Yoshida allowed Savoi to remain rested on his chest long after Lt. Co. Adame had swept the Charlies away. He stroked her bare back until she stopped trebling. Silently, she eased herself up to clasp her bra. He lingered for a few moments to allow his body time to settle, then sat upright on the table with his back turned away from her for more privacy.

The lecture hall was dimly lit, with only the stars and moon to offer light through the bay windows. Savoi slightly panicked as she searched her area in silence. Yoshida hopped off the worktable and knelt to retrieve her blouse. He handed it to her with his face turned away. Once she was fully dressed, she nudged him to get up and their eyes met. He could not read her disposition to determine if she was ashamed, remorseful, or resentful. An onset of steady rain interrupted their awkward gaze.

“We should get going,” she said, then darted towards the exit.

Yoshida followed Savoi through the rainstorm behind the planetarium building, beneath a large overpass. He had never been to this location, and did not know it existed. The space was decorated with a semblance of furniture. There were two metal stools, a makeshift metal table, and a worn-out mattress. He watched Savoi as she sat on a stool and pulled a tin box from under the mattress. She opened the box to retrieve a match and an unusual-looking cigarette. When she lit it, the smell of cotton candy and a hint of marijuana filled the air.

She took a long drag, then offered the joint to him. Yoshida was stunned to see Savoi smoking, but her behavior earlier made this event par for the course. He took a long drag as well to calm his nerves. The initial pull was smooth and sweet, but soon after, he felt as if flames scorched the back of his throat. He felt an instant rush to his core and was dizzied.

“This is some potent stuff! What’s in it?” he choked.

Savoi cackled, as she did not imagine he would have such a reaction.

“Oh, just a little of this and a little of that. I designed it myself. Do you like it?” she asked, still amused by his astonishment.

He held out his index finger to signal his coughing fit was nearly over. Then, with a single tear that clung to an eyelash, he smirked.

“Now I know the real reason Lt. Co. Adame orders you at the lab all the time.”

With a devilish grin, she said, “If you only knew the half of it.”

Yoshida’s second pull on the cigarette was deliberately slower. Though the flames still burned his throat, he handled the discomfort better and eased into a mellow buzz. As the steady stream of rain lulled them, the pair took turns to puff out pink clouds of smoke. Yoshida made impressive donut holes, while Savoi made hearts. She fell into a fit of laughter when Yoshida puffed an unfamiliar-looking object.

“What’s that supposed to be?” she giggled.

Yoshida took another hit, then replied, “It was supposed to be a dragon.”

They both laughed at the preposterous notion.

Savoi took the cigarette from him and peered hard at the image before it evaporated.

“Looked more like an elephant to me,” she said.

Yoshida knelt to her and looked crossly into her now bloodshot eyes.

“Speaking of elephants in this room; perhaps we should discuss what happened between us on the balcony and in the lecture hall,” he said.

Savoi had been slumped over the table, but sat straight as possible on the stool.

“Do we really need to revisit that right now?” she asked.

“Hell yes,” Yoshida cackled. “That was intense and insane!”

Savoi grinned briefly, then pouted her lips.

“I was only trying to help, and didn’t mean for things to go that far. For that, I apologize. If you’re pissed at me, I understand,” she said.

Yoshida was too high to read her body language. The prior scenario was already strenuous because of his encounter with the Charlie squad. He knew he wasn’t angry, but surprised by her course of actions. If nothing, he was relieved that violence was unnecessary to end the situation.

He playfully bopped her on the nose with his index finger, then said, “I’m not pissed at you. I just need to know what you were thinking? Where did all of that come from?”

She returned the gesture to him and smiled.

He crossed his arms as he stood to tower over her.

“What would’ve happened if Lt. Co. Adame hadn’t come around?”

Savoi sat quietly for a moment, then blurted,

“I’m not sure. I didn’t have a plan. I made it all up as we went along.” Then she stood up to look him in the eyes. “I’ve never been with anyone like that before.”

Yoshida was taken aback by her confession. He licked his lips and reminisced about their make-out sessions on the balcony and the lab.

“Wait, you mean to tell me you’ve never kissed a boy or anything?”

Savoi shook her head.

“Nope. I often rely on my imagination for the things I’ve never experienced.”

Yoshida chuckled nervously.

“You could’ve fooled me. Hell, you fooled those Charlie dopes for sure.”

