Moving In With The Enemy

Chapter 34 ~ "These Are My Conditions"

I feel like absolute trash today. 

Break-ups were always hard for me. I didn't feel particularly close to Dane emotionally but it didn't seem to make a difference. I was a soft, emotional person and feeling cheated and used wasn't going to disappear.

The only and I stress, only, silver lining this week was that it was about to be Thanksgiving break. This weekend was the holiday and it would be four glorious school-free days. I could also move home, be with my parents.

Mom was sympathetic to my feelings on Saturday, so much so that she sent what was left of the enchiladas home with me and my roommates. They were good comfort food, the only thing I was hungry for yesterday before I had to haul my sorry ass into work.

That was the other thing, I only work three days this week. It was so incredibly exciting, less chlorine in my hair and on my clothes. I was always worried I reeked of it.

I had my one afternoon class today, it was Monday, a relatively light day for me. I normally used it for homework, but because of the holiday, things finally seemed to be slowing down a bit school-wise. Of course they'd fork right back up next week with the last of our assignments before exams.

It was crazy to me to think that I had already finished about half of my last year in my undergrad. When I started I couldn't imagine this, getting to the end of a degree.

I was sitting through the end of my lecture on Persian sculpture and art, then I could just go home. Do nothing until work. I'd intentionally worked really hard the past few weeks to get ready for the last batch of essays and assignments coming up. 

I know now that I was also doing excessive work and studying to avoid Dane as much as possible. I don't know how it wasn't more obvious to me that our relationship was doomed.

I have my laptop open with notes when a little notification pings in my email. The small rectangle says 'artifactsearly.modern@northwestern.ca' as its sender and I nearly scream in the middle of my seminar.

I'd applied as soon as it was offered to me, I couldn't wait and I was too excited. I open the email and read the subject line as 'Interview'.

I click open the email and read it, hardly able to contain my excitement. 

'Dear Miss Cook,

My name is Doctor Irvin Elliot and I represent the selective early cultures research program at Northwestern University. I'd like to thank you for your application, we've received numerous applications from across the country and we've had to make some tough choices about who we'd like to admit.

It is my pleasure to inform you that you've been selected to advance to the interview stage. Your transcript was incredibly impressive, your grades are high, your references were outstanding and your honours thesis is of interest to our field of study. We interview all participants before making final decisions and it serves as an opportunity for you to show us why you're worth choosing.

We'd like to meet with you sometime in the coming days over Zoom, would Friday around eleven a.m work for you? The interview would last roughly one hour and we'll be discussing the program as well as some key points. 

Please find attached a document containing preparatory questions for your interview. I look forward to speaking with you.

Dr. Irvin Elliot
Professor, Department of Early Modern Studies
Northwestern University'

Oh. My. God.

I advanced? But how? Surely this must be extremely selective and there must be people much more qualified than me. But I can't think that way, I'll get in my own head. I smile excitedly and open a return email, furiously typing on my keyboard.