JAMES

Rule of Thirds. One of the many essential techniques in photography. He sat against the Starcross post to catch an angled moment of time while Thomas and Perai practiced their passes between the fields. He tried to adjust the lens to catch the movement of the ball, but Dad's old datacam couldn't quite match up to what he wanted out of a perfect moment. James fiddled with the small buttons and knobs to fix it, then frowned when Jon whistled at him.

"James, we need to have a talk."

"Oh, boy." James set the datacam in his lap. "What is it, Jon?"

"As you well know, we're going to need a vanguard frontliner before season goes into full swing," Jon said as he whipped out his datapad, where squiggly lines denoted his complicated plays and their team roster on the side. "I wanted to get your opinion before try-outs on things to look out for."

"Why do you want my opinion?" James ducked out of the way of a loose ball, then shoved his datacam into his schoolbag. "You're the one that's captain. I'm sure you can make up your mind when people try-out for the frontline placement." James zipped up his bag when he checked the time on his wristpad. Almost time to head to the collegiate and get our Quad timetables... He got up, narrowly escaping Jon trying to grab him.

"Usually you would be correct, I have all the executive decisions when it comes to strategy and team spirit." Jon leaped to his feet. "Except, Ranier, you're the one that puts them into motion. You're the one that sends my ideas out to everyone else! I remember last season when you and our previous frontliner just couldn't work together."

"Right, and I offered to just sit out the team for the quad." James shuffled off the pitch as his classmates poured into the school courtyard, where their name spread out in a hologram over its platform.

Jon waved his arms. "Except I need you this season! You and I mesh well, but I need you to help me find a vanguard frontline to complete the connection between the fields," he complained as he smacked his hands together. "I really need you to find someone to work with, Jamesy. I want us to win this Quad."

"Alright, alright." James pressed his hands into Jon. "I hear you but can't it wait?" He motioned for the curling doors of the school, which slid open to let the wave of students inside. "Starcross season isn't going to start for a while. We have time."

Jon clutched at his heart. "I know."

James smiled at him before taking the lead into the main entrance of the school. Long holoboards with student names separated into smaller screens as students tried to get their schedules onto their timepods. Some elbowed. Others called over their friends to share their classes. Jon pressed his forearm into James' back. "Look."

"Where?"

Jon pointed with a finger at the farthest end of the holoboards.

Oh, it's him. The guy who got lost and somehow waddled his way onto the pitch. He smirked at the image and baffling improbability. James hummed. "It's the guy you almost murdered."

Jon gasped, causing some other students to turn their heads. "I'll have you know that was not on purpose," he whispered quickly.

Rayan shuffled on his feet, an infopod tucked between his fingers as he tapped his tab on the screen, creating a small picture in front of him. Jon tutted. "Is that not just painful?"

"Painful how?" James readied his own infopod when a space in the holoboard opened up.

"He's probably not used to a small school. Schools in the Kestran cities tend to go up to the thousands when it comes to the number of students," Jon explained. "I remember when I came to Eteran and I thought this number equated to a ghost town. Hey!" He grabbed his shoulder. "Maybe we should go offer our assistance!"

James pursed his lips and took a small screen from the holoboard. "You can go do that."

"Aw," Jon drawled. "Did he hurt your feelings? Yelling is just... you know, when you're in a big city, you get used to it."

James lifted his head from his new timetable, while Rayan continued to twitch in front of the holoboard while students gathered around in a swallowing body. "Not... really?" He switched his attention to Ava, who sped from the corridor holding the teacher's offices. "Besides, I think Ava's got this handled." His twin sister, always on top of things, rushed straight to Rayan's side as if missile-targeted by a hidden teacher. He grinned when she slid to a stop in front of Rayan, waving a hand, causing Rayan to leap.

"Wow, I think she can set a new record."

"Let's just get to the homeroom. You in Block A?" James held up his timetable, where his locker number took a small corner on the left side. Same as all previous Quads.

"Yep. Professor Yava again?" Jon huffed. "I better be on my best behavior... I don't want to be forced to make up horrible Starcross plays. All because I missed a week of homework, James. It was cruel and unusual punishment. I had nightmares about us doing those plays..." He shuddered as they walked past Rayan and Ava, who listened to his twin's clear-cut instructions with her happy-to-help go-getter energy. James met his gaze, causing Ava to twist to him.

"James!"

Oh shit.

Ava grabbed onto his arm, and he grabbed onto Jon's who squeaked.

