Clever Girl

Chapter 33: "This country's full of idiots."

I've never been in here before.

The double-doors are directly across from Cranston's office. I pull one open and step inside, into the brightly-lit boardroom. It's a simple set-up, with floor-to-ceiling windows that take up one entire wall. The opposite wall is black but somewhat mirror-like. There are no awards or plaques or anything hanging anywhere. No plants or office decors of any kind, only a large, rectangular mahogany table. A muted space that reflects my mood perfectly. The individuals that Shelley had mentioned are seated on one side, with their backs to the windows, each with either an opened laptop or a tablet. There's a chair for me across from them.

Cranston stands up as I approach the table. He offers a smile, probably hoping it's welcoming enough to keep me calm. He then introduces all the people that are about to take my life away.

There's Marina, the school's counselor whom I've already met - and Superintendent Kane, a man of maybe sixty, with dyed black hair and a very fitted blue suit. Then we have the two admissions representatives. The first is Jonathan Fennel, the admissions counselor for the University of Cambridge. As if I'm going to leave this country. He's rather young, with horn-rimmed glasses, and white-blonde hair that turns into his sideburns, which then turn into his beard. I'd find the landscaping impressive if I wasn't so angry at them for showing up. Last is Sofia Navarro - the director of undergraduate admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She's probably in her mid-forties, wearing a perfectly pressed pink blouse and a matching silk scarf. Her rich brown hair cascades down her shoulders effortlessly.

The only other person who stands up to greet me is Marina. The rest remain seated, like they're afraid standing up might make them seem more human. 

"Your father is also with us via Zoom. We have already formally introduced ourselves to him. Please, have a seat, and we can get started," Cranston adds, turning around his laptop, which shows my father's name for the audio, but there is no accompanying video. 

"Wait, dad? Why did they call you? Why didn't you tell me about this before I left the house this morning?" I say, surprised. 

"Because I knew you would refuse to attend. Veronica, please just hear them out." I can hear the desperation in his voice, so I have no choice but to listen.

Furious and full of spite, I sit down and glare at everyone. "Fine, whatever. Let's get it started then."

The two individuals from admissions exchange curious yet somewhat disappointed glances with each other. Superintendent Kane stares back me with contempt. Cranston sits down and speaks again, "Veronica, we submitted some of your work to several notable universities, all of which are very interested in meeting you. This is the first appointment. I'm hoping we can convince you to consider an offer of admission."

"And if I decline them all?"

"We of course can't force you to accept, but perhaps we can show you that it's not a terrible prospect. With scholarships, and various programs that can assist with any financial worries you may have, we're certain at least one will be a perfect fit."

I glance back and forth between Jonathan and Sofia, "Why are there two together? Shouldn't it be one school per meeting?"

"There will be, when they make their offers. For now they'd just like to speak with you. It doesn't have to be formal. It can be a casual conversation."

"So like, this is all based on a few worksheets? Mister Weir only took a few pages from my notebook. I didn't think there was anything groundbreaking in them."

Sofia leans forward and speaks, her voice soft and even, "It's not only the work, which, even in the pages that we reviewed, was far more advanced than that of the average AP-level high school senior. Not one error, and several equations that don't appear in any high school textbook. One student took a video of you solving several problems at a very rapid pace, and uploaded it to YouTube. Shorter segments were also posted to TikTok. You have gone viral. One TikTok video in particular has received over a million views already." She pushes her tablet forwards and shows me the TikTok she's talking about.