I felt close to tears for a second but then pulled myself together quickly.

“Sammy, my dad was just joking. I wanted to tell you about this nice Italian girl I met at the bookstore. I made the mistake of waiting too long. I am sorry. Please don’t be mad.” I told Sammy.

Sammy seemed a bit unsure about how to respond but then she softened up a little and smiled.

“It’s okay. I trust you. I felt jealous and a bit upset when your dad said it but it’s okay. Thanks for explaining.” Sammy said.

“I am sorry I didn’t ask you first before making that joke, Riley.” dad said, looking a bit upset.

“That’s okay, dad. I should have told Sammy right away. Let’s forget about it.” I assured him.

“And? Is she cute?” Sammy wanted to know.

“According to Riley, she is. She also seems very fashionable.” Mary told her before I could say anything.

“I did tell Angela that I have a girlfriend and that maybe we can all hang out before she is going back to Italy.” I let Sammy know.

“Sure. I want to meet this mysterious Angela.” Sammy said with a big smile on her face.

We finished dinner and soon Sammy had to go back home. We kissed and said good-bye. Throughout the next two days, Mary and I spend a lot of time together getting ourselves ready for the trip. Mom, dad, Mary and I were soon getting into our fully packed car on our way to Boston.

The car ride was a lot of fun. We talked, laughed, cracked jokes and just had awesome family time. I know there are families out there who fight and argue a lot. Even though my family had conflicts we always figured out how to resolve them. I felt bad for the families who were not able to do that.

In the late afternoon, we arrived in Boston at our hotel. Mom and dad were sharing a room and so were Mary and me. We excitedly opened the door to our room and started making ourselves comfortable. The room was very big and had a great view of the city. In a short while we were planning on going out to eat and we wanted to discuss further plans.

“Mary, what should I wear for dinner tonight. I desperately need some nicer clothes for going out to eat.” I asked my big sis.

“It’s okay. I will help you put an outfit together. I brought some of my old clothes for you to try. I thought you might like that.” Mary told me while smiling.

I gave my big sis a hug.

“You are the best. What kind of clothes do you have for me?” I wanted to know.

“I have a few dresses, skirts and tops for you to try. For tonight I was thinking you could wear a black dress with polka dots and black sheer pantyhose.” Mary suggested.

“Sounds great.” I assured her.

I tried it on and it looked great. I felt excited and giddy. Mary made me spin around.

“Looking good, darling.” Mary said, seeming happy.

We were both standing in front of the mirror.

“I agree. It looks fantastic and I love how it feels.” I told my personal hero.

“Great. Let’s meet mom and dad in the lobby. Don’t forget your coat, scarf and gloves.” Mary reminded me.

We met up with our parents and went to an upper class Italian restaurant. I felt happy to be with my family. Once we were seated and put our orders in, we started talking about our plans for tomorrow.

“You two girls look fantastic.” Dad complimented us.

“Thanks” Mary and I said at the same time. We laughed.

“What are we going to do tomorrow?” I asked my parents.

“First of all, we will have breakfast at the hotel and then we will go to visit the first private school. It’s a bit outside of the city. So it will be about a half our drive. I spoke to the principal and they are excited to meet you. Then we will have lunch and go back to the hotel. You ladies probably want to go shopping, correct?” dad asked us as if that was unclear.

“Funny, dad.” Mary said.

“Just kidding. You three go have fun and then the day after tomorrow we will go to the second private school and then go home. Riley, we can all have a discussion about your thoughts but you are the one who makes the ultimate decision. Both schools cost about the same.” Dad assured me.

“Dad is right. I want you to choose the school you think you will be comfortable learning and just being.” Mom wanted me to know.

“Sounds good. I am sure I will make the right decision for myself.” I told my family.

With that we all had a delicious meal and we enjoyed our evening. When we were back at the hotel, Mary and I entered our room and we got ourselves comfortable on one of the beds.I snuggled up to my big sister and we started talking.

“I enjoyed dinner. That was some first class food.” I said.

Mary nodded and then gave me a thoughtful look.

