The Jamestown Virginia School for Gifted Minors

"Remember you can't let your grades slip," I was reminded by my dad before I got into the cab heading for Jamestown, Virginia.

"Don't worry, dad, I won't." Does he really think I'd take the risk of having to come back to this hick town for school?

"Have a great time, niña! I love you," my mom said as she hugged me. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and saw tears in her brown eyes.

"I love you too. Love you too, dad," I said with a smile and hugged my dad. He gently closed the door of the cab.

"You ready, miss?" the cab driver asked me with a smile.

"Yes, sir," I replied not really looking forward to the four hour drive. I looked out the window as the cab began to roll forward. My mom was wiping tears from her eyes and my dad looked proud as they both waved to me.

I was definitely going to miss home, but there was no way I was going to miss this town. We passed the vast amount of farms and suburbs before getting to Main Street. This town was full of rich kids and dirt poor meth junkies. Two different sides of the scale and I fit into neither of them.

"If you don't mind me asking, ma'am, what did you get into this fancy school for?" the driver asked me with another dazzling smile. He was in his early twenties and really adorable, if you were to ask me.

I felt myself blush. "Science and photography got me a scholarship. Who knew good grades actually got you somewhere, huh? Only problem is that it gives your parents high expectations." I rolled my light blue eyes and he laughed. "I'm Lina, by the way."

"Blake. Nice to meet you. And hey, just be glad your parents have expectations for you. Hopefully you won't end up like me," he winked at me in the rearview mirror.

"But isn't it fun? Traveling a lot of places?" I asked him. I was shocked. I've always want to travel anywhere outside of the east coast, so of course the school is only in VIrginia.

He sighed. "You would think, but after a while you just start to hate people."

"Oh. I'm sorry," I said softly. I knew the feeling.

Blake smiled. "But, hey. You're a great change," he replied.

I giggled. "Awesome.

We talked and laughed for a good hour and a half. I learned he had a younger sister named Amy. I told him I was an only child. He was born and raised in Massachusetts. He had a degree in architect design, but never did anything with it.

"What do you want your career to be? Obviously something with science, right?" He asked me, curiosity in his brown eyes.

I grimaced. I hated this subject, especially when someone asks me around my parents. "If we were with my parents I would say a forensic scientist. In reality, I really want to be a professional photographer," I told him truthfully. "But at the same time, I just can't see that happening."

"Why not?" Blake looked down right confused.

"Because if you're gonna be a professional photographer, and actually make your mark on the world, you have to be pretty fucking amazing. Great enough not to be forgotten, and I don't think I'm even close right now."

"Hold on. Isn't your photography one of the reasons you got into this fancy, fucking expensive to get into, school?"

"Well yeah, but--"

"No buts. You have to be pretty fucking unforgettable to get a scholarship into this place. You must have the talent, so why not just go for what you really want?" Blake had a point.

I said exactly what my parents would have said, "But the bigger reason I got into this school was my gift in science."

"Sure that was one of the reasons, but you can't say you couldn't make it as a photographer. That's bullshit," Blake replied matter-of-factly.

"But you haven't even seen my photography," I challenged him.

"Don't need to," he replied.

"Oh really?"

"Nope. I can tell just by the way you love it so much."

I rolled my eyes at his lame excuse. "Maybe I'll show you. One day."

Blake and I exchanged phone numbers and made plans to meet up before first semester was over.

"You know, I was afraid I wasn't going to make any friends away from home, but now I have."

He laughed. "Are you saying you're not gonna make any friends at your new school?"

"They're all going to be snobs and rich kids who don't know the meaning of business-class," I whined to him.

"But you got in for your smarts, right?" I nodded. "So then there has to be more non-rich kids there too, right?"

"Yeah, but they'll probably be busy studying twenty-four seven," I replied.

It was his turn to roll his eyes at me. "You'll be fine," Blake insisted.

Finally after passing dozens of signs for The Jamestown Virginia School for Gifted Minors, I saw a huge Victorian style building. It was one of the most beautiful buildings I had ever seen. I wouldn't have even guessed it was a school if there weren't any signs.

Blake got out of the car and helped me unload my bags. Security had to check all bags and every person who came into the school. What idiot would bring drugs with him to this type of school anyways? Right, the rich kind.

Blake gave me a handshake goodbye then turned to go back to the cab. "Lina!" I turned around to look back at him. "Good luck with all the snobs," he said with a laugh and a smirk then continued to the car.

I went up to the security guards so I could enter the school. They were all talking and laughing among themselves, so finally I interrupted them. "Excuse me?" The turned to look at me. "I'm one of the gifted minors." I gave them the letter and they checked my person. Finally, I was allowed into my new school.

Every step closer to the front door, I was looking forward to meeting the people at this school less and less.