Surviving my Scholarship

Royal Arrival

        I went upstairs and changed into a simple loose top and a pair of shorts that rode up uncomfortably high. I glanced behind me before leaving and stopped. Did I leave my bag on the bed? I walked over and slid it back to the floor where I thought I had left it. It fell open and lying on top of the rubble was my brush. That is weird. I shrugged picking it up and brushing through my long brown hair before pulling it over my left shoulder.

                I skipped down the steps and turned the corner towards the front door. There stood Jon glancing at his Comm unit quickly. He looked up as I approached.

                "Ms. Wilkens," he greeted. "I was hoping you would come down first. I have something for you."

                He held out a stack of boxes. I glanced at them quickly before looking back up in confusion. My eyebrows bunched together.

                "What is this," I asked reluctant to take the boxes from him.

                "Your disguise," he coldly stated before forcing the boxes in my hand. "Your eyes are a security risk."

                I took the small box from the top with shaking hands. They want to change me. I opened the box and shut it quickly again.

                "No," I stepped back away from Jon.

                "It wasn't an option," Jon replied. "Mrs. Galloway is all excited to go with you. You're not going to make us cancel it now. Are you?" He held the boxes back out to me and I sighed.

                "How do I put these in," I grumbled. He assisted in changing my beautiful violets to a bland brown. I stared in the mirror as if they would melt away if I waited long enough. The person that stared back made me cringe.

                Jon plopped a wig on my head and I burst out laughing. The shorter dirty blonde streaked hair spread out amongst my long brown and made me look like a rocker. He helped me prop up my hair and tuck it under a casing before throwing on the brown and blonde streaked monster. I didn't bother looking in the mirror again. My heart would break at the loss of my identity. It was the only thing I had left or though I thought.

                The last box had papers and identification. I glanced down at the photo and realized they had altered my actual passport photo to what I would look like now. I groaned as I pulled out my id and handed it to him. I stuffed the new info into it and crossed my arm.

                "Perry Graddon," I tried out staring up at Jon. He nodded encouragingly. I looked down defeated.

                "Believe me, this was the best look," he assured me before turning and heading back towards the door. "Try it out if you hate it, we will work on a different look. All the staff has been informed and updated on new protocol, if you are ready to go."

                "Protocol," I muttered as I walked towards the front door.

                "There was a binder on your bed explaining protocols and rules," Jon stated as he turned to follow.

                "Didn't see one," I argued, running my fingers through my fake hair. There are rules? I haven't had rules since I was thirteen and my family decided to split.

                "I'll have another one sent up for you to read," he stated with a small smile. "I do recommend you read it."  

                "Perry," came an excited voice behind me. I turned to see Mrs. Galloway in a stylish sundress and a giant purple purse. She looked gorgeous as always. "Don't you look different?" I couldn't help but smile. She hated it as much as I did.