Edgewood Series: Books 1 - 3 (75 page)

Mallory’s hand flew over her mouth. “The Presidential Bash?” She couldn’t contain her excitement. “We’ll get to go?”

“So you’ve heard of it?” Mitch teased.

Duh. Everyone knew about the Presidential Black Tie Bash. It was like the Academy Awards of the White House. Only four hundred or so people were invited, which made it large enough to be exciting, but small enough to be exclusive. All the biggest celebrities went, as well as the most important people in government and business, and even though security was tight, the celebrity shows always had footage of the guests coming and going from the event.

“Of course I’ve heard of it!” Mallory said, grinning. “Last year I heard that Kyle Sternhagen got totally drunk and was dancing on top of the bar.” In middle school all the girls watched a cable show starring Kyle Sternhagen and they talked about him all the time. Personally, I never saw it, but I wasn’t the show’s target audience.

Mitch continued. “As usual, the Bash will also be a celebration of the president’s daughter’s birthday. As you may know, Layla will turn nineteen this year.”

Mallory’s eyes lit up and her hand shot up. “Are we going to get to meet Layla?” she asked.

Layla Bernstein was as skinny as a model, and known for her clothes, which were all designer this and one-of-a-kind that. Two years ago, there was some kind of big ruckus about her nose. All of the magazines had before and after photos, saying she’d had a nose job. For weeks, the gossip magazines went on and on about it, printing unofficial statements from “a good friend who would like to remain anonymous,” saying that Layla had hated her nose and the surgery was a birthday present from her parents. The official statement from the White House was that she’d had surgery for a medical condition—a deviated septum.

The clothes and the nose. That’s basically all I knew about Layla Bernstein, although there were girls in my school who knew every detail of the girl’s life. Some thought she was stuck-up, even though she was often photographed visiting kids in hospitals and doing other charity work that involved smiling and accepting bouquets of flowers. Me, I didn’t have an opinion one way or the other. Layla Bernstein’s world might as well be Planet Neptune for all it had to do with me.

“Yes, you will meet Layla,” Will said. “In fact, all three of you will be sitting with her as her personal guests.”

“Isn’t this incredible?” my mother said, looking around the room. “What an opportunity!” Mallory looked like she was ready to pack now, and even Jameson looked impressed.

“So, what do you think?” Mitch asked. “Is everyone on board?”

Jameson's father stood up and crossed his arms. He hadn't said much since arriving at my house, but I saw now that the guy didn't need to say much. He was as tall as Jameson but his shoulders were twice as wide. The man was a presence. "What commitment is required on our end? Will there be some kind of fee involved?"

"No sir," Mitch said. "No financial commitment is required from the families. We'd be honored to have your son involved in our program at no cost to you."

Knowing he didn’t have to pay for it seemed to be enough for Jameson’s dad. He nodded and sat back down.

“So who does pay for all this?” Mrs. Nassif put a protective arm around Mallory’s shoulder. “The money has to come from somewhere.”

“Our programs are completely funded by private donations. Many of our donors are past recipients who simply want to pay it forward.”

“So am I right in assuming the kids would miss out on a week of school?” Mrs. Nassif asked. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“I can assure you they won’t have to make up any work. We have an understanding with your daughter’s school. Both she and Russ will receive A’s for all the assigned work and tests given during their absence. The school agrees with us that this trip will be far more educational than any classroom work ever could be. Sitting at a desk listening to a lecture just can’t compare to real life experience.” Will said this with a knowing smile.

“Remember, your achievements reflect well on your school too,” Mitch added. “They’re happy to help make this happen for you. It’s a point of pride for them.”

“I’m homeschooled,” Jameson observed. “Can I just give myself A’s too?”

“If you’d like,” Mitch said, smiling. These guys really didn’t get Jameson’s sarcasm. “What the heck. Give yourself an A plus if you want. You deserve it.”

“Maybe I’ll make it A plus plus,” Jameson said. “Why not? I deserve it.”

