Gifted and Talented

Chapter 1, Ordinary

Nothing ever happened to Cara. Well, nothing out of the ordinary. Some people were prodigies, or super talented artists, or musicians, or were on Broadway before they even started high school. Not Cara. Cara was good at fitting in, she got average grades in school, dressed like everyone else, and wasn't particularly tall or short. She had a couple of friends, none of whom she was very close to, and would probably never see again when she got to college.

Cara didn't usually envy people whose lives were more exciting than hers, but today she was feeling particularly touchy. Her younger brother, David had just burst through the door, holding his report card above his head. Cara's mother smiled as he came in, and took the report card from him. Then, she promptly put it up on the fridge with colorful magnets. Cara didn't even have to look to know that his grade point average was above one hundred. David was in seventh grade but was already taking courses that Cara herself wouldn't take for several more years.

"You should take more extra-circulars." 

Cara turned around, it was her mother, of course.

"I'm fine," Cara responded, and picked up the book she had left lying on the table that morning.

"Maybe a sport?" Her mother suggested again, Cara answered by shaking her head. No.

"I'm signing you up for softball," Her mother said, "You'll have fun, and it'll add some spice to your week."

'Spice' was not the word Cara would describe softball. It sounded dull, and she didn't like organized sports. She put her book down.

"It's winter. It's too cold to play, plus the ground is covered in snow," Cara complained.

"It starts in the spring," her mother said, and went upstairs to fold laundry.

Cara's phone started ringing. Don't pick it up if it's an unknown number, her mother had always told her. Cara pressed 'ignore'. 

That night, Cara crossed another day off her kitten calendar. It was the 8th of December.  Only one and a half more months until she turned 16. Then she could get her drivers license, and start going on adventures. Where she would go she didn't know yet. Some place far away, like California, or Oregon. Having never been west of Ohio, the west coast intrigued Cara, this strange, mystical place that her mother avoided. We have too many family members on the west coast, her mother always said whenever Cara asked about it, if we went to California we would have to visit them. It was then that Cara got the idea to go to somewhere on the west coast by herself, even if she had to drive all the way there from Connecticut.

Her phone rang again, the same unknown number as before, and again, Cara pressed the ignore button.

The next day, after school, Cara was walking home. It was a beautiful winter day, the naked trees covered in light dustings of snow, icicles hanging off most of the houses she passed. Cara shivered, and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. Winter was nice in conception with the snow and all, but it was just too cold. This was another motivation for visiting California.
"Ring!" Cara's phone rang, the same caller ID as the last two times. Cara, very annoyed at the constant calls, picked up.
"Hello?" Cara said into the receiver.
"Hello," said a pleasant female voice on the other end, "Is this Cara Goldstein?"
"Yes," said Cara.
"I am a representative from the Reed School for the Gifted and Talented, you are eligible for a scholarship. You will receive a package in the mail shortly with our brochure, and application papers. An airline ticket to Los Angeles will be provided to allow you to come and take the entrance exam. After receiving the package, any questions will be directed to this number."
With that, Cara heard a click, the woman had hung up.
"This has got to be a scam," Cara said to herself.
The next day, just as promised, a package arrived addressed for Cara, with a return address on Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles CA.
Cara ripped the package open, reveling a stack of papers, a brochure, and a plane ticket. Cara opened the brochure, reveling pictures of a beautiful campus, happy students in cute uniforms, and huge dorm rooms. After reading, it became clear that this was a very prestigious, exclusive private school.
Cara ran into the kitchen, and shoved the forms and brochure in her mother's face. After reading the brochure, Cara's mother looked at her daughter and raised an eyebrow.
"You really want to go to school all the way in California?" Cara's mom asked, skeptical.
"Yes!" Said Cara, "I'll only be in LA for the weekend, all expenses paid and it's only an entrance exam."
Cara's mom sighed, "I guess you can go, when is it?"
Cara checked the forms, "This weekend."