“Riley, I am so happy you are my baby sis. I love you so much.” Mary said getting a little teary.

“Are you okay?” asking her while giving her a hug.

“Yes, I am fine. I just feel so proud of you. All the things that you have accomplished in this short period of time. You make new friends like it is the easiest thing in the world. You are funny, witty and awesome to be around with. And you have a great taste in girls.” Mary teased me.

I laughed.

“Aw, thanks sis. I have always been proud to have you as my big sister. I am so glad that we are close friends and that I can tell you anything.” I let Mary know.

“How do you feel about going to those private schools? Are you nervous?” Mary asked me.

“Actually, I don’t feel nervous at all. Just curious and excited.” I told her.

“That is cool. I remembered when I went on College visits. I was so nervous.” Mary said, sounding thoughtful.

“Wait a minute. You were nervous? I never thought that would be possible.” I shared with Mary.

“Of course, sweetie. A big sister can be nervous too. I mean, I understand that it might seem this way sometimes. That I never get nervous. Believe me, it does happen.” Mary told me.

When I thought about it more, it made perfect sense. I have seen my big sister as a role model my whole life. In my eyes, she has always been confident. Nothing could shake her. However, Mary was a human being with weaknesses and flaws. Just like me and everyone else.

“Yeah, I suppose you are right. We are all just humans. We are not perfect.” I said.

Mary and I talked, laughed and simply had a good time. We didn’t go to bed until past midnight. I loved wearing the pretty dress. I didn’t want to take it off. At 7 AM our alarm went off. We had to get ready for our first visit after a quick breakfast in the hotel.

Mom and dad were already downstairs, waiting for us. I decided to wear my nicest skirt and black tights. We enjoyed our breakfast and soon we were on the road. After half an hour of driving, we arrived at a private school called “Cherry Blossom Hill”. Like the name suggested, it was on a big hill and there were a lot of trees which I assumed were cherry blossoms.

The school reminded me of Hogwarts from Harry Potter. I was excited. After we parked our car and several minutes of walking, we arrived at the gates. A little bit later, we met with the principal, vice principal and guidance counselor. They were all very nice and helpful.

Our hosts gave us a quick lesson about the history of the school and they also had some snacks for us. The principal, Mr. McManaman addressed me directly.

“Riley, I would like to offer you to meet with one of our students. Her name is Katie and she will give you a private tour. Katie does this a lot. You will be able to drop in on some classes and see our whole facilities. If your big sister, Mary, wants to join, she can.” Mr McManaman suggested while looking at Mary.

Mary and I looked at each other and smiled. We nodded at the same time.

“Excellent. I will call down to the office and Katie will be here in about 5 minutes. When you are done with your tour, we will all meet here again. Your tour will probably be over after lunch. You three will have lunch in the cafeteria.” Mr. Mc told us.

Over three hours? How big was this school I asked myself. We were led out of the principal’s office and waited in another room. Five minutes later, Katie arrived. I gasped. She had blonde long hair, beautiful blue eyes and a drop dead smile. I also loved her cute school uniform. She walked right up to me.

“Hi, you must be Riley? I am Katie. It is nice to meet you.” Katie said while shaking my hand.

All I could do was smile. Mary pushed my back softly a bit.

“Oh...well…..it is ah...nice to meet you too..I guess…” was all I could stutter.

“I’m Mary. Riley’s big sister.” Mary let Katie know while shaking her hand.

Katie looked a bit confused.

“Okay, why don’t we go down and start the tour.” Katie suggested.

Katie talked fast and seemed to have a bubbly personality. I liked that.

We started at the entrance and entered a big hall. The hall had beautiful wooden floors, tables and benches. I saw a few students who appeared to be studying or talking. The hall also had glass stained windows that were beautiful.

We exited the hall and found ourselves in a big, friendly hallway.

“This hallway leads to all kinds of classrooms. Let me show you one of our nicest buildings. The library. Our library has a lot of books of course, haha, but also many cozy sofas and chairs where you can hang out with your friends and read or study. It also has a little cafe where you can get coffee, pastries and even sandwiches.” Katie explained.

