Prestigious Passions

002.

( Whew.. i think i made it! ) I hurry in and take a seat. ( Wow, it's still obnoxiously gaudy in here. ) i start looking around.

( Is that gold leaf? On royal purple drapes? )

Several officials give speeches about life at the university. I tune it out, replaying my run-in with Nicolas in my head a few more times.

( I don't think there's anything i could've done differently there. He had a sort of arrogant tilt... I'd have just been annoyed if i hadn't conforted him though. Better to just rip that bandage off. )

The orientation ends, but i don't feel particulalry enlightened. ( Do all universities have such bland intro speeches? 'Study hard, and you'll succeed here! Go to class! Get involved!' If we all made it this far, we'll do those things anyway. Well... most of us. )

As we were funneled into another room, i eye a couple girls that were chatting the entire orientation.

( No, what really matters is doing those things as well as having a few strokes of luck. And maybe some talent.. )

I follow the crowd into what seems like a converted ballroom. ( Atleast this room seems more normal. Altough the plaster molding is a bit much. )

"Alright, everyone! Take a good look around." The announcer says. "These are all your classmates for the next four years. You should take the time to get to know each other. Maybe even make friends. You never know what connections will help you later down the line!"

I try not to roll my eyes. ( We all know that some of these people probably even got in because their parents had connections to the university. Like that Nicolas jerk- )

"Hello, my name is Victoria Abercromp." I blink, startled from my thoughts. Part of me really wants to like her. ( She looks so put together.. And where have i heard that name before.. )

"I'm y/n l/n, major undecided." I decided to introduce myself. "Are you also undecided or..?"
 
"I'm a communication major, actually." She smiles. "If there is one thing i'm really good at, it's communication. Ideally, i'd like to go into PR or work in the office at Abercromp & Stich."

"Ahh, i thought your surname sounded familiar.." Victoria gives me a smile. "Indeed. I'm the youngest of three though, so it's unlikely i'll inherit much. But father did promise me the summer home!"

Victoria steeples her fingers, and her eyes grow slightly more calculating. "Introductions aside though.." she started. "I noticed you were talking to Nicolas earlier.. He tends to be.. unapproachable. Why go through the trouble?"

I bit my lip. "Oh, he somehow managed to take first rank from me. I'm pretty sure the bought his rank, and i told him as much."

Victoria gasps, clutching her chest. "You what? Are you dense? You don’t just do that sort of thing to Nicolas Delacroix."

"I'm sorry.. i don't understand... He's still human, just like the rest of us. Why shouldn't i treat him the same as other people?" Victoria sighs.

"Because the Delacroix family is one of the most prominent families in our land. Don't get on his bad side, if you get on his bad side, you could potentially face alot of repercussions. And Nicolas.. Well, unlike his sister, he's sort of known for being a touch on the cruel side. He's not afraid to label you as a pariah and completely ruin your chances at fiding a reputable job."

( He was that...important? I guess i need to up my game. Maybe i should research my classmates? ) I mask my thoughts and try to feign nonchalance. "I'm not really worried. I have plenty of prospects and connections through my hard work. Besides, he's still just a man."

Victoria's face chills a few degrees. ( I guess i went to far? )

"I was trying to warn you as a courtesy, but clearly you're even more hopeless than i realized. If you value your career,  do try to make amends. I certainly won't risk my neck defending you later. You're simply not worth it." Victoria walks off stiffly.

( Well that went well.. I hadn't realized she might be testing me. But atleast i know she’s good at playing the 'social niceties' game. Maybe i should watch out for her later? )
I turn to see a young woman doubled over, laughing hysterically. ( What's so funny..? )

She wipes tears from her eyes, walks over, and thrusts a hand toward me. "That was amazing!" She said. "I'm Charlize Hudson. I'm a sophomore, but today i'm volunteering to hang out with you freshmen. That was just great though. You really put Abercromp in her place. If only everyone here were as blunt and refreshing as you."

She smiles at me warmly, and i smile back a bit hesitantly. "Don't worry, don't worry, i won't bite. I'm actually the lead singer of the band, " Crows at dawn" . If you've heard our music, you'd probably know i'm more chill than the rest of this stuck-up school."

( The " Crows at dawn "? That's an interesting band name. And she sings! )

"What made you pick that name?" Charlize giggles. "We wanted something that could be read in multiple ways. You could read it with "crows" as the bird, or you could read it as "crows" the verb."

"That's surprisingly well- thought out." Charlize giggles. "A band's name is part of their identity. I guess we just wanted to be inclusive?"

"Did anyone make friends? I sure hope you did!" the announcer said. I turn away from Charlize to face the announcer. ( She’s kind of nice. Nothing like the two-faced Victoria. I wonder what her family does? Maybe she’s from a situation similar to mine? )
"Now we'd like to ask you all to divide into groups and find one of our tour leaders. Leaders could you raise your hands?" I look around and see Charlize's hand go up. She quickly whispers to me. "Just stay in my group. I've got a fun tour planned."  I whisper back. "Okay i'll stick with you.."