Savoi handed him the cigarette, then staggered over to the mattress and plopped down. She savored the satisfaction of his answer.

“Well, with your infinite number of intimate partners, I will have to take your word for it,” she replied.

Yoshida took offense at her dig.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

Savoi reclined on her elbows and hummed whimsically.

“Oh, nothing. Just that you have a mob of fangirls madly in love with you,” she replied.

Yoshida took another long drag and held in the smoke for a few seconds. As he exhaled, he asked, “Are you one of them?”

Savoi snickered and struggled to sit up.

 “Yes, I am,” she proudly proclaimed.

Yoshida blinked repeatedly. There was no way he could have misinterpreted what she said. He had known for some time that they shared a mutual attraction, but nothing was set in motion.

“Her temperament has been off for a while now,” he thought. “Perhaps she’s just acting out to blow off steam.”

He kneeled in front of her on the mattress. There was a certain sincerity in her eyes that he could not shake.

“Are we to become a couple now?” he asked jokingly.

Savoi frowned and ran her hand through his hair.

“That wouldn’t be a good idea,” she whispered. When he tensed up, she continued.

“It’s not because of your past, but rather your future. You will do amazing things for our kingdom. I don’t want to hold you back.”

Yoshida was moved by her words. Just as he leaned in to kiss her, Roudan sprinted under the overpass.

“Whew, it’s raining cats and dogs and cows out here tonight,” he belted.

When he removed the hood from his fleece jacket, he saw Yoshida and Savoi. She quickly retrieved the cigarette and took a drag.

Roudan grinned.

“You started without me, Thomasa,” he said, then looked at Yoshida.

“Haru, I didn’t know you’d be here.”

Yoshida stood up to greet him with their usual fist bump.

“I followed Thomasa here. I didn’t realize this was a hang-out spot for you guys,” he replied.

Roudan pulled a copper flask from his pants pocket and took a swig. He offered a drink to both Yoshida and Savoi, but they both declined.

“Oh, yeah. Thomasa and I have been coming here once a week since the end of the first term,” he said.

Savoi perched herself up from the mattress, then gave the rest of the cigarette to Roudan.

“There’s another one in the box,” she said, and looked at Yoshida playfully. “It was nice kicking it with you. I hate to go, but I’ve got to get back to the lab.”

As she departed, Yoshida and Roudan sat on the stools. They lit the second cigarette and smoked it together in silence.

“Is there something on your mind, senpai?” Roudan asked.

Yoshida did not hesitate to answer.

“She’s changed, a lot. How did I miss it?”

Roudan folded his arms on the table and rested his head.

“It’s the lab. Whatever demands they’ve made from her have produced the woman you now see. She isn’t a little girl anymore,” he sighed.

Yoshida knew Roudan was right. Whatever business she had going on at the lab had major adverse effects. Although Savoi had always been feisty, her new demeanor had taken on an aggressive tone. Out of all the women he came across, none were ever so brazen enough to come on to him in the manner she did. Most of them were timid and waited for him to make the first moves. A year ago, Savoi would not have done such things. Yoshida realized Roudan had become her confidant. He couldn’t begrudge such a noble gesture, considering Roudan had also become a like-minded dark soul. The two of them were carriers of secret burdens brought on by the war, and spent time together commiserating with drugs and alcohol.  

~The Waring Robins~

Savoi was promptly admitted to the infirmary and treated for dehydration. A solution of saline and other fluids was injected into her arm. She laid on a cot in a small room and waited for the drip tube to be fully drained. Farouk patiently sat next to her.

“How are you feeling, Thomasa?” he asked.

She looked at him and responded slowly.

“Right now, I’m in a world of hurt.”

Her words frightened him. He stood and leaned over to observe her vitals on the EKG monitor.

“Everything looks fine. Your levels are almost back to normal. Are you in any pain?” he asked.

Silence engulfed the room. Savoi searched her mind to find the best description for what she felt. Everything was foggy. She had been this way for weeks, but managed to successfully accomplish all her tasks. She became unraveled at the battalion run because this was a mission that she could not position herself to prevail in.

Farouk gently stroked her forehead.

“Don’t worry about the battalion run. It was supposed to be meant as a morale booster, but the news of what happened to the deployed 3^rd year class has cast a dark shadow over all of us.”

Savoi did not stir at his comment.

Farouk became anxious, so he continued to speak.

“Emmett feels bad about the way he yelled at you.”

