Chapter 2.
The two women caught me by surprise. What were they talking about when they said Lesbian Academy? I have never heard of such a place before. Noticing my discomfort, they lead me to the nearest café. We had to walk on the way there because I didn't really want to go inside their car. Better safe than sorry.
"Would you like anything Ms. Kensington?" one of them asked when we were seated. The café was full of people, but with everything going on, it might as well be the three of us there.
"Please call me Mars. Ms. Kensington is a bit formal." The two merely blinked at me, looking as stoic as when they first introduced themselves. The women referred to themselves as Red and Blue, totally weird names that was the opposite of what they were wearing, black. If that was really their names. But I knew where they got it from. Their hair were dyed a shocking color, representing their names. "I don't think we came here to drink coffee," I said, getting down to business. I've always hated wasting my time. And besides, I wanted to get this over with so I could find shelter for the night.
The woman called Red seemed pleased with my statement. She glanced quickly at Blue before retrieving a suitcase. I've wondered about that while we were walking. It seemed to hold a special document. She placed the suitcase on the table and opened it after clicking the combination on the lock.
"What is this?" I asked as she handed me a folder.
"Why don't you take a look?"
Curious, I opened the brown folder and gazed at what lay inside. Nondisclosure Agreement, it said in fancy typeface. My eyes went to them. "Did I do something wrong?" I said, feeling unbalanced. When they didn't answer, I followed the question with, "Maybe I should talk to a lawyer first. I just turned 18. I don't want to be liable for anything."
"Relax Ms. Kensington," Blue said, placing her hands on the table. "The information we're going to tell you is not going to harm you in any way. The subject is a bit delicate that's all."
"And if I refuse to sign?"
Red smiled, showing perfect set of teeth. "Then you can go back to finding an apartment for the night."
My knuckles turned white. "And you know I left the house because?"
She leaned back on her seat. "Aside from those bags," her eyes drifted momentarily to my duffel, "We've also done some research about you. Overbearing Catholic parents. A sister who loves you so much. Just got out of high school with a high GPA. The list goes on and on Ms. Kensington." She smiled again. I just noticed that she looked like a panther, ready to sink her teeth on my neck. "You can either sign that NDA and turn your life around, or go back to your boring routine. Which is it?" She pushed the folder closer to me.
It felt like I was being backed to a corner. The two didn't appear threatening, but I also get that they were trying to intimidate me. I wasn't one to be intimidated. "If you're going to include me in a crime or syndicate, I can't promise to help you. I'll go straight to the cops."
Blue stifled a smile. "You have my word Ms. Kensington. Nothing of the sort will happen." She retrieved a pen from her blazer's inner pocket and handed it to me. "Now swallow the pill to learn the truth."
I glanced at the fancy pen. There was an insignia there. L.A for Los Angeles? Nah, it was probably the Lesbian Academy they were mentioning earlier. I took a peek at Red. She was staring expectantly at me. I had nothing more to lose if I signed this. I was at rock bottom. "You win," I muttered before putting my signature on the NDA.
Red looked relieved as I gave her the folder and the pen. She placed it carefully on the suitcase before closing the bag. "I understand that you have many questions Ms. Kensington." She stood up. "Let's talk about it in the car."
"No thank you." I refused to move. "Let's talk about it here."
Blue went to my side. "Oh come on," she said, losing her tone of formality. "You've already trusted us. A few seconds in the car wouldn't hurt right?" I looked at her face. Blue was probably 20. Not far from my age. At first glance, she appeared to be one of those beautiful haughty girls. I guess I was wrong.
"The window should be open or no deal."
Blue's gaze went hopefully to Red. "Fine," the latter said. "As long as we get her in the car."
"Nice car," I said as I squeezed in the backseat a few minutes later. That wasn't really the right term to use since there was more than enough room, but whatever. Red and Blue pinned me between them.
"It should be nice," Blue murmured on my right. "Maserati's are very expensive."
