The Morgendorffer car pulled up to the school. Jake watched Quinn climb out of the car. He turned to his other daughter, Daria. "Don't get upset if it takes the other kids a little while to warm up to you."
Daria watched as a young lady looked Quinn over from head to toe. "Hi! You're cool. What's your name?"
"Quinn Morgendorffer," Quinn answered.
Another young woman said, "Huge." Whatever 'huge' meant, it was certainly a complement. A forward young man asked Quinn out, only moments before she had arrived on campus.
"I'll try to help her through this difficult period of adjustment." Daria sighed. She didn't want to be here.
"That's my girl!" said Jake, before Jake's sarcasm detector went off. "Wait a minute...!"
"See you, Dad." Daria had had enough.
(* * *)
The students were being addressed in the auditorium. A man with a beard stood up in front of the assembly, and there was immediate silence. Daria was amazed.
"Good morning. As we begin the new school year together, there are many groups that deserve thanks for their efforts. Our staff cannot be forgotten, of course. It is my pride that Mr. McCoughtry will be joining us in Latin, and Mr. Simonich will be joining us in Chemistry. They are passionate instructors and I am sure that all of those here will give them their complete and full attention.
"Unfortunately, Ms .Linnere, the head of our English department, has departed us to become Head at St. Agatha's School in Connecticut. St. Agatha's has a proud history of producing national leaders in education and Ms. Linnere will follow in the footsteps of greatness. Ms. Bellus will be taking over in English this year, students should be on their guards that changes are coming and that patience will be demanded of you.
"I thank the parents for their contributions to our endowment this year. We have been entrusted with your sons and daughters, and we do not take these great responsibilities lightly. It is our hope that your sons and daughters will be the beneficiaries of our good work here. Thank you for working with us, especially when your children make poor choices."
A girl whispered to Daria. "And trust, me, they make poor choices all the time."
"No different from my last school," said Daria. "There you could get shot in class."
"Really?" she whispered. "You sit next to me from now on. Oh, I so want to know more about you!" Her delivery was flat, but her eyes betrayed strong intelligence.
"Furthermore," said the speaker, "it has come to my attention that there has been a scandal at Howe Grammar in Manhattan. It appears that the students there were paying hundreds of dollars an hour for private tutors to complete their homework assignments." The student body responded with chuckling.
The speaker's aspect turned ice cold. "I shall tell each of you - and I point my finger towards this group of new students -!" The speaker pointed out the section in which Daria was sitting. "I will tell you that at Fielding, we produce the leaders of men and women. We do not take the easier road here. We take the harder road. There are many ex-students of Fielding that will testify to the truth of that. That is why your parents sent you here instead of to Howe Grammar, or to some other school where the staff are in the pockets of wealthy, and well-meaning - but ultimately ill-intentioned parents. Your professors will demand academic excellence. It will be expected of you. You will prove your knowledge every day, and any tutors you care to pay to produce homework will not be there when you are interrogated and your knowledge is put to the test in your orals."
"We expect excellence in everything. It is here that you will take the first step on the path that you walk in the world. You will form the social relationships that will serve you well in the future. You will feed your body in Fielding sports, and we will feed your soul in Chapel. You might claim to be an atheist, but you will not be excused from Chapel. You will learn music and learn drama. You will learn selflessness. You will be loved, cherished, and understood, and so you shall seek to love and understand others."
"Congratulations to each of you. Dismissed."
The auditorium emptied out quickly. Everyone from third graders to seniors fled the room quickly. Daria turned to her fellow student. "Well, I guess both of us are stuck here now."
"Actually, I've been stuck here since third grade. He didn't tell you about the bullying and the casual racism. The older girls will be dunking the heads of the third graders in the commodes before lunchtime. This must be your first experience with a school like Fielding."
"Oh, joy," said Daria. "I'm in a hellhole."
"Well, hell can be comfortable if you make it so. I'm Elsie Sloane. Trust me, we're going to be good friends...!"