Chapter 22: Chapter 22

A familiar wave of fear lurked inside Madison, sweeping over the excitement she was supposed to feel on her first day as a college freshman. It had been years since she stopped attending an academic institution. It was inevitable for her to feel lost now that she was allowed to take a degree and was admitted to a university exclusive to students of American or Italian nationalities. Fortunately, Dylan drove her and Emily to the campus. He even wanted to accompany Madison inside, but she insisted he leave immediately. Emily was with her anyway. But how would she adjust to the new environment, especially when Emily was not around but the other students of different backgrounds?

Despite staying in the city for nearly a year now, Madison still found herself lost in shopping centers, let alone in a campus of hundreds of acres where the names of buildings and facilities had Italian names. The anxiousness of speaking a foreign language crippled her courage to ask strangers for directions. Since she and Emily arrived at the campus a little earlier, Emily decided to accompany Madison in exploring the campus and finding the library, labs, dining halls, and faculties. Although Madison kept her head bowed, she occasionally wandered her eyes around to be familiar with the directions. Having been accustomed to hearing the Carters talk in Italian, Emily had been familiar with the language in the previous years of working for them. Without her, Madison would probably be late for her classes.

After nagging Emily to teach her last night, Madison learned a glimpse of scenarios every first-year student should expect. Larger class size, rare good seniors, overwhelming workload, and a more diverse class, for example. Knowing that the transition could be challenging for Madison, Emily offered her some advice. Since Madison did not know anyone on the campus, Emily advised her to say "Buongiorno" as a formal way of replying to someone's "Salve." If they introduced themselves, Emily instructed Madison to say "Piacere di Consuela" and exchange handshakes with them. What Emily meant was that if nobody talked to Madison, it would be better to observe quietly instead of avoiding any trouble.

Madison believed she could manage brief interactions with her blockmates and professors. The biggest challenge was how she would overcome the difficulties of passing the acceleration exam. Like many other courses at Campbell University, hospitality management was taught in English and Italian. Madison's poor Italian fluency made it challenging for her to deal with the pressure she was putting on herself. It was a privilege for a maid like her to pursue a dream. Disappointing the Carters and her family was the last thing she would do.

"I should have bought a book for beginners who want to learn Italian grammar and vocabulary. It'd be useful when you're not around," Madison uttered. She held Emily's arm tightly when they reached the lecture hall, fearing that Emily would have to leave her alone too soon. As though she were a pre-schooler, Madison could not help but express her anxiousness. "I wish we were on the same course. Why don't you shift to Hospitality Management, Emily?" she suggested in a pleading tone.

"I can't, simply because we don't have the same interest, Madi. I'll accompany you before my class begins. But you understand I must go to my classes soon, right?" Emily explained, trying to cheer up Madison. Madison understood it as a reminder that they had different paths to take inside the campus, so she could only nod her head with a sad pout.

They went inside the lecture hall in the middle of the tiered seating for at least 80 students. The hall was equipped with modernity. It had projector screens and smart blinds and lights.

"What would you do when your professor asks you later in Italian?" Emily suddenly asked, ensuring that Madison remembered what Emily taught her last night.

Madison turned to Emily and casually replied, "Then I'll respond. What's so difficult about a question?"

Emily cocked an eyebrow at Madison's confidence. "Right, so let's pretend I'm one of your professors. I'll ask you in Italian, and you'll respond. If you do well, I'm sure you can do well for the rest of your classes."

Seeing Madison nod her head, Emily sat up straight and played the role of a professor. "Introdurre te stesso," she asked. A hint of an Italian accent was evident in her American voice.

A wrinkle appeared between Madison's eyebrows. "I thought you'd ask me questions. Are you kidding me, Emily?" she remarked.

"Oh my gosh, Madi!" Emily exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. "Professors would likely say it during the first day of class. That's why I'm preparing you. Didn't I teach you that?" she added with frustration.