"I noticed." The female driver met my eyes in the rear view mirror. She glanced away quickly, pretending that nothing happened. "So about the NDA. Care to explain?"
"Rodeo Drive please," Red said to the driver before shifting her attention to me. We began to move in a decent pace, the windows wide open as per request. "The NDA is for formality sake Ms. Kensington. We wanted to know if you were willing to keep your mouth shut."
"You're saying that you can do it without the NDA aren't you? Do you belong to the mob?" She shook her head. "Gang? Terrorist?"
"None of those. Rather, we belong to a unique organization known only to the elite. I trust that you haven't heard of the Lesbian Academy?"
"Not until you said it earlier."
"As expected." She placed both hands on her lap. "Where do you think most CEO's, successful people, and the rich and famous graduated from Ms. Kensington?"
Was that a trick question? "I don't know," I said, shrugging. "Harvard? Cambridge? Eton?"
"Close, but not quite. You see, those universities are good, but not the best. There are far better schools out there that people like you would be dying to enter once you learn about it. The Lesbian Academy is one, if not the most prestigious school in the world. If you're a graduate from there, your success in life is guaranteed. No questions asked."
"If it's so good, why haven't I heard of it? Is it overseas?" I asked, turning to Blue.
"Kind of." She smiled. "And the school, like the others similar to it is top secret. So secret in fact that you can only get in by means of two ways. Either you belong to a super powerful family, or you were recruited by another member."
"I belong to the middle class," I said, my forehead furrowing. "That means I was recruited. But by who?"
"Only the top management knows that," Blue said, staring in front. "Anyway, what more do you want to ask?"
I considered. "Hmmm. . . Lesbian Academy is a university right?" She nodded. "How can I pay for it? The tuition is probably so high that I have to scrub the walls all day as compensation."
"No need to worry about that for now Ms. Kensington," Red said reassuringly. "As a recruit, you are granted one full year of scholarship. "Everything is free, from your lodging, food, down to your underwear. You will never wish for anything more."
"It sounds too good to be true." A thought dawned on me. I glanced sharply at her. "What do you want in return? There must be catch. It sounds like I just won the lottery."
Red patted my legs. It was the first compassionate gesture that I saw from her. "Bad things happen in life Ms. Kensington. But that doesn't mean that it's all bad luck. Sometimes, good people like you get their shot in life too." The car slowed to a stop. "If you're going to ask more questions, I suggest that you do it later. We're here."
I looked out the window. There was nothing but designer shops and expensive stores. "Lesbian Academy is located here?"
Blue opened the door. "No silly. We're here to shop. It's time to change the clothes you own, courtesy of the academy." She winked. "Tax free." I couldn't believe my ears as I followed her out of the car. First she told me that I would be attending this super prestigious school. Now I was going to shop in this street where only the rich would dare venture to. I must have been dreaming.
"Ms. Kensington, are you coming?" Red stood waiting outside a store, holding the door open. "Leave your duffel in the car. It will still be there when we return."
"Okay."
The shop was a total opposite of where I used to get my clothes from. My family wasn't poor, yet all of this was strange to me. I checked the price tag on one item. Two thousand dollars for a flimsy white shirt?! No way! I couldn't even buy pizza. What had this world come to?
"That looks good on you," Red said, taking the shirt from the rack. "Do you want it?"
"No thank you," I said in a rush. It felt wrong for me to buy something as expensive as that. It felt wrong for me to buy anything without paying for it, period. "I don't think I want to shop. Let me pay for it at least. I think I have enough savings left in my account, but I won't buy from here."
Red returned the shirt. She looked patiently at me. "This is overwhelming for you. I get it." She turned to Blue. "We get it right?"
Blue nodded. "Right."
Red shifted her attention back to me. "But this is how things are supposed to be. I'm assuming that you want to enter Lesbian Academy?"
"Yes I do." There was no hesitation in my voice. If it meant I would get free lodging and education even for a year, I would take it.