"We've got a new student," she said with a showy wave at Rayan, who shrank into his shoulders, where his autumn coloured eyes swept down to his feet. "Rayan Falae! He just—"

"Came here from Kestra, Odaport," James finished for her.

"We've met," Jon said with a click of his tongue. "How're you doing, Rayan? Still have your head?"

"Er..." Rayan rubbed his hand through his black hair, clutching at clumps as he eyed him, and James raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I still have it."

Ava set her hands in her forearms and glared at James. "You didn't tell me you already ran into him last night."

"I wouldn't say we ran into him," James told her as Rayan studied him. "More like someone pitched a foul—"

"I'm a goalie, not a pitcher."

James shrugged at Jon.

"Anyway," Ava switched topics with a snapping lightning bolt. "I'd be happy to guide you around until you get your bearings." Her head swiveled to James and Jon. "I'm sure these two would be happy to help as well if you have questions! Right?" Ava leaned closer to him, staring at him. "We wouldn't want to make anyone feel unwelcome in school."

"Why are you staring at me like that?" James asked.

Ava drew back with a wide grin at Rayan, who echoed her expression with palpable relief on his cheeks. "So, that's what I'm here for," she said. "As I said, I'm Ava Ranier, Class President of Block A this Quad." Her chest puffed out in confidence. "Anything you need, let me know!"

Rayan smiled. "I'll keep that in mind, Ava, thanks for the welcome — and helping me figure out these holoboards."

"Perfect!" Ava clapped her hands together before turning to them. "I'll see you two in homeroom. I have to go give him a complimentary tour of our school facilities. Our school may be small, but we have something for every student to learn and succeed."

James shook his head at her and Rayan. "We're going to leave you two to it then." He followed Jon through the main school building, into the catwalk leading into the classroom facilities, separated by levels and blocks. Freshman bounded up the staircase, excited energy pressurizing the halls, but James picked out familiar faces. Meryn sat against the window in front of their homeroom.

"Mer-er-yn!" Jon drew out, rushing up to their younger friend to clap him on the shoulder. "Nice to see you! How was the break for you?"

"Already on top of things, are you?"

James let the two talk to enter their homeroom for their last Quad, before being released out into the wild galaxy. Long tables went into a semi-circle around the teacher's podium, rising up on platforms for optimal viewing of the holoboard against the other wall. Old pictures from previous Quads took up the teacher's desk in the corner, with Professor Yava nowhere in sight. James took a seat in one of the middle rows, placing his school datapad into the tableslot. It lifted up into a screen as he typed emptied it out of old classwork while others piled in and took their seats. Jon dove for the front row, with Yvonne and Kylie sticking together at the back. Meryn took the other end of the middle row, not looking at anyone as he rested his head in the palm of his hand.

Professor Yava entered with a wide smile. "Good to see all of you," she said as she stood on the podium.

"Hello!" Jon waved.

The school bell rang throughout the corridor, with Ava nowhere in sight. James set his bag on the chair beside him, though he doubted anyone would try to take it from her. She should be here any minute anyway, with Rayan.

"So, this is the last Quad for some of you!" she said. "I'm so happy to have had the honor of teaching all of you, and hope to continue teaching you. As usual with every new quad, after some refresher in this class, you'll head over to your lockers to get everything sorted and re-explore the school and meet any new professors on your timetables. So, no homework for you, at least from me." Her gaze flicked to the doorway when it slid open, and Ava with Rayan in tow stepped through. "Speaking of, we have a new student joining us."

Rayan came to a stuttered stop as Ava stood beside Professor Yava. "Uh... Hi?"

Professor Yava tipped her head. "Are you comfortable introducing yourself?" Rayan rubbed his wrists, and Professor Yava added, "It's okay if you're not ready yet. I'm sure introductions will also come in time if you just want to pick a seat."

"No... I can do it."

James followed him through the lens of a camera as he stepped into the light of the teacher's stand. Rule of Thirds. He investigated every angle to the change of his environment.

Rayan took in a heavy breath, then lifted his gaze, and the lighting struck the golden browns, contrasted by the light beige and blues of the classroom. "I am Rayan Falae... as some of you know that... already." He shifted on his feet, where a glow settled on his face when Jon snickered. "I'm from the planet, Kestra. Born and raised in Odaport. I... uh..." He eyed Ava, who nodded at him in encouragement. "I mean, there's not much to know about me — I-I'm sure you've heard of my parents though. Illiya Falae is my mother, and Matthias Vann is my father."

"Whoa, back up," Jon said. "Matthias Vann, as in the Second to the current Sanctum Senator?"

