Chapter 1: Recruitment stories: Breaking barriers

(Special credit to MasterHoX for edits and suggestions.)

The main issue that I ran into both times I edited your work was your tendency to speak in the present sense. That's fine for roleplay, but for literature you're usually going to want to base your tale in the past tense. My edits are reflected in the text, below.

Swati was still doubtful about what to do next. Three days had already passed beyond the due date. And the teacher was already recruiting the interested students for the new sex education course.

This course was offering stipends and scholarships for college for the students who chose to enroll. Her family, being underprivileged, couldn't afford the college. They all had all their hopes up for her to get a good scholarship enabling her to help support her little siblings for further education. Yet her grades weren't improving, despite her best efforts.

"You still didn't sign it, Swati?" The female teacher asked, all dolled up in a blouse fitted tight to her curves and low on her cleavage paired with a skirt barely touching her knees.

"Err, I don't know, miss. I... I don't think my parents would allow it, but..." She bit her lip and hesitated.

"But you need this stipend. You need this scholarship, yes?" Mrs. Alexandria spoke with a gentle squeeze to Swati’s shoulder. Swati looked down and merely nodded.

"Come with me." Mrs. Alexandria beckoned Swati to stand as she walked out of the class, looking behind to verify she followed. She paused, gently grabbing Swati’s hand, so they could walk together. "Let's discuss this with our Headmaster, he may find a solution for you."

The gleam of hope shone in Swati's eyes as she approached the room. Little humming, gulping and gagging voices could be heard, making Swati a little curious. "Wait here!" Mrs. Alexandria directed as she started to knock on the door. The voices silenced as if they weren't there. She entered the room, closing it behind her, leaving Swati to wait.

"Come in dear." Mrs. Alexandria called Swati in as she opened the door, after a moment. She entered the carpeted room adorned with bookshelves on either side. A secretary could be seen bent down to a cabinet and browsing for a file. The girl was already feeling a chill from the air conditioning.

"So, you are confused, Swati?" probed the man wearing a formal white shirt as he opened a drawer, his eyes looking straight at her. She silently nodded and approached the desk. "I will be brief and precise. Swati, look up into my eyes." Confused and shy, she slowly shifted her eyes up, tilting her head just a bit for comfort. "If your parents didn't restrict you, would you choose to join the course and research program?" After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded with confidence. The man nodded and pulled the cheque book out of the drawer. A long silence filled the room as her face belied her concerns over the dilemma facing her. He looked down into her eyes, pausing as he took a long breath.

Swati bites her lips. “Is it a trick question?” she wondered, “Is it some sort of mind game?” She questioned whether she should be honest with her roots or give in to the gains that might follow. The questions sped in and out of her mind like the breath in her chest. After a few moments pause, without looking up, she merely nodded.

"Look up and speak, Swati." The man spoke boldly but with a gentle tone. She obliged by looking up. "Yes, sir." She said, after taking a deep breath, still doubting whether she’d made the right decision.

"Give her the prospectus of the new computer course." He told the secretary as he started writing on the cheque. "Give this to your parents. Get their feedback, then talk to me," he said as he signed it and tore the cheque off. "Tell them you are working on this new internship in software maintenance." He beckoned the secretary to hand it to her. She approached Swati. Swati noticed her lipstick was smudged near the edges and her makeup had been cleaned around the eyes. Soon the secretary lowered her eyes with a smirk then returned to the cabinet.

Swati looked at the prospectus, studying the cover, confused. That's when Mrs. Alexandria slid in the cheque for 100 dollars postdated just over a month later.

"This could really change our lives!" she thought, looking at the check, wondering whether there would be others following it.

"Will you sign it, now?" The teacher asked with a smile.