"You did," Madison confirmed. "But you said you'd ask me a question. You didn't!" she argued.

Emily's class would start in a couple of minutes, so she prevented herself from arguing about Madison bothering to correct her. "Alright, I made a mistake," she replied. "One more time, but let's begin with something else. Come si chiama?"

Silence enveloped the two as Madison recalled what Emily taught her last night. "What does that mean again? Hold on, let me think carefully. I have to make sure I respond correctly," she explained as she put her finger on her chin. She stared at the floor as she took her time to recall. But the Italian phrases and sentences Emily taught her had been tangled inside Madison's head. When Madison turned to the only person she knew on the campus so far, she found Emily dumbfounded.

"My gosh, Madi!" Emily yelled out as her forehead fell on her hand. "That's a basic question, and you failed to understand it. You're driving me crazy!"

Seeing and hearing the frustration of the only person helping Madison, she could not help but stare at the floor again. "I'm sorry, Emily," Madison apologized, feeling mortified. Although she believed that beginners would likely commit the same mistake, she empathized with Emily. After all, Madison nagged her to teach her last night. "I'll keep it in mind next time," she promised and turned to Emily.

Shyness was evident in Madison's eyes. Emily understood that Madison had a lot in her mind to worry about last night. But the former also knew the latter's determination. "Alright. "Come si chiama?" translates to "What is your name?" Do you recall now?" Emily reminded in a calm tone.

'Come si chiama? It's a formal question asking about someone's name,' Madison repeated in her head. Agreeing that it was a fundamental question, Madison nodded in response to Emily.

"Remember that direct eye contact is expected when someone asks you that question," Emily added as a cue for Madison.

Madison took a deep breath to prepare herself to pronounce Italian words correctly. She looked Emily in the eye and stated the expected self-introduction. "Mi chiamo Madison Lopez." Madison knew she did well when Emily's lips curved into a faint smile.

Another question followed. "Lei di dov’è?"

Madison remembered that the question was a formal way of asking about someone's origin. "Sono americano," she said with a confident smile.

Emily was about to ask more questions when her phone suddenly rang, notifying her that it was time for her to leave Madison.

"I'll get going, Madi," Emily said. "Remember everything I taught you last night. If you don't understand what they tell you, say, "Mi scusi, non sto capendo," okay?" she reminded Madison and took her sling bag.

"I will," Madison replied as she watched Emily.

"I have a lot of projects to do, so I won't be able to join you for lunch. Anyway, we'll go back to the mansion together. See you later," Emily informed. "I believe in you, Madi. Think of your family for inspiration," she also suggested with a cheerful smile and left as many other students entered the hall.

Madison nodded and felt supported. 'Right! For Mom and my sisters!' she whispered to herself. Now that she had nobody next to her, Madison took a deep breath. Her eyes wandered around the spacious hall and saw that many seats were still unoccupied at this hour.

"Scusi, è occupato questo posto?" a voice suddenly asked.

Madison turned her head to the young woman next to her. "Huh?" she asked. It had only been a minute when Emily left, and somebody was already asking Madison something she had yet to learn. It was unexpected, so Emily's last reminder vanished in Madison's mind.

"È occupato questo posto?" the stranger repeated while pointing to the seat next to Madison.

Madison could feel her chest racing in anxiousness and embarrassment. The young woman assumed that Madison did not hear the question correctly. It seemed both of them did not understand each other. "I'm sorry, what?" Madison asked.

The young woman licked her lips before speaking in English. "I'm asking, is this seat taken?"

Madison wanted to roll her eyes. 'Why didn't she ask in English right away when she knew how? Did she want to torment me?!' she complained inwardly. "I'm sorry I didn't catch that. That seat hasn't been taken," she replied.

The young woman smiled and said, "Thanks." She sat next to Madison, who quietly fixed her gaze on the whiteboard now. But the young woman spoke again. "I'm Zia. How about you?"

