It was always you

Chapter 2

Carrin's groan as she settled on the couch beside her was almost heartening.

Selfishly so, for it made me feel less alone in my misery. 

Only almost though because I didn't like that my friend had had just as bad a time as me in the practical.

Our professor had thrown a surprise exam our way and to say that it hadn't gone all too well was an understatement.

"Do you know how much this contributes to our final grade?" Carrin asked as Rhea also joined us, settling by my feet with an expression almost as defeated as mine.

"I asked Professor Yang," Rhea supplied, "She says she will see." 

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Carrin's biting tone was a shock. I had known for half a semester now, sharing many classes with her, yet this was the first time I'd heard her speak in anything but a sweet voice.

Rhea glanced at me, just as taken aback, "I-er, I don't know. That is all she would say, that she will see once she had us all marked."

We were all silent after that, contemplating the words and the horrible test.

That was how Allen found us. Another class mate, but someone I was closest to in our still shaping group.

"That was horrible!" He complained, pulling a chair by my seat.

"I swear, if I'd known this awaited me, I would have remained in bed this morning!" I replied, letting him pull from me my half eaten chocolate bar, "Though Rhea says Professor Yang told her she will see what she will do with our marks, which makes me hope she won't add them to our final grade."

"Oh, that  depends."

I frowned at Allen, even as Rhea and Carrin perked up, hoping he could offer a better explanation for Yang's words. 

"On what," I pushed.

"On how the class does collectively. The seniors who've taken her class said she only adds the grades towards the semester final if more than seventy percent at least passed. "

The three of us looked over at him where he sat lounging, stolen bar almost finished.

"And if we don't?" I asked when he added nothing more.

He slouched lower, "Than she might throw another test at us, scheduled or something like today. Seniors said though that surprise exams are her favourite tool to keep everyone attentive through out the labs."

"So you knew," Carrin whispered, her eyes glinting, tone hardening, "You knew there was going to be a surprise exam.

He blinked back at her, "Well, I didn't know of course. Hence it is called a 'surprise' Carrin."

"But you knew she takes them often?" She pressed and me and Rhea glanced at each other. Our brunette friend seemed to be too on edge today. "Were expecting her to have one any day and were hence prepared for it."

"Of course, she is notorious for that." He shrugged back, "And I was as prepared as you, maybe less."

"And you didn't bother to tell us?" She pressed, ignoring the second part of his speech.

"And telling a friend of my friend's something I thought to be common knowledge is my duty how?" Allen's tone was fast losing his usual humour.

"Well not all of us spend our evenings sucking up to seniors in hopes of making our way up here."

"No, clearly you spend yours learning to be a-"

His harsher tone had me sitting up and I finally interjected, "Well, we know now, don't we? And the important thing to note is that she will probably not make much of our results."