▌│█║▌║▌║Chapter 31║▌║▌║█│▌

I looked at Via and tried to comfort her saying, “You really shouldn’t worry that much. I’m sure that the pop quiz won’t be that difficult.”

“That’s easy for you to say! I heard from others about your score on the written exams. You’re a certified genius. What’s your secret? Do you have some inside knowledge that nobody else knows about?”

I laughed at her comments, even though I was flattered a little bit by them. This is the first time someone has commented positively about my grades. I just shook my head and told her, “No, I just work hard like I do with everything else to get good at it. I’m not a naturally gifted genius, but just like my body I work it to where it’s a well-oiled machine. Not everyone can be perfect, and have everything given to them because they have powers haha.”

“Well not everyone has the time to work their mind to that extent either.” She retorted.

I chuckled as the rest of the class walked in, seemingly all at once. I told Zen and Thomas about what we are doing today for Mr. Grey’s class, and they were shocked. Not at the fact that there was a pop quiz, but at the fact that I managed to get Mr. Grey to tell me what we are doing today. Thomas, with his eyes wide and mouth open, asked me, “How did you manage to get him to tell you? Do you have something on him that you can blackmail him with?”

“I’m just as shocked as you. I didn’t think he would tell me either. Maybe we had a bonding experience yesterday?”

Zen’s eyes went from wider than usual to back to normal as she shook her head and said, “Not likely, He doesn’t seem like the type to be effected majorly by that kind of stuff.”

“Yeah you’re right, I’m just trying to be hopeful haha.”

Via darted her head looking at all of us with eyes wide, and said in an aggressive and exasperated tone, “That’s what you are all shocked by?! Not the fact that we have a pop quiz today, and we have no idea what it could be on?”

Thomas unfazed told her flatly, “Not really, I’m good with tests in generally.”

Zen followed in suit as she said, “Same here, I’ve always thought they were pretty easy. I’ve never studied for anything.”

“I’m surrounded by geniuses.” Via said in a defeated tone.

Once everyone was in the classroom and seated, Mr. Grey got up and told us, “As most of you have probably already heard, you are taking a pop quiz today. It isn’t going to be your normal run of the mill pop quiz though. I hope you all appreciate this because it took me forever to plan all of this and convince the principal after the events of yesterday. How are you feeling by the way Khan?”

Through the sneers and snickers on the other side of the classroom, I replied, “I’m feeling fine sir, thanks.”

“Good, you all will need to be feeling good for this pop quiz. Everyone gets up and follow me. We are going to be going back to the facility where your first day of training was yesterday.”

We all got up and followed him back to the training facility we were at yesterday. Via, Zen, Thomas, Itsuki, and I were all in the back of the group of students. I went over by Via and told her, “Looks like you may get your chance of ‘redemption’ after all.”

“Don’t get my hopes up. We may just be going there to watch some videos of yesterday or something.”

Thomas had a confused look on his face. He asked Via, “What do you mean redemption? It wasn’t your fault we failed so miserably yesterday. It was all Harry’s idea, and you even stood up to him a lot until he got Lee to grab you and threatened.”

Now it was my turn to have a confused look on my face. I looked at Via with concern and confusion as I asked, “What?! What happened over at your team?”

Her face looked forward, eyes distant, as she said, “Nothing, I don’t know what Thomas is talking about. He probably needs to shut it though.”

“What do you me-…”

“I said shut it water boy!”

I looked at Via’s face, and I have never seen this face from her before. It was a combination of disappointment, anger, and sadness. It looked exactly like my face when I found out I was a sagaru. Recalling very unpleasant memories, I shuddered at the thought of them. I put on a comforting smile and nudged her arm. She looked over at me and demanded, “What?”

I knew what this was too. It was her trying to hide her real emotions from others to either save face, not make others worry, or both. I did the same thing at first with my parents when I went through all of those tests when I was little. I told her softly, “I’m here if you ever want to talk about it. I know how it feels, so maybe I could give some advice. You can text me if you don’t feel like talking about it in person.”

“What are you talking about? I already told you nothing happened yesterday, so stop showing pity on me idiot.”

I laughed a bit and tried to change the mood, saying, “Like I could ever show you pity haha. You are one of the toughest and stubborn people I know.”

She shoved me away and walked ahead a little faster than the rest of us. I looked over at Zen and Itsuki who were behind us the whole time, and Itsuki had her head down with her hair covering her eyes while Zen held her eyes down with a gloomy aura around her. Looks like that little revelation ruined the whole mood. Even Thomas, who is usually hyper and energetic, seemed a little calmer now. I really hope this doesn’t affect the pop quiz results. From Mr. Grey’s tone and words, we need to have a full tank for this one. I wonder what this pop quiz will be about?

▌│█║▌║▌║To be Continued║▌║▌║█│▌