There were seldom more satisfying things than waking up in the morning and having the privilege of being able to roll over and draw the blankets back around you so that you could drift off into slumber again. The warm comfort of cotton as it enfolded your body acted as a narcoleptic of some sort, lulling you back into dreamland. This, however, was not the time or the place for such indulgences. Because, it being a fine early morning in mid-August, the day that brought both dread and nervous excitement had arrived - it was the first day back to school.

The alarm clock erupted shrilly into the wails of a high-energy pop tune, the volume purposely turned to maximum by a conniving mother, jolting a pair of hazel eyes open as if by electric shock. The rudely awakened moaned groggily, her hand groping for the switch to dim the sound. Such hideous music to be playing in the morning, she thought bitterly. It was so early yet. . . couldn’t she sleep just a few minutes more?

And then it dawned upon her. Her eyes flickered to the clothing draped over her computer chair to the backpack on the floor, slowly widening as they realized what this must mean. Suddenly very awake, she scrambled to her feet, pajamas feeling very stifling. No. Not today.

But there was no denying the truth as an auburn head, stylishly bobbed and layered, poked through the doorway. Her stomach plunged. “Good to see that the alarm woke you up, for once.” A motherly smirk appeared. “Best get dressed and catch the bus. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.”

All her daughter could manage was a feeble nod. She’d been avoiding this day for weeks now, not at all anxious to begin another round of rigorous public education, especially not at a new school. What was that program called, again? Ah, yes, Enriched Minds. The sheer corniness of the title almost made the butterflies in her stomach want to take flight. For a program designed to benefit the ’Young and Gifted’, they could have at least came up with a more intelligent title.

“Don’t take too long. I’d like to get a photograph before you leave!” With an ecstasy that only parents can take in embarrassing their children, she shut the door, footsteps bouncing jauntily down the hall. The unfortunate schoolgirl thought in passing of crawling back in bed as her eyes passed over the temptingly rumpled sheets, but soon discarded the idea. There was no chickening out this time. With an increasingly uneasy feeling, she snatched her clothes from the back of the chair and plunged into her morning rituals.

As the chickadee-printed pajamas bottoms bunched around her feet, her nerves began to ease slightly. How had they selected her to be one of twenty students in the county’s most prestigious (or at least that’s what the brochure said) gifted program? Sure, it was common knowledge that she happened to have a way with the printed word, but it was also common knowledge that she happened to have a penchant for being more than a little forgetful and clumsy, as well as a horrible failure in math. Her report card last year had clearly shown that. Whatever it was, she hoped they’d judged correctly. Lydia Iverson, attendant of Enriched Minds. . . the title just didn’t seem to fit. Although she still had a reputation as ’one of those smart chicks’, her glamour-queen appearance didn’t seem to harmonize with what’d you’d imagine of your typical nerd. And that’s what people at Enriched Minds were, right?

She reached for the mascara, her free hand prepared to deftly blot out any sign of imperfection. At any rate, she was glad that she wouldn’t be alone in the ordeal. Her best friend Autumn had also received an overly enthusiastic green envelope in her mailbox that spring. To be honest, Lydia wasn’t surprised about that. Autumn was one of those much-envied model students who’d never seen a mark lower than a B in their lifetime, and she’d been confidant of her acceptance since four months before the actual event. Lydia had been jealous until she found out that she’d be joining as well, most unexpectedly. Autumn had of course insisted that from the beginning and was already quick with an ‘I told you so’. Lydia should have known it was foolish to doubt her, the girl was always right. And, from that moment on, their fates were sealed.

A final rundown was in order at the mirror. Lydia double checked to make sure there was no lip gloss exceeding the boundary of her lips, no blush anywhere but on the apples of her cheeks, and no dark streaks of mascara around her eyes. Her earrings were firmly inserted, hair well-brushed and styled, clothes crisp and unwrinkled. She smiled. As always, she had passed.

Sucking up her breath and praying for strength, she collected her backpack and purse, each at the lightest they would ever be. And with only a glance toward the hope of going back to bed for a fraction of a second, she grasped the cool metal of the doorknob and crossed over the threshold.

God help her.