Chapter 1
"Mom, I don't wanna go to the Freshman Challenge Program. What if I get ugly after all those intense training?"
At the dinner table, my younger twin sister, Wendy Parker, pouted and complained to our Mom Ellen Parker, her voice full of helplessness and hesitation.
Ellen immediately put down her utensils, her face softening with concern as she gently stroked Wendy's cheek.
"Oh, my sweet girl, that's the last thing we want. Your skin is so delicate. Getting sunburned would be awful."
Our dad, Jason Parker, frowned and put on his strict, authoritative parent voice.
"Nonsense! The Freshman Challenge Program is part of the official college curriculum. If you skip it, what will your counselors think of you?
"If you get labeled as a spoiled, uncooperative student, how are you supposed to get through the next four years without trouble?"
The moment he said that, Wendy's eyes filled with tears.
She buried her face in Ellen's arms and sniffled pitifully.
Ellen gently patted her back. Then, as if a brilliant idea had suddenly struck her, her eyes lit up.
"Honey, don't you remember last year, when Wendy had her high school fitness assessment? Sienna took it for her, didn't she?
"If it worked in high school, it'll work for college too. There are so many freshmen in the Freshman Challenge Program. How are the instructors supposed to tell everyone apart?
"We can just have Sienna attend in Wendy's place. Problem solved!"
The moment those words left her mouth, all three of them turned to look at me.
I sat there silently, hunched over my bowl and eating plain potatoes. My hand holding the fork froze in midair.
Ellen picked up a piece of steak and placed it into my bowl.
"Sienna, you've always been such a thoughtful girl. This is about your sister's future—you understand that, don't you?
"You're the older sister. Looking out for her, making this sacrifice—that's what family does. You know I love you most, don't you?"
I stared at the steak sitting in my bowl, and a wave of nausea rolled through me.
I'd hated steak since I was little. But because Wendy loved it, it appeared on our dinner table almost every day.
Jason spoke up next, his tone making it sound like his request was the most reasonable thing in the world, "Sienna, you're tougher than anyone. You're healthier and much better at handling hardship than your sister.
"Help Wendy. Think of it as a free workout. When school starts, I'll add $200 to your living allowance as a reward. How does that sound?"
Wendy and I were both starting college that year.
If I went in her place, what about my own required training?
If I skipped my own Freshman Challenge Program, what kind of impression would my counselors have of me? Would it affect my entire college experience?
Those questions, the ones that could shape my future, weren't even worth considering in Jason's eyes.
When I stayed silent, Wendy immediately leaned over, wrapped her arms around mine, and shook my arm like she had done countless times before.
"Sienna, you're the best sister ever! I don't wanna get tanned. Please help me. Will you? It's not like you care about your looks anyway. You're always out in the sun and wind, so getting a little tanned won't matter, right?"
The summer before, I had walked two miles just to save the delivery fee and carried a 50-pound bag of potatoes home for the family.
After spending hours under the scorching sun, I developed a severe case of dermatitis.
My arms had been covered in clusters of blisters that burst and leaked, and the pain had kept me awake every night for 2 full weeks.
Back then, Ellen had only looked at me coldly, accused me of being dramatic, and refused to even take me to a doctor.
The memory of that pain came rushing back.
The burning sensation on my skin, the endless agony, the nights I spent unable to sleep...
Everything returned at once, leaving a heavy ache in my chest.
I pushed the disgusting piece of steak aside with my fork.
Then I calmly went back to eating my plain potatoes.
"Fine."
The second I nodded in agreement, the heavy tension hanging over the dining room disappeared as if it had never existed.
Ellen immediately grabbed her phone and pulled Wendy and Jason closer, the three of them huddling around the screen.
"Wendy, there's still some time before school starts. We can take a family trip to Hawaii for the next few days!"
Jason immediately joined in.
"Right, right! I checked already. If we go now, we'll avoid the peak season, and the flights are much cheaper."
"Mom, I need a new floral dress! I want to take pretty pictures by the beach and post them online!"
The three of them excitedly discussed their plans, talking about flights, ocean-view rooms, and expensive seafood dinners.
I didn't even need to ask.
This was just another family vacation that I was the only one excluded from.
I watched them laugh happily in their own little world, then quietly placed my fork down and left the dining room.
I returned to my tiny bedroom, the one that had once been used as a storage closet.
Slowly, I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against a stiff piece of cardstock.
It was an economy-class ticket to Westbridge University, located thousands of miles away from my hometown.
And I'd bought it long before anyone in this family knew.
