III Part

At the Whitman?s?

Stephanie: Oh my gosh girl! What?s with the so last last season clothes? And put on some makeup!
Angeles: what?s wrong with my clothes? I thought you wore uniforms, and I haven?t got mine yet.
Stephanie: Yes, but everyone will know you?re not?
Angeles: I?m not what?
Stephanie: You know I gotta go?I still need to do my hair.

Juanita: No se preocupe niña Angeles. Esa ropa esta bien y su cara esta Linda. Usted no necesita nada de esas pinturas y maquillajes. Su belleza es natural.
Angeles: Gracias Juanita. Te lo agradezco mucho.

At the Academy?

Academy Director: Hi Angeles. I have talked to your AEP coordinator and she?s given me a file with your academic performance. I?m very pleased with your results at your previous institution. I expect the same academic performance here at the academy. She told me you can speak, write and read English very well, so I hope this doesn?t become a problem for you. Do you speak any other language besides Spanish and English?
Angeles: I took some German classes.
A.D: Good, because one of our requisites for graduation is one year of a foreign language. We offer Spanish, French and German as electives. Although you may take Spanish, I would recommend challenging yourself and taking another language.
Angeles: I?d love to take German again.
A.D: Good. If you have any problems with your teachers or academics, please come to see me, ok?
Angeles: Yes, of course.
A.D: Here is your schedule.

Getting out of the director?s office, Angeles crashes against Andy who was coming to see the principal.

Angeles: I?m very sorry.
Andy: No, don?t worry about it. Hey! You?re Angeles, right?
Angeles: Right! Andy, no?
Andy: Yes. We weren?t officially introduced, but yeah that?s my name.
Angeles: I thought you went to school with Daniel.
Andy: No, I was only going with him for the first week. I moved to this town last year and my uncle wants me to go to this school.
Angeles: Ok, then. I?ll see you later.
Andy: Sure! Good luck with classes and all.
Angeles: Thanks.

In the Classroom?

Teacher: This is our new exchange student. Her name is Maria Estrada. Come Maria and introduce yourself.
Angeles: Hi. My name is Maria de los Angeles Estrada, but everyone calls me Angeles. I come from Barranquilla, Colombia and I?m very glad to be here today.
Teacher: Thanks Angeles. You can take your sit now. Let?s start reviewing simple equations.
Angeles: (This is stuff I saw like 5 years ago)
Teacher: You need to understand that this is a review, and if any of you feel we?re going too slow, you can go see the academic counselor after the class and change to a more advanced course.

At a Calculus Class?

Surprisingly the calculus class Angeles decided to take wasn?t full of nerds. Andy was there.

Andy: Hey Angeles. I didn?t expect to see you here.
Angeles: Yeah the other class was a review of something I was like five years ago. I thought this would be a better class for me. You know, more challenging. What are you doing here?
Andy: Oh I just need this class to get into the engineering program at Yale.
Angeles: Yale? I didn?t think you?
Teacher: Hello class. We have some new students here. Why don?t you come up here and introduce yourselves?

By the end of the class, Angeles knew this was a tough class. She thought, ?so much for stereotypes?everyone in Colombia thinks American high schools are easy. They have no idea about this.?

Angeles: He didn?t even review?that class was hard.
Andy: Yeah it?s a tough class, but he?ll review tomorrow. He just did that to scare some of us. What were you saying before the class started?
Angeles: Oh just that I didn?t think guys like you would like to go to Yale.
Andy: Guys like me?
Angeles: I mean rich and with everything they can ever want.
Andy: You mean guys like Daniel. I?m different?don?t make conclusions based on appearances.
Angeles: Sorry, I didn?t mean to upset you.
Andy: You didn?t. It?s just an advice?hey gotta go! See you later I guess.

In the car back to the residence from the academy?

Stephanie: Wow! I don?t think I?ll have you in any of my classes since you dropped Algebra.
Angeles: I don?t know?what classes are you taking?
Stephanie: Algebra, Psychology, French, Environmental studies and Phys. Ed.
Angeles: I got Physical Education too.
Stephanie: Well, you can pick a sport or just do some jazzercise.
Angeles: I might pick swimming.
Stephanie: Swimming? During the winter? I mean, even though you?ll be in the inside pool?you?ll freeze after practices. Trust me, I did it when I was small. So why did you drop Algebra? Too hard for you?
Angeles: No, I decided I wanted to take something more challenging. I took Calculus.
Stephanie: But you need to know Algebra and other stuff before you take Calculus.
Angeles: I already took Algebra. In my country you see like three years of Algebra.
Stephanie: You mean, you actually study Algebra in your country.
Angeles: Yes, we actually ?study? in my country. Some of us study very hard to accomplish dreams.
Stephanie: Dreams? What are your dreams?
Angeles: This is supposed to be one of them.

