DUET :Chapter 17:

“Alright, let’s call it for the day.”

I pant a little as I sheath the saber I was using, looking to see Maggie almost dripping in sweat beside me. I chuckle, patting her back, “You ok?”

“Dear . . . Jesus Christ,” she breathes roughly, “How the hell do you do this so well?”

“What?” I ask.

“How do you use this damn sword?!” she says as she holds up the saber she’s using, pointing it a bit too close to my face.

Carefully, I push the blade away, sighing a bit, “I’ve been learning sword play since I was about seven, Maggie. Nowadays, it’s kinda a natural thing.”

“Why did you start so young?” she asks as she finally sheathes it.

I shrug, “I don’t know, my dad liked to fence in his hay-day. Guess he just wanted to keep the tradition going.”

“Ah,” Maggie says, before she turns and starts to walk off, stretching her arms a bit as she steps closer to Savannah, “Damn, I’m gonna take a long shower then sleep like a log.”

“Don’t blame ya, you were trying hard to keep up with Isugoro,” Savannah says with a smirk, “Feeling a bit butt hurt that you found something he’s better at?”

“I’m not butt hurt about anything, alright?” Maggie retorts with a small glare, “It was just harder than I thought it was going to be. Besides, we have guns, why do we need to learn swordplay?”

“Because, certain allies don’t use guns and automatic weapons. Neither do certain sections of Noxcus squads,” Savannah explains, “Call it dumb, but in terms of honor, if your enemy doesn’t have a gun, you’re not supposed to use one either.”

“What? Since when is there a code?” Maggie comments.

“Don’t really know, but it’s always good to have at least some idea of how to handle a sword,” I comment as I quickly do a move and sheathe it.

Maggie just stares at me, “Yeah, I don’t see myself mastering a sword at all.”

“Well, today was only your first day,” I say with a small grin, “I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few more practices, you’re able to parry and everything ten times better than I can.”

Maggie pouts slightly, her eyes reading that she’s thinking about something. After a moment, she takes the saber from her belt and sighs as she looks between us, “Thanks for the reassuring words, it’s appreciated. I’m gonna head out, see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Doll,” Savannah says as Maggie hands her the saber before she walks through the threshold.

“G’night Maggie,” I call.

“Goodnight,” Maggie says back as she disappears, waving her hand back at us as she turns down the hall.

Savannah looks back to me as I remove my own saber, handing the other to me so I can put them away. She doesn’t say anything for a moment before she speaks, “I will admit, Isugoro, I didn’t expect you to be so experienced with swords.”

“Well, I am,” I say with a chuckle, “I would rather use a sword than a gun any day.”

“You’re one of few who’d say that,” Savannah laughs as I walk over to the sword lockers.

“I know, but I stand by my opinion,” I say as I set the swords back in their slots, “There’s a very long history behind swordplay, not to mention there’s the honor that comes with combat.”

Savannah watches me a moment longer, before her expression softens some, “Interesting way of looking at it.”

“If you say so,” I say with a grin as I shut the locker up and lock it.

Without warning, Savannah’s face brightens. “Oh wait! I won’t be here tomorrow for training!” she says with a smile.

I blink, confused as I meet her warm violet gaze. “Why won’t you be here?” I question.

She claps her hands together as she laughs lightly, “Tomorrow is my birthday.”

My eyes widen, “Really?”

“Yup!” she replies, “April 26th.”

“April?” I repeat.

Her expression turns sour as I show my confusion, rolling her eyes slightly with a groan, “Dear God . . . um, Mustus.”

“Oh,” I say, realizing April is yet another month.

Savannah rubs her forehead, “Why did they change the names of the months? Literally makes no sense.”

I shrug, “Sorry.”

After a few moments, she sighs, turning, “Well, Jeweloids are allowed their birthday off, so I’m gonna take advantage of it.”

Her words bring me to a sudden halt, suddenly recalling something; Maggie’s birthday. While I was in the Capital, I learned she had her birthday, and is now eighteen. Sammy had also mentioned it at some point. At that time, she said it had been a few weeks before, meaning Maggie’s birthday is sometime in Ineo. Thinking further, JADEITE said her birthday was the 17th. I find myself thinking out loud, “Did she celebrate?”

Savannah blinks in confusion, “Who?”

“Maggie, did she do anything for her birthday?” I question.

“How the hell should I know?” Savannah says, “Hell, she may not even remember her birthday.”

