The Freshman

Three: The Assistant

After taking a walk to process what had just been said in the perplexing call from my mom, I met up with my friends in the kitchen. My face must have given something away, because Kaitlyn got up from her seat when she saw me and neared me.

"Mia? Is everything okay?" she asked.

"I... I don't think so. My family's broke."

Kaitlyn gasped.

"What started off as the best week of my life just turned into a nightmare."

"We can't lose you! We've... we've bonded!" cried out Zack.

"I guess there's only one thing to do now..." I said. "I have to find a way to stay."

They looked up at me, in sync.

"I'm not going down without a fight!" I said.

"Hell yeah! That's the spirit!" said Zack with joy.

"Maybe you could get... a job?" suggested Tyler.

"No offense, but tuition runs like $50K a year here." reality-checked Abbie. "Minimum wage isn't gonna cover that."

"There's gotta be some way you can stay... I mean I'm here on a football scholarship." said Chris.

"I don't think I'm exactly what the football team is looking for." I said.

"Maybe not, but I'm sure there are other scholarships available."

"Not a bad idea, Chris." agreed Kaitlyn. "It might be worth a trip to the financial aid office to check it out!"

...

"Next!" said Ms. Twombly.

"Hi there! My friend just realized she's super poor and needs a scholarship!" said Kaitlyn.

"Kaitlyn!" I scolded her.

"What? It's true. Besides, if we're trying to get this done fast, we've got to cut right to the chase."

"Let's see here... any special skills?" asked Ms. Twombly.

"Actually, I was the valedictorian at my high school!"

"What? How come you never told me you're a huge nerd?" asked Kaitlyn in disbelief.

I elbowed her.

"Just because I happen to get great grades doesn't mean I'm a nerd!"

"Wether you're a nerd or not, all of our academic scholarships have already been distributed." said Ms. Twombly.

"There has to be something!" I said, growing more desperate by the minute.

"Well... there is... one thing. But I'm not quite sure you'd be up for it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence!"

"It's nothing personal. It's just, well... we do have one research assistant position open. It would pay for your tuition, plus room and board."

"That's great!" I said.

"But... it's for Professor Vasquez."

"Professor Enrique Vasquez? The famous author? The Names of All Lost Things is one of my favorite books ever!" cried out Kaitlyn. "Working for him would be amazing!"

"Spoken like someone who's never met the man." said Ms. Twombly. "Professor Vasquez has taken on over a dozen assistants in the last five years. None has lasted more than a week."

"Until now." I said.

"That's what they all say..."

"Well, the thing about me is I'm desperate, so."