A Study Session

I sit, hunched over the table in the Weston first floor study room, I have to admit, Irene isn’t that bad. I kind of almost like her. If it weren’t for her awful taste in friends, we might be friends. Maybe. But then she does something like invite Therese to our sosh study session, and I remember why I’m not. “Abdul,” I mutter, “Why did we agree to have Therese here?”

Abdul chuckles at me. “Same reason you’re here,” he replies smugly.

I shoot him a glare. “This is my session, though. I’m the top student in class.”

Abdul shrugs back. “In 140, maybe,” he replies, “But some of us are actually interested in sociology beyond the reqs. Quite frankly, I’m more worried about methods than 140, and she’s top dog in that class.”

Irene, having been rudely eavesdropping on her elders (another problematic trait she picked up from her buddy), adds her two cents to the conversation. “And, to be fair, I’m only like a half point behind you.”

Therese looks curiously at me. “Do you want me to leave?” she asks the loaded question.

I may be her elder and better, but I know not to say yes to that question. Not to her. “Of course not, it’s just, your not in any sosh classes.”

She shrugs, slightly. “HAMSoc, but fair.”

Irene shakes her head at me. “Listen, Greg,” she says, “I get you feel weird about us young people being super smart, but please, just trust me. Therese being here’s a good thing.”

“Fine,” I groan out, “fine, fine fine. Now then, we were talking about—”

Abdul cut me off. “Sorry about Greg,” he says to Therese, “It’s not you. He’s just testy because right after the test is date night.”

“Abdul!” I nearly shout at the idiot. You never give Therese information. That’s how people end up dead, or worse.

Therese nods. “He’s right,” she says to Abdul. Then, to me, she just shoots an indifferent look. I get the feeling she already knew tomorrow was date night.

“Date night?” Irene asks. How the most gossipy, talkative person I know is besties with Therese, of all people, I have no idea. Maybe her silence just gives Irene room to talk? And, given the room, boy does Irene chat, “So, that whole thing you were readying yourself for last semester, it, like, worked? For real? I always assumed that it was a failure, because you looked kind of down in class Wednesday. So, is it the same girl? Wouldn’t that make it, like, your four month anniversary?”

“Sunday,” Abdul answers for me. I get the feeling they will have this whole conversation with no need of me. I give Therese a look, and her slight nod confirms it. I’m superfluous to Abdul and Irene’s chatting about my love life. I start looking over my notes as they gossip. “But he’s got something planned for that, too. He’s just being extra romantic these next couple weeks, because she visits her relatives for spring break and says that four months isn’t long enough to bring him over for Easter. Especially because he’s weird.”

“I’m right here,” I say, still reading my notes.

Irene shrugs. “In all fairness, you are a bit weird. We all are. We can make stuff blow up with our minds. For most of the world, that’s kinda strange.”

I sigh. She’s right, but I’m not about to admit that. Abdul continues, “So, he’s doing the full court romantic press, hoping he’ll get the invite to meet Katie’s parents before they all leave for Easter.”

“You sure that’s wise?” Irene questions, “After all, if they don’t like you, they’ll spend that entire trip trying to talk her out of the relationship, won’t they?”

“Maybe, but if they do like me, they’ll be talking me up to the rest of the family, meaning any summer meetups, I might actually be invited,” I answer, giving up on getting any studying done while these fools are around. I’ll just avoid sleep tonight. What’s the worst that could happen?

“Clever,” Therese says. I get the feeling she sees the whole coin, too. “There are a few places it could go wrong, but clever nonetheless.”

As everyone else’s attention shifts to Therese, I maintain eye contact and give her the slightest hint of a headshake. I don’t need my friends thinking any less of me. “What do you mean?” Abdul asks. He doesn’t know the girl well enough.

Therese covers for me. “I doubt he even sees how clever his ploy is,” she equivocates. I close my eyes. This means I’ll owe her one, doesn’t it? Crap, that’s not great.

“Anyways,” I say to get the conversation off of me, “Why’re we always talking about MY love life. You guys are in college, too. Abdul...” I trail off.

“Don’t look at me,” he says, “I’m proudly single. I’m giving up on men for at least a year.”

I see Therese’s head cock, ever so slightly. So does Irene. I hope she brings it up, so I don’t have to. After a moment, she does. “I know that look,” Irene says, “You’re lying. That must mean it’s something juicy.”

“Make your face shut up, Therese. How do you know that, anyways?” Abdul gets upset, but in an embarrassed way.

“It isn’t juicy,” Therese says, covering for him as well. Shit, by the end of today, we’re all going to be in the red in her book, aren’t we? That’s probably not the greatest.

Irene nods. “Fair enough. Especially with some of the other rumors around. Greg, you hear about Ike?”

I shake my head. “It isn’t fair, being friends with that one. She knows too much,” I complain, gesturing towards the terrifying one.

“She refuses to tell me anything,” Irene says.

Therese piles on. “Indeed. Who says we’re friends? That seems a rather rude assumption to make.”

Irene laughs at that, meaning it’s some kind of joke. I still can’t tell when she’s joking. Therese is a hard one to read. “Anyways,” Irene goes back to talking, “I heard it from Ruth, who overheard Magister Baines talking on the phone when she went to Latin tutoring, which is why I thought you might’ve heard something about it, Greg. Latin’s your thing, right?”

