A Risk for an Education
By Sierra Ross
The year was 3214 and the sun had just rose up to start a new day above a bustling city below. Hover-cars that run on electricity moved back and forth in between buildings that stretched above and below and across the horizon as far as the human eye can see. Each of these buildings were separated into classes. Above where the heavy smoke and haze doesn't touch, is where the wealthiest families live and below where the smog and pollution is the strongest, is where all the poorest families live. Right where the cars zoom past back and forth is were the middle class families live.
Ever since the war in 2976, things have been a little harsh around here between the families in each of the classes. The law states that only the wealthiest and middle class families can let both their daughters and sons to go to the biggest school in the whole city. It was a wealthy school which you can tell from the expensive and strict enrollment sheet and costs and the finest school uniforms. But there is a catch in the law. Even though the sons and daughters in the richest and middle families can go to this school, the law also states that only the sons in the poor families can enrolled into the school if they have the money. Because of this, most of the poor families try to earn their sons some money to pay the school fees and that's when our story takes place.
In one of the buildings lived a very poor family who last name was Edison. They were in fact direct descendents of the inventor Thomas Edison and you wonder why are they poor when their great-great-great grandfather was famous. That will be explained later, for this particular generation of Edisons had to take a great risk for a person they loved. The mother was named Kathrine Edison and the father was named Charlie Edison. They both have one daughter who name was Samantha Edison. She was 15 and can read and write which is a rare skill among the poor. Samantha's grandfather who was on Samantha's father side of the family was a greedy man who took the money that was suppose to be given to Charlie by the will of Charlie's older brother who died in a elevator accident five years ago and this made the whole family go into the struggles of poverty. The grandfather however, went up to the rich families area of the city and is still living in that area since in luxury and fame.
Being poor was a very harsh life. Samantha had no public education but was home-schooled to help her skills in all the subjects like math and science and so on. The mother worked at a flower shop to earn some money for the rent on the Edison's apartment and the father worked at a mining company which treated their workers very harshly but had a steady payment. Samantha during the day studied her French and Latin and the rest of her subjects and in the evening cooked the family's dinner because Samantha's mother was too worn out to cook anything at all. Her father arrives home around 11:00 pm each day, all smothered in dirt and sweat coming from his brow and with bruises all over his body. Yes, it was a harsh life for the Edisons but this life was going to have a stroke of luck.
One day, a letter arrived in the mail box and when it arrived, Samantha heard a clunk sound and rushed over to the front door. She sees a big letter on the floor and picks it up. It was larger than a normal letter and she turns it over to see a school symbol on it. Samantha's hand dropped the letter in shock. Thoughts reeled in her mind in wonder and superstition. Why did they sent a letter to our family? She thought in wonder and picked up the letter off the floor of the hallway. She had the urge to open the letter but she resisted it. She went to the kitchen and put the letter on the table and went back to study her math and English in her room.
After a while, her mother came in the door coughing loudly. "Samantha?" she called out to her daughter in a slightly tired voice. "Coming!" Samantha called back and came to the front door where her mother was at. Her mother was holding the letter. "Oh my god.." she said and dropped the letter. Samantha looked at her mother funny. "What's wrong mother?" she asked and Samantha's mother looked at her. "It wasn't suppose to arrive today...Samantha promise me never to tell your father about this?" she asked Samantha and Samantha nodded in agreement. "Why is the letter even here?" Samantha asked her mother her tone suddenly sharp as a knife as she looked at her with a suspicious look. Her mother sighed and hung her jacket in the hallway. "I guess I have to tell you." she told Samantha and then she began. "I was looking in the newspaper for a new job, and I saw an ad for the school. It was cutting the tuition money price in half for the poor families but only for male family members. I decided to save my money from work and get you into that school for a proper education. I've already payed the tuition money and now they expect you to be there." Samantha's mother explained and Samantha expression turned from anger to shock.
"B-but I'm not a boy!" she exclaimed and her mother smiled a little. "I'm going to disguise you to make you look like a boy. But it must kept a secret from your new friends, teachers and even your own father. Now get some rest for tomorrow because it is your big day." she told Samantha and Samantha went upstairs and fell asleep in her bed.
Suddenly a knock on Samantha's door woke Samantha up abruptly and her mother opened the door and closed it behind her, while holding a pair of scissors. Then she came over by Samantha and sat by her. "I'm going to make your hair short enough so they look at you and think your a boy. Afterward you have to put on that boy's uniform and get ready for school." her mother told her and pointed at a pair of clothes on Samantha's dresser. "B-but..." protested Samantha but her mother put a finger on her lips.
"It's for your own good." she responded and started to cut Samantha's beautiful long brown hair. After a while, Samantha ran her fingers through her now very short hair. "I look ridiculous." Samantha said flatly and got up off the bed. Her mother sighed and walked to the door. "Be downstairs in 15 minutes." she told Samantha and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Samantha got dressed and came downstairs after a while and there was her mother holding a plate with a piece of toast on it. "Eat quickly! The bus will be here soon!" she told Samantha and Samantha grabbed the toast and started gathering her stuff. After she was ready, Samantha heard a beeping outside. "That's your bus. Please have a good first day!" Her mother exclaimed and she hugged her daughter and Samantha quickly went outside and climbed onto her new bus and then started her first day.
On the bus, a girl sat by Samantha and smiled. She had ginger hair cut in a sleek bob style and she also had glasses and freckles. "Hello." the girl greeted Samantha and Samantha nodded her head. "I haven't seen you before...are you new?" the girl asked her and Samantha once more nodded her head. "Whats your name?" the girl asked again and Samantha thought for a moment and said "Samuel." "What a pretty name!" the girl exclaimed and held out a hand. "My name is Anastasia but call me Ann for short." she introduced herself and Samantha shook Ann's hand. "Nice to meet you Ann." she told her and they both talked till the bus stopped in front of the school. A crowd of students stood up from the bus seats and they slowly step out onto a platform and among them was Samantha and Ann.