My brow furrows, the memory loss fact returning to the front of my mind. I’d find it hard to believe that considering all that Maggie seems to remember about being human, she’d forget her birthday. Besides that, Sammy remembers when her birthday is, so I wouldn’t imagine she’d allow Maggie to forget that important piece of information. I sigh, running a hand through my hair, “She probably didn’t get a chance to do anything.”

A smirk rises on Savannah’s lips, “So what? Are you going to do something for her?”

My eyes widen, and I look over at her, “Like what?”

Savannah shrugs, “I don’t know, if you do, then it’d have to be something that wouldn’t set the Commander off or make anyone suspicious of your intentions.”

“Suspicious of my intentions?” I repeat.

She chuckles, “Basically, don’t give something that may send romantic signals.”

“Oh,” I say, “Got it.”

Her smirk brightens as she walks off, “God damn, you basically are a clueless boyfriend.”

“W-What?!” I breathe, caught off guard as she turns the corner out the door. Her laughter fades down the hallway with her echoing footsteps, leaving me with the heavy shadow of her words. My expression falls as her words take over my thoughts. “A clueless boyfriend . . .” I trail.

That’s ridiculous.

I clean up the rest of the supplies we were using then shut down the training room, walking back to my room with hard thoughts as Savannah’s words pester me, and the idea to do something for Maggie nags at me. I have no idea what I’d do for Maggie. I mean, I know she likes to sing, especially power ballads, and that she used to dance. Her favorite food is spaghetti. She hates blue, but from what I’ve seen from her wardrobe and her room, she likes purple, red, and a certain shade of pink. She comes off kinda like a tomboy but she seems to have girly preferences. She loves nature, but also enjoys watching mainstream pictures and napping-

Whoa, what the heck?

I pause slightly in my steps as I realize I’m rambling on with random knowledge I hadn’t realized I picked up. Since when did I figure out so much? Thinking further, I know all the basics about her, down to the names and the order of her siblings-

"Did you know that there's a record here at Gelus?"

The lost voice suddenly speaks from the past, catching me off guard as I freeze. I hadn’t thought of his words for quite a long time, and now of all times seems very random. Though, the single memory spreads as I recall what he was talking about.

“By using our DNA and memories, the scientists here have been able to track back to a few of the Jeweloid's families."

The old conversation causes new ideas to blossom in my mind, gears turning as I try to relate his words to Maggie.

She misses her family. She loved her family more than anything, and as I saw during the memorial, she would’ve done anything for them. I think a bit longer, before another thought travels through my mind.

Would she want to know what became of them?

A strange mix of emotions start to stir in me, leaving me a bit confused as I continue the path toward my room. Personally, I’m unsure what I’d want. Knowing my own past, I’m not really wanting to know what the future may hold for my family. It’s been difficult enough, I don’t need to worry about a future I have no control over.

But, her family is the past. She knows only what she had known the last time she saw them, almost a thousand years ago. As I reach my room and open the door, I speculate on her thoughts. How often does she wonder what happened to them? How many times a day does she find herself debating whether her family led happy lives? How much does she pray that her brothers and sisters lived life with no regrets?

I lean against the door as it clicks and look towards the window, the world beyond the glass dark and ominous. I sink some as I finally perceive some of the weight Maggie’s been carrying with her. She never says a word about it, but it really must be eating away at her to know nothing about her family.

I think a second longer before I find myself walking out of the room. I know what I’ll do for Maggie’s birthday.

Quickly, I take the maintenance stairwell up to the Jeweloid barracks, walking swiftly to see if I can find someone specifically. I turn the corner, and strike luck, hurrying my pace as I see her. “Hey, AMYTHEST!” I call.

She turns at the sound of her code-name, looking shocked as she registers who I am. She stutters lightly as she replies to me, “P-Partner Jintez, wh-what can I do for you?”

I smile kindly at her, “You can call me Isugoro or Goro.”

Her eyes widen, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” I chuckle, “And what’s your real name?”

She looks even more surprised, but responds nonetheless, “I’m Farah.”

“Ok, um, Farah, you’re involved in the inner-workings and the controls, right?” I ask.

“Um, yes, I am in charge of Jeweloid special affairs,” Farah replies, “Why do you ask?”

“. . . Is there any way you could help me set up a DNA tracking of Mag- LAPIS’ family?” I say, trying to say a name she’ll recognize.

“LAPIS’ family?” Farah repeats.

