11:37pm, Thursday

“Why do I need to be careful of her? I’m not weak anymore.”

“Kira, if she made Nathan give up his spot, then that means she hasn’t given up on trying to hurt you.”

“Why does that matter? What can she do to me now?” I huffed.

“If she made Nathan give up his spot, then that means she’s really gunning for you. I don’t think she will stop until she sees you dead.”

I opened my mouth and closed it, turning to stare out the window. The BubbleMe ran so smoothly that if it weren’t for the buildings passing by, it would be unnoticeable that we were even moving.

“…stars are pretty tonight…” Roshcar mumbled as he rolled over onto his back and stared aimlessly out the top of the Bubble.

“Yeh…” Dryden agreed absently.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He had been weird all day today, and it’s not like him.

“Dryden…” I began, but paused. “How..um how’s your aunt?”

“Fine.” Was all the response I got.

“I bet you’re going to get another food package from her for passing the tournament in the top six…remember last time you got good marks and she—”

“I haven’t told her yet.” Dryden cut me off, his face pinched up as if was thinking about something.

“You haven’t…What? Why not?”

“Great Qui, Kira. I just got the news today, alright? Just like everyone else. Do I have to report every little detail to her as soon as I get it?”

Something’s wrong with him. Probably Yaiya said something. “Did—”

“Listen, let’s just get Rosh back to his room, alright?” Dryden nodded put the Bubble’s front window. We were pulling up to the Akademy. The trip had been much shorter coming back than it had been going over.

“Yeh…of course…” The Bubble stopped just outside of the main doors. Garett was there, the light reflecting off his hair like a spotlight while the light of his HOL illuminated his face in a strange blue glow. I guess he’s waiting for someone to come down before heading to the party. I shrugged as I got out.

“Hey Garett.” I called out, but he didn’t react. He was absorbed in looking at whatever was on his HOL. If he can access the Akademy database, what else can he access…

“Garetttt!” Roshcar calls out loudly as he tries to wave his arms.

“Stay still.” Dryden grunted as he pulled him out of the Bubble.

Garett’s head whipped up. “Hey… What’re you guys up to?”

“…Roshcar drank a little too much, so we’re helping back to his room.”

“Ah—”

“—need help?” Garett raised an eyebrow at Roshcar as he slumped over and graced us with the music of his gut turning inside out.

“Yeh, can you get the door for us?”

“I like the staaars.” Roshcar’s head swings toward me.

“Yeh? Why’s that?” We have reached the doors now and they swing open silently. Roshcar doesn’t reply as his head flops over to the other side. His eyes have glassed over as if he were lost somewhere in his mind.

The three of us silently move through the corridor to the elevators. Dryden looked neither left nor right. Just dead set on completing the task. Garett, on the other, was looking at everything. Watching us all.

That’s just how he is. I mentally shrugged off the discomfort of his eyes fixed on my face. A creepy habit, but that’s just how he is…watchful and calculating, but a nice guy.

“Kirosh, how tall are you?” Garett suddenly asked.

“…almost six feet, why?”

“Just curious. You look small compared to Dryden…Do you have any scars?”

“I scrunch my face at Garett. “That’s random.”

“Just curious.”

“…Yeh, I have three from when Arina hit me with the chair leg.”

“Must have been a sharp chair leg to make a scar.”

“The scars are from the chest tube needed to re-inflate my lungs and the third was from the surgery to fix my broken rib.”

“Ah—”

“Whoa.” Dryden suddenly stopped in the middle of hallway catching me off guard. Before us were the elevators and…Arina.

She turned as if she could hear the silent doors open and she just stared at us.

She didn’t smile.

She didn’t look away.

She didn’t look apologetic or smug.

She’s just looked…like Arina— no emotion, eyes forward staring into nothing.

“What’s wrong?” Garett looked between us and Arina.

“N-nothing…c’mon Dry. We need to get Roshcar to bed.”

“Yeh…” Dryden’s face went completely blank.

“…Hey,” I called out as we got closer. “Do you mind if we take this elevator? We need to get Roshcar to bed. Can you can take the stairs just this once?”

Arina just glared at me. “The elevator will fit five people.”

“Yeh, but it will be a tight fit.”

“So?”

