Morrow

I walk alongside Safari. Every few seconds, I glance back at Ace. He is walking a few metres behind us, strolling leisurely across the field to his class.

Praisch has used the back staircase - he claimed he had some delicate business to attend to first.

Safari shoves her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. She keeps flexing her arms, and smoothing her hair.

Even her pace seems rushed. She might even be holding her breath. She stares straight ahead at the cluster of people filing in and out of the assembly hall - as if the answers to her problems lie there.

Gently, I place my hand on the small of her back. She stiffens, turning to look at me.

"It's going to be alright."

She just turns and pulls me into a tight hug. Her arms squeeze me in - as if she could take every bit of comfort I'm offering by squeezing me harder.

I let out a soft whimper. She buries her face in the crook of my neck.

"I don't want to die." She murmurs.

Tears sting behind my eyes. I swallow the lump building at the base of my throat. This isn't the time to give into intense emotions.

I smooth her hair gently, weaving my hands through her coarse dreads.

"You're not going to die."

I take in a deep breath, trying to assure myself as much as her.

Then, she pulls away. She wipes at her eyes hastily and shoves her hands into her pockets.

We nod at each other.

Ace reaches us and walks past.

Bright red stains my pale cheeks. He gives off no sign that he had witnessed our show of weakness or feels disgusted by it.

He just... ignores it.

"Where to first?" She asks, her voice hoarse.

We exchange glances. I shrug.

Then we laugh, but it doesn't reach either of our eyes.

I glance at Ace's receding form.

His gait is steady. His strides are slow and leisurely - like that of a man who has time at his beck and call.

Safari sniffles.

I shiver slightly from the cold. The early morning breeze is chilly. I had waved off the urge to wear a sweater - being around Ace usually keeps me from getting cold.

But today, the usual fear that makes me sweat down my back, soaking my shirt, wasn't there. In its place was a gentle kind of assurance that someone as powerful as him is among the team.

The student's hall looms in front of us. Layers of chiseled stone glare back at us. The building looks on par with the weather - cold and grey.

The grass is moist with dew beneath our feet.

The chilly breeze whips our hair back and forth despite our attempts to restrain it.

We enter the hall. Rows of students fill the seats. This hall has less entry protocols than the grande hall where important events are held.

Our shoes scuff loudly against the marble floors as we move through the aisle.

We take seats at the rear so it would be much easier for us to exit the hall once the assembly call ends.

On the forum are Mr. Marknoff, Mrs. Larkaway, Mr. Seryl and Hudger.

Safari leans back at the seat, pinching my palm gently.

I look at her, dividing my attention between her and the person currently speaking.

"What?"

She raises her brows playfully, her lips curving into a grin I have seem too many times.

"What better way to get ourselves expelled than right here?"

I watch her mouth, trying to understand why the usual practical and level-headed would utter such a taboo.

I place my hand on hers just to make sure that she's real.

The microphone squeals loudly. I return my attention to the podium.

"This meeting was called because of a certain report the school received yesterday. We refuse to turn a blind eye as our predecessors had done in the past." Hudger says and pauses.

His eyes roam over the students, one ringed hand on his chest.

It starts raining outside, light at first, then heavy. The room, which had been lighted by the four large windows at conspicuous angles suddenly darkens.

Whispers and grunts erupts from the students. Flashlights wave around the room.

The staff whisper among themselves and one of them leaves to probably inform the technical department.

"This could be our chance." Safari leans on again to whisper.

I stare at her. "What chance? What exactly do you intend to do?"

She laughs, low and disturbing.

I think she's taking Karim's advice to be 'insane' too literally.

"Something legendary. Anything crazy enough to get us our papers."

I shiver at her tone. She says papers as if it's her studies completion certificate or something.

"Here? Now? All the students are watching... maybe not all, but most. What would they think of us?"

She rolls her eyes at my rational statement.

I'm confused how the same Safari who had been sobbing earlier is now plotting to damage her reputation in the worst way.

"I don't care what the students think of me now. When we save the world, they'll remember us as legends. They'll feel proud that they got to be a part of our rebellion."

I don't believe my ears.

"Safari? Are you okay?"

She shrugs casually.

"If you don't want to be a part of it, you can watch and deny any ties to me when I get punished. As for me, I am not giving up this opportunity." She says through gritted teeth.

Detetmination burns in her eyes.

Somewhere in the crowd, I hear someone, a girl probably, curse someone for stepping on her feet.

A squabble erupts from their section.

I glance back at Safari. She just rubs her hands together, grinning with a sick look in her eyes.

I sigh, giving up the fight.

I can't let her do whatever she plans to do on her own.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask, forcing enthusiasm into my voice.

She darts a glance at me and back to the podium.

"I have no clue." She whispers and laughs.

I swat my forehead.

"And all this while I was thinking you had some genius plan up your sleeves."

She shows me her arms.

"No plan on these sleeves." She says, chuckling.

I roll my eyes at her.

"If Angela were here, we could ask her to stage everything for us."

"Whay do you mean?"

She pulls me closer. "She could pull down the Dean's pants."

Her warm breath tickles my ear softly.

"That won't cut it, Safari. We need something a lot worse than that if we want to appear serious. Already, Karim doesn't think we're good enough. We can't mess this up - or he'll start seeing us as liabilities rather than assets." I say.

She pulls away to look into my eyes.

"Do you want to major in Marketing or Economics? I mean, you sound the part of some financial analyst."

I raise an eyebrow

"Out of line, Safari. Completely out of line." I resist the urge to wag my finger at her.

She raises her palms up on mock surrender.

"I was just saying. Back to business. If my plan won't work, what do you think will."

"A catastrophe."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We have to destroy something valuable to the school - something they won't be able to over look."

Safari glances up at the unlit chandelier hanging just above the stage. The staff are all talking to the technicians with their backs turned to us.

I follow the direction of her gaze.

The chandelier is very huge, spanning a huge area of the ceiling with it's widely branched layers.

I start shaking my head, refusing to consider it before she even utters a word in defence of her plan.

"No." I voice firmly.

"Why not? It's perfect."

I gesture around the hall. "Has it occured to you that it's very huge? There are so many people in this hall - there is a major risk of someone getting hurt. How can you even consider such a thing?"

She doesn'f flinch under my condemning gaze.

"Someone like you might not consider it, but... someone like me, who just happens to manipulate gravity can decide which way the chandelier will fall."

I narrow my gaze at her, skeptical.

"That doesn't change much. Besides, can you lift something as heavy as that? Since I've known you, the heaviest you've lifted is Angela - which you could barely handle - and your filled luggage box."

She sinks back into the chair.

"Maybe I didn't think it through."

"It's obvious you didn't."

She turns away, brushing her hair behind her ears. I notice her trembling hands.

"Maybe I'm not cut out for all this." She says, her voice low and determined.

My heart aches for her.

"You can't give up now. We'll find a way."

Her head droops even lower until her chin rubs against her chest.

I look around the room, deciding to take the risk for her sake.

"You know what?"

She looks up at me.

"We'll do your plan."

Her eyes brighten faintly, but it's enough to make me smile.

"I'll slow time and you sink the chandelier on the stage."

The room comes alive with light from the bulbs in the ceiling.

"But, we're going to write on the staff' faces first."

She grins.

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