on campus? This was my last chance, and I needed to make it work.
Ten
Cori and I rode to school together as usual the next morning, but that was where the normalcy ended. My parents parked in the visitor lot and waited for me. My dad seemed almost out of place in his beard and plaid shirt with rolled-up sleeves amongst all of the students with freshly shaven faces and uniforms.
Cori continued toward the building, standing out from the rest of the students with her bright red hair. When I turned away from Cori, Mom waved at me and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Ready, maple syrup?”
I nodded and met them, feeling like everyone’s eyes were on me. At least they weren’t picking on me with my parents around, but this was almost worst. Everyone saw them walk beside me under the Ad Meliora sign. Watched my mom gaze around at the lockers and students and wave at every person she recognized. She even gave one of Cori’s friends an awkward hug.
My eyes caught sight of a tall, broad-shouldered guy walking down the hallway. His blue eyes met mine, a mix of distaste and mirth in his gaze. I narrowed my eyes at him, which only seemed to amuse him more.
“Not making it to videography?” he asked as he passed us.
My parents paused, scooting to the side so other students could pass around them.
“Is this a friend of yours?” Mom asked suspiciously.
“Class partner,” I said flatly. Friend was the last thing I’d call him. “And no, we have a meeting with Mrs. Bardot.”
A grin spread across his face. “I’ll take good notes for you, pardner.”
I rolled my eyes while my mom cooed, “That is so kind of you.”
Dad cleared his throat, protectively tucking me to his side. “We better get going.”
Ray lifted a finger in a wave and kept walking, but dread hit my gut. What would Ray do without me? If he started filming, I would be so mad, especially since I knew his quality level wasn’t where I demanded mine be. But, if he didn’t start today, we’d be way behind on the project.
I shook my head; that wasn’t where my focus should be. Ray had been nothing but a distraction since the semester started. I was about to have one of my most important meetings ever, and I was thinking about a guy who hated me? Time to move on.
We reached Mrs. Bardot’s office, and Mom leaned her head into the open doorway. “Are you ready for us?”
I heard Mrs. Bardot say, “Yes, of course! Please come in.”
A terrifying thought popped into my head. What if she’d worn one of her crazier outfits? My parents would never take her seriously. The second I saw her, I let out a sigh of relief. She’d opted for a blue dress and snowflake earrings. Tame. Thank God.
Dad extended his hand, and she took it. “You must be Mr. Nash.”
“Call me Paul,” Dad said.
“Paul,” she repeated. “I’m Birdie. And your name is?” she asked my mom.
“Barbara.”
“Paul and Barbara, please take a seat.”
Mom and Dad sat in one of the matching chairs, and I took a spot on the bench along the wall.
Bird-man’s desk was blissfully clear, but she did look to have some reading material printed out. “As you know, our Ginger has an amazing opportunity to attend a top film program. Our job here at Emerson Academy is to prepare her for rigorous academics and support her in making the most of her future education.”
Mom nodded along with her, and Dad chuckled, saying, “We pay enough in tuition to cover that.”
Ralphie tweeted like he agreed.
“Exactly,” Birdie said. She continued to speak about how Emerson Academy could connect me with a support network, including UCLA alumni and Academy alumni involved in the film business. “We also have an Academy graduate who’s in the third year of the film program, as well as several alumni families in the area willing to ‘adopt’ her so she’ll have people nearby while she’s living in the dorm.”
“Oh,” Mom said, “she’s not living in the dorms.”
“Is there a financial issue?” Birdie asked. “We may be able to look for additional scholarships or see if a local family might be willing to sponsor her...”
Dad straightened his shoulders. “It’s not financial; it’s prudent. We know how many students fall off track that first semester of living on their own.”
“Interesting,” Birdie said, then licked her finger and thumbed through a stack of papers. That smart woman, she pretended