Star Trek: Academy

Enter Jim and Bones

Early October

"Gals," Lennox states laying over my couches arm. Her strong body flexes with the motion. "let's go out tonight,"

Abbey looks at our friend as if she's grown a third head like Lennox has had two her entire life. "And do what?"

"Drink, I know a fantastic bar just off campus, it's the new hot stop this semester," Lennox smiles ear to ear. The red shirt sits up her smile turning into a grin.

Of course, she wants to drink. She's desperate to out-drink me. She came close last weekend but passed out before she could. Chris finds it funny.

"You do know Tarryn and I are technically underage and if I remember correctly so are you and Abbey," I have no qualms about drinking underage in America—in private. Public is a whole other ordeal.

"So I'm the only legal one," Charlie says. She sure is the only legal one, but that doesn't mean we can't drink too. She has to be the one to buy the drinks.

"If only this was Canada,"

"So says the Canadian," Abbey scrunches her nose, and a grin works its way into her round face.

"What? Would you rather I say it with an English accent?" I ask throwing an atrocious English accent on.

The girls howl with laughter. To be fair if I was in Scotland I'd have been smacked over the head by Blake. She hates it when I use a fake accent. And my English accent is horrendous.

"I'll sit this one out, I have an early day tomorrow," Tarryn stares leaning back on the couch.

"Is there no way we can convince you to come with us?" I ask still using the horrendous accent.

Tarryn looks at me like I've grown two heads. She asks what I said. So I drop the accent to my regular Canadian one.

"Can we convince you to come with us?"

Tarryn places her head in her hands. "Afraid not, I have a major test on Monday and I have to cram,"

A test already? What is Briggs doing?

"This early in the semester?" Charlie asks sipping on her water. "What is Lieutenant Briggs doing?"

Charlie has claimed her place at the island since she was introduced to mine and Chris's apartment. She doesn't sit anywhere else in a social setting. Save for the dinner table when we eat.

"He's trying for Lieutenant Commander, and thinks if he has a class success rate of 98 he'll make Lieutenant Commander,"

"That's not how that works," It's so not how it works. He became lieutenant after me. I've been a lieutenant since fifty-one. I'm set to become a lieutenant commander by fifty-seven.

Forcing students to heightened stress levels is not the way to advance. Never is. He's going to be known as a terrible teacher.

Tarryn groans. She tells us to tell Briggs and that it's impossible to tell him.

It seems the lieutenant is hard of hearing or ignorant. Not who you want as your professor.

Abbey asks how many tests Tarryn will have to take.

"From the course work at least 15,"

"Girl, even more reason to come," Lennox says still trying to goad our scientist to come with us.

"I'll pass,"

"Pass out you mean, Lieutenant Briggs is going to kill you," I tell her. I know the stress. I have that stress, being in both command and engineering classes.