Garrett didn't sit.
He adjusted the tray in his hand, as if he had only paused to confirm sothing.
"Kaelitha," he said again, calr this ti. "I'm Garrett."
Ava straightened imdiately. Quinn stopped chewing.
Yesu blinked. "Yes?"
A faint pause.
Then Garrett smiled, polite but careful.
"I'm from the Student Council. Public Relations."
"Oh." Yesu nodded slowly. "So you manage announcents?"
"Among other things."
His eyes stayed on her a little longer than necessary.
"I ca to invite you."
That made Ava sit up.
Quinn's fork stopped halfway to her mouth.
"To what?" Yesu asked.
"The Light Festival." Garrett said simply. "This Friday."
Ava made a small sound of excitent but quickly covered it with a cough.
Quinn narrowed her eyes.
Garrett continued before anyone could interrupt.
"It's a school-wide event. Performances, exhibitions, public displays. Your na has been… ntioned."
"ntioned?" Yesu repeated.
"Yes." He didn't elaborate.
A beat of silence followed.
Then he nodded once.
"You don't need to prepare anything special. Just attend."
"That's it?" Yesu asked.
"That's it."
He finally shifted his gaze away from her, like the conversation was complete.
"Good day."
And just like that, he turned and walked away, weaving through tables without looking back.
The dining hall slowly ca back to life after he left.
Voices rose again.
But not fully.
Quinn watched him disappear through the glass doors before speaking.
"…That was weird."
Ava frowned. "It was an invitation."
Quinn shook her head slightly.
"No," she said quietly. "That wasn't just an invitation."
She leaned back in her seat, eyes still on the exit.
"Student Council executives don't co to the dining hall."
Ava shrugged. "Maybe he was hungry."
Quinn didn't laugh. Her gaze drifted back to Yesu.
"And they definitely don't do personal invites."
Yesu tilted her head. "Is that unusual?"
Quinn stared at her for a long mont. Then sighed.
"Yeah," she said. "It is."
Ava, still smiling, tried to lighten it.
"Maybe they just like her."
Quinn didn't respond.
She only picked up her fork again, slower this ti.
But her eyes stayed distant, like she was already thinking about sothing else entirely.
Then Ava sighed dreamily, resting both hands under her chin.
"But he is handso, isn't he?"
Quinn's expression snapped instantly.
"Can you not do this right now?"
"What?" Ava blinked. "It's true."
"If you put this much effort into training, you wouldn't be stuck in Rank Two."
Ava frowned. "I train. I just don't reflect. And Garrett isn't even my type anyway."
Quinn paused. "Oh no."
Ava ignored her completely.
"You know what my type is?"
Quinn leaned back. "Unfortunately, I'm about to hear it."
Ava continued like she hadn't spoken.
"Tall…"
Quinn muttered, "Of course."
"Good looking… highly ranked…"
Quinn sighed. "Groundbreaking."
Ava's voice softened, drifting.
"Dark hair… calm eyes… soone who doesn't talk too much… and when he does, it feels like it matters…"
A beat.
Then…
"You an him?"
Yesu's voice ca in casually. Her thumb pointed toward the entrance.
Ava and Quinn turned.
Apollo had just walked in.
With Daryl and Roshan beside him.
Ava forgot whatever she had been about to say. And froze.
"…Oh," she breathed. And then she gasped.
Quinn groaned. "Here we go again."
The noise in the hall quieted down.
Students whispered as the three guys made their way across the hall.
Their eyes were on Apollo. On the crutch.
Ava frowned.
"What happened to his foot?" She asked no one in particular.
Quinn seed pleased.
"Looks like perfection finally developed a limp."
The guys walked towards a segregated section of the hall covered in tinted glass.
Daryl opened the door, Apollo went in first followed by Roshan.
Then the door shut.
Yesu's brows furrowed.
"What is that for?" She asked Ava.
Ava was mumbling to herself. Her fast-paced words ran into each other.
"Prep dining," Quinn said. "They never fail to make their superiority stand out." She frowned. "How co you don't know that? Aren't you in Prep?"
Yesu said nothing.
Ava was still muttering to herself.
"I hope he's okay."
Quinn hit a hand to her head.
"I'm stuck with idiots."
***
In the Prep dining, level two students sat around a table.
"I still can't believe you won't tell your buddies what happened." Daryl said to Apollo who was sipping a juice box.
"I believe it." Ca Roshan.
Patricia was picking out the greens from her tray.
"Did you get beat up or sothing?" She asked, putting her greens into Oliver's plate. He didn't notice because he was too involved in a textbook.
"Impossible." Daryl countered.
Mahirah sat next to Apollo, adding mustard to a hotdog.
"Then why else wouldn't he want to talk about it?" She looked unbothered. "He disappears for two days and then shows up with a crutch. Sounds like there's an embarrassing backstory."
Patricia chuckled. "Really Apollo?"
Apollo silently drank from his juice box.
"Maybe he trained too hard." Daryl chipped in.
Mahirah snorted. "Him? Train too hard?"
"Fair point." Daryl nodded. "Let's go with the fight then. He fought."
"Or…" Roshan leaned in. "He slipped and fell off the stairs." He laughed. "Now that would be hilarious."
The chatter went on.
Apollo opened another juice box, ignoring them all.
"Hey," Mahirah said quietly to Apollo, leaning in. "What did godmother say?"
Apollo didn't even look at her.
"The usual."
"What actually happened to you?"
"Nothing you should be concerned about."
Mahirah folded her arms. "I'm not concerned."
"Okay."
"Co on, Apollo." Patricia complained. "My mind is racing with possibilities."
"It has to be sothing thrilling, sothing blockbuster material." Daryl clenched a fist in dramatic glory.
Apollo sighed.
"Co on dude." Daryl urged.
"What's the big deal?" Apollo asked.
Mahirah answered before anyone. "The big deal is you're being overly secretive."
There was an edge to her voice.
Apollo sighed again, tiredly. "Fine. What do you want to know?"
Daryl didn't skip a beat. "Did you fall?"
"Of course not." Apollo replied.
"Secret mission?" Roshan guessed.
"No."
"Assassination attempt?"
"No."
"Lost a duel?"
"No."
Daryl frowned. "Then what happened?"
Apollo looked at his juice box.
"I was protecting sothing."
The entire table straightened.
"What?"
Apollo took a sip.
"My dignity."
Mahirah imdiately knew he was lying.
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