Fight With Fire

6

I stand in the deserted hallway trying to get my bearings back. I had been so stupid. I had watched Adrian and been trying to figure him this whole time. But he was never hiding anything from me. It never crossed my mind that I could just ask him. I was ready to tear off his shirt to get what I wanted. But what if I had been nice in the first place? Could we have been friends? I guess we'll never know now.

I move down the hallway toward class. When I enter class I sit at the back in my normal seat far away from Adrian and Gwen at the front of the class. Before I can listen to the conversation building around me, Ms. Fields strolls into the classroom. She walks to the front of the class grabbing everyone's attention. She is an older lady with brown salt and pepper hair. Even with her short heels, she is the shortest person in the room. There are two small robots flanking closely behind her. You can see everyone sit up as small shocks are sent through every desk to grab the students' attention.

"Hello everyone! Today we have no lesson plan. We are having a whole class discussion about the testing that's coming up in a few days."

I adjust in my seat not liking where this is going.

"Testing is very important for those of you in your last year. That includes the majority of the class as this is the advanced class. For those that are not in your last year, testing will be great practice for when it is. So everyone must take this seriously."

Gwen raises her hand. I notice it is not the arm with the iae on it. "What will we be tested on?"

Ms. Fields gives an approving nod clearly liking the question. "There is a lot of variety for Oaris. The Tefras are just tested on their Aerdell. You guys need to show off your skills wherever you can. They won't be as impressive as the Aerdells the Tefras show off but they will be just as important."

Blake raises his hand sitting near me. "What is the point in showing off the skills if they are nothing compared to the Tefras?"

Ms. Fields immediately starts shaking her head. "The placement at the end of the year will rely heavily on the results of your testing. You need to show them what you have if you want to be placed."

Everyone goes tense at the implication in her words. Placement is the most important thing in your life. Mostly because it decides if you'll get to live it. We are shipped off to school when we are young and grow up in the system. At the end of your last year, they have placement. The council places you with a job where you use your skills to help society. If you have no skills, then you aren't placed. Then you are let into society without a source of income. Many get hired illegally for cheap labour. Some find sanctuary with a friend who was placed but need to be hidden. Most don't get as lucky.

Katherine raises her hand next. "What about the scoring for the top 40? How do you get into that?"

Ms. Fields smiles apologetically. "I'm afraid that there has never been an Oari that has scored before. There is a lot of competition and you need to really impress the examiner."

Everyone deflates a little at her words. I look around the room at all the people sitting and listen intently. Everyone has so much potential and yet most people in this room will never get placed. Some will get placed working hours on end for barely any money. Even some Tefra won't be placed. Everyone knows that the only people that will get good placement are the people that score in the top 40.

I raise my hand. "What would happen if you went into testing pretending to be an Oari but you were really a Tefra?" Everyone is both surprised and unsurprised by my question. Everyone knows that there are people hiding their Aerdells but no one would ask that for fear that people would think they were hiding too. I'm the only one that can get away with asking because everyone knows that I expose hidden Phiars. This gives me the appropriate motive to ask without suspicion. Gwen and Adrian stare at me wide eyed clearly thinking that I am asking because of them. I smirk at them although I am really asking for me.