LETTER TO JOIN ACADEMY

Lexine turned to her mother with a strained smile on her face. Her mother was clad in her usual getup of a large pair of shorts and a large tee. "Mom," she chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head, "I didn't think you would be awake. Isn't it too early to be up on a Saturday?"

"Not really Lex. I could not sleep, you see. I was a little too excited." she ran her hand through her short spiked locks of platinum blonde hair. She yawned. " Now that you mention it I am sort of tired. Where were you the whole night anyway? I tried calling you but you did not pick up. You do know the use of a phone, right?"

Lexine scratched the back of her head again, "I am sorry mom. I ...I ..... was at Ceeret's home and my phone must have been on silent." Lexine had never been the best liar. Her mom was always able to know if she was lying or not. For some reason though, she seemed distracted and brushed Lexine's explanation off. Lexine sighed at this, glad to have been saved by her mother's absentmindedness.

"It's alright. I made cookies. Do you want some?" She gestured to the kitchen. Lexine followed her to the kitchen where a tray of cookies lay on the kitchen counter.

Lexine drooled at the sight of the cookies. When was the last time she ate again? She snagged two cookies and bit into them. "It's not that I don't like your cooking or anything, or the outrageously good mood you are in mom, but I have to ask, what's up?"

Lexine's mom looked up from the oven to where Lexine sat. "I am just celebrating on your behalf darling. Let us just say you have got a stroke of really good luck."

"I have no idea what you are talking about mom. We both know I never have good luck," she remembered the fact that the one time she was out late is the one time her mom seemed to wake up early. She really did not have good luck. She took another cookie and bit into it, "but I hope it keeps you happy enough to continue making me such amazing cookies."

"Do not be such a spoiler Lexine." She walked up to Lexine and handed her a neatly folded paper which she removed from the pocket of her black apron. Lexine took it "What is it?" she asked her mother who stood towering over her in her six-foot height.

"You have been chosen to attend an elite school or something like that. Sorry, I already opened it though. I was curious."

"Those boarding schools for those prissy rich kids?" Lexine frowned and did not move to open the letter.

"Yes?"

"Can we afford it?" She put her half-eaten cookie on the tray and looked up at her mother. "I mean last I checked those schools are really expensive. Like millions of dollars expensive."

" That's the thing. It's totally free. You've been selected as part of a scholarship program."

"I am not interested. I am already in a really good school mom." She placed the unopened letter next to the cookie tray.

Lexine's mom placed her right hand on Lexine's shoulder. "I know that, but I see this as a really great opportunity for you. It assures you of a chance for a good university after graduation. It literally points out a good future. If I were one of those fortune tellers I would be telling you 'I see a bright star in your future, all you have to do is reach out and grab it'," she grabbed at the air using her left hand dramatically.

"Still not interested," her concentration went back to the cookies.

"Lexine..." Her mother gave her a pointed look. She picked the letter and handed it to Lexine. "Just have a look at it. You might change your..." she sniffed, " do you smell something burning?" Her gaze then flew to the oven where black smoke was being produced. "Crap. Shit. Fuck. " she opened the oven and waved an oven mitten to disperse the smoke. Lexine chuckled and looked down at the letter in her hands.

She first sniffed it, a stupid habit she had gotten from her father. It smelt anosmic. She scrunched her brows as she remembered her father's words when she had questioned his queer habit of smelling almost everything he got from the post. "The scent of anything can transport us back in time in a moment. Do not forget the sense of smell is more closely linked with memory than any of the other senses. It also evokes emotions. Smell is one of the most important reasons people are attracted to each other. It is also one of our most important survival mechanisms. A bad smell warns us that we are in danger, for example, when we smell smoke or rotten food. So I smell anything from the post to know a bit more of its origin, or something of the sort. "

Lexine had not understood a word of what he had said for she had only been seven at the time. She, however, also begun smelling the letters they got from the post as a way to try and understand his queer habit. Sadly, she never had. It didn't stop her from doing it though."

"To, Lexine Kahili Woods

You have been invited to join Eirene Academy for special arts. The beginning of the school semester is a month from now. You have your Walking Wardrobe sent as part of the school recommendations. All you require in the school you will find in the Walking Wardrobe. Your Music Trunk has also been sent as part of the school recommendations. You are to avail yourself at the bus stop at seven in the morning on the eleventh of the next month after receiving this letter with your Walking Wardrobe and Music trunk. Failure to avail yourself will lead to drastic measures being taken by the school management.

A chance in this school gives you the chance to hone your talents you may have not tapped into.

From: Eirene Academy Headmaster

Arkien Aristotle."

"So, what do you think Lexine? " Lexine's mother placed a hand on Lexine's shoulder, "It is a great opportunity, is it not. We simply cannot let this pass you by."

