It was very quiet in the library. My new sneakers made a strange sound as I walked across the wooden floor. Everything felt so surreal. I felt uncomfortable in this new environment. A buddy had got me these leather shoes and a new suit especially for this interview. I had been working towards this one day for a long time. Harvard was my dream university and now I was preparing for my second interview in the Harvard library. It felt like a fever dream, or was I just so nervous that I was sweating? "Reed Davids?" I heard my name and looked around. A young woman was standing behind me. She was wearing a black skirt and a white blouse. She looked me straight in the eyes. "Do we know each other?" I asked. I was sure we had never met. "No, not yet. I'm Gemma. I study here and I've been assigned to help you. Are you nervous? I definitely was during my interviews..." She kept talking so I never got a word in. As always, I watched a small dimple form on her cheek when she laughed. She stared at me expectantly. Had she asked me a question? "Hey, are you okay?", "Excuse me? Sorry..." I said, embarrassed, feeling myself blush. "I asked where you're from?" she said in a quiet voice. "Salem. And where are you from?" The faster I could deflect attention from myself, the fewer questions she would ask about my family. She kept talking endlessly. It was a back-and-forth of stories about her family to the parties she had already celebrated here. "You should definitely come. It's going to be the biggest party in a long time. All the freshmen are invited." "I'm not really a party person." "Oh come on, it'll be fun. I'll be there too. I'll send you the address later, okay?" she said, looking at me expectantly. "Okay, sure," I said hesitantly. I've never been able to say no, that’s always been my problem. She stood up and left. Well, that wasn't really helpful. And she didn't have my phone number either. I turned my attention back to my notes. Years of preparation for exactly this one day and my mind was still on Gemma. How she had spoken to me so openly without even knowing me. As if we had known each other for years. I probably wouldn't see her again so soon, though, as I had neither her phone number nor the address of the party tonight. I heard someone call my name again and turned around expectantly. But it wasn't Gemma; it was the person who would be conducting my interview. "Yes, that's me. Hello, nice to meet you.", "Likewise. If you would please follow me to my office. The library is probably not the best place for our interview." Everything depended on this interview. I needed the scholarship. And there it was again, that uncomfortable feeling that I didn't belong here. Once again, it was so quiet in the library. All that could be heard was the strange sound of my shoes as I walked across the wooden floor, and everything was still so surreal.