Red placed her arm around my shoulder. "If you're going to enter, this is what you have to do." She steered me near the counter where three girls were paying attention to us, ready to do our bidding. "Consider it an initiation Ms. Kensington. Being in Lesbian Academy means that you have to dress the part." She gave me a slight push and motioned to the girls. "I want her fitted, clothed, and ready in an hour. You know what to do."
The three girls smiled like hungry vultures. "Leave her to us."
I tried clothes after clothes in a span of an hour. Each time something would look good on me, one of the shop ladies would go to either Red or Blue and show it to them, seeking their approval. By the end of the hour, we were able to obtain several designer shirts, skirts, dresses, and whatever else they had in mind. We then moved to the next shop, a bag store. Red and Blue forced me to get 5 bags amounting to several thousand dollars. I have never held such items in my life. I couldn't believe what was happening.
Red checked her watch when we got out of a shop. "Are you hungry Ms. Kensington? If you are, I suggest we eat on the way there. I don't want to miss the schedule."
"Aren't we going to buy an owl first?" I said, feeling tired.
Blue went to my left. "You're a Potter fan too?" she asked, looking genuinely happy about that small information.
"Who isn't?"
"Then let me share a little tidbit to you. Ms. Rowling was a graduate of the academy. Almost all astounding writers are."
I rolled my eyes at her. "Isn't the academy exclusive for lesbians? I mean that's why they call it the Lesbian Academy right?" I frowned. "Or am I wrong?"
She smiled impishly at me. I didn't notice it before but Blue's eyes matched the color of her hair. "Yes, it is a school for lesbians, but that doesn't mean that a few strays wouldn't get in. It happens once in a while. If we see potential in them, we take every measure possible to recruit."
"Oh. . ."
"Does she have everything she needs Blue?" Red asked, glancing at her watch again.
"I think so." Blue stared at me, then glanced back to Red. "Can you give me several minutes alone with her?"
If Red got surprised at this request, I was only able to glimpse it a couple of seconds before she hid it with a straight face. She tapped her watch. "I'm giving you ten. Any later than that and we're leaving with or without you."
"I understand," Blue said before taking my arm. "Shall we?"
"Uhm, where to?"
Blue steered me to the opposite direction of the car. "I just want to check something." We walked a couple of blocks until we ended in front of a jewelry store. Blue excused herself quickly, leaving me standing outside. She returned five minutes later, a box on her hand. "Here." She handed it to me. "A little welcome gift."
I was apprehensive to take it, but Blue's hopeful face was irresistible. I would seriously feel bad if she got offended because of me. "Thank you."
"Open it," she urged.
I took the top off. "Wow." There was a pendant inside, all glittery and beautiful. "You must really like calculus."
She smirked. "The lambda, as people call that symbol is not only used for expressing computation. Lesbian and gay groups also adopted it." She stepped closer. "It also means liberation apparently."
"This may sound funny coming from me, but are you lesbian Blue?"
Her eyes twinkled. "In every sense of the word." Something blared from her pocket. "Oh shoot. That's my phone." She frowned. "I think that's Red telling us that we need to hurry up."
"I wouldn't want to keep you from her," I said as we began to make our way back. I slipped the box in my pocket. "How long have you been lovers? Or is it purely professional between you two?" The box that Blue gave felt odd in my jacket. Maybe because I was feeling guilty about receiving it.
She chuckled. "Red and I are best friends. And as far as professionalism goes, we have none of that."
"How long have you been working together?"
She gave me a sideways glance. "Hmmm. . . I can't really answer that."
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked." I avoided a sign. "My sister Bernadette used to tell me that I'm very straightforward. Sometimes it's what gets me in trouble."
"Oh? In what way?" It was Blue's turn to avoid a pole.
"Well, the day that I realized I was lesbian, I told my parents immediately. I wasn't even scared about what they were going to think. All I knew was I should say it because that was what I was feeling. No holds barred." I glanced quickly at her. "Looking back, I keep on questioning myself if my decision was correct. Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to tell them. We wouldn't have parted."