At the Whitman?s Residence (in Angeles? room):

Angeles: (singing) ?Para amarte necesito una razon y es dificil creer que no exista una mas que este amor. Sobra tanto dentro de este Corazon que a pesar de que dicen que los años son sabios, todavia se siente el dolor.?
Juanita: Se puede pasar niña Angeles?
Angeles: Si, pasa Juanita.
Juanita: Le vine a decir que sus padres la llamaron en la mañana. Yo les dije que usted estaba en la escuela.
Angeles: Cierto! Debi haberlos llamado ayer, pero no se como hacer una llamada de larga distancia. Que bueno que el AEP les dio este numero para que me llamaran.
Juanita: Si desea viene y los llamamos desde la cocina. Yo tengo una tarjeta para llamadas internacionales que puede usar.
Angeles: Gracias Juanita.

At the Kitchen:

Angeles: Ok. Hola? Mama? Si, mama estoy bien. La familia parece ser muy Buena gente. Si, no hay problemas. Si, ya fui a la escuela. Ok, mama. Mandeles saludos a toda la familia y a mis amigos del barrio. Adios.
Juanita: No se ponga triste niña Angeles.
Angeles: Ay Juanita, es que la verdad es que este es un mundo muy diferente del mio. Tengo miedo de no poder con la nostalgia. Todos estos lujos y toda esta riqueza me parece a veces tan vacia.
Juanita: Ah! Usted es de las que no les gusta las cosas materials.
Angeles: No, hay belleza en todo incluso en las cosas materials. Lo que no me gusta es que haya frialdad en el Corazon humano, que haya un quemimportismo en la sociedad.

Daniel: Hey Juanita?I invited a few friends over to hang out at the pool and I was wondering if we had any of that juice you brought the other day. What?s it called? Oh, passion fruit juice.
Juanita: I don?t think so, Mr. Daniel. You took it all the other day, remember? You said you needed it for some cocktails.
Daniel: Oh yeah! Oh right! Anyways, can you get me more of that juice? It really seems to have an effect on girls if you know what I mean.
Juanita: Sure. I?ll send Lou to the market.
Daniel: Oh hey L.A. you can come and hang with my friends if you want to.
Angeles: L.A?
Daniel: Yeah sorry I forgot your name. I just remember it had something to do with L.A.
Angeles: Angeles. It means Angels. My name means Mary of the Angels.
Daniel: Ok, Angeles. You can come, seriously, girls are always welcome.
Angeles: I don?t think I should, but thanks.
Daniel: No problem?Hey Andy!!

Juanita: Al niño Daniel le gustan mucho las fiestas y si toma y juega mucho, pero hasta ahora no lo he visto con drogas. Me parece un chico bueno, solo un poco desorientado. La niña Estefania es un poco mal educada, pero me parece que todo lo hace por atencion. Ya los llegaras a conocer Angeles. La familia es un poco superficial, pero son buenas personas en el fondo. Si no, no estuviera trabajando aqui.
Angeles: Si, espero llegar a conocerlos major. Bueno Juanita, me debo ir a estudiar asi que la veo despues, no?
Juanita: Si, claro. La cena estara lista a las siete asi que no mas viene para que le sirva.
Angeles: Seguro que si.

On the way to Angeles? room, Andy opens the bathroom door which is close to her room and Angeles gets knocked down by it.

Andy: Sorry. It seems we collide again.
Angeles: Yeah, it seems like you do it in purpose.
Andy: In purpose?
Angeles: Yes, you wanted to do it.
Andy: It?s ?on? purpose, and no, I didn?t mean to do it. I was just using the bathroom.
Angeles: Why this bathroom?
Andy: Oh, I?m staying at the guest?s room next to that one.
Angeles: That?s my room.
Andy: Then we?ll be neighbors.
Angeles: Why are you staying here?
Andy: Daniel has friends over, and I think we?ll be staying up too late so I?ll be staying here.
Angeles: Ok. Just do me a favor and try to be quiet when you?re in your room.
Andy: Ok, I?ll try to be quiet but I can?t speak about the girls I?m bringing with me.
Angeles: Girls? Never mind! Just keep it down. Thanks.
Andy: Sure! See ya!

?Of course, I forgot this is the states. I forgot guys are like this everywhere!? Angeles thought to herself. A year before, she had a very bad experience with a boyfriend. Angeles, who always had very liberal views about love and feelings thought it was not a big deal to lose her virginity to her first serious boyfriend, Miguel. He was a pretty boy who seemed as sensitive and caring as Angeles was. They had been dating for a few months when Angeles told him she was ready to make love to him, but she wanted it to be very romantic. They chose a small cabin by the beach and a starred night. She gave him her heart, and she thought he would give her his. The day after that beautiful starred night, Angeles was so happy she could not wait to see him and went to his house only to find Miguel with another girl in the back of his car. Some of her friends had warned her about Miguel?s sick and real intentions. Others had told her to be careful with men in general. She didn?t want to think that there could be anything wrong with giving out your heart and be intimate with somebody you loved. It seemed men might not be worth loving at all. After this, she didn?t want to date or be with anybody in a romantic way. This is how she got more interested in exploring other possibilities and going abroad for a new experience. Andy?s words just reminded Angeles about this bad time in her life, and her reasons for not getting involved with anyone.


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