Chapter 3

• “Hey Noe!” Mirae, her university professor, greeted her. “I never thought that I would see you without your cover on.”
• Naya turned around to face her, “Mirae!”
• “You look good, well I've seen your face on the photo that you gave me for your passport,but I must say, you look better in person.”
• “Thanks for the compliments! I never thought that freedom could be uncomfortable on some occasions,” she graciously replied.
• “Did you dye your hair?”
• “I did!” she responded quickly. “My natural hair is really dark, but I think lighter brown makes a huge difference in my look.”
• “It did,” Mirae agreed with a huge smile.
• “Come on, let's get something to eat! But wait, aren't you cold? You only have a sweater on! It's freezing cold here.”
• “I am not, I feel warm actually,” she uttered.
• “Just make sure that I won't rush you to the hospital for hypothermia!”
• “Trust me, I am fine.”
• “So, I found an apartment for you, which I paid for a year already. Don't worry, it didn't cost you a lot. I have already closed the bank account and I have the money with me already. I will turn it over to you later!”
• “Thank you, Mirae! You have been a big help!”
• “How was your flight?” Mirae asked, noticing her luggage. “I thought you were bringing your entire closet!”
• “I wish I could!” She replied, realizing how much she had to leave to avail of a fresh start for her life.
• “There is no turning back now, Noe! You won't keep in touch with any of them, and you won't even dare look back.”
• “I know,” she worriedly replied.
• “It will be tough in the beginning, but I know that you will get along!”
• “I will,” she answered.
• “Enjoy your freedom, Noe!” She smiled at Naya, nodding her face at the princess who was about to live a normal life in a city where no one knew who she really was.
• “I'm scared, but I feel better.”
• “Stay away from Naya, okay? You are Noelle Norris now, an American!”
• Noe moved her gaze around the small NYC Flat that Mirae got her. It looked smaller than her own bathroom back in her kingdom, but she felt good about the place.
• It was a little old and rustic, the single size bed looked decent, and the small window was enough to allow some rays of the sun to greet her every morning.
• “I assume that you don't know how to cook and do the laundry,” Mirae told her, showing concern and care. “I will help you with everything, but it doesn't mean I am doing it for you. You have to learn everything and how to take care of yourself here.”
• “Give me some time to learn, I am sure I can keep up!”
• “That's my girl,” Mirae said, giving her a huge smile after. “I have some bagels and root beer for you here! I will be back before 6, and I want you to take some rest for now.”
• “Thank you, can I just take some walk later when I feel bored. I also want to get myself a new phone.”
• “Shoot!” Mirae jolted when she remembered something. “I almost forgot, I have gotten you a phone already and I have made a social media account for you too. Don't upload your face pictures, unless you want your father to be dragging you back to your princess prison!”
• Noe nodded, thanking her for all the things that she had done for her.
• “Here, take this card,” she handed Noe a different debit card, “I have transferred the money in that card and here is some cash too. New York can be really costly, and your money can only last for so long here. But don't you worry, we'll figure something out soon!”
• Feeling exhausted, Noe fell asleep a few minutes after Mirae left. It was about 4 in the afternoon when she was awakened by her stomach. She was really starving, and she immediately got up when she remembered that Mirae left some food for her.
• When she was already full, Noe decided to freshen up. Looking at her face in the mirror, she noticed that the cold weather in New York had dried up her skin.
• She decided to walk around and look for a place where she could buy some skincare essentials, especially a moisturizer.
• People seemed to be staring at her all the time, she thought that it was just normal for them to stare at her to think that she was a new kid in town.
• “Good afternoon, may I help you with anything?” A sales lady approached her when she entered the store.
• “Yes please. I am looking for a moisturizer, and some skin care essentials too,” she replied.
• “Are you looking for any brand in particular,” she politely asked Noe.
• “Not at all, anything would do. I will take your suggestion!”
• The sales lady smiled at her as she led the way to the section where the skincare products were displayed.
• “It's freezing outside, are you sure you are okay with just your cardigan?” The sales lady could not help but ask her, noticing that Noe was not feeling cold at all with just the thin cotton sweater that she had on.
• “I am fine, thank you,” she quickly replied. ‘“I live just a few blocks away from here.”
• “Okay then! I hope to see you again here soon, Ms…”
• “Noe, just call me Noe.” She shook the lady's hand and they exchanged smiles.
• “You have an accent, where are you from?”
• “Oh, is it bad? I am actually from Azha….” She stopped, remembering all the reminders of Mirae. “Armenia,” she finally said.
• The woman smiled sweetly at her as she bid goodbye. She was obviously new in the city because she was surprised to see how time seemed to run faster there as compared to her own country
• She took some more walks around, trying to check some other stores where she could get something else that she can use. By 6PM, her phone rang that made her remember that Mirae would return to her apartment by that time.
• “Hey, where are you?” Mirae, on the other line, asked her.
• “I am walking, I am on my way back to my apartment.”
• “I'm outside your door,” Mirae told her. “Where are you exactly? Let's just meet halfway so I can take you to dinner.”
• “Just a few blocks away from my apartment,” she uttered, looking for some signage that she could tell Mirae about. “I am outside Barneys,” she added.
• “Okay, just wait up there. I'll be there in a few minutes,” Mirae said, ending the call right after.
• While still a few meters away from her, Noe noticed that Mirae was wearing layers of thick garments. “Hey, it's not too cold to be wrapped up in such thick layers of fabric. How was your day?”
• “I am not sure about your weird body heat or your immunity to low temperatures, but trust me, it's freaking cold.” She answered, shocked to see Noe wearing sweatpants and a sweater only. “It was a long day at work for me. I am leaving for Nevada tomorrow, I will be back in 5 days.”
• Noe could only nod, even if she started feeling frightened about officially being alone in a place where she knew nobody.
• “It's just five days, and I will keep in touch. I want you to take care of yourself, and if you need help on anything, just give me a call.”
• “Look, don't worry about me. I am 23 already, I will surely figure things out myself,” she grunted, fighting against what she really felt inside.