Chapter Five: Endings and Beginnings.

Lindsay did make many memories over the next two years.   They helped ease the pain of her past and her circumstances.    She attended Geek Con and cheerleading competitions.   Spent a summer practicing photography and playing chess with Elosie.  Went swimming in the lake.  Lindsay even made a number of friends at school.   Chadwick was good looking and handy with group projects.   They could have made a great couple but Chadwick friend-zoned Lindsay hard.  Janice was fun, except when she was being a total ___, but that was just a quirk of hers.    At the time Lindsay thought she was pretty happy.   Maturity and hindsight would reveal that she had kept all relationships at a distance, a protective mechanism to prevent the shattering of her fragile world.

In the end, Chadwick was the only one Lindsay found for sure knew she was squatting on National Park grounds.   Something about GPS and a sneaky app on her phone.  Lindsay was stunned when he arrived Christmas morning with a wrapped box and well wishes.  And though he couldn't stay long, needing to get back to his large family, the thoughtful gesture warmed Lindsay for hours.

What seemed a blink later, the teachers were announcing details of end-of-year festivities, exams and arrangements for the seniors who would be graduating shortly.   Lindsay was seen in the library researching scholarships, entry requirements for various majors and accommodation at any number of universities.   She made a decision that she would move some distance from Copperdale, make a fresh start and begin her adult life in a place where no one knew her as the poor, abandoned child.   Luckily her excellent grades meant she had a decent chance of getting into her choice of program.

Prom was pretty good.  Lindsay had no date, much like the previous year.   Still the music was good and the food nice.   She even got invited to an afterparty but decided to skip it because of having to ride her bike in the dark.   Most of her classmates were beginning to upgrade to their own cars, but obviously Lindsay didn't have the money.

Lindsay's eighteenth birthday was a heck of a lot better than her sixteenth.   Her friends Janice, Aisha and Chadwick met her for brunch at a little cafe they all loved.  They gossiped about the latest 'who was dating whom' and over bagels and salads discussed their plans for the coming year, or five.

Janice broke down in tears at one point and confessed that her mother was losing her battle with breast cancer.  Lindsay was surprised, having mostly witnessed Janice's tough girl persona.  No wonder she could be brittle and rough around the edges.  Between insisting that she didn't want their pity, Janice accepted condolences from the group for her difficulties and offers of assistance if at all possible.

Then a distraction arrived in the form of a tall blonde.   Into the cafe walked no other but one of Lindsay's favorite actresses Judith Ward.   Honestly, she seemed almost to glow to Lindsay's star struck eyes.  Egged on by her mates, Lindsay hesitantly approached and asked in a quiet voice for an autograph.   Aisha piped up from the table "It's her birthday Ms. Ward!" which earned a small smile and seemed to cinch the deal.

After candles and a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday", the group was still buzzing with the celebrity encounter.   Lindsay put all thoughts of the future out of her mind and just enjoyed the moment.

But choices had to be made and plans implemented.   Finally, the night came when Lindsay slept in her tent for the last time.   Her ticket was bought, her bags packed.   The following day she was catching the bus to Britechester.   She'd be taking up residence in the dorms and studying biology at the modern and prestigious Foxbury Institute.   She didn't know exactly what she was walking into, but Lindsay knew it would be the beginning of the rest of her life.