“Yeah, she wants to know what happened to them,” I explain, “I thought I’d ask because someone told me about some DNA tracking being done before.”

Farah looks a bit hesitant as she lets my words sink in. Obviously, my request is a bit wild, but from the look in her eyes, it seems she understands how serious I am. I watch her intently as she thinks, glancing over her shoulder to the group of Jeweloids that’s with her. They look amongst each other, before one finally looks back to Farah and grins, “With her status, it should be easy to get the go ahead from the research sector to look into her family history.”

Farah nods slightly, turning back to look at me with a small expression of uncertainty. I grimace, “I think Maggie would be happy to know.”

At the sound of Maggie’s name, Farah’s face breaks. Her concern melts into a little grin, and after a moment longer, she crosses her arms and releases a small sigh, “. . . She doesn’t know, does she?”

“Know what?” I ask.

“About you trying to get this test,” Farah says, looking straight at me with a growing smile, “Why do you want to get the information for her?”

I find myself stuck, my thoughts screeching to a halt. I divert my eyes for a moment, then slump some. I guess I might as well tell the truth, “Well . . . I know she was very close to her family before she turned . . . and I also know that she has had an important birthday since she’s been here, so I thought she may want to know something, considering it was the first birthday they weren’t apart of.”

She looks caught off guard as my words hit her ears. The others also look surprised, glancing between me and each other. Then, without warning, Farah starts to laugh. “Oh my Lord, I never expected the talk to be true,” Farah says.

I blink, “Huh?”

“You’re a popular guy when it comes to Jeweloid gossip,” one of the other Jeweloids comment, “Isugoro Jintez; the Class Zero Partner with a brain.”

“The first Human to stand up and go to the Detention Sector in a Jeweloid’s place,” says another.

“And then there’s what you did for COBALT and Miss Syria. . . .” says the third, before tears slowly rise to her eyes, “That was amazing.”

My brow furrows a bit, “I . . . I-“

“And just so you know, no Human knows about anything,” Farah comments, “In return for respecting Jeweloids, Jeweloids will protect you.”

Maggie’s words return to my mind, and I grin a bit. “I don’t deserve that,” I say.

One of the other Jeweloid’s grins, “The fact that you say that means you do.”

“Farah, you should get over to the Research Sector,” the one in the middle replies, “Run it by them so you can give him a proper answer tomorrow.”

Farah nods a bit, grinning as she holds her hand out to me, “Well then, Isugoro, it seems a verdict has been reached.”

I take her hand firmly as I speak, “Thank you so much, I really appreciate this.”

With that, the others pull Farah the other direction, their footsteps fading quickly in the distance as I stand still, feeling a bit better.

“Isugoro?”

I blink, turning to see Sammy standing behind me. Her expression is one of surprise, though it fades as I walk up to her, turning slowly to confusion as her eyes ended irself debating whether her family led happy lives?n does she wonder wmove between me and the other Jeweloids. She gestures to me to come close, and I lean over so she may whisper in my ear. “What are you doing?” she questions.

“N-Nothing, just was asking a question is all,” I reply.

Sammy pulls away, giving me a look that reads plainly; “I don’t believe you.” I sigh, looking around before I try to explain the situation, “I asked Farah for a favor.”

“I knew that much, what I want to know is what exactly that would be,” Sammy replies, crossing her arms as she stares at me, “Because just from looking at you, I can say without a doubt this has something to do with Maggie.”

“Not everything I do involves Maggie, Sammy,” I retort.

Sammy raises an eyebrow as she speaks, “So are you telling me that whatever . . . “favor”, you asked of Farah, it has nothing to do with Maggie?” I bite my lip as I try to figure out a quick answer, but Sammy knows by the look on my face that she has me caught. She smirks as she comments, “That’s what I thought.”

I groan a little bit to myself as Sammy chuckles, leaning against the closest wall to us. After a moment, I look back down the hall, finally saying something truthful, “. . . I wanted to do something for her since she wasn’t here on her birthday.”

Sammy looks shocked, her eyes widening as she tries to meet my eyes. When I do glance back at her, her countenance slowly fades into a grimace, and she speaks warmly, “Her birthday was a few months ago, Goro. She definitely won’t see something like that coming.”

“I know, but I felt that I should at least doing something nice for her, considering all that happened while she was gone,” I reply.

She nods, grinning, “Yeah. . . . So what exactly did you ask Farah to do?”

