I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, yawned, and forcefully rub the sleep out of my eyes, grabbed a shirt, and followed my brother practically skipping down the hall.
"Weirdo."
"Ken is he up," I heard my dad shout at my brother from somewhere downstairs.
"I coming! I coming!" I yelled a bit louder than intended while pushing my head through the shirt's neck whole. I heard mom giggle. What is wrong with these people today.
I bounced down the stairs yawning a bit annoyed that I'm being corralled this early in the morning and I don't have school, heck I won't have school until probably another three hundred and sixty -five days at least.
I rolled the end of the shirt down and followed Ken into the family room where mom and dad sat evidently excited about something. I rolled my eyes at them and dropped myself into the reclined adjacent to them.
"OK I'm here. What do you boneheads want," I grumbled adjusting the recliner so I can lean back comfortably. God, I hate mornings.
Suddenly something was tossed at me hitting my chest and sliding into my lap.
"Read it," Ken said chuckling as he sprawled himself on the single sofa across the coffee table in front of me.
I pushed out a huge gush of air pressing my lips together before it sat up and snatched the letter from my thighs.
I held the envelope by one side about to rip it open but stopped short when the sheet of paper fell out the other side. I sighed and looked at my family very disapprovingly.
"What the envelope was blank, we wanted to know if it was ours," my mom squeaked defending them.
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and snatched up the piece of paper. It felt crisp and warm, warm like the letter from last night. Where is that letter anyway? The letter was a soft baby blue with a school emblem and fancy writing. This must be some really high-end school. Wait which school is this? I scanned the letter carefully, slightly frowning until I caught the name. Stanton University. I never heard of that school before.
"Have any of you guys ever heard of Stanton University?" I spoke aloud looking at the letter and searching my mind for any familiarity.
I heard my mother hum in thought while high-speed tapping told me that my brother was on his phone but before Google could respond to his request my dad answered my question.
"Yeah, I know that school. It's one of those schools for geniuses somewhere in the UK," dad spoke in a smooth yet deep voice as the memory resurfaced. I looked up at him silently begging him to continue. "I had a friend who went there. Dang smartest person I know. Got a full scholarship too. Little glasses Mikey."
"Wait you said Mickey as Micheal Wheeler," my brother said looking from his phone to dad.
"Yeah," my dad said smiling widely showing off his perfect teeth looking at Ken.
"Well according to this he is the president of the university now," Ken said scrolling through his phone then he suddenly turned the phone to dad " this is the guy we're talking about right?"
I lost interest in the conversation as my nerves started to itch to read the letter.
Dear Mr Taylor,
The board of Stanton University would like to inform you that you have been chosen as a candidate to participate in our scholarship program in attending the above institution. We have reviewed your portfolio and you have exceeded the requirements to attend this institution.
Re the scholarship mentioned, you will have access to five years of tuition, all school material, and living, other expenses can be deducted from the ten thousand pounds monthly allowance you will receive upon campus entry. Any other issues and concerns will be addressed upon arrival. We will send you someone to assist in your preparation, on the nineteenth of July two weeks after the expected delivery of this letter.
With high regard,
President of the Stanton University,
Mr Michael Wheeler
Whoa.
Just Whoa.
"Um Jay you plan on stop catching flies and tell us what it said," Ken chucked after taking a picture of my expression.
"Huh?"
"The letter sweety what did it say?" Mom said in a soft voice.
"Oh right here," I rushed out tossing the letter to her, my mind still swimming in the information I just read.
Ken jumped up to press himself against dad stretching his neck to get his peek at the letter. Practically crushing dad.
"Wait today is the nineteenth," Ken said his eyebrows narrowing, and like set on cue the doorbell rang pulling the attention from the letter to the door.
My brother hopped over the sofa arm and jogged to the door. Ken came back shortly and he was accompanied by someone, he was smoothly tanned, wearing a pair of black slacks, a black turtle neck, and a pair of black dress shoes. His dark brown hair draped down to his shoulders hugging his high cheekbones and tickling his sharp jawline. He looks like a heartbreaker, and his piercing grey eyes only emphasized that theory.
"Hello, good morning. My name is Adrian Valentine and I was sent here to assist Mr Taylor in his preparation for his travels in three days' time," he said courteously in an insanely thick British accent. He sounded polite but he really doesn't look particularly happy about all this.
"Wait three days!" Mom blurted at the realization of the short time.
"Yes, I assumed you would have known that when I arrive it wouldn't be long before our departure," he said his face contouring in confusion.
"Yeah but we only just found the letter this morning," Ken said looking up at Adrian from the armchair.
Adrien's eyebrows pushed together and lowered slightly.
" I'm confused. The letter was sent two and a half weeks ago how are you saying you just got it?" his voice moving from fridge to freezer.
"Yeah, we found it this morning on the coffee table. I don't even know how it-,"
"Wait you found this on the coffee table this morning?" I blurted sitting up a little too quickly almost throwing myself into said coffee table.
"Yeah when I woke up this morning I found it sitting there," Ken said sitting straight looking at me like a troubled child.
This is the letter that was delivered last night. Well, this morning actually.
"Um. Adrian, I collected that letter this morning-"
"Jay I was up at five this morning."
"-at three this morning. Someone delivered the letter at three this morning." I looked at Adrian and his lips curled into a small smile but his icy eyes made the north pole feel like the Caribbean.
"Well, I sincerely apologize to you and your family for this mishap but the matter of your departure is outside of my hands," he said with his eyes still digging through my soul. He's a bit scary.
"Well since we don't have much time let's get to it," dad said kicking his legs up to swing his upper body off the couch. "Now if anyone else cares for breakfast. The kitchen is this way," he said throwing his hand dramatically in the direction of the kitchen. Everyone got up and made a beeline to the kitchen while Adrian statued himself.
"Adrian, you're welcomed to join us," my mother gestured to Adrian from the doorway to the kitchen.
"That would be much appreciated Mrs Taylor but I already had something on my way here."
"Oh, OK. You can have a seat while you wait." And with that mom practically ran off to the kitchen. Adrian walked over and sat on the couch my parents once occupied taking out his phone to do whatever. I then decided it was time to eat something and got up to go to the kitchen but as I was about to cross the threshold Adrian asked a question that made my stomach dip.
