7&G

Fangs bared, she channeled her anger at the popular crowd that had just invaded her sanctuary. Sam squeezed her recycled cardboard coffee cup, her glare so intense that she hardly noticed that the drink was beginning to leak. Just look over here, she thought. Look at me. Give me one reason, and you'll never know what hit you, Paulina. That flawless skin of yours will--

"Sam?" Startled and nearly tossing her coffee, she and looked up and met his eyes, those luminous, blue eyes. She felt her stomach tighten with an unfamiliar feeling. Curiously, although she could not identify it, she knew the feeling was very much unwelcome. Sam averted her gaze. Not waiting for an invitation, Danny pulled out a chair and reclined, his innocently concerned stare boring holes into her skull. "You alright? We were coming to pick you up from the community center, but you ran past us like a bat outta hell."

She shifted uncomfortably, and he placed his hand over hers, slightly blushing as he did so. "It's, it's nothing. I just. . . Really needed my caffeine fix! Man, making a difference sure does take a lot out of you!" she enthused, taking a huge sip of her piping-hot coffee. Almost immediately, her cheeks puckered and her widened eyes steamed. Quickly, she gulped the burning liquid down and shot Danny a weak grin. "I am totally awake now."

He laughed. "Cool. In that case, do you want to get out of here? Tucker's waiting for us at the arcade."

"That would be one big, beautiful yes," she said, standing and linking her arm with his.

daily_prompt Prompt #430: The Chosen

Every college acceptance letter shoved in my mailbox bore some generic congratulations: ". . . You are among the select few. . ." ". . . accomplishments merit acceptance into our family" ". . . we CHOOSE YOU to join our class of 2014. . ."

Dear Colleges:

Who the fish do you think I am, Pikachu? You picked me? Oh, no, no, no, no-No. I chose you. What right has a school--an establishment contingent upon student attendance--to mandate who is and who is not worthy? I sent my repertoire to you. I knew that you would accept me, and then I would chose from you.

Colleges were established to educate those individuals interested in higher learning, not to discriminate between who deserves your mascot on his or her résumé.  How dare you the audacity of assuming that I serve you, you who walks crippled without my tuition and alumna donations?

Some of you hide behind the excuse of research to fuel your elitism--and all the more woe to those who do not. For what good are you if my professor doesn't even have the intention of earning his doctorate?

And don't deny it: some of you set your tuition and fees according to the rank and reach of your prestige. So now even America allows birth circumstances to dictate who steps foot in the future ruling class?

Higher education, straighten your priorities. Students don't exist to inflate your grandeur, you exist to make your students shine.

( CHP 1 ) ( CHP 2 )

{to be continued}