Some of them Witches

Chapter 16

"I should have known you'd be up here." Virginia looked down at Marianne who was lying on top of the sleeping bag, listening to music.

Marianne pulled her earbuds out. "It's a prime wallowing spot." She knew she should sit up but wallowing in her experience was best done lying down.

Virginia sat down by Marianne's outstretched feet, facing her, an elbow casually resting on her knee, her other leg out straight, so close to Marianne's hand that if she moved it outward at all, it would touch the skin of Virginia's ankle. She pulled her hand back to hoist herself into a seated position.

"I know you're disappointed." Disappointed was not the word for how Marianne was feeling. "You worked so hard getting ready for your MSAT's. It's not the score I was expecting," Virginia said tactfully.

Over the last year, Marianne had worked tirelessly, not just magically but academically, putting herself near the top of her class and getting a regular SAT score in the 97th percentile group. Her spell work had rapidly improved as well, under Virginia's watchful eyes. They were watching her keenly now.

"Guess I won't be going to French Hogwarts."

"Does it matter? With your grades, there are plenty of amazing schools you could go to. Look at Jane, most witches don't practice magic professionally and the ones that do all work in pharmaceuticals or those horrid psychic farms. There has to be something else you'd like to do more than try to predict winners for betting pools and help make medicine for the highest bidder."

"Well, either way, it doesn't matter. I don't think the military's going to care whether or not I could have gotten into Columbia."

"You'd be surprised. Those are not the scores of a human shield."

"So I should have botched my regular SAT's too?"

"What?" Virginia had the audacity to look stunned.

"Are you even going to ask me why I did it?"

"Did what?" The look remained, further infuriating Marianne.

"Don't pretend you don't know what happened. Isn't this what you wanted?"

Virginia's surprise rearranged itself into her usual cool expression. "You don't know what I want."

"Then tell me."

The other woman averted her gaze. "I just want you to have the freedom to choose what you do with your life, without the government or society choosing for you."

"Well then, no need to worry," shrugged Marianne. "I have the next two years to decide what to do with the rest of my life."

"You can't still be serious about volunteering. There are other options for you now and you won't get a summons if you're at a university. Write a good enough essay about your background and you might even--"

"You want me to use my tragic past and the fact I'm a minority to try to get into Harvard?"

"Don't say it like that. You've had a hard life. You deserve more than what you're giving yourself. You have a choice, Marianne. Not everybody gets one."

"My choices are to subject myself to racism at one of the best schools in the country, subject myself to the systemic racism of the military, or subject myself to the racism of the workforce. Pardon me if I don't jump for joy at any of these amazing opportunities."

"Christ, you really are wallowing," she bristled. "One of those things could turn into a lucrative career if you bothered to apply yourself. I admit it's a harsh world out there for people like us but you could be safe."