I hesitate to speak, though I give after a few moments as I see no reason to hide the truth from her. “. . . I asked her if she could help me set up a DNA tracking of Maggie’s family.”

For the first time in a long time, Sammy is left speechless. I can tell she was blindsided by my response, but I didn’t expect the idea would render her mute. I look around awkwardly as she just stands in front of me, simply staring at me. Though, she does eventually get something out, “. . . How did you find out about that?”

I look away for a moment, my stomach sinking a bit as I reply, “Nathan told me about it.”

Sammy immediately realizes who I’m talking about, and shuts down some, looking guilty as she diverts her eyes from mine. I suppose I must look slightly depressed, as she does take my hands and speaks quietly, “I think it’s a good idea. . . .” she trails, “I think Maggie will be happy to know what happened-“

“Sammy, it’s ok,” I interrupt.

She looks taken back by my words, meeting my eyes again. Her orange gaze has cooled a considerable amount, dulled by uncertainty and confusion. I sigh slightly, releasing my hands from hers and running my fingers through my hair as I continue, “While yes, I’d rather not have long walks down memory lane, I don’t want you to feel like Nathan is a taboo around me.”

“But you two were so close-“ Sammy starts.

“Exactly,” I say, “I don’t want his existence to be ignored. I want him to be remembered and his views to live beyond his death.”

Sammy grins slightly, “That’s a good way of looking at things.”

I chuckle some as I finally let a grin cross my face, “Nathan would kick my ass if I just forgot about him and Syria.”

Slowly, the atmosphere fades into a shaky calm, cracks of poisonous pain threatening to grow as Sammy and I stand alone in the dim hall. After another minute of strained silence, Sammy chuckles, patting me on the back before she turns some, “You look like you need some sleep. I saw Maggie a little while ago and heard an earful about y’all sword fighting.”

“Oh really?” I ask with a small smile.

“Yeah, apparently you’re good with a saber,” Sammy says, before she leans in slightly to whisper in my ear, “Maggie was jealous of you.”

I blink, “What? Why?”

“Maggie is a competitor. She competes to be the best at everything she does,” Sammy explains, her smirk rising again, “She said straight up that you beat her, and she was sour about it.”

I laugh before I can stop myself, amused by Maggie’s strong and stubborn competitive spirit. Sammy seems happy to see that I’ve relaxed to the point I have, maybe her change in topic purposeful to keep either of us from drudging in the shadowed past. After I calm down, Sammy turns all the way, starting forward as she leaves me, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Goro. Sleep well.”

“Goodnight,” I say with a small wave, before I turn myself. Before long, I find myself in my room, now dark as the sun has fully set in the distance. I turn on a single lamp so I can get around the room, but doesn’t take away from the window, a few stars starting to dot the sky. I allow myself to unravel some as I ready myself for bed. The few memorable moments fill me with happiness, before the short moment discussing Nathan returns to the front of my mind. I pause during my night routine, looking over at the calendar. It’s Inber, soon to be Lux. I whisper to myself so that the thought doesn’t stick in my mind, “It’s almost been a year since I met him. . . .”

After a moment, I shake my head so to rid my mind of the looming pain, and distract myself with finishing dressing for bed. Once under the covers, I slow my mind to a point in which I can lose myself in sleep, taken to a dark world, apparently out of season for imagery.

At least, until I suddenly find myself walking through that path to the waterfall. As I walk past the stream just before I reach the little lagoon, I hear a ghostly laughter on the breeze. Sticks crack in the distance, leaves rustling under fleeting steps. My curiosity gets the best of me, and I follow the sounds off the beaten path into a small basin. In the distance, I hear the crackling leading into a bend in the landscape. Following cautiously, I’m surprised to find what looks like a beaver dam has been set up on the hillside. Stepping closer, it becomes more apparent that under more investigation, the dam is actually a well-made, well-camouflaged manmade shelter.

Though, before I can get close enough to see if who I heard may be inside, I hear the rustling behind me. Turning, I see a shadow disappearing between the trees, putting me on edge. “H-Hello?” I call out.

“So far, so good.”

I’m caught off guard by the familiar voice. While hollow, it feels like the person’s words are palpable, making my heart beat faster as I move at a greater haste to find the source. The rustling fades slightly, though another voice comes forward. “It seems you’re finding your way.”

“W-What the hell?” I stutter.

“But will you really see the reflection?”

“What are you talking about?” I yell, steadily becoming more frustrated.

