But her mother had wanted her to go to the best.

"Have a good time, dear, and call," her mother said with a smile as she left Allison alone in the high-ceilinged hallway.

Dear God! It was almost like being left in prison! As she stood in front of the headmistress that fateful day Allison wanted to run back to her mother, to wrap her arms around the woman's waist and beg her not to leave her here. But the girl knew it wouldn't work. She didn't want to cause a scene. And besides, perhaps it was all in her mind. Perhaps all those stories were nothing more than that – stories about a fine school told by people who were enviously jealous.

And the first few days seemed to pass quietly enough. She had received her uniform, picked up her books and met her roommate, Jude, another young novice at the school who seemed relieved that she'd be sharing her room with someone as nice and quiet as Allison.

Then came that day, that awful day when Patty Harrington had sneaked in some cigarettes somehow from the outside. To escape detection when the headmistress and her staff were searching the rooms after having been alerted by an informant, Patty had sneaked into Allison's room and shoved the carton, between the mattress and boxsprings. Needless to say the young blonde vehemently denied having brought the contraband in, let alone smoked it or sold it. But there was nothing to be said.

For the next few days Allison sat in her room, her only company being Janie. She was suspended from all classes and would probably be kicked out of school. She thought of her mother, and all the hopes the older woman had had for her daughter. This school would be her launching pad for better things. And now, now she would be kicked out, driven from the doors as if she were trash. She could picture her mother's shocked, disappointed face when the headmistress made the phone call. Oh God, she wished she could die rather than face her mother!