Brooke Fisher sat in the back of the limousine as it wound it's way up the highway into rural Vermont. She had on her usual funky emo outfit which consisted of shorts over black leggings combined with a t-shirt and denim jacket. Brook loved to dress this way since it not only defined her as a "cool chick" but it also infuriated her father to no end. And infuriating her father was almost a full time job for Brooke. Getting kicked out of two high schools by the age of 18 had required some serious effort on her part. The idea that her father was sending her to a finishing school was beyond ridiculous in Brooke's mind. But no worries, Brooke knew she would squirm out of this as she had all her other past troubles. Her father could not really be serious about her attending some stuffy finishing school despite his legal maneuvering.
Brooke's father was John Fisher, a major Wall Street force. His hedge fund had produced twenty years of superior results and he was amply rewarded for his work. His wife Eleanor had been his high school sweet heart. They had dated throughout high school and attended the same Ivy league college. Eleanor was the love of his life and they married immediately after finishing their degrees. John rapidly rose in the Wall Street world while Eleanor was content to take care of their household. The marital bliss continued when their daughter Brooke was conceived. Gorgeous from birth, ,she was a happy child that brought joy to the Fisher's lives.
As a child, Brooke was bright and vivacious, endlessly entertained her parents with her creative mind. After entering school it also became clear that she was a gifted student, demonstrating a talent for academics that her well educated parents could only marvel at. As Brook entered her teens it was also evident that the beauty she had as a child would continue into adulthood. While she certainly loved her father, Brooke was incredible close to her mom. She worshiped her beautiful mother Eleanor and tried to emulate her mother's grace and kindness. Brooke admired the quiet confidence that her mother seemed to exude.
But when Brooke turned fifteen her world turned upside down. Eleanor Fisher was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer. Despite treatment by the best specialists in the country her health rapidly deteriorated. Brooke sat by her mother's side day after day as Eleanor's life slipped away. By the time her mother finally passed, Brooke was totally dejected and heartbroken. Her best friend and mentor was now gone from her life.
Brooke's father did the best he could to fill the void, however his busy work schedule simply didn't allow enough time to fill the hole left in his daughter's life by Eleanor's death. Often Brooke was left for extended periods with only her father's assistants and household help to look after her. She soon fell in with the wrong crowd at school (when she even bothered to attend). Then the encounters with law enforcement began. Her father had to bail her out of a number of arrests for possession of marijuana and alcohol. One of these incidents involved her crashing the new BMW given to her on her seventeenth birthday. Miraculously she escaped with only minor injuries. Her attendance at school could only be described as sporadic at best. Two private high school expelled her and only by offering an obscene donation was John able to get his daughter admitted to a third school so she could finish her senior year and graduate.
Mr. Fischer was seriously worried about Brooke's future. He loved Brooke and could not stand to see her continue down the dead end path of her present life. A decision had to be made. Under state law a person entered the age of majority at eighteen and was legally an adult. However, there was an exception to the law. if a parent was able to show that their child was in serious trouble a court could grant an extension until they were twenty-one before they would legally be considered an adult. Fischer spoke with his attorneys and concluded that this was his only option. He instructed them to prepare the paperwork for obtaining the an extension of his parental authority over Brooke.
When she was served with the legal papers Brooke was beyond enraged. How dare her father try to control her like this. The bastard would never have tried this while her mother was alive thought Brooke. When the day in court arrived she was represented by a court appointed lawyer who was no match for her father's highly paid legal team. After hearing the testimony about the last few years of Brooke's life, the judge granted the order extending her father's parental rights until she turned twenty-one. She shot venomous looks at her father the entire time the judge read his order to her. Stomping out of the courtroom, she brushed past her father without saying a word, vowing in her mind that she would never speak to him again.
Returning to his office, Fischer picked up the phone to make the call he thought was the only way to save his daughter.
The phone rang in Dwight Stone's office at the Sinclair Academy. picking it up he instantly recognized a voice he had not heard in years.
"Hello Dwight. It's John Fischer."
"John, how are you? It's been a very long time...much too long. I heard about Eleanor. I am sorry for your loss. How is Brooke? I know she was very close to her mother. She must 18 or 19 now. Is she doing well?"
"Dwight, that's what I am calling about. I think I need your help."
"John, you and Eleanor were always been like family. What can I do for you?"
Fischer explained the situation. Brooke needed discipline and guidance. If she was ever to reach her full potential, her present behavior had to stop. He also explained about the legal action he had taken against Brooke and it's ramifications. He had a brief window to try and save Brooke from herself. After that she would be free to engage in whatever self-destructive behavior she wished. This was further compounded by the fact that Eleanor had left her considerable wealth to Brooke in a trust fund that would start paying out when Brooke turned twenty-one.
Dwight Stone could sense the desperation in John's voice. He understood that after losing Eleanor, John had little left in his personal life other Brooke. Stone knew that if John lost Brooke it would utterly destroy him. He made his decision quickly.
"How soon can you have her up here?" asked Stone.
"Within the next few days. As soon as I can get back from the city." said John with a sound of relief.
Stone had no problem helping an old friend but he had to insist on one thing. There was no point in going forward without it.
"John, you understand that she will be treated the same as all the other girls. There is no deviation from the standards here. Are you comfortable with that?"
"Dwight...I would expect and want nothing less."
"As long as we are clear on that we are fine to proceed. She will be assigned to Proctor Colin. You have heard of him? He has become our finest proctor. Is that acceptable to you?"
"Yes"
John Fischer heard a click on the other end of the line and hung up the phone. He had just made the most difficult decision of his life. He knew Brooke had a difficult year ahead of her. John had not returned to the house since the court hearing because he knew it would be useless to engage in further confrontation with his daughter. Brooke was informed through her father's surrogates to pack a light bag and prepare for a trip. In a written note from her father's attorneys, she was informed that she would be spending the next year at the Sinclair Academy.
Sinclair Academy? What the hell is this thought Brooke. She repeatedly searched on the internet and could find absolutely nothing about any "Sinclair Academy." It seemed to be a total ghost as far as internet references were concerned. She went on various private school chat rooms and asked about it, however nobody had ever heard of the school as far as she could tell. Finally on a private chat room she got a guarded response. When she pointedly asked about the school the only answer she got was cryptic.
"It will change your life."