*Co-Author's Note: No problem. I've posted my email, too, just in case the same should happen on this end.*
Jennifer had a look of triumph on her face that Lisa distinctly recalled as she took those fateful steps into Mr. Hastings' office. She slowly turned the knob and walked in to find Mr. Hastings at his desk.
"Welcome, Ms. Papadakis," he said with a smile. He motioned for her to sit, which she did. "It would seem that you've been a straight A student your whole life. AP courses, amazing SAT scores, and it says that you were a member of the cheerleading team in high school and the Chess Club in middle school."
Lisa blushed slightly. She'd loved chess, probably more than cheerleading, but it was also a somewhat painful memory.
"I have no intention of prying, but will you be physically affected as much as your friend, Ms. Smith?"
Lisa drew a deep breath. "Yes. Our own symptoms have mirrored each other's since day one."
"So, the two of you kind of stick together, don't you?"
"She's like another sister to me," Lisa replied with all sincerity. "Having her really helps me out with my own problems, even if she doesn't fully realize it."
"Well, it's good to have people to support you," said Mr. Hastings. "So, what are your interests?"
"As far as a major is concerned, I've always been partial for marketing, quite frankly," Lisa said. "To be perfectly honest, though, my biggest problem with choosing a major is that it's difficult to just settle on one or two things."
"What about interests outside of your education?"
"I enjoy watching movies - my sister is a film major at the New York University Film School - so it kind of rubs off on me. I also study linguistics in my free time, as I do really love languages. This is irrelevant, but I did once take the time to try and learn Tolkein's Elvish in the Sindarin dialect." Lisa chuckled to herself.
"That's impressive," Mr. Hastings replied.
They spoke just a minute more before Mr. Hastings declared the interview over. "It was a real pleasure," he said, holding his hand out. Lisa tentatively shook it, slightly embarrassed by the roughness of her skin, or what was left of it. Mr. Hastings noted that Lisa seemed much more shy than Jennifer did. The two really did balance each other out well.
"You'll have an answer by Christmas, probably on the same day as your friend," he said.
Lisa left the building with a smile.