The car was in the distance. We hastened our steps. "Don't doubt yourself when it comes to that," Blue said. "It's that very decision that got you in this moment." We reached the car in a few seconds. She opened the door for me. "Trust me. Lesbian Academy is your wildest fantasy come to life. You'll be glad that everything happened."
"I hope so."
Red was waiting in the car. She glanced at her watch when we entered. "Tsk tsk. Late for a minute. You're lucky I didn't leave you."
"There were many poles," Blue said, shutting the door.
Red tapped the drivers shoulder. "To the airport please."
Airport? What? "Wait a minute," I said, glancing with wide eyes at Red. "I don't think we've discussed this thoroughly. I'm not well informed yet. Why are we going to the airport?"
She resumed her relaxed manner of seating. "Everything you need to know will be explained by the headmaster. If you don't like what you hear, we can always fly you back."
"We're going to the academy now?"
"Yup!" Blue said on my other side. "You'll love it there, I swear."
"But what about the passport? What. . ." I groaned, putting my hands on my forehead. This was happening way too fast. On either side, the girls looked relaxed. A total opposite of what I was feeling. "What if you made a mistake?" I finally asked. "What if I wasn't the one you wanted to recruit?"
"Calm down Ms. Kensington," Red said. "The academy doesn't make mistakes. You'll understand what I mean when we get there. For now, sit back and try to rest." I did as she said, leaning back to my seat. The ride didn't take more than a few minutes. We were at the airport sooner than expected.
I stared in awe at the huge aircraft. "We're flying on a private jet?" Ironically, this was my first time riding a plane, and it had to be on a private jet. I pinched my arm to check if I was dreaming.
Blue pushed past me. She was carrying my bags, along with the other things we've bought earlier. "Better believe it Ms. Kensington. This is not a dream."
"Let me get that," I said, attempting to take the bag from her. She maneuvered away from me.
"See you inside." She quickly made her way to the stairs, entering the aircraft.
I glanced at the sky before following her. "What's going on big guy?" I murmured.
Stepping inside, I was surprised to see that the interior was spacious. Whenever I got a glimpse of planes on magazines, it would give me phony claustrophobia because of the little space. Private jets were very different from that. An attendant was waiting for me. "Please follow me Ms. Kensington."The polite attendant who magically knew me by name showed me to my seat. It was opposite Red and Blue's.
"Glad you can join us," Red said to me. She faced the attendant. "Tell the captain to make the departure. We're under a strict timetable. I don't want to arrive there late. I have a date."
Blue cocked her eyebrow up. "You do? With who?"
"None of your business." Her eyes went to me. "Seatbelt please Ms. Kensington." I fumbled for my seatbelt.
"Is it Lucinda?" Blue asked. The jet began to taxi out. I glanced out the window. This was it. My first time flying and I didn't even know to where. "Is it Sasha?" Blue asked again. There was a slight thud as we left the ground. "Aww I can't believe you didn't tell me you have a date," Blue complained.
The attendant reappeared beside us. "Care for some wine?" she said.
Blue was about to speak up when Red said, "Not today. I want everyone sober, especially Ms. Kensington here. It would be a shame to show her to the headmaster looking drunk."
"I don't even drink," I mumbled. Not since I was thirteen. I leaned back on the chair. Maybe I should close my eyes first.
Someone nudged me awake. "Wake up. You got to see this." Blue looked excited. "It's your first time, so it's really a must. I shook my head to get rid of the dizziness and followed Blue's finger. She was pointing out the window.
I squinted, trying to look harder. "Is that an island?"
"Bingo." I turned to Red. She was reading a book, paying no attention to Blue's excitement. "The Lesbian Academy is located on an island," she said.
"But won't the occupants of the island discover the university?"
She placed the book down and removed her glasses. "Lesbian Academy owns the whole island. No one gets in or out without permission." She smirked. "Once you set foot there, you wouldn't want to go anyway." I gulped, turning my head back to the window. The island looked big. Very big. What could be in store for me there?