“I bet the library is nice. Maybe we can study together sometime if I should attend this school.” I asked Katie.

“Yeah, that would be great. I will introduce you to my friends.” Katie said while smiling at me.

“Wonderful.” I replied while smiling back at her.

We exited another door at the end of the hallway and across a walking path was what appeared to be the library. It was a beautiful old building. The three of us stepped inside and I have to say that Katie didn’t promise too much. So many books I could read. So many new friends I could make. I noticed one thing though. I have not seen any boys yet.

“Katie, I haven’t seen any boys yet. Is that because they are kept in a secret place or is this an all girls school?” I wanted to know.

“Oh, this is an all girls school. Sorry, I thought you knew that.” Katie answered my question.

“That’s quite alright. I like that.” I assured her while smiling.

“Excellent. I am also going to show you two girls our gym, basketball and tennis court and our pool.” Katie let us know.

I was very impressed by all this. We went to the gym. It was huge and very modern. Katie, Mary and I hung out a bit and soon noticed a group of six girls who were playing a basketball pickup game. We decided to watch them a little bit and sat ourselves near them. The girls played hard and seemed to have a lot of fun. After five minutes or so they took a break. One of the girls, brunette and brown eyes made eye contact with me.

We both smiled at each other and then she came over and introduced herself to me.

“Hi, I am Trish. I have never seen you here before. Are you new?” she wanted to know.

“Hey Trish, I am Riley. Well, sort of. I am visiting your nice school. I might be going here soon. By the way, this is my big sister Mary. She is home from College right now and decided to join me on this visit.” I explained.

“Awesome. Listen, would you and Mary be interested in joining our game. We will finish this one in a minute and then play one more. I think that four on four would be more fun than three on three.” Trish asked me confidently.

“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t really do sports.” I said.

“Just a little game. Some of my friends here can give you shorts and a jersey. It’s easy. You know the rules of basketball, right?” Trish insisted.

“Yeah, Riley. Let’s play.” Mary suddenly spoke up.

“But mom and dad expect us back at the agreed time.” I pointed out.

“I will text them real quick.” Mary said with a big grin on her face.

Of course, my athletic sister knows how to play sports. I am too short and too clumsy. I did not want to embarrass myself.

Two other girls brought each of us a jersey and shorts and a minute later we found ourselves in the locker room. Katie did not seem upset that she couldn’t play.

“Off with the skirt and tights.” Mary commanded me.

I gave her a mean look.

“This is not funny. I will make a fool out of myself. Why can’t Katie play instead of me?” I asked her.

“Because they invited us. You don’t want to be rude. Besides, it will be a lot of fun. I am sure there will be a quick warming up period. I will show you what to do. You need to step out of your comfort zone once in a while.” Mary insisted.

“Fine. I will do it.” I agreed.

I changed into the basketball shorts and jersey. I kind of liked how it looked. Before we joined the others, Mary took me aside.

“Hey sis, how do you like this Katie girl?” Mary inquired.

“She is nice. She seems very friendly and smart.” I told her.

“Listen, Riley. I am not trying to be mean. I just want to let you know that I am worried about you falling in love with every new cute girl that you meet. Do I have the right impression?” Mary asked me, seeming serious.

“Well, okay. I just like her. I understand that I might seem a bit over enthusiastic sometimes. I just love meeting new people. Why are you so worried?” I asked my big sis.

“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling that I have. I am not trying to put the breaks on your excitement. I feel as your big sister, I had to make you aware of this.” Mary told me while giving me a hug.

“Thanks, sis. I appreciate it. I think you are right. I might get a little too excited sometimes.” I said, feeling thoughtful.

“It’s okay. Let’s go out and have some fun.” Mary said.

We stepped back into the gym and some things have changed while Mary and I were in the locker room. A new class period must have started and there were a bunch more students who got themselves comfortable and appeared to be waiting to watch our game. I also saw mom and dad there, who Mary has texted before we changed into our basketball clothes.

Trish came over to me and told me I was with her team and Mary with the other team. We were going to warm up for a few minutes and then play.

I felt insecure and anxious. What would all those people think if I did not do well?