Savoi hoisted herself up on the cot.

“You saw that?” she asked fretfully.

“No. I only heard about it from the other cadets who ran in the rear. Everyone was surprised that you couldn’t keep up. Haru took over for calling cadence so that Emmett could fall back with you,” he solemnly confessed.

Savoi slowly slumped back down with a stream of tears. A deep sense of dread came over her.

“I’ve never been fast,” she murmured.

Farouk pulled his stool closer to the cot and sat down.

“What do you mean? This was a distance run, which you only needed to keep up with the formation. Speed was not a factor,” he said.

Savoi glared at him in total despair, which moved him to tears.

“Thomasa, if you’re not feeling well, you need to say something. This is not like you at all. Please tell me what’s the matter. Maybe I can help you,” he pleaded.

Savoi sat up again and mustered as much energy as possible to share her feelings. She choked up as she spoke.

“I thought I could handle all of this. For a moment, I did my very best. Now, I don’t know if I can hang in there,” she wept.

Farouk was confused, as he could not imagine what was the source of her troubles.

“Thomasa, I don’t understand. You’ve done amazing work this term. The grade grid has shown that your lowest exam score was 97%. Your grasp of the coursework is phenomenal. Is it the lab? Is the course load too much for you?” he asked.

Savoi stiffened, as if she had seen a ghost. Suddenly, a male nurse entered the room. He checked the EKG monitor, then looked at Savoi.

“The fluid bag is almost empty, but you look as pale as you did when you were admitted an hour ago. Perhaps I will add vitamin D3 to the solution,” he said, then called for another nurse to bring a syringe.

Once the solution was added, both nurses exited the room. Savoi asked them to shut the door on the way out. She leaned over to Farouk and took his hand.

“Maaz, what I’m about to tell you needs to stay between us in this room,” she said.

He warily nodded for her to proceed.

She spoke in a hushed whisper.

“As you know, Lt. Co. Adame selected me to work with the remaining 3^rd years in the laboratory. At first, my assignment was to inventory and catalog chemical agents that were sent from the field. He took a special interest in me when I could identify specific properties within the chemicals.” She leaned in closer and spoke lower. “This is classified information, but I came across some hazardous properties that would blow your mind if you knew what they could do. This war is unfair, because someone has cheated the system with harmful germs that can do long-term damage within the kingdom.”

Farouk was shaken to his core. He did not know what to do with the information Savoi had revealed to him. The blank stare in his eyes let her know she should refrain from divulging anything else. The burden of this information was hers alone to carry. She pretended to be tired and laid down to rest. Farouk did not want to press the situation, so he let her sleep.

A week went by before Savoi was cleared to return to duty. She assured her teammates that she was well enough to train harder than ever. Roudan led the Alpha squad to the beachside nightly. He fashioned fitness drills to maximize their workout sessions. This was the best measure of action to prepare for the tactical exam. Every night, they began with the same dialogue. Roudan would stand in front of the team to say,

“You guys know why we’re here. I won’t waste time with a long drawn out speech. I will just say this much; You will have to pay me what you owe.”

Savoi always asked. “How much do we owe?”

He would grin, and reply, “All of it. Give me all of yourselves, and I promise you won’t regret it.”

~The Waring Robins~

Shevchenko sat in a cozy wing chair beside the library’s roaring fire place to study the night before the Morphology exam. The entire chamber bustled with dozens of cadets amid study sessions. She anxiously flipped through her flashcards, disgruntled by the noise and the fact that she had been waiting for Savoi to join her for well over an hour. To drown out the chatter, she closed her eyes and whispered recited words to herself.

“Morphology. The study of the form of words.”

“That would be linguistics. Morphology is the study of the form of things,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

Shevchenko peered through one eye to see Savoi standing next to her. She pulled away and said with a grimace,

“I know that.”

Savoi frowned at her.

Shevchenko stiffened in her seat.

“That’s what I meant,” she said.

Savoi hurriedly sat in an empty chair and sifted through her satchel. Shevchenko sighed incredulously.

“Nice of you to grace me with your presence, oh gifted one.”

Savoi held her tongue and continued to rummage through her bag. She plucked out a binder at least three volumes thick with some highlighter markers. This infuriated Shevchenko, so she pressed further.

“Punctuality is of the utmost importance. How do you expect to effectively support your team in the field if you’re late in their hour of need?”