The confusion that Madison felt earlier was written on her face again. "Why did you tell me your name when I didn't ask?"

"You don't have to ask before I say it because I want to make friends with you," the strange young woman replied with a smile. She extended her hand to Madison and continued, "Just call me Z. What's your name?"

Madison thought it was funny that Zia preferred a shorter name. The former returned the handshake as Emily told her. Since Zia introduced herself in English, Madison used the same language. "I'm Madison. Pleased to meet you," she awkwardly said.

Zia smiled and rested her chin on her hands. "I noticed you were alone, so I approached you," she explained while staring at Madison. Madison tried to maintain eye contact but felt even more awkward when Zia went closer to whisper, "Our blockmates will be here later. They're mean, so don't be friends with them."

"Mm-hmm," Madison mumbled out of awkwardness.

Zia sat up straight. "By the way, I noticed earlier that you didn't understand my Italian. Why is that?" she asked in curiosity.

"I don't understand Italian. I'm a full-blooded American. I'm working as a maid, and my employer helped me get admitted here. They're half-American and half-Italian," Madison admitted.

Zia was surprised at Madison's honesty. "They must be kind," she commented. She flashed a genuine smile and added, "And I admire you. You didn't deny that you're a maid. Now we should be friends."

Madison smiled. Zia seemed a kind person. For somebody who did not know anyone on a big campus other than Emily, who was Madison to refuse Zia's offer?

Zia's eyes sparkled with delight. "Thank god, I finally have a friend now!" she blurted out.

"Are you serious? Why weren't you friends with any of them?" Madison asked in astonishment as she glanced at their blockmates in their bubbles.

"They only wanted to be friends with me because I'm the daughter of the proprietor of this university," Zia explained. She glared at the three ladies entering the hall and continued, "I'm better off alone than being friends with others for their ulterior motive."

"Did you just tell me you're the daughter of the owner of Campbell University?" Madison asked, staring at Zia as though seeing a ghost.

"I believe you understand American English," Zia said, a little perplexed at Madison.

"Our friendship begins and ends here then," Madison declared.

Madison was about to stand up to move to a seat at a distance when Zia's hand blocked Madison. "Wait, what?!" It was the first time somebody had rejected Zia, so she was baffled. "Why?!"

Madison pressed her lips. "I don't want to cut classes. I have a dream to achieve," Madison explained, feeling apologetic.

"Oh, my god!" Zia exclaimed and burst out laughing. "I like you so much! I was right when I thought to sit next to you!"

Madison frowned. 'Should I be friends with her? It seems she could be as crazy as Sir Dylan...,' she thought.

Zia was about to speak again when a woman in her forties walked inside and stood in front.

Although the older woman was not in uniform because the university had no dress codes for professors, Madison stood up from her seat and loudly greeted, "Good morning, Professor!"

Laughters echoed in the hall. Madison turned to the students on the left and raised an eyebrow. 'What the hell is so funny about greeting a professor?!' she wondered.

Zia pulled Madison's arm, motioning for her new friend and blockmate to sit. "We usually greet our professors without having to stand up. Wait for them to greet us before greeting them back next time," Zia informed.

Madison nodded as she listened to Zia. In Madison's primary school, some teachers preferred to be greeted as they entered the room and instructed students to stand up when doing so. Others preferred what Zia described. There was always a first time for everything, so the gesture was not bad for a first-year student.

"I bet she thought a good impression would make her ace this class," snickered the woman seated in front of Madison and Zia. Another wave of mocking laughter echoed off the walls.

"I bet you don't know how to respect a professor," Madison retorted, loud enough for the woman in front to hear. Just like that, the room fell silent.

When Madison glanced at the person next to her, she found Zia's curved eyelashes clapping. Madison thought it was silly, so she ignored it and focused on the whiteboard. The professor looked at her and greeted her back with a smile. The kind gesture and a newfound friend excited Madison to learn something new today.