Rayan's lips twisted into a deep, subtle grimace. "Yeah, him."

"Awesome."

Rayan's gaze drifted to the left, and James recognized the look from across miles of stars.

"What about things you enjoy?" Ava nudged. "Start there."

"Oh." Rayan blinked. "I uh... like art." He cringed, and James tipped his head. "I also like solarboarding, though that's only something you can really do on big open spaces..."

"Do you like Starcross?" Jon asked.

"Of course you'd go for that question," Kylie said behind him. "Not everyone enjoys Starcross like we do, Jon."

"You wound me, Kylie. I think everyone should love Starcross. It is the superior sport in the galaxy."

"I... watch it, and I do play it sometimes," Rayan answered. "I have seen a couple... games at the Odaport stadium."

James shook his head at the captain of his team when Jon wrote something down with a solemn, comically serious nod.

As everyone shared their own introductions to lighten the pressure, he lowered the screen when a section on it beeped out a warning in time with Professor Yava's on the podium.

"Alright! I'll see all of you tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day — and don't get into trouble," she said, directed at Jon, who folded his arms with a prideful sniff. "It's a new Quad. You'll have plenty of time for mischief at another time."

Everyone gathered outside, and James walked alone to the Block A storage lockers. He tapped in his new code into the panel, noting it down in his head as the locker swung open with a chirp, where he shoved his backliner netbat into the back place, before unloading all his infopods into designated class spots he wrote down above them. He slipped the holders back into the locker, before taking out his other essentials and plastering them on the door. Every picture he took of his friends, sticking them into corners of safety as he set his bag on the lower rungs.

"Um."

James moved the locker door out of the way of the voice.

Rayan Falae stood there, alone.

"Hello." James adjusted a couple of pictures. "What's going on?"

"I... wanted to apologize for what happened the other day. I didn't make a good impression and... I wasn't in a good mood."

James hesitated and eyed him from around the door. "You were trying to make an impression?"

Rayan jolted, and then rubbed his hands. "I-I guess I should be wording that differently." He sucked in his lips and then pointed at the locker nearby. "My locker's right there."

James followed his point, then nodded. "That one has a rusty hinge, so be careful with that one." He returned to his careful placement of his locker. "If you've got questions, you're better off asking Ava — or waiting for her here." James tapped her usual locker right beside his. "Otherwise..." He closed the locker, and made to leave to wander the school and look for new moments to capture.

"I will," Rayan bleated in panic, and James switched back when Rayan waddled up to him like he had on the pitch. "I just... I want to—This is not coming out right."

James stood there, confused. "It's fine? You're the one who almost got his head taken off by a stray ball going at, as I said, mach ten." He waved his hand upwards. "Sorry, I missed it."

"I mean, I saw you hit the others," Rayan mumbled. "You've got a pretty good swing."

"Thanks, I work hard on it." James snorted at his own joke, but Rayan's expression remained serious. "Really, Falae, it's not a big deal. Just try not to wander out onto pitches and maybe you won't get hurt. Possibly. Though I wouldn't put it past Jon to pitch a foul ball over the fence and hit some unsuspecting person just minding their own business."

Rayan narrowed his eyes. "That seems... oddly specific."

James shrugged. "If that's all..."

"It's not."

James breathed in, then eyed Rayan, who shrunk away. "What is it, then?"

"Well, I found the supermarket," Rayan said.

"Good job."

"I was wondering if there were any haunts that people hung out around. You know, like any food places or parks or... you know. You seem like you know this place... much better than I do." Rayan twiddled his thumbs and never blinked.

"I think you could ask that to anybody. I don't really hang around the 'haunts'. Ava could tell you where to go for that." James considered Rayan. "But... there is a crafts store my sister and I often go to for supplies. You mentioned you like art? That's one place to go." He mulled over the options. "Mostly everyone hangs out by the fitness facility, then there's the plaza... you've got your pick."

"Where do you prefer?"

"The forest."

Rayan finally blinked.

James sighed. "The park. It's got some good views."

"Is it the one near the pitch?" Rayan asked with a confused twist to his brow. "I mean... if you think good views is watching people play Starcross then I guess..."

"No." James sniffed. "It's on the other end of the town, near where I live. I'm sure if you wander around, you'll stumble on it. Anyway, I have to go. Got to get good seats in other classes, which you should do too. It gets competitive with our classmates." He tested the angles, then scoffed at Rayan's downturned expression. "It was nice meeting you, Rayan Falae. See you around." He raised his hand in farewell, then walked away from the new kid.