Dryden looked at me with an “I told you so” look.

“We need this elevator, Arina…For Roshcar.”

Arina’s eyes flickered to Roshcar, taking everything in. “Roshcar, can you hear me?”

“Hmmm?” Roshcar rolled his head forward. He was falling asleep as he stood there.

“Can I take the elevator with you?”

“Sureee. Why not? We’rrre all part of the same groupp now, right?”

“Fact.” Is all she said. And Roshcar, surprisingly, giggled—or maybe that’s not to surprising considering how he was laughing at the street lights as we passed through the city.

“He doesn’t seem to have a problem with the arrangement. I’m taking the elevator.” She turned back around.

I snorted through my nose, but I nodded. Dryden huffed beside me also. I looked over at him and froze. I know that look… “Dryden—”

“We know what you did.” He blurted out.

Great Qui Dryden. I rolled my eyes.

“I’ve done a lot of things. You’ll have to be more specific.” Arina didn’t even turn around to look at Dryden as the elevator signaled its arrival.

Dryden opened his mouth again.

“Dryden.” I hissed. “Stop. It’s not worth it.”

He looked at me once and rolled his eyes, but he clamped his mouth shut.

We all managed to get into the elevator, but it was a tight squeeze with Roshcar taking up most of the left side as he leaned against the wall. Garett stood beside Arina while I was in the middle. Dryden stood next to Roshcar and kept him from sitting down and going to sleep.

“Please watch your feet. The doors are closing now.” An automated voice came on after Arina pushed the Dormitory button.

I clenched my teeth as the doors shut us all in. All five of us together for what seemed like an eternity already even though the ride had just began.

Silence reigned, pushing in one every one of us in this small elevator as if the walls were part of a garbage compactor. Every floor we passed, Dryden snorted like a caged bull as if the extra air will make this thing go faster. It doesn’t.

Finally, someone drew a breath.

“You talked with Nathan.” Arina spoke up as we passed the third floor.

“Yeh…” I looked askance at Arina. She was still looking dead ahead.

She nodded once.

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7

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8

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9

Another breath was drawn. This time it came from the other side of me.

Dryden… I closed my eyes and hoped he wasn’t about to speak. Maybe it’s just a sneez—

“We know that you made Nathan let you win.”

I elbowed Dryden, as Arina slowly turned her head to look us. “…So that’s what you meant earlier.”

“Do you deny it?” Dryden pressed.

Arina shrugged. “Does it matter? He lost.”

“Does it matter?” I asked incredulously. “Of course it matters.”

Arina didn’t answer

“Floor 12. Thank you for riding. Please watch your step.” The elevator door opened, but no one got out.

“He lost. Get over it.” Arina looked me full in the face.

What?

I could feel something ugly stir in the bottom of my stomach, and a sour taste climb up my throat like a woman crawling up from the inside of my belly. Everything seems to fade away as she just stares at me with her deadpan face.

“Kirosh…”

With that one word, reality snapped back into place and I stomped out. Get over it? What the hell? Who does she think she is? She took away everything Nathan and I worked hard for. Everything! And she just ripped it all apart by her arrogant, greedy, PCer hands—

“Hey, Kirosh!” Dryden’s voice pulled me back again.

Oh, Rosh… I whirled around to go back, and almost ran into Garett. His grey eyes pierced into mine.

Calculating.

A shiver ran down my spine. That’s just how he is. I reminded myself. That’s just how he is…I grabbed Roshcar’s arm as Dryden helped him out of the elevator.

“Dryden,” Arina called out as we started down the dormitory corridor. “I know what you did too.”

“I’ve done a lot of things,” He snarked back. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“Really?” Arina asked as she walked toward us. She paused next to him. “Did you have fun at Lena’s party tonight? I’m sure you wanted to stay longer.”

Dryden froze, his eyes widening slightly.

“Don’t listen to her, Dry. She’s just trying to get in your head.”

Arina turned her stare on me and something flickered over her face, but it’s gone before I can even be sure it was there in the first place. Then, without another word, she passed us all nonchalantly, leading the way down the empty hall.

We all turned to watch her pass, but I freeze before turning fully.

Garett isn’t watching Arina.

He’s watching Dryden.

I know that look…What did Dryden do to make Garett angry?