Free Wrong by Kelly Favor

old-fashioned suit with a flower patterned blouse and pearl necklace. She smelled a little musty and her face, when she smiled, revealed the fine powder of overly applied foundation. “May I help you?” the woman asked.
    Caelyn looked and saw that she wore a nametag that read Laura Westerfeld.
    “Hi, Miss Westerfeld. I’m a student here, and I’m having an issue with the account linked to my student ID. When I tried to purchase a book at the school bookstore, I was told I had insufficient funds. I’m quite sure that’s incorrect.”
    “May I see your ID, please?” Miss Westerfeld asked.
    “Yes.” She handed it over.
    Miss Westerfeld examined it for a long moment, as if it had top-secret markings on it that only she could see. She flipped it over and back again, then began typing on her computer. Apparently, she saw something interesting on the screen, because her eyes widened briefly.
    Then she turned her attention to Caelyn. “The bookstore was correct. You have nothing in your account at this time.”
    “That’s not possible. I just used my card the other day at the cafeteria without a problem. And I checked online not long ago and I had hundreds of dollars in there.”
    “I’m afraid that’s no longer the case,” Miss Westerfeld stated. She typed something else and stared intently at the screen. “And I might add that you have an even more important issue, which is that we still haven’t received the payment for next semester.”
    Caelyn swallowed, the pit in her stomach returning with a vengeance. “And when is that payment due?”
    “Two days from now. After that, you’ll be overdue. Registering for classes next semester will become an issue, because, as you know, the process can be quite competitive. Early registration is rewarded and late registration is penalized. So I urge you to find out why that payment hasn’t been made yet.”
    Caelyn backed away from the desk. “Yes,” she muttered, feeling dizzy and a little nauseous. “Thanks for your help.”
    “Do you need to be referred to the Financial Aid office, young lady?”
    “No, thank you.” Caelyn pulled out her cell phone and immediately called her mother’s cell phone, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment.
    It rang and then went to voicemail. “Mom, this is Caelyn. I know you don’t want to speak to me but there’s some important things we need to discuss. Please call me back as soon as you can.”
    Then she tried her father and got voicemail there, too. She left a nearly identical message with him.
    She needed to go to class, but her nerves were jumpy, her stomach acidic, and she was sweating, feeling faint from anxiety.
    I can’t do this. I can’t go to class right now.
    She was already anticipating what was going to happen—the conversation with her mother or father would be explosive.
    Had they really decided to stop paying for college? In the recent past, they’d been insistent on wanting to cover everything, not wanting her to take out even a single college loan. But now…now things were different.
    Still, they could have told me if they were going to stop helping.
    Maybe it was all some big misunderstanding.
    She could hardly stand still, so there was no way she’d be sitting in class like this.
    She texted Elijah and asked if he could come and pick her up as soon as he was able.
    He texted her and said: Back in Boston. Can return now if u need me.
    It’s nothing , she texted in reply. I can wait .
    Do you need me? Tell me and I’m there , he said.
    After thinking for a moment, she decided to be honest. I need you , she wrote him.
    I’m on my way.

    ***
    Caelyn could tell something was wrong as soon as Elijah picked her up. She got in the car and sensed he was distracted, tense.
    “Sorry I made you come all the way back here, Elijah.”
    “No problem,” he said, typing something into his phone. He looked up at her.
    “You okay?”
    She nodded, tears at the corner of her eyes,