“You’ve already ignored it once, what will you do when you come back to the looking glass?”

“What the hell does that even mean?!” I answer the wind, “What do you know, anyway?”

“Don’t talk like that.”

I freeze. No matter how much I try to forget it, that voice still penetrates my thoughts with shattering effects. While light in pitch, the weight of its presence shakes me to my very core, and I’m powerless as I start to shake. I squeeze my eyes shut. I can’t handle it.

“You can’t keep running away, Isugoro.”

Her voice is like a blade, stabbing right into my gut. I clench my fists, my shaking worsening as her words sink in. The breeze picks up, surrounding me in my past emotions. Visions pass through my mind, causing me to cringe as I try to fight off the images and memories. “Please, stop-“

“You don’t need to cry.”

“Ah!”

I’m met with the electronic metronome of my alarm, warning of the new day’s coming. I pant hard, sweat dripping down my forehead as my eyes dart around the room. I haven’t heard those words in years. I haven’t seen that scene since the day it happened. As I begin to come to to reality, the short numbness brought with consciousness fades away, allowing the anxiety of the dream to hit again at full force. I close my eyes and try to take a deep breath, falling back on my sheets as I try to calm myself. My gut churns slightly as the memories spark and dim again and again. The only thing that never leaves is the look on her face, the emotion in her eyes.

It was the first time I saw her look damaged.

With a short groan, I bring my hands to my face, massaging my temples as I try to escape the depression of that sixteen year old. I thought I had overcome the pains that I felt at that time, why is it that it has started to kick my ass again? Why am I starting to relive that time period?

The alarm continues to pang. I sigh, and lean over, hitting the off button with a direct slap, “Dammit. . . .”

Despite my darker thoughts, I manage to dress myself and head out to join the normality of Gelus. I walk past a few human soldiers, but I ignore them, hearing a few short whispers as I turn down the hall that leads to the Jeweloid Sector. I’ve become accustomed to the passing glares and the occasional whispered curses. I’ve come to recognize it just comes with my title. Other Partners I’ve met seem to have the same thing happen, but just not on the same level. Why? I’m guessing it’s either the Class Zero ranking or the “new kid” scenario.

“Hi, Jintez.”

I blink, looking up to see Katie staring at me, a warm smile plastered onto her face. Her eyes are just as energetic as normal, the emerald green almost glowing as bright as her aura. I can’t help but grin, chuckling as I reply, “Hello.”

She quickly follows after me, turning her head some as she watches me. After a moment, she speaks quickly, “You ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I reply, trying to keep last night’s events to myself, “I just didn’t sleep well is all.”

“Oh, gotcha,” she replies with a wink. Suddenly, she appears to remember something, bouncy like crazy as she steps in front of me, and stops. I pause in mid-step, about to speak before she interrupts my thoughts, “Fei is looking for you.”

“Fei?” I repeat, not knowing the name.

Katie groans dramatically, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me slightly as she pulls me down to her height. What the hell is this girl on, anyway? “Farah! I call her Fei because it’s shorter, and she looks much more like a Fei to me. Don’t you agree?” Katie says, looking me dead in the eyes.

“Uh, I really haven’t-“ I start.

“Of course you wouldn’t know, you’re a guy. Guys don’t seem to see things as easily as girls. Call it genetics or whatever that science is called,” Katie says, totally confusing me as she blabs on and on, “Papa didn’t get me or Mama or Rosalie. Then again, he was the only guy in the house, so maybe he was just confused-“

“You said Farah was looking for me?” I interrupt, releasing her hold on me as I stand straight again.

Katie replies with blowing her cheeks up like a child, apparently unamused by the fact that I cut her off. Though, she seems to let it go just as easily as she had let it urk her, grinning again soon enough as she starts to walk with my again. “I saw Fei earlier, asked if I knew where you normally would be around breakfast time. Apparently she has some information for you, or something like that,” Katie explains.

I smile. Farah works fast it seems. “What did you tell her?” I ask.

“I said you normally sit with Maggie and Sammy and a few others,” Katie replies with a laugh, “She was surprised to hear not one, but two human guys sit with Jeweloids at breakfast.”

“I don’t see why it’s so surprising, I see Partners all the time at breakfast,” I say as we turn the corner leading to the cafeteria.