Savoi pretended to ignore her comment and quietly marked through the pages in her binder. After several minutes of silence, she stood up and shoved the binder in Shevchenko’s lap.

“Here are my notes for the exam. Be sure to focus on the areas that are highlighted. The last four pages are specifically for Haru,” she said.

Shevchenko raised her brow.

“Why does he need specific notes?” she asked.

Savoi stuffed her markers into her bag. Before she marched away, she said,

“He asked for a private study session. I didn’t have time to meet with him, because of my work at the lab. I don’t want him to feel like I brushed him off.”

Shevchenko grabbed her by the arm with a pleading look in her eyes.

“Why would Haru ask you for a private study session when I’m the linguistics specialists in our squad?” she asked.

Savoi slung her satchel onto her left shoulder. Her patience disappeared as she eyed Shevchenko.

“He nearly failed the Semantics exam under your watch. Punctuality is important, but practicality is pertinent as well,” she replied and stormed off.

Ten minutes later, the rest of the squad joined Shevchenko in the library. She presented the binder, but did not divulge that it came from Savoi. She did not have time to hide the notes meant for Yoshida. He found them in the back of the book and was elated.

“So, Thomasa didn’t blow me off after all,” he beamed.

Shevchenko snatched the binder from him.

“Let me see that,” she said.

There were four very detailed notes with color-coded annotations. A small sticky note was attached on the bottom of the first page. Farouk read the note aloud.

“Haru, please don’t be sore with me. Everything you need to know is listed in alpha-numeric order. I know you will fare well on this exam.”

“Looks like your girl came through for you after all,” Roudan chuckled.

Yoshida held the documents as if they were sacred and grinned.

“Your girl?” Shevchenko scoffed. “She only helped in the eleventh hour. We could have used these notes twelve days ago.”

Farouk frowned at Shevchenko, while the others glared in silence. She knew they would not allow her to berate Savoi without biting back. Reluctantly, she settled down. Time was of the essence, and the binder would be their saving grace. Everyone agreed to table any sidebar conversations so they could dedicatedly study. The team did not want to squander any of Savoi’s efforts in vain, and their work paid off with high marks on the exam.

Climate changes from the effects of chemical warfare caused the snow to abruptly melt, and a heatwave took its place. General Benavides announced a battalion run would be performed for the tactical pretest. The 1^st, 2^nd, and remaining 3^rd year cadets from every squad, (Alpha thru Delta), would take part in a 5K run. Late in the evening, just before midnight, all of Calvary academy stood together in formation on the beachside of campus.

News of the ill-fated fleets of 3^rd year cadets deployed to Nerou spread quickly. The senior staff gave several renditions of motivational speeches to raise morale. Roudan ran beside the Alpha squad and called out a cadence as they took off. The unit moved in unison during a third of the run. Eventually, the slower runners broke rank. They were guided to the rear of the formation.

Savoi shut her eyes and sighed. Her stomach cramped and throat tightened. She paced herself as best as she could, though she found she could not keep up. Roudan fell back to run alongside her.

“Cadet Savoi, do you want to fail?” he snarled sharply.

During her time on the vast Malta estate, Savoi never had been much of a fast runner. In fact, General Malta encouraged her to pursue other athletic goals. Which is why she did not respond to him. Through teary eyes, she looked ahead to see the far distant formation disappear as she trailed behind. Roudan realized harsh words would not suffice. His affection for Savoi would take a nasty turn if he continued to dig. Silently, he took off to reassemble back with his squad. 

Savoi was last at the finish line. Her heart sank, and for the first time, she walked with her eyes glued to the ground. Thick beads of sweat dripped and labored breathing overwhelmed her entire body. The humiliation of being the weakest link stung her pride like an angry wasp. The battalion remain at attention, as General Benavides gave another speech. Every head restrained from turning to gawk in astonishment. Shevchenko stood in formation, completely satisfied that she had finally bested Savoi in a task, and refused to conceal the smugness of her victory from anyone.

After the formation was officially dismissed, Roudan walked alone and contemplated how to strengthen his squad. “As long as we don’t give up, we can find our footing.” He thought. “We shouldn’t waste valuable time undermining each other’s skills. We were put together as the Alpha squad because our strengths complement each other, and our weaknesses are will be sharpened like a hot blade.”

Savoi was sent to the infirmary, as her breathing pattern had not returned to normal. She requested Farouk to escort her. Roudan felt a tinge of guilt for his actions during the run.

