Rising Shards

It proved immediately very difficult to try and ask around our grade if they were in our group. Most of them were setting up their booths, and it was hard to go up to someone just walking around if they too completely failed to do this assignment.

“Oh man, if it’s Latte we’re in luck, easy coffee,” Kalei said.

“No good, I see her over there,” Oka said as she scanned the Fang Fair. “She’s with Elisa Burwell. And Chellsi and Mikeila-Keila. Oh, and that weird little gremlin-like girl and her friend. That’s a weird group.”

“What’s their presentation about?” I asked.

“What do you think?” Oka asked.

“Coffee and Osiris?” I said. "And if Chumbler's there, probably gambling too maybe?"

“Yup and yup,” Oka said.

“It’s pointless to look at people actually at booths,” Kalei said. “Look for people who are standing away from the booths.”

“Would they even show up?” I asked.

“Well, we showed up,” Oka said.

I was ready to give up after thirty more seconds of searching the outer areas of the Fang Fair. We stopped at a corner that had a bunch of potted palm trees and chairs shoved in it. Iris Arco was also sitting there, she was the only person from my grade I recognized in the corner.

“It’s useless,” I said. “Why do we need all our partners anyways?”

“Oh, we all have to sign off on the thing at the end,” Iris said. “I have a plan for mine, though.”

“What plan?” I asked.

“I didn’t do my Fang Fair thing, so I’m gonna do my usual trick to just get out of doing class stuff,” Iris said.

“We didn’t do ours either!” I said.

“Wait, are you our partner?” Oka asked.

Iris pondered the idea for a moment.

“Oh, yeah that would make sense, wouldn’t it?” Iris said. “Maia got paired with Lillia Cadence’s group, so I kinda just gave up there because I was banking on just doing the minimal effort possible while Maia put it together.”

“That’s kinda mean to your best friend.” Oka said.

“No, it was her idea!” Iris said.

“Cmon Oka, don’t tell me you wouldn’t pawn this whole thing off on Zeta if you could.” Kalei said.

Oka's immediate expression gave away that she in fact totally would pawn the whole thing off on me if she could.

“Hey!” I said.

“I would feel fairly bad about it if it makes you feel better,” Oka said.

“It does, a little,” I said.

“Whoa,” Iris said.

“What is…oh,” I said. Iris spotted Aira and Laenie’s project.

“I’m shocked she’s actually out here.” Oka said.

“I’m shocked she isn’t crying.” Kalei said.

“I’m shocked she’s currently an eight-foot-tall wolf monster.” Iris said. “I was not aware she was an Exa Cani.”

Aira spotted us staring and waved us over. I didn’t want to be near Laenie in her Exa form after the last time where she squashed Oka and I. She didn’t seem to be violent despite being a giant, though.

“Hi, Aira…” I gulped. “And Laenie.”

Laenie growled at us. Oka and I hid behind Kalei, who looked like Exa Laenie was the coolest thing she’d ever seen.

“We’re testing the effects of lemonade on a wild Exa Cani,” Aira said, holding up a pitcher from their stand. “Laenie is positively a charmer if you give her lemonade five minutes before she turns.”

Laenie gave a polite growl, then grumbled something else.

“Ha! Good one!” Aira said.

“Well…good luck, you two.” I said. “We should really be getting back to our project.”

“Yep, agreed Zeta!” Oka said.

“Yep, nice seeing you guys!” Aira said.

We had to pull Kalei away and retreated back to Iris’ corner of the gym.

“Aw, I wanted to see her smash something.” Kalei said.

“My ribs disagree,” I said. “Oh, I have an idea!”

I got my phone out and called Stella.

“STELLA!” I screeched.

“Zeta, why?” Stella said. ‘Ouch, that killed my ear. I forgot to turn the volume down when you called because you haven’t called in so long.”

“OK, guilt trip on two levels isn’t fair. I need your help.” I said.

“With what?” Stella asked.

“Could you please use your charming ways on Dr. Diast to get her to grade us good?” I said.

“Excuse me? What did you just ask me to do?” Stella asked.

“N-nothing?”

“Wait,” Stella said. “Zeta, did you forget to do your Fang fair project?”

“I uh—” I said as I hung up the call.

“How did that go?” Kalei asked.

“How did it sound like it went?” Oka asked.

I dialed on the phone again.

“Who are you calling now?” Kalei asked. “Another family member who can bail us out?”

“I’m calling Stella again,” I said. “To apologize.”

“What is it, Zeta?” Stella asked.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “And hi, Stella. I’m…sorry I yelled really loud and hurt your ears and that I never call you because I suck and—”

“Zeta, the mopey guilt trip thing does not make my anger lessen. Just leave me alone for a bit maybe, please?”

“Myyregghh.” I said as Stella hung up.

“That is a tragic sound you just made.” Kalei said.

“Oh good, you found her,” Dr. Diast said, surprising me with her sudden appearance.

“Who?” Oka asked, prompting an elbow from Kalei. “Oh! Yep!”

“That’s good, because I wanted to check,” Diast said. “You guys did the experiment part too, right?”

Diast sighed deeply at our silent response. “That’s what I figured.”

“Why didn’t you tell us that before?” Kalei asked. “Stop sighing at us and teach us!”

“Dr. Diast, are you sabotaging us?” I said. “Are you gonna be a secret traitor?”

“Saboteur!” Oka said. “Secret traitor!”

“Why would I do that? You know it affects me negatively too if you fail, right?” Diast said. “If you really need to, and I really shouldn’t be rewarding your bad behavior…”

“No, do it!” I said.

“Reward us!” Oka said.

“If you do freaking…” Diast sighed. “The fang ice cube experiment. It’s the easiest one. I suck as a teacher for even telling you. You can get a red ribbon with that.”

“But we’re looking for blue! Blue’s the best ribbon!” I said.

“You disqualified yourselves from blue when you chose not to complete your project until right now, literally during the event.”

“OK, that’s fair,” I said.

“Is it?” Kalei said. “I’m still on secret traitor mode.”

“I’m not a secret traitor, who would I even be betraying you to?” Diast said.

“That sounds like what a secret traitor would say.” Kalei said.

“If you don’t stop, I’ll find a way to get the others to pass and not you.” Diast said.

Kalei finally stopped at that, but still pouted.

“Alright, there’s your hint,” Diast said. “Good luck."

“OK, so let’s go to the library?” I said.

“I’m not doing that,” Iris said. “I’m sticking with my plan.”

“We have to at least try,” Oka said. “We could squeak by with a red ribbon if we get the experiment done.”

“I mean, suit yourselves,” Iris said. “Come find me here if you wanna give up on this stupid thing.”