I arrived at SkyU at about 9:00 according to my watch. It's shadow blocking the sun from the street almost 4 blocks away. I passed a few mom and pops already open and ready for business. I definitely didn't feel hungry though.
I made a right turn away from the traffic. And onto a cobbled stone road leading up to the gold gates of the campus. Tall and crescent shaped with an engraving at the top. solum sapientem potest eligere.
I paused just outside the gate. What the hell did it mean I thought as I gazed up at it. It really shouldn't have bothered me but i had spent the entire walk brooding over my already established problems that this new puzzle was almost a welcome challenge
“Can I help you Ms.?”
I didn't even realize the small woman had approached the gates. She looked so...dowdy. Over Straightened and dry brown hair covering her entire head with huge circular glasses over dull brown eyes. She was definitely younger than mom but if you looked at them side by side you wouldn't have been able to tell. She held a clipboard with some paper that she continued to right on as we spoke.
“Uh...yes ma'am...uh i need to talk to the dean. I'm Ta-”
“I know exactly who you are Ms. Ridden. Iv'e been in charge of your recruiting and tried to give you about seven tours of this campus.” Her head never left whatever she was scribbling on that board.
“I'm sorry. I don't really remember.” I shrugged and tried to laugh it off.
“Well then i guess it's a good thing you never accepted the scholarship. Your insufficient memory would have no doubt caused many problems for you. I doubt you would even have been able to graduate.”
I raised my eyebrows. Her little dig didn't bother me but I couldn't help but snap back. “I'm sorry. My would mother always teach me to only remember the important things. That way my time is never wasted.”
Her smile faded, and she finally looked up from her clipboard. “What do you want Ms Ridden?”
“I told you, I need to speak to the dean.” I said as I drew nearer to the gate.
“The dean will not be accepting visitors today.”
“Is it her day off or something?”
“From wastes of time...yes.”
Now she was starting to tick me off a bit. I reached my arms through the bars and grabbed her shirt before she could even think to react.
“Listen bitch.” I told her as her face pressed into the gate. “Open the gate or I'll stab you through the damn fence.” I had no knife or even anything that might work as a stabbing tool. But she didn't know that.
She kept surprisingly calm considering the grade of threat that I had just made.She didn't cower a bit.
“Do It.” She said as her eyes found mine and defiantly held my glare.
If I had something to stab her with I probably would have right then and there. I started checking the sidewalk for pointy sticks that might suffice when a low voice caught my attention”
“Michelle! What the hell are you doin!”
A woman in a brown no sleeve shirt, jeans, and a cowboy hat strode into my view. With no other than the dean off SkyU in tow.
I released Michelle quickly. who dusted herself off as The dean and Ms. cowboy hat approached.
“I was just asking this unwanted guest to leave the premises Ms Ross.” Michelle said as she picked up her dusty clipboard.
“Last time I checked that was my job” Ms Ross said as She stormed forward Neck long blonde curls bouncing behind her. She didn't stop until she was nose to nose with Michelle. Her wide-brimmed hat casting a shadow over both of their heads.
“Well maybe if you had been doing it well. I wouldn't have had to pick up the slack for you” Michelle said. She didn't back up an inch. Ms Ross' eyes narrowed to slits and her fists clenched intensively tight. I was sure they were about to fight. When the dean everyone had forgotten decided to regain everyones attention.
She cleared her throat and every head including mine swiveled. She paused a second before speaking making sure she held each of our eyes. “Annie” She began addressing Ms Ross. “You knew from before that we would be having a meeting. You could have definitely sent one of your patrols closer to the gates. And Michelle, your job is not to greet guests unwanted or otherwise at the gates. It's Annie's job, Its what we pay her for. Understood?
“Understood.” Michelle reciprocated instantly.
Ms Ross didn't seem inclined to agree so quickly. She returned to glaring at Michelle. Her lip curled back into a snarl. “Understood” she whispered. The low growl almost made me shiver, but to my surprise Michelle didn't even flinch. Their eyes stayed on each other until Dean Garder interrupted their high stakes staring match again.
“Which brings us to our uninvited guest” She said turning everyones attention to me. “Why are you here Tara.”
my voice caught in my throat for a second. I was a pretty good liar but something made me hesitate.
“I...I wanna go to this school.”
Oh you cant be serious!” “Do you know how many chances we have given you." Michelle whispered harshly. She would have been yelling if she hadn't lowered her voice so much. "How many offers we've made. You turned them all down. Now that you've changed your mind you expect these gates to swing open just bec-”
“That will be quite enough Michelle. This young lady came quite a ways. I don't see whats wrong hearing her out. Though I understand your frustration you are not here to make such decisions. Please signal the tower to open the gate.”
Michelle collected herself and straightened her clothes. “Yes Ma'am” She quickly stated, then she scurried away along the paved walkway making a right and disappearing behind a grassy knoll.
“hmmm...She never said goodbye to you two. How rude.” Dean Garder said almost to herself. “Oh well, Ill have a chat with her about it later. Ms Ross you are dismissed, please consider what we talked about.”
“Yes ma'am” Ms Ross said tipping her hat in courtesy. “and I hope your request is ranted Tara. Anybody who can ruffle that stuck up bitches feathers should definitely be accepted.”
Ms Garder didn't seem to appreciate the language but before she could correct her on it the Gate started to open forcing them both to take a step back.
