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I point it out to Thayer. “There she is.”
As we get closer to who we assume is Sixtine, I get my first full glance at her. A bright smile is the first thing I notice. Like her hair, it makes her stand out in a crowd. A sea of freckles covers her cheeks and nose, a few stragglers hanging out around her mouth. Her eyes sparkle in her round face as she watches us approach.
“Hi!” She says, and I detect a faint hint of an accent. “You must be Bellamy and Thayer. I’m Sixtine, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you as well.”
She leans in and I look at her questioningly. “Oh sorry, my fault.” She says and smacks her forehead with her palm. “I was going to give youla bise, the kiss on the cheeks, but I don’t think they do that where you’re from.”
Thayer laughs. “No, but we do hug.”
“That works for me” She says as she leans in and hugs us both. “Come on, let’s get the car and get on the road.” She grabs Thayer’s carry on and starts walking, speaking excitedly as she goes. “I’m excited to have you here. I don’t know if anyone told you, but the four of us will be sharing a suite.”
“Four of us?”
“Nera’s the fourth. She’s my best friend and a total badass as you would say. She’s Japanese, grew up in Hong Kong, speaks four languages,andshe’s a pro fencer. She’s hoping to make it on the national team next year. Also has a razor sharp wit. There’s nothing she can’t do.”
“Sounds like we’ll get along.” Thayer says with a wink in my direction.
“Sounds like you might finally meet someone more competitive than you. Who would have thought it was possible?”
“Hey now, don’t go giving away my title like that. Until proven otherwise, I’m still ‘Most Competitive Person Alive’.”
“Only time will tell.” I say dryly.
By this point, we’ve made it to the parking lot and Sixtine pulls the carry on up to a Porsche SUV.
“Is this your car?”
“No, it’s Nera’s. My Mercedes is getting a tune up.”
“Of course.” I say, like it’s every day that I meet 18 year olds who drive hundred thousand dollar cars.
As Sixtine pulls out of the parking spot, she turns to us. “The pamphlet says RCA is located in Aubonne but it’s really located a little further out into the countryside. It should take us about an hour to get there. Feel free to take a nap, you guys must be knackered after your flight.”
Her accent is more pronounced as she keeps talking. I can’t place it exactly — perks of having never left the country — but I think it might be French.
“Thanks, Sixtine.” I say before adding, “Are you named after the chapel?”
“Yes! You can thank my mom for that. Apart from my name, don’t worry, I’m normal. Well, at least I certainly like to think so.”
I laugh as Thayer replies. “I think we’re going to get along.”
“Then call me Six. My friends do.”
We continue chatting, the conversation flowing easily the entire ride to RCA. Before I know it, we’re pulling up to a beautiful wrought iron gate. It stands over twenty feet wide, with intricate golden designs of roses, crowns and daggers interwoven into the barriers. Brick walls covered in ivy extend out from either side of the gate, privatizing the school in an enclave.
“Wow.”
“The gates? Yeah, they’re impressive. They were hand forged in Italy in the 16th century and brought over in 1602 when the school was founded.”
The gates open, revealing a long pathway with manicured lawns on either side and sprawling buildings in the distance. Six points out details as we drive into the grounds.
“RCA values sports just as much as academics. That’s why we’re really excited to have you, Thayer.” She adds. “On campus we have state of the art facilities for pretty much every sport you can think of. We just passed the stables, the tennis courts are coming up on your left, the football field is a little further downfield, next to the pond. There’s a master gymnasium behind the lab which is just to your right. That’s where you can go for any indoor courts — basketball, squash, tennis, etc. That’s in addition to the gyms in each dorm building for functional training.”
“Do you get lost three times a day?” I ask in disbelief.
Six laughs. “Oh no, generations of my family have gone to RCA. I’ve been coming to campus for gala events since I was a child.”
