CHAPTER 6: Reckoning
Swinging down in front of a Halloween-themed donut shop, the air thick with anticipation, I clutched my MIT envelope tightly. Pedestrians eyed me warily, their expressions a reflection of the public scrutiny I had become accustomed to.
Entering the shop adorned with Halloween decorations, I spotted MJ at the cash register, her MIT envelope in hand. The shared sense of hope and anxiety hung in the air as we joined Ned at the counter, each of us armed with the potential key to our future.
"Okay... ready?" MJ questioned, her eyes reflecting a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
Before we could respond, MJ's boss intervened, demanding the removal of Halloween decorations. A fleeting clash of defiance and submission played across MJ's face before she reluctantly accepted the order.
Ned, overwhelmed by nerves, expressed his unease. "I feel like I'm gonna puke."
MJ, ever the realist, responded, "Well don't... because he will just make me clean it."
As we braced ourselves for the pivotal moment, MJ initiated the countdown, and with synchronized breaths, we tore open our envelopes. The collective atmosphere shifted from anticipation to disappointment as the weight of rejection settled upon us.
My eyes met MJ's, seeking solace, but her subtle head shake conveyed the bitter truth. "No."
"No," I echoed, glancing at Ned, who revealed the contents of his letter. A rejection stemming from the recent controversy surrounding me.
"This is so not fair. I mean, this is so not fair! I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, you guys definitely didn't do anything wrong," I protested, grappling with the unfairness of it all.
"Expect disappointment, and you will never get disappointed," MJ's words echoed in my mind, a bitter reminder of the realism she always brought to the table.
The atmosphere shifted abruptly as Flash, sporting an MIT sweatshirt, burst into the scene, singing the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." His excitement turned to confusion as he learned of our collective rejection.
Flash hastily retreated, leaving us to grapple with our shattered dreams. MJ's boss demanded her return to work, snapping us back to reality. Ripping up her rejection letter defiantly, MJ asserted, "You know what? I wouldn't change a thing I did."
Ned followed suit, though with a touch of humor. "Me neither. Although, I do need to show this letter to my parents."
Watching Ned walk away, guilt and hopelessness consumed me until my eyes fell on the Halloween decorations being taken down. An idea sparked, setting in motion a journey that would lead me to the Sanctum Sanctorum.