My mom got up off the couch with an excited little leap. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I think this is an excellent opportunity for our kids. I know that I’m very proud of Russ. In my opinion he was always in the top one percent, but it’s nice to hear that other people see it too.”

Through all of this I kept sneaking glances at my sister Carly. When the guys first started talking she just looked wary, and then her expression evolved from wary to outright irritation. Now she looked like an explosion waiting to happen. Her face had that pissed off look that I remembered from her fights with my parents years ago. As a little kid I used to hide in my room at the first signs of trouble. I hadn’t seen her like this in years, but I could tell she was right on the edge of losing it.

“Let me get this straight,” she said, her tone icy. “You match these genius students with the right projects based on their specific talents and strengths, is that right?”

Mitch gave her a forced smile, while Will found something fascinating to look at down by his toes. Mitch said, “That’s correct.”

“So can I assume that since all three of them are going to be taking the same trip—” She pointed at Mallory, Jameson, and me. “—that all of them have the same talents and strengths?”

He cleared his throat. “That’s right.”

“And what would those talents and strengths be?”

My mother said hurriedly, “Carly, I think you’re putting these gentlemen on the spot. There’s no need to be rude.”

“No, it’s okay, Mrs. Becker,” Mitch assured my mother. “We welcome questions.” He took a step closer to Carly. “In this case, all three of these students demonstrated talents for quick thinking, logic skills, and discretion. The last one is imperative for this project because they may be working near classified material and we need to know that they can be trusted not to divulge private information.”

Now Carly was the one moving closer. “So you can trust them, but can we trust you? Can you guarantee their safety? After your five days, will my brother come home exactly the same person he is now?” Everyone in the room felt her anger. To the parents it must have seemed kind of random.

I had almost forgotten Rosie was in the room until she spoke up. “I know where you’re coming from, Carly, I really do. It’s always a concern when loved ones are away, particularly when we’re talking about teenagers. The world can be a scary place. But I promise you, all three of these young people will be surrounded by security at all times. And I myself will be serving as a chaperone for this trip. I give you my personal guarantee that Russ will be safe.”

Carly turned to her, hands on hips. “
You’re
going to be a chaperone? How did that happen?”

Will stepped forward and held up a hand. “If you’d let us finish our presentation, we can take questions afterward.” He was clearly trying to gain control of the situation. “As it turns out, the subject of chaperones was next on our list. The NHSSI feels strongly about ensuring the safety of our students. To this end, we select members of the community to serve as chaperones. We find that it makes the families feel more secure and the students more comfortable when they have a history with the adult who is accompanying the group. The obvious choice, parents, are never allowed to serve as chaperones because we find that the kids need distance from home to maximize their potential.”

“How many chaperones will be going with the kids?” Mrs. Nassif asked.

“Good question!” Will said brightly. “We have a ratio of one chaperone per student, so there will be three on this trip.”

Carly pointed to Rosie. “So that would be her and who else?”

“Dr. Anton, a very distinguished child psychiatrist who lives and works in this area has agreed to take time away from his very busy schedule to accompany the students on this trip. We’re thrilled to have him on board. I understand that he’s already met some of you.” Will looked right at me when he said this. I dropped my gaze to the floor, uncomfortable. Who wants to be known as the kid who saw the psychiatrist? I mean, I wasn’t crazy or anything, I just used to have trouble sleeping. And as it turned out, that didn’t have anything to do with me. “And we’re still filling the third spot. As soon as we have a candidate, we’ll let you know.”

“I’ll do it.” Carly got the words out before he’d barely finished the sentence.

“Pardon me?”

“I said I’ll do it. Put me down as your third chaperone.”

Will and Mitch exchanged an awkward look. Even without speaking it was clear they were trying to decide who would handle this. Mitch finally took charge. “I think you heard Will mention that we never allow family members to serve as chaperones because—”

“What Will actually said—” Carly’s voice was now loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “—was that
parents
couldn’t be chaperones, because you find that the kids need distance from home to maximize their potential. I am not Russ’s parent, I don’t live with him, and I don’t think my presence will inhibit him in any way. Also, he’s not going without me. That’s the deal. You want Russ, you’re getting me too.”

