“All the more reason we should stay.” He said it loud enough to cause the students to glance back as they walked out. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head as he watched them leave.
What the hell? Was I in backwards land or something? Clay was usually the first person to break the rules, now he wanted to follow them even when there was no one around to enforce them. I had no idea what was going on.
“It’s almost time to leave anyway, so I’m going to head to my last class.” I pushed past him, disappointed when he didn’t try to stop me. Although I wasn’t looking forward to Arts & Crafts as my relief class, I had to get away from Clay for a while. Maybe the others knew why he’d suddenly changed from the fun-loving, airy guy of the group to being even more serious than Bryan, and even more hotheaded than Rob.
I walked across the campus to the 3C building—which, apparently, was now the Arts & Crafts building too—and released a breath in relief when a familiar pair of deep blue eyes shined as the owner flashed his easy grin.
“Hey, babe.”
“Leo.” We were the only two in the room, so I hurried into his arms and accepted the soothing kiss, allowing it to melt into me and calm my rattled nerves. “What are you doing here?”
“It was on my schedule. Why they thought I’d want an arts and crafts class over shop, I’ll never know.”
“You and me both.” I took a seat next to the desk he had his stuff on. “Do the guys still have shop?”
“Rob and Clay do, but I think Bryan is in this class with us.”
“Why break us up?”
He shrugged, his typical answer when he didn’t know and didn’t want to put effort into figuring it out. “How’s the hand?”
I held it up, proudly displaying the gash. “About like this.”
“It should have at least scabbed over by now.”
It was my turn to shrug. I had bigger issues than how slowly a cut on my hand healed. Like how to fight fog. Which reminded me… “Hey, do you know anything about making fog?”
He gave me a look, confusion in his twisted expression. “Fog?”
“Magic fog,” I clarified, like that was any better.
His twisted expression deepened. “Magic fog?”
“Look, repeating after me isn’t helping.”
He combed his fingers through his hair, sending his crazy curls back. “Wow, babe. Bite my head off.”
I pulled in my snark spark. “Sorry, I’m having a bad day.”
“How can I help?”
I sighed and rubbed my temples. “You can figure out why Clay is acting like a…”
“Tool?” Bryan walked in, looking every bit the gorgeous earth elemental in his green blazer that pulled the hazel out in his eyes, and didn’t stop until he greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. “Hey.”
“Hey. And no, he’s not being a tool. He’s being…serious.” I shuddered.
“It’s about time.” He dropped his backpack on the desk next to me. “So, is this class what I think it is?”
“If you think it’s gluing macaroni on pencil boxes and painting happy trees, then yep.”
He didn’t even crack a smile as he studied me, then Leo. He narrowed his gaze as he swept the room before asking in a distant voice, “Do you really think that’s what this is?”
“What else would it be?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
That was…an odd answer. I kept careful watch on him as he took a seat and didn’t look up again until students began to pour in. I recognized most of them from last year. In fact, I recognized all of them, which meant there were no first years joining us.
“Hi, Katy!”
I stand corrected. Biting back a groan, I forced a smile as the president of my elemental fan club practically shouted from the other side of the room. “Hi, Trevor.”
He pushed up his owlish glasses that were way too big for his face. “I can’t believe we’re in two classes together.”
Technically, I wasn’t in 3C with him. I TA’d a class he attended. I didn’t feel like correcting him and smiled again as my answer.
“How’s it going, buddy?” Bryan greeted.
“I’ve been working on my call and can’t wait for lessons to show you.” Trevor nodded, knocking his glasses down the bridge of his nose. He pushed them up again.
“Good deal.” He motioned for him to take a seat, which he did right behind us and immediately started in on the next round of inquisition. “Did you upload the next webisode, yet? What do you think we’ll be doing in this class? Can I come watch your lessons today?”
Bryan flashed a crooked grin, showing off the dimple in his left cheek. I pleaded with wide eyes. He nodded in understanding and turned to face Trevor. “Hey, remember what I said at your extraction?”
“The part about asking too many questions?”
“That’s the part.”
“Can I choose one? That’s what Katy let me do.”
“One,” Bryan answered firmly.
“Can I come watch your lessons today, Katy?”
I took a breath to tell him no when Bryan responded. “How about you and I work together on your control?”
“Really?” Trevor practically squealed.
“Really really.” Bryan turned back around and gave me a sideways glance.
I leaned toward him and whispered, “Thank you.”
“Anytime. Now, aside from the first year behind us, it looks like everyone else is at least a second year. Since when did they make advanced relief classes?”
“Since I convinced the Council we needed one,” Professor Layden stated as she walked in and stopped in front of the class. She had her dark hair pulled back in her typical bun and brushed her hand back, smoothing a few of the loose hairs. “Sorry I’m late. Emergency faculty meeting.”
That explained why
