Surviving my Scholarship

Kamikaze

                "Just be yourself," Mrs. Galloway prompted as they hurried me down the hallway. I glanced down at my expensive, professional looking dress and cocked my eyebrow at Mrs. Galloway. Nothing about me was Violet. They were forcing me to be Perry right now. "Well, personality wise."

                "Just tone it down a bit," Mr. Galloway added. I rolled my eyes as we stopped in front of large mahogany doors. Mahogany! Where did they even get mahogany here? Earth doesn't even harvest the endangered trees anymore!

                "So, be myself but not," I clarified. "Got it." Mr. Galloway groaned as he took a seat next to the doors. Mrs. Galloway sat next to him rubbing his shoulders in support. I rolled my eyes before looking back at the doors. The people behind these doors decided whether or not I got the scholarship. Wish me luck.

                As my name, well the fake name, was called, I pushed open the doors before the "help" could and charged in. There was a large circled desk with four people sitting behind it. They looked bored as I approached. As I sat down, I slowly examined each. There were three men and a highly jeweled woman sitting there.

                Two of the men were identical twins. What were the odds? They had peppered hair and interesting bushy eyebrows. Their face looked weighed with stress and they slouched in their expensive tailored gray suits. It was like mirror images. I was tempted to walk up and move the mirror slightly. They stared down at the paper in front of them as they mumbled something to each other.

                The other man, I recognized from the bar. He was constantly following around one of the dancers. He even proposed once when he was drunk. It was rather entertaining to see him confident. Usually, he was desperately trying to get the obviously younger girl's attention. He hiked his glasses higher on his face and stared down at the packet in front of him.

                Who wears glasses? They were fazed out centuries ago with laser surgeries. I withheld my chuckle at his interesting take on being a fashion leader. Perhaps he was just being misunderstood.

                The woman glared at me, not the paper. She twirled one of her many jewels around her ringed finger. Her wig had moved slightly off tilter awhile ago and was riding down her forehead. Her green eyes tried to pierce whatever she was trying to discover in me, but I shrugged it off. My character had nothing to hide.

                The silent mumbling made me nervous. I shifted slightly in my chair to adjust the dress and pull it farther down to cover my knees. The woman smirked obviously finding whatever it was she was looking for. She cleared her throat and the men looked up.

                "Thank you for your time," she said without looking up from her packet she now glanced over. The men looked confused.

                "Excuse me," I clarified. "I don't understand."

                "It's quite simple my dear," she started in a poisonous tone. "We are done here. Please send in the next person."

                "You didn't ask me anything," I remarked as I stood.

                "Yes, I did," she argued. "I just asked you to send in the next person."

                "Thank you for your consideration," I replied with a slight recognition of respect. I turned and headed towards those horrid mahogany doors. As I turned and opened it staring out at the Galloways and three other candidates, all male, I frowned. I slammed the door again and turned around heading back towards the table.

                "No," I started. "I came here today so that you could get to know me not just that paper in front of you. How can you possibly learn anything about me from a packet of statistics and finances?"

                "Ms. Graddon," the woman raised her voice, "I don't feel that you are suitable for this scholarship. It is obvious that you are merely a charity case for Mrs. Galloway. So, I will not waste my time with your application."

                "Not suitable," I repeated hurt. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked back to see Mr. Galloway looking down at me. I shrugged him off and stepped forward.

                "Yes," she began again. "Your transcripts are older and grades are average. Your recommendations vary immensely amongst subjects and were obviously bought. The work you show serves to benefit Mr. Galloway but no one else in society. You have no observation of community or compassion for others."

                "How dare you," I started as Mr. Galloway pulled me towards those horrid doors again. I stopped at the door and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Thank you for your time. Good luck picking the best candidate." Mr. Galloway smiled down at me before he slammed the doors shut and dragged me down the hallway. The three boys sat there staring at me in shock.

                "Are you insane," Mr. Galloway screamed at me when we were safe enough away, pushing me into a study. "Those people hold your future in their decision and you provoke their anger!"

                "They didn't ask me a d....... anything," I corrected myself before I swore. I had picked up a lot while working at that bar.   

                "Well, you made their decision a hell of a lot easier doing that," he growled. "They just threw your application away."

                I plopped down in the large, overstuffed chair aimed towards a bookshelf. He leaned over it glaring at me.

                "You embarrassed me in there," he started again. "I have never been so humiliated in my..."

                "Seriously dad," Pierce leaned against the inner doorway leading to another room. "I have done so much more to embarrass you than Violet did. Remember when I banged that guy's daughter you were negotiating with. A virgin, no less. Or....." Mr. Galloway pushed his hands into his eyes before turning to his son.

                "Don't remind me," he grumbled before turning and walking to the desk. He banged on it before turning and pointing at me. "Go to your room. You were wrong and I don't want to see you around until the party tonight. Do I make myself clear?"

                "Yes, sir," I barely made audible. Pierce pulled me from the chair and lead me towards the front of the house.

                "Did you see my father's face," he joked as he weaved through hallways. "You are awesome. You can never leave. This is awesome! I could get away with murder right now and he would still hate you more!" I halted causing him to jolt to a stop. "Violet.... Umm Perry?"

                I looked at my feet and pushed some hair over my face. I couldn't let him see me like this. A tear hit my shoe and I took off, shoving him to the side as I ran past. I didn't stop even with him yelling behind me until the door slammed shut behind me. I sunk to the floor, back to the door, and cried.

                Did I ruin my chances of saving my house?