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"Girls, you need to calm down back there, please," pleaded Mrs. McKessie from the driver's seat of the car with Ms. Montez next to her. "Tonight is just going to be fine!"
"But Mom, this is like a huge night for us, second to the actual interviewing at MIT!" exclaimed Taylor. "I know Gabriella and I totally forgot about it when we were first accepted, but we both were very excited to see the alumni social invitation for tonight last weekend. It's our chance to know the school from a different prospective!"
"And meet other possible MIT students of our class," added Gabriella.
"I think what your mom means, Taylor, and me too, is that we are happy to see you so excited, but you are also very nervous and are worrying yourselves to death back there! There's no need. You are just going to go in there, meet some people, and find out a little bit more about your possible future there, no decisions have to be made," assured Ms. Montez. "And we'll make sure we are back to pick you up right when it ends where we drop you off or sooner if you call."
"Hopefully, we won't be calling," murmured Gabriella as she played with the hem of her black cocktail dress.
"Remember girls, we're only going to dinner a few blocks away or so," reminded Mrs. McKessie. "If you need us, we'll be right there."
"Okay Mom, we promise we'll be fine," returned Taylor with a smile before each girl waved to their mothers as they drove off. "Was it me or were they pulling the overprotective mother card back there?"
"They were, but can you blame them? Their little girls are growing up," teased Gabriella, which made Taylor laugh.
"Oh, if we do decide on going to school together, this is going to be so much fun," said Taylor. "Let's just enjoy the night, shall we?"
"Most definitely," agreed Gabriella as the two girls walked into the hotel and towards the ballroom where the reception was being held.
"Read them and weep, boys! Pay up!" exclaimed Zeke as he placed his cards down and took all the chips from the center.
Chad groaned. "I think you're cheating somehow, Zeke. That's the third hand you've won in a row!"
"Are you questioning my honor?" asked Zeke with a mock offended look.
"No, just your luck," kidded Jason. "At this rate, I am so done from this poker game in two rounds!"
Troy nodded his head in agreement. "I'm right there with you on that one, J."
Chad checked his watch and saw that it was the start time of the MIT alumni social event Taylor and Gabriella were attending that night. "What do you think, Troy? Think the girls are nervous?"
"I'm sure they are," answered Troy. "Excited too. They have been all week at least. Hey, speaking of colleges, did you guys hear back from any yet?"
"Actually, I did. University of Albuquerque accepted me," replied Jason.
"Me too," added Zeke. "What about you two?"
"I'm in, along with UNLV with scholarship there," commented. Chad. "Troy?"
Troy smiled back before he exclaimed, "USC, U of A, and Duke!"
"Whoa, talk about well kept secrets! Congratulations, man!" shouted Chad before he gave Troy a high five. "I would have never expected you got accepted with your calm demeanor."
"Yeah, congrats, Troy," echoed both Jason and Zeke.
"So I'm not bouncing around like the girls, so what? I'm trying to wait for all the answers before I let the excitement get to me. I'm still nervous about the other three I applied to," explained Troy.
"Wise decision," commented Jason. "Well I think that's just great! Did you get scholarships at all? I'm sure you got the U of A one with all that networking."
Troy sobered momentarily at this. "You mean the Evans help?"
"Dude, I didn't mean anything by it," said Jason quickly. "But you have been heavy with the networking of the booster club. Zeke got scholarship from them too, right?"
"Yeah, from U of A I did," confirmed Zeke.
Troy just shook off Jason's comment and went back to staring at his cards. 'Wow, maybe I am more defensive about this summer and this past school year than I thought. I know these guys wouldn't attack me like that on purpose, at least I think I do, right?' thought Troy as he continued to play out his hand.
A formal yet friendly looking man greeted the two girls as they approached the ballroom. "Good evening, your names?"
"Hi, I'm Gabriella Montez and this is Taylor McKessie," greeted Gabriella.
"Ah yes, the two very impressive young ladies from East High. Welcome! Here are the name badges for you two to wear and a schedule of some small events going on tonight. Please, enjoy yourselves," said the gentleman before he moved on to the next set of people behind the girls.
"Oh my gosh, he knew who we were," commented Taylor with a smile. "That's a good sign, right?"
"I think so," returned Gabriella as she took in the room that was decorated in MIT colors. "There are so many people here. Do you think all these alumni are really from here?"