Ms Ross tipped her hat to me and jogged back the way she had come. I stepped forward and the gate closed with a clang behind me.
~~~
The campus was even more gorgeous than how I remembered it. Green rolling hills popped up in odd places as if they were huge flowers in a garden with no organization. Some were larger and spread out for a few extra yards until turning back into walkway while others were small and surrounded by marble on all sides. Groups of girls sat on each of these eating, talking, some looked to be playfully sparring but they were too far away to tell. I always new the campus was huge but seeing this and knowing it was only part of the front of the school made everything come into perspective.
Ms Garder looked back at me and chuckled before turning back.
I didn't realize why until my jaw began to hurt from being left down for so long. Being so easily swayed at one look was pretty embarrassing, but hey, The amount of ass I would have to kiss by the time this was over promised to be monumental. Might as well get a head-start right?
We continued along the walkway and I realized the school had a lot more to it than the humongous building that could be seen for miles. There were around 10 smaller house-like buildings surrounding it. Though it would fit better to call them mansions. High hedges ran from the sides shielding them from anyone's views into the backyards,
We walked down a street that went in between the housing development and finally arrived at a building with OFFICE Plastered in huge letters across the front.
I had frankly grown tired of the walk and was about to rush past my escort into the office when something, or should I say someone caught my eye.
Standing there studying a bulletin board was what could possibly be one of the prettiest girls I had ever seen. Caramel skin melted over a perfect form. Her butt was large but was big but it wasn't too large and kept a perfect bubble shape in her jeans. She wore her hair in a lazy braided ponytail which fell to about her shoulders. She wore a form fitting long sleeved jeans shirt with just enough cleavage.
To top it all of when she turned as we approached her piercing brown eyes almost made me freeze in my tracks.
Ms Garder reached the door before and tried to hurry inside but The girl was too quick.
“Ms Garder” she said quickly blocking the door “I need to talk to you”
“I understand that Renee, but I'm kind of busy right now...as you can see” Ms Garder said as she indicated me.
Renee looked at my and I mistakenly took this time to say a cheerful hi and reach my hand out for a handshake. She looked at my hand as if she couldn't decide whether to spit on it or shake it. Finally she weakly clenched my hand and half shook before turning back to Ms Garder.
“We aren't ready and I don't know what to do.” She said her eyes turned pleading. “We...I. am begging you for a stall. Please?
Ms Garder's face showed no sympathy. “I'm sorry Renee but I'm tired of giving your group chance after chance. The competition is on and its staying on, so excuse me.” She forcibly removed Renee from the door and walked in. I tried to give her a sympathetic smile but she gave me an angry glare and stalked of.
I walked into the office feeling disgusted. Only a few days since Natalie had been taken and I was already ready to cheat. I made a silent oath to myself as I walked through the door to stay away from “Renee” at all costs.
~~~
Ms Garder was sitting behind a transparent desk as I made my way past her receptionist desk, Michelle's if I had to take a guess, and into the main office. She offered me a seat in a leather armchair which honestly didn't bode well with me because of previous events obviously but honestly I didn't really have a choice.
“Would you like anything to drink” she asked as she got up to pour herself something that looked alcoholic.
“No thanks” I said as I admired the beautifully furnished room.
“Ok then” she said sitting down and taking a sip off her drink. “Why are you here again?”
“I want to go to this school Ms Garder.” I ended the sentence awkwardly. I wanted to say more but getting those words out of my mouth convincingly took a lot out of me.
She looked at me skeptically then uttered “why?”
“Because I want to be a better spy than my mother ever was, I want to help as many people as possible ,and I want to protect my country.” I gave her a winning smile and waited for her response.
“mmmhhmmm” she said as quietly tapped her index finger against her face. She stayed like that for a while. Legs crossed index finger tapping until finally she turned to me and said “get out” before picking up some papers on her desk and reading them like it was nothing.
“what?” I squeaked
She put her papers down and looked at me” get...out.” she said before returning to her work.
“You cant do this to me!” I yelled. “You stalked me for a year and a half. All the letters, the phone calls the 100's of messages. I couldn't walk into a store without one of your freakin' personalized billboards shouting my name!”
all she did was stare until my breathing went back to normal and I plopped back into the chair burying my face in my hands as I shook in anger. “At least tell me why” I mumbled through my hands.
“Because your full of shit” she said calm. “Look we only wanted you for “special” reasons, when you said no we found somebody who could fulfill what you wouldn't. So honestly we don't need you anymore, plus your lying about why you want to come here. Maybe if you tell me the truth I might reconsider your admission.
My heart beat sped up. Maybe if I told her what had happened she could help my mom and Natalie. Tell her I found out my mom was captured by one of the most notorious criminals in the world who had sent me to infiltrate the school and steal a weapon. That answer would definitely go over well.
Instead I broke into tears. “Look I know my mom is missing. I know she's not allowed to contact me but she always did a few days after she had left. When she didn't I knew something was wrong. I'm here to become better so I can find out what happened to her and save her.”
I was really hamming it up but when I looked up Ms Garder gave no clues as to if my acting was working. I winded my crying down believably and sniffled for good measure.
“She looked at me and began her face tapping routine again.
“Ok” she said quickly causing me to jump.
"Ok what?" I asked.
“Your in.” She stated and she went back to tapping her fingers on her temple.
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