Cameron eyed the large stone structure she was approaching with a nervous fascination. She was entering what she knew was some sort of secret society of educators. The brochure had been very vague, offering just enough that you were curious about the school but not enough to tell what all of this was about.
She hadn't applied for this college, yet they had already accepted her. Offered her a scholarship even. Which meant someone was interested in her attendance. But who? Why? She'd like to think that it was something she'd done but she couldn't think of what. She was an average student, but not the smartest. She didn't play sports. She wasn't very active in school clubs. And with thirty-two hundred students at her school, she couldn't imagine how she stood out enough to be one of twenty one girls chosen to compete for the scholarship.
Whatever the cause, she was here, and her parents were interested in the place as well. Maybe not as much as the other schools, especially Stanford, where her mother had sorority connections, but the scholarship offer was enough to entice them to this event.
With one last look at the campus, she noted that the statue in front of this building was a woman in a toga. Further down was a knight, and two more statues she couldn't make out. From this vantage point she realized that all seven statues were evenly placed in a semi-circle facing the cathedral. She wondered who they were.
Not wanting to cause a buildup in the line of attendees, Cameron turned back to the few steps at the entrance of VanMeter Hall. As the group of girls and their parents walked into the large foyer, they were met with a team of young men and women armed with clipboards.
Louis turned to the group to stop them. "These are your escorts for the next two days. They will answer questions for you and take you to your designated meetings. Each one will step forward and call your name, have a brief moment with you here in the foyer, then everyone will be taken into the Gaius Germanicus Theatre for the opening ceremony." Louis turned to the first girl, a pretty young woman with strawberry blonde ringlets curling down past her shoulders. "Elise..." he gestured for her to find the girl whose family she would be paired with.
Elise stepped up beside Louis and smiled. "Bridget Monroe?"
A tall girl with straight black hair stepped forward as well as her parents. Elise grinned at them before leading them a few steps away, where they began shaking hands and speaking in hushed voices.
"Devin Buckley?" a barrel-chested young man asked. His charges stepped forward and they all went off to another corner.
It went like that for the next few minutes. Cameron waited patiently for her name to be called. Kristie was the first among their group of three however, her name called by a petite blonde with chunky glasses and her hair pulled tightly back into a ponytail. Another name was called, then...
"Cameron Ellis?" a caramel-skinned young woman with bright green eyes that did not match her other features -- making them all the more stunning -- nodded with a genuine smile on her lips when Cameron stepped forward. "I'm Mahi. Will you follow me please?"
Cameron's dad squeezed her shoulder lightly in encouragement as they began to follow Mahi to a marble column just beyond the remainder of the group. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Melanie watching her. It was the first time the girl had made eye contact. She offered a brief smile then looked away, leaving Cameron wondering if that was the start of an apology. She turned back to Mahi.
"Welcome to our campus, I hope your drive was successful." Mahi's voice sounded rich with the flavors of India. "Again, my name is Mahi, and I will be your escort for the duration of your stay."
Everyone was introduced and some light chatting took place before the green-eyed girl got down to business. "Here are your packets." She handed over sleek black folders to Cameron's parents, and a crimson one to Cameron. "Inside you'll find all you need to know about what will happen during your stay. They ask us to warn all candidates not to get their hopes up about the scholarship since only one in seven girls will receive it. We do want each girl here to attend, and not choose another school based on rejection. It's simply a perk, should you decide to attend SVMC."
Cameron's mother winked at her. She clearly thought Cameron already had the perk coming to her.
"We also ask that you do not speak of our college openly to anyone as it is a select society of scholars who chose your family specifically. We have connections with other institutions where you will be immediately accepted, which you will hear about later. Trust me. It is worth it. Once you get out into the real world, networking will be your playground." Mahi winked at Cameron.
Cameron felt the grip of her father's hand on her shoulder give her another squeeze. Well, that got his vote. Her mother was next.
As if reading her thoughts, Mahi smiled to Cameron's mother conspiratorially. "There's a wonderful women's society here as well, and if she wins the scholarship, Cameron will be inducted into a very specific group of girls. If she excels in this group, she will be considered one of the top women in the college during her time here. These top scholars take an annual trip to Washington to meet with dignitaries from all over the world, and there's even a breakfast with the First Lady."
"Well!" Her mother said on an exhale.
Now all Cameron had to do was win the scholarship.
***
Melanie had watched both Kristie and Cameron leave with their respective guides. Soon she was left standing with just another girl. It was then that she realized there was only one more campus escort remaining and two girls to choose from.
"Tamara Stolz?" the young man with mocha skin and bulging muscles asked. The other girl and her family followed the guide only a few steps before stopping.