“Yes, but the other Partners aren’t consistent. Cecelia doesn’t sit with me every day, she eats most days with Humans,” Katie answers, “You and . . . uh, Cent, right?” I nod, and she continues, “Well, you two sit with Jeweloids at breakfast every day. While the other Partners do come in and sit with their Jeweloids every so often, you haven’t missed a single morning, and that’s very rare. Hasn’t happened for some time.”

A random, but depressing sensation spreads in me, and I sigh as I try to silence it, “. . . Was Syria the last one that did it?”

Katie actually missteps as my question registers, stumbling slightly into me. I look down at her, and am caught by her blank expression of shock. “H-How did you know that?” she asks.

Knew it.

“Lucky guess, I suppose,” I say.

“Isugoro!”

I lift my eyes, my spirit lightening as I see Farah walking towards us, papers tight in her grip. She pauses before us and holds the stack out to me. “Here; all the information you need to do the test,” Farah says with a grin.

“Sweet,” I say as I take them from her, turning them around so I can glance over them.

“What test?” Katie asks.

Farah and I share a glance, before Farah sends Katie a short stare. “Katie, go find Marcus. I want his status invoice.”

Katie groans yet again, “What? You know Marc never has those ready.”

Farah smirks, “Well then, go get him to do it then.”

Katie purses her lips, stepping closer to Farah, “What’re you trying to say?”

“I’m saying be you and ask him about it,” Farah laughs, “For some reason, he’ll do it if you say something.”

To my surprise, I watch as Katie’s cheeks slowly start to flush, and for the first time, she’s unable to look at Farah, her eyes finding the ground. She speaks softly, “There’s nothing there; you know that.”

Wait a minute.

I had been getting a weird vibe between Katie and Marcus since I first saw them together, but I never actually thought Katie had a crush on him. Hell, I didn’t think anyone would have a crush on Marcus, of all people. Maybe I’m biased because the guy has kicked my ass a couple hundred times, but still, he doesn’t seem like someone a girl would fawn over. I don’t get people.

“Go, Katie,” Farah says, gesturing to her.

After a moment of awkward silence, Katie nods, and walks away rather depressed in comparison to her normal persona. I look between her and Farah, who sighs as her eyes follow after the green bobbed girl. “She’s an interesting individual, isn’t she?” Farah asks.

“Yeah, very interesting,” I comment, making Farah laugh a bit. She tilts her head towards a side hall, and I follow her as we walk over so we can have a private conversation.

“Alright, so basically, all you need is LAPIS’-“ Farah starts.

“Maggie,” I interrupt without thinking.

Farah looks surprised, but it’s not long before her expression softens to one of a smile, and she starts again, “All you really need is Maggie’s DNA, and a location to base research.”

“DNA? Like blood?” I ask.

“Yup,” Farah replies.

“How the hell am I supposed to get blood without her questioning it?” I say, suddenly a bit on edge as I begin to realize the major obstacle of my surprise.

Farah looks away, obviously a bit caught by the unnecessary bump in the road. Her pale purple eyes cool as the wheels in her head turn, before she gasps, looking back at me with a rejuvenated expression of hope. “Did she ever go through her entrance examination?” she asks.

“Her what?” I reply.

“Her entrance examination!” Farah says with a grin, “I heard that they went out of order with Maggie. Normally, before the Jeweloid goes to the Power Processor, they’ll be given an entrance examination once they’re strong enough. It’s basically a health test to figure the Jeweloid’s base levels.”

I look back through my memories, and to my surprise, I don’t recall such a situation. I meet Farah’s stare, “No, I don’t think she ever had one.”

“Perfect! All Jeweloids have to do it, so I’ll just set up an appointment. Knowing Maggie’s standing, she could probably get in within the next few days,” Farah says, “They take blood during the test, so just make sure they take two samples of her blood so you can get some for the DNA research.”

I grin, “That sounds like a good plan.”

Farah chuckles, “Thank you, I try.”

“I really appreciate this,” I say, “Seriously, thanks.”

She shows me a broad smile, holding out her hand as she replies, “You’re very welcome, Isugoro.”

I shake it surprisingly firmly, and with that, she walks off, leaving me with a growing feeling of excitement. I turn out of the side hall and walk down the main way toward the cafeteria. Once in, I’m greeted by casual hellos, all warm and friendly as I make my way through the line then head to the usual table. As I expected, everyone else has already arrived; Cent and Sammy are discussing something while Maggie talks with Savannah and Anna about probably the sword training. I grin, setting my tray down with a light tap as I catch everyone’s attention. Cent and Sammy look happy to see me, while the others look . . . suspicious. I chuckle as I sit beside Maggie, looking between the three, “What is it?”