“Maaz, please take care of Thomasa,” he said.

Farouk nodded and departed

“I was hard on her when she fell back to the rear,” Roudan said, as he kicked a mound of sand.

Yoshida placed his arm on Roudan’s shoulder.

“Thomasa is tough. She will be alright. Perhaps she’s fatigued from being overworked at the lab,” he said.

Shevchenko scoffed.

“Do you hear yourselves right now? Thomasa isn’t the goddess you all think she is. Just because she became Lt. Co. Adame’s lab rat doesn’t mean that she should fall behind in the standards of being a soldier.”

Roudan furiously shrugged and walked away.

“I can’t get into this with you right now, Lily. I’m going to see if I can get an update on her condition,” he said.

Shevchenko blinked, astounded by the manner of his tone.

“Why is everyone so pissed at me? We knew from the entrance exam that Thomasa sucked at running. This just goes to show; she isn’t great at everything,” she stammered.

Yoshida lowered his voice so that he would not be heard scolding his squad mate.

 “Your visible animosity towards Thomasa in inexcusable, and is surely the cause of discord among the team,” he growled.

Shevchenko stood, shocked at his accusation.

“in order for there to be discord, there would need to be an active dispute between us. Thomasa regularly disregards most of my opinions,” she replied.

“That’s because she’s rather introspective and cautious about speaking carelessly when it concerns others,” he said.

“Are you trying to say she’s been sparing my feelings?” Shevchenko gasped.

“Very much so,” he answered.

“How can you be for certain? Are you a mind reader?” she asked and watched him unreservedly muse over the idea of knowing Savoi’s thoughts.

“There it is, again,” she said.

Yoshida grinned. “What?”

“The look you get whenever you think of her.”

“What look? This is just my regular face,” he said.

Shevchenko sighed grievously.

“No, it isn’t. You don’t look that way for anyone but her. Just now, it was as if you’re dying to be privy to the conversations that go on in her head.”

Yoshida leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Actually, I live for it. Thomasa is a genius. She just might be the salvation of this kingdom if she can figure out a way to end the war. I don’t want to miss any of it, and will do everything possible to help achieve that goal.”

Shevchenko pursed her lips.

Yoshida swiftly patted her on the back and said, “Don’t be so uptight. It might do you some good to channel that version of yourself who stood frozen on the ballroom steps waiting for your life to change in a positive direction.”

His words struck her to the core. She never imagined that he paid any attention to the inner details of her memory sequence. It was true that she felt stuck in a hopeless situation that was not of her own doing, and would have given anything to change the tide.

With a stiff jaw, Shevchenko reluctantly agreed to participate in helping Savoi become a faster runner.

~The Waring Robins~

The beginning of the 2nd year’s term boomed in with an intense wintery blast. Calvary academy appeared like an enchanted snow fortress from a dark fairytale. The premise of a new looming war cast a menacing shadow over the delicate mounds of snow. Training was no longer a simple, competitive wager between the squads. Every merit point would bring each cadet closer to realizing their duty stations. All hearts geared toward the most prominent state of Nerou, where the battle between the dueling houses was born.

Early one frosty morning, Shevchenko laid in her cot with her eyes wide open. She had tossed and turned so fretfully through the night that her legs were tangled in the linen. The cold air seeped through a cracked window, which combatively chilled the beads of sweat over her body. She concluded sleep would not prevail, then made a mad dash to the shower cabin to beat others with the same desire for a scalding hot bath.

After a quick wash up, she returned to her barracks room and finished getting ready for the day. Savoi had just stirred in her bed as she headed out for breakfast. Roudan, Yoshida, and Farouk were already in the chow hall line when she arrived. The four sat silently in their booth and slowly ate. Nothing could rouse them from the dreary mood that lingered among them.

Forty-five minutes after they sat down to eat, Shevchenko noticed Yoshida’s gaze from across the room. Savoi stood in the chow line, seemingly forlorn and spaced out. The buttons on her blue wool overcoat were mismatched and looked a size larger than her actual frame. She was less than her usual cheery self. Farouk stuffed the last bite of toast in his mouth, then waved for her to join their booth. She nodded with a yawn.

“Boy, aren’t we a sorry lot,” Roudan sighed. “Even Thomasa has taken to brooding.”

Yoshida stiffen his jaw as he continued to study her demeanor. It was undeniable that she appeared to be in a funk, which had never been her normal state of mind.