"For all we know it can be a scam mom. You're the elder one here, don't you know there are people called con artists out there? For all we know these people could want to kidnap me and when I do go I'll have fallen right into their scam. You'll have to pay I don't know how much money as ransom and we both know we cannot afford that. Then we'll be broke-ass poor and I'll have to get two jobs to pay the bills. They may not even let me go. I may be killed."Lexine shook her head and gasped in mock shock, "or worse, they'll make me into a slave." Her mother looked at her incredulously.

"How can being a slave be worse than being dead?" she shook her head, "You know what, don't answer that. Anyway, it can't be a scam. I'll show you the bloody wardrobe thingy and trunk to prove my point!" She stood and walked out of the kitchen. Lexine switched off the oven and followed her behind. In her room on her bed was a large wooden wardrobe that lay on its back. There were intricate swirls on the doors, like an infinite line sweeping over and under itself. The choice of quality figured wood, front, and sides, top to bottom showed evidence of refinement. These large, long slabs contrasted wonderfully with the shorter, discreet cabriole legs at the bottom, intricate hardware symmetrically positioned throughout, and two sweeping, gentle curves at the top that meet in the center. The wardrobe stood tall, well-proportioned, and balanced. Lexine walked past her mother and traced a line over the wardrobe.

"It can still be a scam mom," Lexine craned her neck to look up at her mother.

" Do not tell me you cannot see the fucking six and a half foot wardrobe on my bed. This is not a scam Lex. If it is then like hell they have me fooled."

"I think your heavy cursing is the reason why a curse jar has never worked in our house." Lexine chuckled. "You always ended up broke."

"Don't try to change the topic here Lexine. You know that never works on me." She looked at the wardrobe, " Now help me open this godsdamn wardrobe. I tried and it did not even budge open."

"I already told you there is no way I am going to that school mother unless they drag my dead body there."

"That does not mean we can not have a look at what is inside the wardrobe, right?" she pleaded with her eyes. Lexine sighed.

"Alright. I guess it won't hurt." Lexine's mother squealed. Lexine shook her head. For a six-foot-tall woman, her mother could be utterly feminine sometimes. Lexine took the handle doors and pulled them open and without any resistance, the doors immediately opened.

"That's utterly unfair." her mother pouted, "I tried all night and nothing would even dent the damn thing. Then you pull it open and bam, it opens for you." She then pointed at a wooden travel trunk at the foot of her bed. "That also came in for you. " Her attention diverted to the contents of the wardrobe. It was dark inside and looked never-ending. When she put in her hand, it went all through and she felt some silken fabric run past her fingers. She grasped it and pulled it out. It was a blood-red skirt. "Damn color. This is so bloody beautiful. It would bring out your eyes and bring some color to your effin pale skin. You are so pale you know."

Lexine rolled her eyes at her mother's antics before turning her attention to the trunk. It was made of sturdy wood and had no opening handle. At the point Lexine figured was the front there was a small circular hole joining the lid and bottom of the trunk. "Hey mom, was there a key anywhere around the letter or wardrobe when you found them?"

"Nope. But there is a dress here that you really should try on."

"Not my cup of tea mom." She cringed then turned her attention back to the trunk. She tried to pry the lid open. The blasted thing simply would not budge.

"Already tried that. Nothing will work."

"Aaargh." she ran a hand through her hair. "I am still not going to that fancy school. I've gone to take a shower."

"Choices have consequences, Lex." her mother shouted at her retreating figure.

"Not for me mom. My luck is already horrid. Save me a cookie will you?"

Her mother then closed the wardrobe and went back to the kitchen to clean up. A few minutes later Lexine joined her and picked up a cookie. "When did you get the parcel by the way?"

"I thought you were not interested." Her mother smiled coyly at her. "Anyway, it came yesterday at eight when I was swatching reruns of Friends. I opened the door and found it outside. No one was there and I found the letter that was addressed to you together with the two items."

"Oh"

"Are you suddenly interested in joining the school? "

"Nope." she took a bite off of her cookie. "Just adamant on proving it's a scam."

"If it's a scam then those people are going to pay me for dragging that wardrobe thingy and trunk to my room. It took me almost half the fucking night to finish." She slammed her hand on the table making Lexine laugh.

"You do know I am serious right?" She went back to wiping the counter. "How is Ceeret by the way. Haven't seen her in a while."

"Good. Her family is going to Hawaii for the rest of the summer. She could stop talking about her getting a tan and getting her eyes full of a load of eye-candy."

"Bloody rich people."

Lexine chuckled softly, "Do not show your hate mom. For the rest of the summer, I can stay at home and let out the fat, lazy, ever-hungry tiger in me." She popped a whole cookie in her mouth, "And you can be my own personal non-paid chef." Her face broke out in a toothy smile showing the crumbs in her teeth.

"I hate school holidays." Her mother groaned and hit her head on the kitchen counter.

S/T:

Lexine's mother comes home from work. She drops her bag onto a lump sleeping on the couch: Don't Tell me you've slept the whole day. Don't you have homework to do?

Lexine groans and glares at her mother: It's all done. Let me sleep.

Lexine's mom: ...

Author: ...