Agamemnon's moping even caught Mr Evan's eyes.

"Would you happen to know the answer to my question, Mr Agamemnon?" the lecturer tortured Aga with a question everyone knew the boy could not answer.

"No, sir. My apologies," said Aga sadly.

"Miss Molly, I have to recruit your charming self to ensure your partner gets good marks for our next CTC, which is happening tomorrow," Mr Evans was quick to remind.

Molly squirmed in her seat, but nodded.

Aga threw her a mournful gaze, saying sorry with only his eyes and downward curve of his mouth.

The class ended with Mr Evans giving the class a couple of hints on the topics he'd be giving questions on tomorrow.

"And a bonus. Theatre tickets to those who could answer all questions correct, even if your partner did not get full marks. A show of my choice, of course. I heard a musical is coming to town next month. A bachelor like me would look pathetic if I go alone," he suddenly added.

The class ooh-ed and ahh-ed with interest. Theatre tickets were expensive! 

"Aga, pull yourself together, you can't drag Molly down," hissed Ballqis as they both walk out of the lecture hall.

"Let's all study tonight," Iqball suggested from behind.

"I'm in. And Aga too, we'll do it at his unit," Molly answered on behalf of the heartbroken-still Aga.

Still dazed, Aga nodded and walked away.

The trio he left looked on worriedly. 

"8PM?" Molly checked with the rest.

"I'll be there. I can even climb into his unit and open the door if he locks himself in," Ballqis vowed.

Molly threw her a grateful smile and left the corridor.

Iqball laughed.

"Climbing is your thing, huh, I wouldn't have guessed. You were so quiet at school," said Iqball without thinking.

Ballqis stilled.

"I wish you'd stop talking about school.  We're no longer students there," she replied stiffly, and left.

Stunned, Iqball immediately cursed himself.

***

They managed to get Aga to open the door that night and studied the topics required with ease. Molly was a splendid tutor. Aga even ordered the same extra large pizza, this time with even more toppings.

"I think I'm good," said Iqball when Aga offered him yet another piece.

"I'll take that," Molly volunteered, and even Ballqis took her third piece.

The boys were looking at the girls with grins on their faces.

"What? I get hungry when I have to think hard," Ballqis said, addressing Aga more than Iqball. In fact, she had been avoiding talking directly to him the whole night. Iqball was only spoken to when it was necessary.

"Me too. Well, actually I eat more when I'm worried. Aga, I'm worried about you," Molly announced without any change in the tone of her voice.

"I know. I'm sorry. But my girl and I were together for three years, you know. I can't get over her in just a few days," Aga replied sorrowfully.

"Well, your future might go down the drain in just a few days, you know," Molly replied without sympathy.

"Ooh, harsh," Iqball whispered to Ballqis. Ballqis did not respond.

"Molly's right, Aga. This is your core subject. You can't let yourself down. You must do well," Ballqis opined. Though her voice was soft, Iqball felt as if Ballqis supported Molly just because he seemed to side with  Aga.

"Look, she refused to take my calls or reply my emails. I want to know what went wrong. I need to know why she picked that guy over me," Aga hissed.

"How about you take a break from mourning for a bit. After CTC ends tomorrow, you can allow your brain to revert to those killer questions again," Iqball suggested simply.

Aga laughed.

"Iqball, I swear you have the oddest ideas all the time. Take a break?"

"Yeah, like right now, at this moment you're thinking, how silly Iqball is. It took your mind off your ex, right?" Molly chimed in.

Aga laughed even harder.

"My goodness, I pity whoever becomes your boyfriend and your girlfriend," Aga sniggered as he pointed towards Molly and Iqball.

"Just promise you'd be very careful answering tomorrow's CTC, ok?" Ballqis pressed.

She then left for the kitchen to wash her plate and glass. "I have to go," she announced from the kitchen.

Iqball could not help but think Ballqis was avoiding him.

But he knew, he really did touch a very sore subject earlier that day. 

As Ballqis picked up her jacket and closed the apartment door behind her, Iqball forced himself to stay in his seat.

She walked back to her unit and with every step her heart ache a little more than before.

How could he? The mere mention of school made her mind zap back to those painful days. The loneliness may have lulled but collectively, it was traumatising.

Ballqis vowed she'd never let him get to her again.

From now on, Iqball and I are just lab partners. Strictly business, she resorted.

***

"Well, class, I promised a treat to those who managed to get all answers right. Looks like I'm going to go broke. My questions must have been pretty easy, huh?" Mr Evans announced after everyone have checked the answers.

The CTC had only eight questions this time, but the last two carried two marks instead of one.

Mr Evans made all of them mark the answer sheet of the pair next to them at the end of the quiz. Molly sent Ballqis and Iqball thumbs up, saying they did well.

"Congratulations, Molly, Iqball and Ballqis. You all scored well, and so did you, Mr Lee. Too bad for your partner, though. Mr Agamemnon, I knew you'd see the light at the end of the tunnel. So five of you, let me know if you're interested to follow this old fogey to town," Mr Evans announced.

The show Mr Evans wanted to see was called Wicked.

"All in?" asked Mr Evans before letting the five top scorers leave his hall.

"I feel bad for my partner, she only got one question wrong while during the first CTC I got two questions wrong and she did fine," the student called Lee mumbled.

"Well you could pay for her or split the price of the ticket and buy two less strategic seats instead. I'd be taking Mrs Jogh's van, we have space," offered the old man.

"I could? Yes, I would not mind splitting," Lee quickly agreed.

"Alright. The rest of you, all in?"

The other four students nodded excitedly. A chance to catch a live performance! What a treat for students living on stipends.

Molly and Aga were hi-fiving all the way out of the hall. Aga was especially happy that all the studying from the night before paid off. Molly was happy to regain her standing grade.

Only Iqball was keeping calm, waiting for Ballqis to say something.

"Good job, mate," said Iqball after Ballqis kept talking to Molly and Aga, once again ignoring him.

"You too," she replied quickly and resumed her conversation with Aga and Molly.