Brier's Three

Raining Academics

"Come on! Come on!"

"Simon, give it a break!"

"No! I need to see if I'm at the top of the dean's list!"

"It's just a list."

"It's not just a list—"

"If you two are going to argue, can you please do it outside of the rotunda!"

Three students within the glided rotunda, one an academic, one a sportsman, one a child of worship. Simon, Mallory, and Bridget.

"AH! HA HA! FINALLY!" Simon exclaimed quickly clicking the email that had just arrived in his inbox, "Couri... Couri... Couri-DAMN IT!"

"I take it you didn't make the dean's list," Mallory laughed.

"The Bookstone kid is at the top of the list!" Simon groaned.

"Which one? There are three of them." Mallory remarked.

"Can you two not do this while, I'm praying," Bridget muttered, kneed in front of the largest statue of the goddess Bridgehid in the cupola used to hide the entrance to the catacombs under the store as sort of an open secret, but also as a capital of worship for the more religious students on campus.

"How did Alexandria get to the top of the list! They barely pay attention in class!" Simon groaned.

"I will never know peace," Bridget sighed.

"They're probably at the top because of Mrs. Bookstone," Simon huffed through gritted teeth.

"Oh, come on!" Mallory groaned, "They are not on the top of the dean list just because their mom is the dean!"

"Then how did they end up at the top, Mal? They do nothing in class, how are they an academic genius?" Simon vented.

Bridget huffed and finally got up dusting off her skirt before heading toward the exit and passing her friends on the way, "Are Aurora and Finnegan on the list?" she asked quietly.

Simon quickly skimmed the list, "Not that I can see."

"Then there is no favoritism," Bridget retorted as her friends followed her out of the dome and across the paved walk to the main campus under cloudy skys, "Alexandria, regardless of what you believe, must be a rather distinguished academic if they are at the top of the list."

Simon groaned pulling at his hair, "I don't understand!"

"Maybe it's something you don't need to understand," Mallory chuckled, following him into the main building.

"GOOSE!"

While slinging into the main foyer, passing their fellow students before hearing that familiar voice piercing their ears, the small dean's list with the goofiest smile ever waving at the person who seemed to be their academic rival.

"My name is Simon," he grumbled, passing Alexandria and their siblings and leaving Bridget and Mallory behind to go to there respective classes.

"What the hell is his problem," Finnegan asked mumbling.

"Simon's always been standoffish," Florian mentioned, an arm around Aurora's shoulders, "Don't take it personal, brother."

"I wonder why he never wants to talk to me," Alexandria muttered with a frown, "I just wanna be his friend."

"Maybe you could ask Aunt Georgia, how to make friends," Aurora mentioned.

"Good idea!" they yelped, before running down the mage hall, "Thanks Aurora!"

"This isn't going to end well, is it?" Florian asked, looking to his girlfriend to which she shrugged.

"It's a gift from the goddess," Finnegan joked, before heading down the hallway to his class, "they'll leave us alone for the day.