Abdul laughs. “Don’t be silly. Old Greg here’s too good for gossip. So, what’s the rumor? How juicy are we talking?”

Irene nods. “Well, evidently, Baines was on the phone talking with someone and said something along the lines of ‘Really? Isaac? But isn’t he, like, a bit younger than you like?’ but in more words.”

“But good old Talfryn Baines hates us students,” I feel the need to say. It’ll keep the conversation off me. “No way he’s talking to one in his free time.”

Irene nods. “That’s why Ruth was confused by it, but I remember Ike was here over break, right? What if he’s having a fling with one of the Magisters?”

Therese shows absolutely no reaction to that, meaning she knows what’s going on and isn’t interested in talking. I get that, as I go back to my notes. Maybe I can actually get some studying in, while Abdul and Irene try to figure out who the rumor might be about. Their verbal investigation could go on for hours, and I won’t need to contribute anything else to it. As long as I focus, I can just study.

And so I do. They mention about a thousand odd names, and Therese and I focus in on our work. She’s writing some kind of essay, I think, I’m not really sure. As much as I’d like to move on to my Advanced Theoretical Applications of Blood-Based Sacrificial Magic paper, I need to study this. I have another week to write that paper, and the test is tomorrow. While some people might be comfortable going into a midterm without studying, I’m most certainly not. Abdul and Irene move over to a whiteboard. Not for studying purposes, but to map out people they think are likely, and when they could’ve met up with Isaac. I can’t help but sigh, though I manage to keep it quiet enough that I doubt they could hear it.

After a long evening of studying, I feel confident in my chances of getting an A. Turning around the room, I see Therese is still working and Abdul and Irene have managed to come to a conclusion. “Ike’s clearly sleeping with one of these four people,” Abdul says seeing me make eye contact.

I look at the list. A few of the younger Magisters, and one of the few maestros here. “You forgot about local politicians,” I mention, hoping that would get them to keep on chatting.

“Don’t be silly,” Irene says with a smirk, “Ike isn’t like you or Therese. He doesn’t care about the world outside the Magisterium.” Therese looks up at Irene, a slight tinge of questioning judgement in the corners of her eyes. Irene quickly updates her statement. “I mean, outside the mystical world.” Then with a sigh, she adds half-jokingly, “Such a taskmaster.”

Abdul rolls his eyes, “At least she only gets on your case about some stuff. This guy basically tries to run my life.”

I shrug. “It isn’t my fault you can’t run it yourself,” I joke.

Abdul chuckles. Irene looks confused, “What’s that mean?” she asked.

“Well,” I begin.

Abdul cuts me off with a look. “We don’t need to get into that,” he tells Irene.

“Is this related to your hesitance to chat about your sex life? Because if he’s trying to run that, well, I doubt he has the right experience…” She trails off, but I get the drift.

“Oh, ew, no. Love life, not sex life,” I say, “This boy doesn’t know how to keep a relationship to save his life.”

“Says the guy who spent most of a year longing after his second best friend and needed my help figuring out his life.” Abdul rudely brings up the past.

I stab right back. “That’s a bold faced lie,” I say, a grin crossing my face, “I’ve never longed after you. You’re not nearly hot enough.”

Therese lets out a single chuckle. She understood it. Irene’ll probably get it eventually. It takes Abdul only a half second longer than Therese. He covers his heart with one hand, then the other. “You wound me,” he says, “I’m so much hotter than Rachel.”

It’s Therese’s turn to joke. Rather than speak, she simply looks Abdul up and down, then exaggeratedly shrugs and shakes her head.

“Hey!” Abdul shouts, “I’m the reason you’re still here. You really should side with me.”

Therese’s face returns to it’s normal, flat expression. “I already finished the draft of my paper using your and Irene’s notes. I... borrowed... them while you were discussing Isaac’s private life.”

Irene gets excited. “Ooh, were we right?”

“Hm?” Abdul looks at Irene, confused. “Wait, you mean we could’ve asked Therese this whole damned time?”

“No,” I reply, “But she’s Therese. There’s little she doesn’t know.”

Irene nods. “She’s just not going to tell us.”

“Gregory,” Therese says, “While this pair studies as they need to, would you like something to eat?”

Irene mocks offense. “Rude.” Therese cocks her head slightly, and Irene admits, “True, but still rude.”

I smile. “That sounds fine to me,” I say to the girl, “As long as you don’t mind me asking you some questions.”

“I promise no answers,” she says with a slight shrug as she begins gathering her stuff. I expected as much when I gave the warning. She’s not one to give information without getting any in return. Fortunately, I recently heard some stuff. And, as twisted as the little devil’s mind works, it can prove quite helpful in figuring out plans.

I, too, gather my stuff. “Abdul, Irene, see you two in the test tomorrow,” I say as I start to leave, “Hopefully you’ll have done some studying by then.”

Abdul smiles at me and Therese as we walk towards the study room door. “No promises,” he jokes.

I politely mouth an expletive in his general direction as I follow Therese out of the room. I am getting kind of hungry, definitely am making the right call here.