had another plan for her.

The blaring sound of her phone ringing woke her up, and she tried to ignore it, but when the little device went on making some loud noise like it was its mission to wake her up, Arianna groaned in vexation and took the phone that was by her bedside table.

With anger and a cute pout on her lips she brought the phone to her view and checked who the hell was calling her disturbing her sleep. She yawned as she unlocked her phone and then saw the reason her phone was consistent on making those pinging noises, she went through the message and gasped, she shook her head, wiped her eyes cleaned and sat properly on the bed with the phone almost glued to her eyes.

**

Congratulations, Miss Arianna Blue Adolphus 

It's our utmost delight to welcome you to Orion university, we'll be delighted to see you this semester as one of our brightest students.

Signed by,

The school management.

"Argh." Arianna screamed loudly as soon as she read the message that was on her phone. She couldn't believe what she was currently seeing on her phone, so she closed her eyes for some minutes, wiping the sleepiness off before opening them and stared at her phone to see the same thing.

"Oh my god!" She muttered with a huge smile on her face.

Her room door opened, and a figure steeped in.

"Ari what's wrong?" He asked while staring at his sister like she's grown three heads. What can he do, his sister is always dramatic?

"I did it." She yelled excitedly, not taking her eyes away from the phone.

"You did what?" He asked with a confused look on his face, he was trying really hard to know what his sister was talking about.

"I got the scholarship, Nick, I'm going to Orion." She yelled excitedly, jumping on her bed.

Nickel's eyes lit up as he congratulated his sister, "Congrats sis, you've made me proud." Arianna waves his remark off since she was in a good mood.

"Thank you, Nick."

"Blue, Nickel, come down for breakfast." Their mother yelled from downstairs.

"Coming Mum!" They both chorused.

"I'll get going, and please don't come downstairs looking like a ghost with that hair of yours." Nickel teased, rushing out of the room to avoid his sister's smack.

"I'm going to get you for that, Nick!" She yelled after him, but only got his laughter as her reply.

She calmed herself down before going into the bathroom to have her morning bath. Furthermore, she hummed happily, thoughts of the dream no longer on her mind as she took her bath which lasted for almost thirty minutes, then changed and went downstairs for breakfast.

Her mother was already getting their dining table of four ready, while her naughty brother was already eating. She got closer and pecked her cheeks.

"Good morning, mum." She took her seat and served some food on her plate.

"Morning love, how was your night?" Her mother asked, staring at her adoringly.

Arianna and Nickel were her pride and source of joy, after losing her husband to the cold hands of death, she was left with just her two kids who brought nothing but joy to her life. So she did all she could to support them both in a motherly and fatherly way, and also fired on them even though they were naughty at times.

"It was fine," She said, then turned to her brother with a scowl on her face, "Nick couldn't you wait for me before eating." Nickel stuck his tongue out and continued munching on his food.

"Glutton!" She muttered. Her mother took her seat, and they ate in silence.

"Mum, I have something important to say." She announced, she could hear her heartbeat beating faster in her ear. Her mother was very sensitive to the topic of her education, with no one to support her, she wasn't able to afford her daughter's schooling. But this wasn't a bad news, she thought.

"Mu…" but before another word could come out of her mouth, Nickel interrupted her.

"Mum, she got in!" He said, staring at his mother with an enormous smile. He was clearly taunting his big sister.

"Huh, got what?" The same look on Nickel's face when he heard about it the first time graced her face.

"Mum, I got the scholarship, and I'll be leaving for Orion in two weeks time." Biting her lips, she waited for her mother's reply.

"Really! Congrats, dear, you made mama proud." She got up from her seat and pulled her daughter into a heart-warming hug.

"Thanks, mum." Arianna said, still giving her mum one of her dazzling smiles.

The smile on Arianna's mother's face suddenly turned to a frown, she was thinking of so many things, like how to get the money for her daughter's plane ticket or how to get money for her accommodation, feeding and all that.

Arianna saw the look of worry on her mother's face, so she spoke up, "What's wrong mum?" She asked and her mother sighed.

"I'm wondering where we can get the money for your tickets, your accommodation and feeding, you know I don't have much." The frown lines were visible on her face as she stated what was bothering her.

Arianna smiled and held her hand on the table. "Don't worry, mum, I've got that covered. I've been saving after I got rejected the first time, and I'm sure the money will be more than enough to cover for my flight and accommodation." She reassured her, and her mother let out a breath of relief.

Arianna has been trying to get into the university through a scholarship for some years now but wasn't able to get it; she wanted to get in through their scholarship program where she wouldn't have to worry about paying a dime, all she just had to do was read and always come out with good grades. She has been saving up since then, so she would be able to leave their town after getting the scholarship since she had the belief that she was going to get it, and now she has finally gotten the scholarship she isn't worried.

"But what about your upkeep? You know you are going to another place, a different country, a different city, and you don't know anyone there or how things are done there, how are you going to cope?" She asked worriedly, her maternal instincts were kicking in. She wanted to protect her child, she couldn't bear to let her only daughter leave their small town with no one to guide her.

Arianna took her mother's hand rubbing it affectionately then said, "I'll be fine mum and once I've settled down, I will look for a part-time job, so I would be able to sustain myself there. I know you are worried about my feeding, don't worry mum I will be fine, trust me." She smiled at her.

"Mum, sis is no longer a baby. If she wasn't so persistent about going to the university, don't you know that by now she would have been married with two kids who would be calling me 'uncle'." Nick chimed in, making their mother burst into laughter. Arianna hits his head, glaring at him.

"Ouch, sis, I was only trying to help." He pouted, rubbing his head.

"And thanks, little brother, but I don't want that help." Nickel scoffed, but didn't say anything throughout their discussion.

After eating, Arianna took some of her personal documents about herself, so she could go work on her papers.

"Ari, Hey Arianna!" Someone called out to her as she got down from the cab, and she stopped looking at the familiar figure.

"Sophia, what are you doing here?" She asked, she was surprised to see her there, isn't she supposed to be at home with her uncle who came over the other day.

"Nothing much, just working on my visas." Sophia shrugged, and Arianna's eyes widened.

"Really, are you traveling as well!" She couldn't help but be excited.

"Yup, I told you about my uncle coming to our place yesterday right," Arianna nodded, and she sighed, "he couldn't make it, so my uncle told me to come over for a while. What are you doing here?" She eyed her suspiciously.

"Same as you, guess what, Soph."

"What girl? Just spill already." Way to kill the mood.

"Fine, do you remember asking me about that scholarship exams?" She asked.

"Yeah, the same exams you've been taking for quite some time now. What happened, please don't tell me you didn't pass again?" Sophia groaned and the smile on Arianna's lip almost wiped off.

"No, silly, I passed the exams this time and got the scholarship." She bragged, making Sophia squealed.

"No way, don't tell me you'll be attending the most prestigious university in Orion?" Sophia asked, trying to make sure what she heard was correct.

"Yeah girl, and I'll be leaving soon."

"Congrats and all the best…." she trailed while looking at her phone. "I've to go now." They hugged before parting ways.

Arianna was able to settle her bills for her papers after several hours of waiting and since she needed to leave urgently she was attended to quickly.

"Thank you ma'am." She said enthusiastically before leaving. She needed to get home before four, but seeing the heavy rain pouring she was discouraged, but that didn't stop her.

Arianna got home drenched from the heavy rain and tired, luckily for her, her mother already prepared dinner, so all she did was eat dinner and went to bed for a nice sleep.