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despite Janie’s half-joking hints to the contrary, and that knowledge made her wonder what else she had mistakenly taken for granted.
    There had been her family’s stability for one.  She'd always counted on her parents to be there for her, to be a guiding voice and a security blanket whenever she needed them.  In spite of the constant fighting in recent years, Alessa needed her parents.  And one moment in the wrong place at the wrong time had taken them from her, forever.
    Then, of course, there was her own infallibility.  Alessa had been so wrapped up in her dreams for the future that she had failed to prepare for reality.  Yes, her parents’ death was a curveball she hadn’t anticipated, and her reaction – depression, withdrawal, breakdown – had been pretty understandable.  But even if they had survived the accident and things had gone back to normal, Alessa had a sneaking suspicion that she might still be in the same boat.
    She had thought she was invincible, but in the end she was just deluded.  Yes, she was a talented student and a good leader with a strong resume, but there were thousands of others just like her.  She didn’t know what had ever made her think that she was entitled to admission to only the best schools in the country.  She should have known that getting accepted to any of the schools on her list was a shot in the dark, and she should have put more time into evaluating other more realistic options that might actually have been a good match for her.
    She’d always preferred to be a big fish in a small pond, and she could have had her pick of decent colleges, even after all the devastation of the accident.  Instead, she’d squandered her opportunity and had to settle for this massive university where she was nothing but a number.
    Arriving at the door to the lecture hall, Alessa felt more lost than she ever had.  She didn’t know what to believe in anymore.  Certainly not her own judgment, certainly not her parents’ permanence, and certainly not the laws of science.  In the past year, if there was one thing Alessa had learned, it was not to trust herself, not even down to the most basic truths. Like that ghosts were only stories.  She knew now that there was much more to this world than it had seemed.

6. Dissection
     
    Janie had saved a seat for Alessa towards the back of the huge auditorium.  “Cutting it a little close, aren’t you?” she jibed with a mischievous smirk.
    Alessa was unfailingly punctual.  She knew that Janie – who was always running ten minutes behind – must take a small amount of pleasure in seeing their roles reversed for once.  Usually it was a frazzled Janie plopping down into her seat, frantically pulling out her notes seconds before the beginning of class.  Today it was Alessa’s turn.
    Alessa looked at Janie.  She didn’t know where to start.
    Janie’s expression shifted into concern.  “You look like you’ve seen…”
    “A ghost, yes,” Alessa said under her breath.
    Janie’s eyes popped.  “Just now?” she whispered urgently.
    Alessa noticed that Professor Liu was stepping up to the podium.  “Yes,” she whispered back, “in my room.”
    “What happened?” Janie breathed.
    The professor had started speaking, something about being pleased with the results of this morning’s exam.
    Alessa lowered her voice to give Janie the summary.  “The same thing as always: he was just standing there and then he disappeared.”
    “Kind of anticlimactic.”
    “No kidding.”
    Janie thought for a moment.  “Did you find anything at the library?”
    Professor Liu raised his voice, “Ladies in the back, is there something you’d like to share with the class?”
    Alessa flushed.  She hated being reprimanded.  She shrunk back into her chair and mouthed a sheepish, “Sorry.”
    The professor returned to his lesson plan, but as had been the case of late, Alessa just couldn’t focus on what he was saying.  She unfolded the little