“Carly!” Mom said. “What are you saying? It’s not up to you.”

Carly ignored her. “My brother is not going on any of your trips without me, regardless of what my parents say. I go as a chaperone, or no dice.”

The two men exchanged another glance; Mitch shrugged. “It’s not up to us, but I’ll be happy to pass on your request to the committee members who will be making the final decision.”

Carly said, “You do that,” at the same time my mother was sputtering an apology for her daughter’s rudeness. I could tell that she thought Carly was going to screw up my chances to go. The rest of the room just looked uncomfortable.

Finally Rosie spoke up, her gentle voice calm but firm. “I love seeing the family dynamics at work here. Russ, it must feel good to have a sister who loves you so much.”

Carly’s look dared me to say something contradictory. My sister wasn’t one who was easily shocked, but I think I actually did it this time when I stood up and said, “Yeah, it does feel good and I feel the same way about her. And just for the record? I won’t go on the trip unless she’s a chaperone.”

Mitch shrugged and then extended a hand to Carly. “Congratulations, you’re a chaperone.”

Russ

You know how during the school year you dream about summer vacation and in your mind, those three months seem like they’ll go on
forever,
but actually the time whips by before you know it? Well, multiply that speed by ten and you’ll know how fast the rest of the summer went for me.

Now that I was sixteen, I could get a job, something I’d looked forward to since I’d started high school. A job meant an hourly wage. Money. Having more cash would solve a lot of problems, believe me. I filled out applications online and even had an interview at one of the fast food places in the mall food court, but no one hired me, which turned out to be just as well, because getting my driver’s license and going to the Praetorian Guard practice sessions chewed up my time way more than I thought it would.

Of course, my parents didn’t know they were PG practice sessions. They knew them as National High School Student Initiative preparation meetings. They never even questioned why I had to go four nights a week and every Saturday morning for weeks on end.

The first meeting came within days of the presentation at my house. Mallory, Jameson and I went, of course, along with our chaperones: Carly, Rosie, and Dr. Anton. That night, Carly came to pick me up after dinner. After getting Frank situated in front of the TV and making small talk with my parents, the two of us drove to a manufacturing firm in the industrial park on the edge of town. The sign said: Riverside Burial Vault Company. I’d looked them up ahead of time and found out that burial vaults, these large concrete boxes, were required by law in Wisconsin if you wanted to be buried in a cemetery. They lowered the vaults into the ground to hold the coffin. It kept the ground from sinking as the coffin deteriorated. The owner of the factory was a Guard member so it was a safe meeting place.

Carly and I crossed the asphalt parking lot to the building. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” she said. “You can change your mind at any time.”

“I know,” I said. “But I’m not going to change my mind.”

She sighed. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

Once inside, we were greeted by Will and Mitch, the guys who’d given the presentation at my house. Apparently, the earlier formalities were only for the benefit of the parents, because now they were dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts, and I noticed they also dispensed with the handshakes. Mitch picked up a large plastic container and guided us through an office space where two women sat at computers. “Tiffany and Allison,” he said, gesturing with a tilt of his head. We said hello and continued on until we reached a door that led into a warehouse half-filled with stacks of concrete burial vaults and car stops. Rosie and Dr. Anton were already there. A few minutes after we walked in, Will showed up, followed by Jameson and Mallory.

I’m not someone who usually notices clothes, but a guy would have to be completely blind to miss what Mallory had on—a sheer tank top and short skirt, the kind cheerleaders wear. She gave me a big smile like we had a secret and flipped her ponytail at me. My sister caught all this and nudged me with a sly grin. “Focus, Russ. Don’t get distracted.”

A second later, Rosie made the rounds, giving out hugs and saying she was glad to see us. There was the usual chatter about the weather and what everyone had been doing, but once we had quieted down and lined up, Mitch rested one foot on the plastic container and said, “Okay guys, before we start with the training does anyone have any questions?”