Dreamchasers

Chapter 11 (2)

Wednesday soon came along with the dinner party, which was held on the top floor of the outside garden of hotel Estrella.

Bianca had already told Beth that she would be more than happy to introduce her to her friends. Nothing was to be worried about, she said. Owen and Nora asked if Beth wanted them to drop her off at the hotel. Beth chose to take the subway, saying it would be more convenient for her. For the whole subway trip, she was brushing her finger against the edge of her mint chiffon dress. Nothing was to be worried about. She recited Bianca's message to herself, not noticing the golden strap on her hardback slipping down her shoulder. Her right hand suddenly twitched when the metal touched the surface of her skin. She took a big breath in, looked at Bianca's message one last time, and quickly jammed her phone into her handbag.

The shimmering yellow fairy lights on the walls danced gently in the night breeze, illuminating the ivy vines around the lights. The gentle smear of brightness from those lights created a sense of serenity around everyone. Little lanterns and balloons hang across the garden like flowers blooming in the sky.

Everything looked such romantic that Beth walked around with her heart wrapped in happiness. All the details around her became animated sceneries in her eyes.

Beth stopped in the middle of the garden, looking up to the sky.

I love the sky. It simply looks so free.

Bianca was standing backward from her at the end of the path, with several people around her.

Hoping to mingle with the 'strangers' at the party, Beth eagerly threw herself into the crowds. However, the crowds didn't seem to respond to her enthusiasm. People were all immersed in their own little world without the interruption of outsiders. Beth tried again. There were only slight gazes and formulaic smiles. On the other hand, around one of the corners, another girl was making gestures and laughing with new faces at the party.

It stung a little in her heart, yet she brushed it off since she was a firstcomer to this dinner party.

"Hello, Beth! Glad to see that you came!" Bianca turned around and greeted Beth. "As you see, these are the young artists in the city that I know on a personal level."

A cascade of questions and comments came from the young creatives to Beth immediately.

One boy smiled slightly.

"Are you also a student at Laurel Prep? What does your family do? Did you pick up art since you were at a young age?"

Another girl seemed excited about Beth.

"A Laurel Prep student! Look, we have got competition! I attended Laurel Prep with Bianca. It was awesome back then. What are you involved in at Laurel? Have you done any interesting projects? Tell me more about them!"

A third girl, looking slightly older, came along.

"Laurel alumni here as well. Back in the day, Laurel was the best school in the nation. I was in several academic clubs, won an award for my paintings, involved in a non-profit...my time was very busy. However, the student quality of Laurel had declined over the years. The school has begun to accept more under-qualified students because officials wanted fundings. Beth, do you agree with me?"

There was a laugh and two from the group on her comment.

Beth was rendered speechless by what this girl said to her. She couldn't squeak out a word.

"Hey guys, that's not the best question to talk to a newcomer!" The second girl quickly interrupted.

Some in the group nodded, while some remained neutral. After two seconds, everyone laughed it off, as if the question was never asked. Among the laughter, Beth caught the third girl whispering to the guy beside her.

"Guys. She might be holding back something about herself."

✨

"Where do you guys currently attend?" Beth asked the crowd in front of her.

"Lisette School of Art!" "Edith Markinswell!"

"Ronald Jameson Academy for the Advancement of Science and Art, triple majoring in cognitive science, classics, and visual arts." The third girl replied briefly.

"That's really impressive! My friend Julianna told me that Ronald Jameson was really hard to get into, and the academic rigor is harsh. Are you certain that you could handle all those by yourself? I'm concerned because it seems the workload is really high."

"Wow wow wow, you gotta stop there." The third girl scoffed in contempt. "Do not underestimate me in any manners. It's none of your business."

"Guys, let's just stop the buzz!" Bianca said. "We are here to share our mutual experience being visual artists, not getting into individual heated conversations. Why don't we go around, introduce ourselves, where we came from, our current interests, our high school experiences, and maybe quirks as well? I will start first..."

During the introductions, the nervousness that Beth felt on her first day at Laurel Prep make her stomach upset again.

I took a gap year overseas to promote diversity by working with children in need with crafts.

I was long-term commissioned by a photography company to take photos for their advertisements since my junior year of high school.

I proposed a curriculum idea to the education bureau and got approved. I wrote it in my college application.

After everyone was done, all eyes were diverted to Beth, burning her face like a laser. They were all waiting on her introduction.

"Hi everyone! My name is Bethany Clementine. Throughout my life, my dream is to be a fashion designer. I was born and raised in a small town, in which there weren't a lot of resources for me to facilitate my learning. But geography doesn't matter! Since middle school, I've been creating my original designs, working in the art club, and going to summer camps. The moment I visited Lisette University, I knew that it was the place for me. What would be better than to enjoy interesting conversations with enthusiastic students in the schoolyard, and sip tea with award-winning professors in the cafe? I hope to attend Lisette University School of Art one day, create haute couture fashion for stars, and watch my works getting exhibited on the red carpet."

Several seconds of silence.

A couple of people in the crowd turned away. Among the crowd, she caught several people mouthing each other conversation details. conversation details that they had been mouthing to each other.

"She's kind of under-qualified as a Laurel Prep student, what do you think?"

"I don't know. She seems plain. Is she a first-generation student? First-generation students get so much advantage in applying to schools nowadays."

"Right. They can get acceptance from schools with much lower grades and standardized tests. Schools crave diversity, after all."

"Nonetheless, how can students like these survive in a competitive environment? I can't see real talents coming from this Beth girl. There's no spark. She could never become a successful artist in the future."

Beth couldn't hold it anymore. She was trying hard to hold her tears from her swollen eyes, yet those tears keep rolling down from her eyes and sticking onto her eyelashes. Her face started burning as all the background notices she heard became deep murmurs again, ridiculing her.

The tears streamed across her face more and more. She quickly slapped her eyes to smear away the tears with the back of her hand.

Then, she kept running and running, eventually disappearing from the crowd.