Maggie immediately looks away, an expression of annoyance on her face. My good mood cools some as I then look to Savannah, who seems not really annoyed, if anything, she seems to find something ironic. Her eyes dart away from mine, making me a bit on edge as I find Anna. It seems like she’s taken to Maggie quite well, as her expression is a mirror image of hers, just as sour and dim. I glance back at Cent and Sammy, who look to each other before they both shrug.

Then Anna speaks.

“What were you doing with Farah in the side hall?” she asks.

My eyes widen. When did they see me with Farah? I look back at Maggie, whose eyes have turned to glare at Anna. Apparently Maggie didn’t want to be so forward. I sigh, “She wanted to ask me privately if I recalled Maggie having her entrance examination.”

Technically, I’m not lying. Maggie’s expression cracks, and Savannah does all she can not to laugh. Anna just looks surprised. “Did you have your entrance examination?” Anna asks as she looks back to Maggie.

Maggie doesn’t say anything, hiding her face in her hands. I tilt my head to see if I can see her expression, though I don’t need to look too hard, as her ears catch my eyes. They turning bright red. I’m taken back by the sight, unsure as to why she’d be having such a reaction to my words.

“Oh my God, she was so jealous-“ Savannah almost cackles.

“Shut up!” Maggie snaps, revealing her face to be burning red, “I was just unsure why he was meeting with her in a side hall!”

“If that’s the reason, why were you pissed afterwards?-“ Savannah says with a smirk.

“Will you be quiet?!” Maggie yells, staring Savannah down almost pleadingly.

I just watch. I don’t fully understand why my meeting with Farah would entice such a response. Sammy starts to laugh a little too, and Cent is doing all he can not to smile like an idiot. Anna doesn’t seem to get it, like myself. Maggie just cringes into herself, obviously embarrassed. After a moment, I look over at her and speak calmly, “Apparently you still need to do your base health assessment or something. They’ll take blood and-“

“Take blood?!” Maggie repeats, her eyes bulging.

“Uh, yeah-“ I start.

“Oh my God, not another syringe!” Maggie whines as her head falls onto to the table, “I hate needles.”

“Maggie, every Jeweloid goes through it. Man up,” Savannah says.

“You are hardly helpful, you know that, right?” Maggie says as she shoots Savannah a look.

Savannah smirks again, “I still just find the Farah thing funny-“

“Drop it!” Maggie snaps.

“I mean, she would never like Isugoro anyway. It’d never happen,” Savannah says as she looks back at me.

I simply watch her back, unsure why liking me is a part of anything. Cent on the other hand seems curious, raising an eyebrow as he speaks, “Why do you say that?”

Savannah laughs, “Farah’s as straight as a circle.”

Maggie’s head immediately falls back to the table, and Sammy looks shocked, her jaw dropping. Cent and I look to each other, before I meet Savannah’s eyes, “Huh?”

“Guys; Farah is a lesbian,” Savannah says with a hint of laughter, her voice slowed, “She likes girls.”

Cent and I are silenced. I just seem to be having an eventful day today without trying to. No one has to say anything before Cent’s face is as red as his hair. He turns himself away from the table, causing Savannah to burst into cackling. Cent can’t even glare at her, apparently too embarrassed to do anything else but cover his face. Sammy looks between him and Maggie, who seems just a bit calmer than Cent. Slowly, Sammy nudges him, causing him to jolt in surprise. They connect eyes, before Cent seems to get even worse, diverting his gaze as he stutters, “I-It’s nothing.”

Sammy’s brow furrows, then she looks at me. I shrug, and she seems to deflate a bit. Though, it doesn’t last long, before she turns her attention back to Maggie. “Well, looks like you’re gonna have an appointment sometime in the next few days,” Sammy comments.

Maggie seems appreciative for Sammy changing the subject, sighing as she looks back at her, “Yeah, I guess so.” The two hold each other’s stare for a moment, before Maggie breaks her gaze, turning to meet mine. “. . . Are you going to come?” she asks.

I grin, chuckling slightly, “If you’d like me to.”

Her cheeks redden a bit again, mumbling, “Yes, I would.”

“Then that’s that, I suppose,” Anna says, “It’s not that bad.”

Maggie rolls her eyes, leaning her head on her hand. I watch her, knowing the truth behind her examination. She has no idea what’s in store.

This is going to be good.