### Chapter 4
The bus ride to the city stretched endlessly. Anna pressed her face against the window, watching small towns give way to suburbs, then towering buildings. Everything grew larger, faster, more intimidating. Her suitcase held everything she owned that mattered: photo of her and her mother, her grandmother's Bible, and the business books she'd borrowed from the library and never returned.
At the terminal, the noise and movement overwhelmed her. People rushed past in expensive clothes, speaking in clipped voices into phones. Anna clutched her suitcase handle and reminded herself she belonged here—she'd earned her place through grades and determination.
The dorm room was smaller than expected but felt like a palace compared to her trailer bedroom. Her roommate, Jennifer, arrived with parents and enough belongings to stock a store. As Jennifer's family efficiently organized her space, Anna unpacked alone, placing her few possessions carefully on the narrow desk.