Well, high school was rounding out. Joanie and Bahar drifted apart around Senior year. They hung out with different groups of friends. Joanie found her way with the rich popular kids, and Bahar just wasn’t interested; even though Bahar had the reputation of being one of those well-to-do teens. There was a huge difference though; Bahar had a job, had standards to uphold otherwise her parents would take things away. Joanie’s friend group, not so much. They were handed everything on a silver platter. That was probably the first time Bahar started realizing that dynamics and the people you associate yourself with can really alter your life and it’s outcome in the future.

Remember Bahar’s obsession with cars? Well, her parents would use that as leverage and give Bahar the opportunity to make her first big financial decision. She applied for academically high-ranked colleges throughout the country, even ivy league schools. She was accepted into most and waitlisted at two ivy league universities, however she was rejected from Harvard. She had dreams of becoming a doctor and her parents knew this.

When it came down to deciding which college to attend, Bahar’s parents gave her a choice. If Bahar attended a local university, they would pay her full tuition, and pay off her sports car so she could keep it. If she went away to a fancy college, they would pay half and the rest would go to student loans. They did agree, however to pay for her the additional expense of medical school if she chose the first option. Like any good business woman, Bahar chose a local university in Brooklyn. She still had to maintain a job to go out and pay for things, socializing etc, but she wouldn’t have to worry about student debt or car expenses other than gas. It wasn’t just the financial aspect, but Bahar didn’t want to leave the nuclear family she finally had and wanted to hold on to it and soak in as much time with them as possible. It’s something she had always craved.

Well, graduation came around, and that Summer, her and her high school friends spent so much time together. They would hang out late nights, partied on boats that were docked in the Long Island Sound, drive to South Jersey or Philadelphia for concerts and philly cheesesteaks, adventure parks, sometimes just to blast the music and drive aimlessly. They used their fake ID’s to get into bars and clubs; it was a constant party. Towards the end of that Summer, Bahar and Joanie, in the few times they hung out, fell in love with this itty bitty Pomeranian Joanie affectionately named “LuLu.” By that point, Bahar has a menagerie at home due to her and her mom constantly rescuing cats, dogs, bunnies, you name it. But who knew how significant LuLu would become to Bahar, even after she had kids.

During that Summer, Bahar was dating a classmate she didn’t even know was interested in her. It wasn’t until the numerous graduation parties, did he make his move, which quickly turned into a noncommittal whirlwind of a year; a relationship that would last throughout her first year of college only to end the Summer between her Freshman and Sophomore year. He was another spoiled rich kid, but at least on the same playing level as Bahar and age appropriate. He’d drip feed her attention, but in all fairness, she kept her options open too. She was the make-out queen, too scared to go further than that, but not to scared to make-out with a guy when Mr. Noncommittal would go on a hiatus and not instant message her or call her in a few weeks.

His name was Louie.