"And Miss Melanie Carver." Louis said, stepping forward. For one brief moment of panic Melanie thought she was going to be dismissed. "I am your guide for the duration of your stay."
This, of course, pleased her parents as well, since they were probably thinking the same thing she was about being the last called. Now that they were being guided by the man that was the obvious leader of the escorts, it seemed to make them both swell with pride.
Her father stepped forward and shook Louis' hand, and her mother followed suit. Louis looked to Melanie. He had the same eyes as Gavin. And the same last name. Did that mean Gavin was here? Oh God.
"Do you like what you see so far?" Louis asked.
"Oh, it's gorgeous," her mother replied. "And that cathedral!"
"Ah yes, you will find many religions here at SVMC, predominately Catholic, but Protestant as well and a sprinkling of others. We encourage students to follow the path they choose, though as you can see, we have only so much space here in the mountains so the cathedral is home to all religions requiring a building."
"Some don't use it then?" Her father inquired.
"Well the Druids prefer to practice their faith surrounded by nature so they have a sacred circle further into the forest, but yes, just a little over half of the groups use the building. Now, as for the studies..." Louis handed each of them folders with materials inside explaining various departments as well as an itinerary for their stay, their room number in Wesir House, and what to expect when meeting with the board members.
Throughout the discussion, Melanie found it hard to focus. She couldn't get over how much Louis looked like Gavin, but Gavin wasn't French, and Louis looked to be several years older than her ex. Everything sounded too good to be true, however, and she was either about to pass up a wonderful opportunity because of a boy or she was about to get scammed. There had to be a catch.
Escorts began taking the students and their parents into the opening assembly which was in a gorgeous theatre made to look like something out of Ancient Rome. Gaius Germanicus. Why did that name sound familiar? Probably because of Julius Caesar, but then those names got passed around to so many children in the Caesar family that it could be anyone within the first few hundred years of the empire.
Looking up, Melanie noticed several people sitting in the private box seats of the theatre, clad in some kind of ceremonial robes. In each box there were one or two people dressed in crimson red, and one in all black. The ones in black had hoods on so their faces could not be seen. Good Lord they took this ceremony stuff seriously. It was probably branch of the Freemasons or something. She was at the point where she wouldn't be surprised if someone walked out onto the stage and introduced himself as the Grand Poobah.
When the lights dimmed, it was actually a girl who took the podium first, a young woman with a bright face, and surprisingly perfect white teeth. She welcomed the assembly and introduced herself as Jessica Wellington, one of the current seniors who received the Shacrow Seven Scholarship four years ago. She spoke of the wonderful things the university had taught her, the experiences she had been given, and the privilege of being the head girl of the Sokar House. She spoke of her plans to continue her education at Harvard, where she had been accepted immediately, and how each girl in the room had the same chances if they applied themselves.
Next was another girl, this one a senior from Waldemar House. She introduced herself as Maya Gregory, and spoke of the arts at SVMC like it was one of the premiere art schools of the country. She was thankful for the life she was given and the path she had chosen to pursue based on her experience at the school.
The third girl was a junior of Roanoke House named Linney Feinburg. She spoke of the way nature played a part in the schools atmosphere, and the use of sustainable resources to make the school more agreeable to the environment around them. She challenged girls to explore the trails surrounding the school, and to participate on their summer hike on the Appalachian Trail if they felt up for a journey during the summer if they were physically up to it.
With the end her speech, Linney introduced the President of the College, Julian Arinson. He was a man of older years, his wavy golden hair flecked with white. He spoke of school pride, and how SVMC was one of the oldest institutions on the continent, having remained a secret among friends over centuries since its development in the 1600s. He spoke of the achievements of their former students, several that Melanie even recognized as men of history, famous women, two who were movie stars, and how it was possible that someone in this very room could be the next great success.
He spoke of diversity, how all religions were able to practice here in harmony, how the college was founded for the purpose of educating women as well as men, and accepted students no matter the color of their skin. He spoke of the fragile trust they placed on individuals who learned of their institution, and how it was because of their closed-lipped regard that the school was able to sustain this way of life over the centuries.
He then welcomed all of the young women in the room to join that tradition. Melanie had to hand it to the guy. He was a great public speaker. But then, so was Hitler. She felt like someone being coerced into loving a great idea, without knowing the truth behind the scenes.
She glanced up at the boxes holding the robed figures. Though Melanie couldn't see their faces, she got the feeling one of them returned her stare. She was seriously beginning to think this was a bad idea. But as she dropped her gaze, she saw the gleam of hope in her parents eyes and knew they were just as determined as she had been earlier to get their daughter into this school. And to get the scholarship. Her heart sunk as she realized turning this school down now would be a huge disappointment.
