[Vanessa would trade her normal, she thinks. If she could get a handle on what was supposed to be normal for her. Her life back home, though, right now it doesn't even seem real. Being here, on Tu Vishan, that's been more real than the past two years of her life. Pretty sad.

She shrugs, tucking a curl behind her ear.] Coming up with lies about why you've been missing for days or weeks at a time is just as bad. Especially when your mom is as overprotective as mine. But man, I don't think I would even know how to begin explaining away holes in my academic record. At that point, I'd just take home schooling. [Oops, did she? A pause.] Yeah, except for the part where real life keeps reminding you that it's not true. Not even a little bit.