Trisha went over to her desk and went through her drawers, "Ah, there it is. I should've gone through this drawer first." She said as she took out a big packet.
"This is for you. They wanted me to deliver this to you personally. It's a rolling tradition. On this occasion you and a few students have gotten this envelope today." Explained Trisha as she held out the packet towards Agatha.
Agatha grabbed the packet "What's this?" She asked. "Go on and open it." said Trisha as she smiled.
Agatha stared at the packet anxiously as she opened it and took out a booklet. Her eyes widened a little as she was reading the cover.
Silver Meadow Ridge Academy
A Stepping Stone to a Better Future
"A... booklet?" She asked.
"It's not only a booklet in there. Look again." Trisha said as she took a donut and ate it.
Agatha looked inside the packet and took out a letter as she started reading.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Gray,
On behalf of Silver Meadows Ridge Academy, I am pleased to congratulate you on our acceptance of your daughter, Agatha, into our school. As you know, Silver Meadows Ridge Academy is the most exclusive program in the area and we were very impressed with Agatha's abilities and we would gladly choose her from our pool of applicants to enroll in our school.
In order to ensure Agatha's official enrollment into our school, please join us for an open house and fill out the enclosed forms between July and the end of August. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Our telephone number is XXX-XXXX. We look forward to hearing from you.
We are delighted to accept Agatha into our school and feel confident that she will make a great addition. We trust that your whole family will be pleased with the nurturing environment of Silver Meadows Ridge High Academy providing a safe place for Agatha to learn and grow. Thank you for choosing to apply with our school.
Sincerely yours,
Veronica Higgins
Vice Principal
As she finished reading, she held up the letter against the light. Trisha looked confused at Agatha until she started laughing, "You're checking if it's how you kids say 'legit' right?" She asked. Agatha just nodded, "Well it's real, I assure you. The principal of the school swung by and handed me these letters personally." Continued Trisha as she smiled.
"So I... got accepted into this school?" Asked Agatha. Trisha nodded "I'm sure this was a scary experience for you to endure. Waiting for a letter from a popular school and fearing what the outcome was." Said Trisha as she stood up from her desk, holding out her hand. "I'm glad you got accepted into the school. I hope the school helps you develop more skills and grow. Have a good day Agatha and congratulations again on graduating." Trisha said as Agatha shook her hand.
"Thank you... for everything, Principal Esperanza and thank you for telling me this." Agatha said as she let go of Trisha's hand, she started putting the letter and the booklet back into the packet it came with.
As she walked out of the principal's office, she stood in front of the door. She looked at the packet and hugged it, "This is real..." muttered Agatha as she walked away from the office. Agatha smiled as her eyes started to water and cried, walking towards the stairwell.
As Agatha left the building, she went over to the car and saw her father in the driver's seat alone waiting patiently. She walked over and opened the back door as she sat down. "So where's Sapphire and Helena?" She asked. "They went to the store. They'll be back in a minute." Sighed William as he leaned against his seat, stretching out his arms.
William and Agatha sat in awkward silence as they both waited for Sapphire and Helena. "So... uh... what did your principal have to tell you?" Asked William. "It's not all that important, but she wanted to give me this packet." She said as she leaned against the window.
"A packet?" William said before looking over at the street and saw Sapphire and Helena walking towards the car. "Oh I see them coming over. We can talk about this when we get home okay?" he said as Agatha quickly hid the envelope in her gown, Sapphire got inside the car and proceeded to kiss William's cheek. "Sorry it took so long, babe. Helena and I were talking about the summer job situation." She said, smiling at him. Helena got inside the car, smiling and humming happily.
"Oh... What did you guys talk about? I assume it's good news since Helena is happy now." He asked as he started up the engine.
"Well we agreed that Helena doesn't get a summer job." Said Sapphire as she put on her seatbelt. "And I get to choose where to go this summer." Said Helena as she smiled smugly at Agatha. Agatha looked away from Helena.
"Speaking of summer jobs, Agatha, what did you want to work at again?" Asked William as he drove home. Agatha looked up at her father "I was thinking about being a camp counselor." She answered.
"A camp counselor, huh? That's a big step. Are you sure you want to be a camp counselor?" He asked as he made a right turn. "Why can't she be a babysitter?" Helena asked.
"A nanny is no different from being a camp counselor..." Agatha said as she looked out the window, "How so? The stupid activities, the painful limited pool days and you'll be indoors all day. With babysitting, there are no limits and you get to do whatever you want and all you have to do is just put the kids in their room." Said Helena.
"To be honest, I think this is a good opportunity for you to go outside and get some fresh air, Agatha." Said William as he pulled up in front of the driveway and pressed the garage door. "Though a camp counselor doesn't sound like a good choice of summer work..." Sapphire said as she crossed her arms, lost in thought. "What makes you think that Sapph?" Asked William as he put the car in reverse, back the car up to the garage.
"Well we don't know if Agatha is responsible enough to even take care of other people's children let alone she can't even take care of herself. Are you sure we should take that risk?" Asked Sapphire as she took off her seatbelt.
"Well if she wants to learn how to be responsible then being a camp counselor is the best choice for her. Besides, she can travel from place to place while working. I see this as a win-win situation for her." Said William as he parked the car and closed the garage door.
"But what if-" Sapphire stated before William interrupted, "If Agatha isn't responsible she wouldn't have decent grades to graduate." He said. Agatha got out of the car as she held the packet close to her.
William got out of the car and followed her daughter, "Want me to help you with the application?" He asked. "Yeah, help would be nice. I'll go get my laptop." Said Agatha as they both left the garage.