Heated Abscondment

Chapter Four

Everything she was planning out was working out. She was currently in front of a judge about to have her name change granted. She’ll use her new name to enroll in the university when she transfers from her junior college. In college, she found she has a gift with numbers and finding anomalies amongst mass amounts of data.

She’s looking forward to diving deep with her accounting degree at the university. Thanks to her mentor and math professor she’s been working for, helped introduce her to a handful of professors at her university she’s going to. She’s already developed a rapport with several of them.

And icing on the cake is that her best friend from college, her current roommate, along with her best friends from her hometown, the very ones who helped sneak move her out, will all be rooming together in a large house.

She’s definitely looking forward to moving to the university.

“Alright,” the judge said, which brought her out of her quick reminiscing, “your name change from Catherine Smith to Adalyne Smirnay is granted.” He banged the gavel quickly.

“Take this paperwork down the hall to the clerk to get the finished and official paperwork.

Adalyne practically skipped over to the judge to get the paperwork from his outstretched hand.

She beamed at him and whispered, “Thank you.”

“Good luck in your endeavors.” She quickly nodded. She turned and again practically skipped towards the door.

Her best friend and current roommate, Lisa stood from her seat and joined her at the door beaming. They grasped hands and scurried through the doors together. In the hallway, they hugged and quietly squealed. Ada had a lot of friends but only five best friends. All of them were present during her first court date, Lisa was the only one here today because it was a Tuesday of a major project week. The other four best friends currently live a little 3 hours away. It was just not realistic for them to do that drive in the middle of the week and risk a poor grade in their classes. She promised to call them when they were done. She went ahead and texted through their group text.

Only people with a reason to know, know what Ada’s real name is. Otherwise, people know her as Ada Smirnay. It’s the name she used for introductions ever since she started college and used as a “preferred” name. She used her real name on official documentation. The college was small enough that after she discussed it with professors, they knew to use her preferred name.

Only six people in Ada’s life know the true horror she went through, and why she’s so desperate for the name change. One person is here hugging her and lives with her. One person is her therapist, who she started seeing almost immediately after she moved here. And the other four are also the very four that helped her escape that hell. Though she does suspect her math professor knows, or at least has an inkling, she hasn’t spoken outright to him about it.

Still struggling to not skip everywhere, Ada with Lisa by her side, went down the hall to the clerk’s office.

The two young women hurried down the courthouse steps to Lisa’s car, giggling. With all the official paperwork in hand, they headed home. They picked up some take out on the way, the whole drive back to their apartment, Ada kept staring at the words on the paper.

“I can finally burn that bridge.” Ada whispered. Lisa looked at her out of the corner of her eye. She reached over and squeezed her hand.

“You’ve gone through several lifetimes’ worth of hell, sweetie. It’s high time something big goes your way.”

“You’re amazing. You guys are the best friends a girl could hope for.” Ada smiled at her tearfully.

“We love you, too babe.”

They got home, and into the apartment. As they walked through the door, they were discussing Ada’s plans to go to the Social Security office and DMV at the end of the week. They settled in the living room to eat and watch something. They had plans to video chat with the others in a couple hours.

They were clearing off the coffee table when Lisa uncovered another piece of paper.

“Oh, look! Here’s the lottery ticket you bought on for the f**k of it the other night. I think you can check it now.”

“Alright, let’s check it so I can throw it away.” Ada said laughing.