Surviving my Scholarship

Death in the Afternoon

        As soon as we walked in a thin woman with boney cheeks and bright orange hair came running to us. Her professional business suit with the pencil line skirt made it difficult but her legs carried her at unusual speed.

        "Mr. Galloway, you are late," she firmly stated. Her red lips were pressed so tightly together. Mr. Galloway just waved the statement off and turned to his son. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Galloway."

        He looked up from his Comm and smirked slightly. "Julianne, call me Pierce."

        Julianne showed a slight curve of her lips up until she turned and glanced at me. She traced my form down to my shoes and back up to the visor and frowned. She was about to kick me out of the store when Mr. Galloway turned and interrupted her critique.

        "This is Ms. Wilkenson," he introduced. "She will be joining us for dinner tonight and needs something appropriate to wear." I glanced over at him in shock. Did he expect me to pay for a dress here? One probably cost my entire annual salary. Julianne gave me another once over and frowned.

        "As in Ilkens Wilkens," she coldly stated. I frowned and shook my head no. She looked at me again unsure.

        "Wilkenson," I corrected. She nodded as if that changed everything.  

        "Andra, come assist Mr..... Pierce and Mr. Galloway. I need all the time I can get on this one." A smaller balding gentleman in just the inner vest of a suit coat and slacks came running down a spiral case stair.

        "Right away," he blubbered and led the boys away.

        Julianne pushed me towards a dressing room and pulled the screen back. I walked in and she snapped it closed before rushing into the store. Before I could peek out, she stormed in with four dresses and threw them up on a hook.

        "Take that hideous thing off immediately," she judged. "I don't want people to see it in my shop. What would they think?"  I slid off my shoes and unzipped the dress before pulling myself out of it. I felt like a slug coming out of a drainage tube. She immediately threw a dress over my head and turned me around.

        "This won't do," she mumbled. "I misjudged your color. I blame the microwave wrapper you were wearing."

        "It's my work uniform," I argue and she shushes me.

        "Let me work," she snaps her fingers. Then, she turns and leaves again coming back with two different dresses. After going through six, she turns me and smiles. "Yes! I am a genius. Look how the color brings out the color of your hair." She is silent for a second pulling at the fabric and pinning places. She looks again and frowns. "The visor dear," she states.

        "I....." I start and she sighs.

        "You can't wear the visor all night. Come now," she motions for me to hurry up. I groan as I press the visor back and the plastic vanishes. She gasps and then turns me again. "Absolute perfection!" I look at myself and shiver.

        The dress is made of a fine periwinkle silk harvested from the worms in one of the colonies on Neptune or so Julianne kept informing me. It covered all the way to my collarbone in the front and dipped dangerously low in the back. The dress hugged my hips and then draped down to my feet dragging a bit on the ground. She pulled out heels and took a few more measurements. Then, she threw a robe at me and ran out of the dressing room with speed.

        Before leaving the room, I touched the device and my visor goes back up. I wrap myself in the sinfully comfortable robe and walk out into the store. Immediately Andra came forward and placed his hand on the small of my back leading me somewhere.

        "Mr. Galloway had to take care of some important things, he apologizes for leaving and says that he is looking forward to seeing you at dinner tonight," Andra recited like he was reading off a prompter. He stopped and motioned to seating in a mirrored space. I glanced around and caught sight of Pierce and frowned. Great! He left me here with him. "Also, he left this paperwork for you to look over."

        Pierce turned as I arrived and raised an eyebrow. Then, moved his interest back to his Comm. That was the problem with kids whose parents could afford those Comm units. They didn't live in the real world anymore. They walked around constantly staring at them. I went and sat at the other end of the seating and glanced around as various employees rushed to work. I glanced down at the papers Andra had handed me and frowned. It was an application for the Galloway Scholarship to go to college here. Like I had a chance with this, the last guy who received it cured Sun Sores on Mercury.   

        "I thought you would be in your dress already," a voice to my right called and I jumped. He had put the Comm unit away and was staring at me now. I glanced over at Pierce and shrugged. He groaned. "I was trying to make small talk, work with me Vivi." I didn't say a word. He crossed his arms and slouched in his chair. "You are going to be the worst date ever," he grumbled.

        "Date," my voice raised a few octaves higher than it should and he turned to me again.

        "She speaks," he cheered sarcastically and smirked.

        "I thought it was a dinner," I said softly now. He laughed. The sound irritated me and yet it sounded melodic. 

        "It's my mom's birthday party," he informed with a hunger for my reaction.

        "What a shame," I said. "If I had known, I would have gotten her something."

        "What could you possibly get a woman who has everything she could ever want and more," he countered looking annoyed. "Vanilla Vodka?"

        "I am a great gift guru," I stated starting to fill out the forms. Mr. Galloway probably would make me anyways at the party if I didn't.

        "Alright, what do you get your mother for her birthday," he challenged and I glanced at him again thinking.

        "A candle," I replied nodding before turning the page of the application. He sat up and pulled his arms back with a scoff.

        "Are you kidding me, a candle, weak at best," he laughed. "Gift guru my ass." I glared at him thinking back at how excited my mom was every time she opened my gift.

        "I saved up the entire year to buy her that candle," I started lecturing, mad he would mock my gift. "I picked a scent that reminded me of my favorite thing I did with her that year and wrote about it in her card. She loved it! She said a diamond necklace couldn't compare to such a heartfelt gift." I crossed my arms and turned away from him. I heard a beep and knew he was a Comm zombie again.

        "Ms. Wilkenson," a timid woman standing at the opening of the waiting area called. "I am here to get you for hair and makeup." I stood and smiled at the woman as she led me out of the room.  I spent the next twenty minutes being poked and prodded by three women working furiously fast.

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                "Your suit is almost ready sir, can I get you a drink while you wait," Andra asked. Pierce looked up from his Comm.

                "No, thank you Andra," he replied and then jerked up again. "Actually Andra, I was hoping you could go and fetch something for me."

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                  I hope you like it!!!!! Dream I had literally last night. If something doesn't make sense that is probably why..... what colony she is on??? haven't decided yet..... so excited for the big reveal.... what emotions will ride with Pierce and Violet only time will tell... if any!!!! Anyway thanks for reading this far... updates when I dream of them again lol