"Could be, but some of them probably flew in. It's not like a local school like U of A. Speaking of, did you get a letter?" asked Taylor.
"Oh yeah, I got in with a scholarship," replied Gabriella, who in the excitement of this evening forgot about that.
"Me too," returned Taylor. "Funny how neither of us seem all that enthused."
Gabriella gave Taylor a look. "Not that I'm not enthused about it, just that I'm more focused on tonight."
"That could be it too," replied Taylor before letting it drop as they started to mingle with two young women who looked to be in their late twenties.
After getting a thorough killing from Zeke, Chad, Jason, and Troy decided it was time to play a game that didn't cost them any money, the latest NBA video game. The four headed into Jason's room where the game console was and popped in the game. Jason and Zeke were up first so Chad and Troy lounged on Jason's bed watching.
"So what are you really thinking about in regards to college? What's your lead school?" asked Chad, knowing Jason and Zeke were too wrapped into the game to pay attention to the guys sitting on the bed.
Troy looked over at Chad and shrugged. "Duke, I think, but then again, maybe I'll follow Gabriella if she chooses a common school."
"You are thinking what I have been thinking then. I have wondered what I want to do with Taylor's scenario as well. I thought about what you said the other night, all the separation of distance and it sucks, man," replied Chad.
"You don't need to remind me. The only thing is, the school or schools they seem to be most excited about are those that neither you nor I thought about. I mean, I think if Gabriella and I were committed back then, I would have thought about that better, but we weren't, so I didn't, and here I am," said Troy. "Maybe following them isn't the thing to do either. We both have our dreams of basketball, Chad."
"That's true, but don't we also have our dreams of being with these girls?" returned Chad.
Troy let out a soft groan and closed his eyes at the frustration he was feeling. "Maybe we can have both? I don't know, Chad, everything is so difficult. Maybe we should talk to the girls about this all. Here we are, both speculating and we haven't heard from all the schools."
"You do have a point there, man," agreed Chad. "Too much for my brain to think about anyway."
"Right…" replied Troy with a smile.
After the speeches were over, the mood of the MIT alumni social got a little bit less formal, allowing the attendees to actually really mingle. 'It also doesn't hurt that some of the board and alumni here have loosened up after a few drinks,' thought Gabriela with a smile as one of the women Taylor and she spoke to earlier came by and waved with more than a hint of pink on her face from her drinks.
Taylor and Gabriella had actually split up after the speeches as Gabriella had gotten to get a drink and ended up moving around the room instead of returning to the table. She had just stepped away from the bar, with a Cherry Cola in her hand, when she almost bumped into a young man. "Oh, I'm sorry," said Gabriella, looking over his black suit jacket to make sure she hadn't spilled any on him.
"No worries, I've had actual drinks spilled on me before at other parties," replied the guy with a smile for her when Gabriella was brave enough to look him in the face and met a pair of green eyes shining with humor. "My name is Rob, by the way."
Gabriella took his offered hand and shook it while she said, "Gabriella. Nice to meet you."
"So I see from your name tag you are a potential MIT student, huh? So am I. What school do you go to?" questioned Rob.
"East High," answered Gabriella. "You?"
Rob laughed. "Your arch nemesis, West High."
"Oh, I guess I shouldn't be talking to you then," teased Gabriella.
"I guess not, but I'd love it if you stayed to talk to me anyway. It's great to socialize with alumni to find out what a great school MIT is, as if we didn't know already, but it's also nice to be able to talk to people our own age," replied Rob. "There are a few other potentials around the room but not many. Makes you feel really lucky."
Gabriella nodded her head in agreement. "I can't agree more. My best friend and I both were actually accepted but I get the feeling she isn't really considering MIT as her first choice."
"Every school isn't for everyone. I mean, I'd put MIT before U of A anytime, but I have friends who would die to go to U of A for the sports program and staying local," stated Rob.
"Me too," agreed Gabriella. "Kind of crazy."
"I guess to each their own, right?" replied Rob.
"Yup," answered Gabriella. "Actually, would you like to meet my best friend? I see her motioning to me from the table we were sitting at."
Rob grinned. "Of course, I'm not known to pass up opportunities to meet intelligent girls like yourself ever."
Gabriella felt herself blush a little before she led him over to the table and introduced Taylor to Rob and vice versa. The three sat at the table until pretty much the end, sharing high school stories as well as getting to know each other better.