When Life Turned Purple Read Online Free PDF Page A

higher education?”
    Just like that, she changed the subject. But Russ went with it. He rested one arm on the steering wheel and said, “Look, if somebody wants to make a career of something that they actually need college for—like a doctor or something—then that’s cool. But this whole thing of staying in extended high school just to stay on Daddy’s insurance? Or to look like you’re trying to make something of yourself? Or just to waste your time and your parents’ money paying a bloated salary to some phlegm-spewing professor? And then thinking you’re the cat’s patootie? Well, that’s just feeding into all the mind control. And the community college zombies are the worst.”
    Lia’s face was bright with amusement. “Patootie?”
    “Yeah,” he said. “I try to watch my language when I’m with you.”
    Lia cocked her head to one side as she looked at him. “I guess we’re both kind of old-fashioned in that way,” she said.
    We? Russ thought. She’s clicking with me—finally! But all he said was, “Yeah.”
    “It’s in different areas,” said Lia. “But it’s still there.”
    Russ leaned on the steering wheel, his face still turned toward her. “Right.”
    “You know,” she said, “I never thought before about how you just described college. I’d always been brought up that you need to go, that all successful people went. I’ve been inundated with stats about how college-educated people earn more money, do better in life, and blah, blah, blah. But when you said what you said just now…well, I was like, touché . That’s it.” She nodded her head. “You know the truth when you hear it. College really is mostly just a big money-making scheme that leaves its alumni with a huge debt for the rest of their lives—indentured students, so to speak.” She tapped her lips with her finger. “But on the other hand, you need college. A lot of jobs won’t hire you without some sort of degree. Or you’re forced to start off at a lower salary without a degree.”
    “So go indie,” he said. “Like I did. Get your stuff up on your own website or Facebook page. I mean, look at all the people working from home, running their own business and all that. A lot of the really successful people didn’t go to college—or didn’t finish college anyway. They just went to work on their own innovation. Look at the two Steves who started Apple.”
    “Or Mark Zuckerberg,” said Lia. “And how could any 206er leave out Bill Gates?”
    Russ laughed, then said, “So, are you going to drop out of college now?”
    “Probably not,” Lia said, wrinkling her nose. “Anyway, I have a scholarship and I’m getting a good deal with my space art.”
    “Yeah. You’re really good at it.”
    She gazed up at him and smiled again.
    “So...what were we saying?” said Russ in an attempt to get to the bottom of Lia’s main issue. “They weren’t always frat boys, eh?”
    With a half-hearted laugh, Lia grimaced and said, “No.”
    Russ swallowed, then ducked his head to catch her eye, but she only gave him a wry laugh and looked down again. Leaning on the wheel with both hands, he watched her.
    “How old were you?” he asked, then wanted to kick himself.
    “When?” she said, looking up.
    “Um—never mind. I don’t even know why I asked. It just popped out.”
    “Oh.” She reddened and licked her lips. Then, cocking her head to one side, she said, “You mean my first time?”
    Russ drummed his knuckles on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know why that popped out.”
    “I was fourteen,” she said.
    Russ felt his eyes widen as he said, “Fourteen?”
    “Yeah. It was the beginning of ninth grade.”
    Russ blinked. “ Ho -ly—who was the guy?”
    “Just this senior. He was eighteen already. I think he’d been held back in kindergarten.”
    Russ frowned. “Fourteen is young.”
    She raised her head to look at him. “Why? How old were you your first