A bell screeched throughout the campus like a banned banshee marking the 12th hour of the day. The crowd started pouring into the field earning Claire and Derek all the more audience. But Claire was way past caring. At the moment she was more focused on trying to make out shapes over the red curtain dancing in front of her eyes. She lost her arms one hour into the punishment. She didn't even know if they were held high enough anymore. Her sole focus had been on keeping her legs from folding into themselves and passing out, adding another embarrassment to her ongoing drama list.

"Claire it's...easy now."

Claire could feel a warm pair of hands on her wrists and that was enough. She totally let go of her legs and slumped down on the ground. Hadn't the hands been holding her weight, she would've totally fallen in all the wrong directions spraining her ankle in the process.

Entitled owner of the gift of falling

Claire thought to herself as the hands let go. She didn't need telling to know it was Derek's hands but didn't get why though. The scorching sun blinded her momentarily as she instinctively looked up.

"That walking dung face is gone. He nodded off before going," Derek replied in between gulping down a bottle of water. Claire's eyes became spright at the sight of water. She looked around for its source discovering a towering Xen beside Derek equally spent.

Xen handed Claire one as he opened one for himself. His practice had ended just then, leaving him with a sweat-drenched jersey and a crate of water bottles.

Claire didn't even bother asking what had happened back there. She snatched the bottle from his hand and downed it like her life depended on it.

"Woah! Slow down tiger," Xen said trying to take the bottle away from her mouth before she choked herself but Claire clenched on it like a lioness protects her cubs. Her inside felt bleached and she didn't mind choking in the process if that's what it took to fill up the draught inside.

It wasn't till each was on their third bottle of water that they could start minding their surrounding. The crowd had already thinned up from the field. Claire let out a sigh of relief realizing they were no longer exciting news around. Derek plopped down on her one side and Xen on the other. Now that they were all breathing and in one piece there was only one question roaming around in their mind.

Now what?

" F***!None of these would have happened if we made a run for it in the morning," Xen let out an exasperated sigh raking the sweaty hair sticking on his forehead.

"And run where? To whom? Who do you know here?" Derek retorted glaring at Xen.

"And what did being a goody-two-shoes do for us?"

" Jesus! Stop it," Claire clicked her tongue. Her head was throbbing at the sudden outburst of noise around. One episode of this was way over the limit for her. She cursed them for having this much energy left after all the drudgery since morning. She could barely walk ten steps without the need of passing out.

Or it's a normal people thing

Claire gradually stood up, took her bottle and started walking. She had no energy of mediating these two. If there's anything that she'd realized since the morning that would be none of these were going away any sooner. At least not for a week or so. It was pretty clear that'd been enrolled here beforehand.

No one sews uniforms for a fugitive on the go.

She gave up on sitting for her exam earlier this morning. Now her only concern was getting out of here in one piece. She could set her life again if she lived or that's what she'd been chanting to keep herself standing the whole morning and to do that she'd have to survive this place. They'd have to survive this place. Today. At least till they get to see the lieutenants again.

Corporals! They're Corporals now

Claire clicked her tongue again. Liam seemed humane enough last night to lend them an ear. At least he was the best shot between the two. If anything, he might actually listen to them if they could make him understand their side of the story.

He's a Corporal. The highest power here. He can do anything he wants here

The question was if he would. Claire shook her head. She didn't have the luxury of raring this sort of negativity. They had to make this work and she had to make sure they did. Even if after a week, two or a month later, they get to get out of this disgusting place, she'd be over the moon.

"Slow down damn it!!!"

"Where are you going?!"

Claire heard from the back but didn't reply. She didn't know. She didn't know where she's going. All she was looking for was the canteen. It had to be somewhere near. She saw throngs of people disappearing into the one-story domicile up ahead.

It must be lunchtime for all. Jennifer's gotta be there. She might know about Liam. Or anything!

By now the boys were beside her. She told them her idea. Since it had a better ending than pulling each other's collars, they shrugged along.

It wasn't hard finding the canteen once they were there. Even a blind person would've noticed it with the heavy aroma of different flavors of delicacies floating about a mammoth entrance. Suddenly pangs of hunger churned at the pit of their stomach, lucrative enough to deviate them from their goal there.

The whole room stopped on its track as they stood on the entryway. They gaped at them and suddenly a low hum of sporadic accents spread across the canteen. Everyone started saying something to someone and they didn't need telling about whom.

Good job

Claire thought as she easily spotted the redhead she wanted amidst the crowd of frozen Nix. Her burgundy hair was standing out even from the farthest corner of the huge room. She was nonchalantly chewing away her lunch, face down. Might have been the only one doing it.

Claire started walking towards her table with a bold upfront. All the eyes followed their each step but no one moved a muscle.

As the table neared with each step, her bold font was fading. A load of what-ifs started flooding her mind.

It's a bad idea

She's a Nix. Why would she help us?

She may not let us seat with her

She can refuse to speak

Hell! She can do whatever she wants and no one will stop her. It's her ground. It's Nix's ground

By the time they reached her table, Claire was too nervous to look her in the eyes.

"Um... We...uhh.."

"May we sit here?" Derek said naturally taking the lead.

Jennifer looked up. She shrugged motioning them towards the chairs in front.

Claire silently let out a sigh of relief as they took their seat in front of her. She smiled and dived into the file in front of her.

"Why are you so nice to us?" Xen blurted out of nowhere as soon as his back touched the chair. Claire kicked him under the table but that did little to haze him. He was looking at Jennifer square in her eyes.

"You make that sound like an accusation," she said taking her eyes of the file. She looked back at Xen, eyes narrowed.

"Sorry. He didn't mean it that way. We're just surprised that someone would be nice here," Claire said hastily.

" So..are you saying we're all horrible here?" She retorted looking at Claire now. The tint of her warm personality from the morning was barely there over her measured grin making Claire wonder if all the Nix are bipolar or something.

Claire squeezed Xen's hand before he could say yeah.

This is sinking down. Fast!

Before they could think of anything civilized to retort to that sudden outburst of cold wave, a smile climbed its way to the corners of her eyes.

She casually slid the file on a side and rested her head on her knuckles." Hmmm. Let's see. Maybe because you guys are the apprentices of the hottest guy on Nix and the girl with the lightning reflex and We are affiliated with 'em." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully, glee spread across her face.

" He ain't that good looking," Xen scoffed slumping back.

" Well, that's the word around," Jennifer said shrugging. She could see a tinge of red on Claire's cheeks. As expected, they had no idea what she's talking about.

If they did, they wouldn't be sitting in front of me alive.

Jennifer loved this. She loved to throw that pun in whenever she could. She had a personal set of puns for her and Lynx too just waiting to throw them in anywhere.

She was about out to pull Claire's leg just when a good tray slammed on her side.

On the other side was the messiest Nix they'd seen. Ever.