“Maybe this cold winter doesn’t agree with her so much,” he said.

Farouk swigged his orange juice quickly, then chimed in with his theory.

“Your assertion might be correct, Haru. Islanders aren’t familiar with snow or cold temperatures. I believe the lowest temperature off the coast is no less than 65 degrees.”

Roudan poured more black coffee into his mug, then agreed.

“I bet you’re right, Maaz. Thomasa may be having trouble adjusting to the climate, and that’s probably what has got her so down,” he said.

The men shook their heads in agreement as they watched Savoi collect her food tray and proceed over to their booth.

Shevchenko stayed in a continued state of annoyance with the way everyone often fawned over Savoi. She erratically mashed her eggs onto her plate, but no one noticed she was bothered.

“Thomasa spent most of the night in the laboratory. Apparently, Lt. Co. Adame has deemed her fit to work with the 3rd year cadets on some special projects,” she said.

The men looked in astonishment at Shevchenko’s confession. It was unheard of for a 2nd year cadet to advance to any dealings with their seniors. Though Savoi had received no formal education, she possessed superior knowledge and skills as a chemist. This set her apart from the rest of the Alpha squad. Her brilliance was one of many thorns in Shevchenko’s flesh, aside from Yoshida’s obvious infatuation. Savoi seemed none the wiser, no less.

The men perked up when Savoi finally came to sit with them. Yoshida stood to allow her a spot between himself and Roudan, but she pivoted and squeezed herself next to Shevchenko instead. Farouk’s tiny body was mushed up against the wall at Shevchenko’s silent protest. Yoshida disappointedly kept his thoughts to himself as he sat down. An invisible blanket of tension descended on them.

Farouk broke the air when he sifted through his backpack to pull out a bronze binder. The rest of the table rolled their eyes and sighed in contempt. He continued.

“I know no one wants to discuss this, but we really need to focus on the upcoming land navigation exam. I surmise the best way to study is to select the team member with the most accurate notes to take lead,” he said and feverously tore several pages of notes. “Through process of elimination; we’ve determined that Emmett’s handwriting is worse than chicken scratch.”

Roudan stood with a bow as Yoshida cackled and clapped. 

Farouk gruffly cleared his throat and continued.

“We can clearly see precisely when Haru fell asleep.” He held up a page and pointed to all the zigzagged lines.

Yoshida snatched the page from him and crumbled it up. He tossed the crumbled paper at Roudan, who cackled louder than him.

Farouk huffed at his teammate’s insolence, which made Savoi sigh impatiently. Roudan and Yoshida stopped laughing just enough for Farouk to continue. 

“Lily has the best handwriting, and it would be easiest to allow her to take point in this study session,” he said.

Shevchenko smirked indignantly behind her coffee mug. Her victory was short-lived when Farouk continued to speak.

“Both Thomasa and I have the most detailed notes,” he finished, and waited for the debate to ensue.

Yoshida mused over the information briefly, then said,

“This is a no-brainer. I propose Thomasa take point on this study session.”

Roudan nodded in agreement, but timidly looked at Shevchenko, who was obviously annoyed.

“Why should Thomasa take lead?” Shevchenko scoffed. “Clearly, this is an opportunity for someone else to shine in this squad. I propose Maaz should be the point, especially since his own father was an Apache pilot. Navigation is in the boy’s blood.”

Farouk squirmed in his seat with such pressure being dropped in his lap. He agonized over whether he would be the best team member to lead the study sessions, knowing full well that Savoi was better suited to take command. Roudan and Yoshida murmured to each other, as they completely ignored Shevchenko. 

Suddenly, a 3rd year cadet named Molvik entered the chow hall. His olive skin was a stark contrast to his almost clear-blue eyes. He carefully surveyed the room until he found Savoi. Their eyes met with a knowing understanding. With a smile, he departed. Savoi shrugged her shoulders and said,

“Lily is right. Maaz is perfect to take point for the study sessions.” She hurriedly gathered her belongings and uneaten food. “However, go ahead without me. Duty calls. Best of luck to you all!”

Fortunately for the Alpha squad, Farouk turned out to be a good fit to lead the study sessions. The group received the highest marks, which ranged from 92% to 97% between them. Savoi could attend none of the six study sessions, and her team worried how she would fare. Notably, Savoi earned the highest mark of 100%. 

~The Waring Robins~