Click here for Chapter Two.

Chapter Three: Surprise

Daniella takes another chip from the bag, crushing it with a pestle. When she declares it satisfactory, I sprinkle salt, sugar, and cumin on top and stir the broken chips. Selena gingerly dips a chicken breast in the mixture once she’s further pulverized it in the Bullet we splurged on. Then I start stewing the sweet potatoes. Finally thirty minutes later we’ve done it. We cooked an entire dinner, including dessert. Breaded chicken, broccoli and carrots, and sweet potatoes simmered in butter and brown sugar, with tiramisu to end the meal. We’d gone food shopping yesterday morning and come back to the suite right after Marks’ class. We throw our backpacks into our respective rooms and sit down at the table.

The food’s pretty good. We didn't burn anything.

“So, was that Gabriel Shaw, I saw sitting with you?” Daniella asks, serving the tiramisu.

“Yeah. I think he’s working at SweetMax.”

“I wonder how Marks coordinated that. There are three hundred of us,” Selena muses.

“I asked Dean Webb,” Danielle sips her Coke, “She said he got us into places where alums work or have worked in the past.”

Curious, I search Violet Meyers in the alumni database. She’s class of ‘98 with a Bachelor’s in Finance and Organizational Development and an MBA.

Hollins Corporation seems to have gotten a third of its employees from the university and surrounding schools. The letter said I'm supposed to report to Shannon Sinclair, an alumnae of the university who I met six years ago, when I visited for the first time.

______________

Gabriel waves at me from his carrel in the library when I stand up from my own, a finished exam in hand. I smile at him and go to the circulation desk to hand it in. Gabriel catches up to me as I cross the quad.

“Hey,” he smiles. “Want to grab some coffee? I don't think I'll make it through class if I don't.”

“Sure.”

I order a chai latte. He gets an Americano and pays for both.

We reach our seats just as Marks enters the room.

He watches us for a moment as the last people take their seats.

“Feel free to read the syllabus now guys. In fifteen minutes I’ll take questions, after you've read the other papers again.”

The syllabus is short. It reads in large letters:

This class is pass or fail. There are no formal tests. You will receive performance reviews from your supervisors. The apartment address listed is where you will reside with the person sitting next to you for the remainder of the school year so you may learn how to correctly run a household with someone else. You do not have the option of not participating in the household portion of this class. As you’ve realized, you will not take more than two classes, including this seminar, for the remainder of the year so that you may get the full experience of your internship. As of Monday, this class will convene once every two weeks on Saturdays. You will be graded on the following: professional performance, the running of your households including effective communication, and overall organization. You will receive a midterm grade in January and a final grade shortly before graduation.

We seem to stare at Dr. Marks in sync. He’s smirking.

"You all seem to understand. I appreciate that. Your first assignment is to move all of your stuff into the addresses listed in your letters. There are U-Hauls to assist anyone who needs them. Those apartments are unfurnished, but IKEA is expecting you. When you’re settled, check your emails for instructions about Monday from your supervisors. Have a pleasant weekend, ladies and gentlemen. You are dismissed.”