- 04
The next morning, I found my seat in The Galaxy Class. The room was a pressure cooker of quiet ambition. Just before the bell rang, a boy with an aloof, chilly aura sat down next to me.
Не
e was Caspian Ingram. The same boy who, according to our intel, had sat in front of us during the exam and unknowingly provided all our calculus answers,
A pop quiz was announced. Afterward, Caspian looked dejected, staring out the window.
“What’s wrong? Did you bomb the quiz?” I asked, trying to build camaraderie.
He just gave a faint “Mm.”
“Me too,” I commiserated. “Those questions were brutal I’m sure I did worse than you.”
Later, the teacher, Mr. Davidson, announced the results. “As usual, we have one perfect score. You should all learn from Caspian Ingram. No matter how difficult the questions are, he always gets a perfect score.”
My eyes widened. “You got a perfect score? Then why were you looking so’miserable earlier?”
My eyes
Caspian sighed, a sound of profound, existential angst. “I was worried. I feel like I have no more room for improvement.”
*Blaze (in our mind): This guy is the king of humble–bragging. What a show–off.*
*Priya: At least he’s a show–off with actual talent. And according to my calculations, he’s our unwitting accomplice.*
For the next two weeks, Lilith was quiet, likely plotting her next move. I spent my days sparring with Caspian’s intellect, my brain feeling wrung dry as he “helped me with homework.
One afternoon, I was zoning out in physics class when Mr. Henderson began calling on students to answer questions from the textbook.
“Blaze: Priya, question seven! What’s the answer?”
*Priya: Calculating… hold on… It’s D
At the same time, Caspian tugged on my sleeve and scribbled “B” on a piece of paper. As if. I trusted my classmate of three years.
I answered with unwavering confidence. “DI”
11:47 PM PP
Mr. Henderson’s brow furrowed. “Wrong. I’ve explained this question countless times. Caspian, you tell her the correct.
answer.”
Caspian stood up. “B.”
The teacher then pointed to a fill–in–the–blank question. “Rowan Adler, what about this one?”
I was panicking. Caspian once again wrote the answer on the paper. It looked completely ridiculous.
ay what C
“Priya: We’re out of time. Just say what Caspian wrote.*
*Blaze: Are you sure? This looks like gibberish.*
*Jax: The academic ace wrote it, just read it!*
I took a deep breath. “The answer is ‘piss, sir.”
The classroom erupted in laughter. Mr. Henderson’s face contorted in fury.
“It’s the Greek letter p, pronounced ‘rho, Caspian whispered, stifling a laugh as I sat down in disgrace. “It represents density. p of water.”
This guy was definitely sent by Lilith to torment me.
- 05
During gym class the next day, we returned to the classroom to catch up on sleep. The homework from Mr. Henderson had been brutal.
I had barely closed my eyes when a shadowy figure crept towards our desk, a bucket in hand.
*Priya: Alert! I just saw Lilith watching from the window outside! And the camera on the ceiling has been smashed.”
Jax: Let me take this one, Priya. It’s time for some physical education.*
*Blaze: Jax, don’t overdo it. Make it look like self–defense.
*Jax: You got it. Operation Water–Rat is a go.*
1, now controlled by Jax, seized control of Rowan’s body.
Just as the figure was about to douse us, I shot up from my seat. I executed a flawless spinning kick–a move Blaze had been mentally coaching Jax on–connecting perfectly with the bucket.
It slammed against the wall, shattering on impact. The unknown, foul–smelling liquid inside splashed all over the three intruders.
The leader, a girl with a metal ring in her eyebrow and the swagger of a minor villain, sneered. “Was just gonna get you a little wet. But it looks like you’re asking for more.”
All three rushed me at once.
*Jax: Time to dance.”
I sidestepped the first girl’s clumsy attack, used her momentum to twist her arm behind her back, and delivered a sharp, stinging slap across her face that echoed in the quiet room.
Seeing this, a taller girl grabbed a chair and raised it to smash over my head. I ducked under the swing and drove a powerful uppercut deep into her stomach. She doubled over, gagging as she vomited all over the floor.
Just as I was about to deal with the leader, I heard urgent footsteps pounding down the hallway.
*Priya: Cue the damsel in distress. Now, Chloe!*
11:47 PM p P
Chloe took control instantly, switching our entire demeanor. I dropped to the floor, curled into a ball, and began to moan piteously.
Caspian burst into the room, followed by our homeroom teacher.
“Sir,” I whimpered, looking up with wide, terrified eyes. “They were hitting me!”
“Bullshit! You started it!” the leader shrieked, enraged and dripping with stinky water.
The teacher sent the intruders to the main office and asked Caspian to take me to the nurse.
In the hallway, I noticed the dust and scrapes on his pants.
“I was running too fast and I tripped,” he explained, looking away, a faint blush on his cheeks.
“Thank you,” I said, with genuine sincerity this time.
Caspian might be a bit of a show–off, but he was reliable when it counted.
