Jupiter [Marvel Phase I]

three.

"Someone looks happy to be awake this morning."

Jenn could recognize Devraj Joshi's voice anywhere. Not only was Dev her best friend, but his failed attempt at a whistle gave him away. That, and his penchant for gaudy bowties. Never seemed to stop him from trying to make both work.

"Good morning to you too, ya dickhead," Jenn drawled. The insult didn't hold much venom and Dev accepted it with a smile.

The exchange was just another part of their pre-lecture routine. Dev always got to the lecture hall first and waited up for her. If Jenn had enough time in the mornings, she would try to bring him coffee - black, with far too much sugar. Then they would head into class together to ensure they could be sat side-by-side.

"Really, Dev," Jenn added once she was close enough. "When am I ever happy to be awake in the mornings?" She had to look up to say it. Dev was one of the few guys in the class who actually stood above her eye level.

"Fair enough," Dev agreed, leading the pair into the lecture hall. "So, where's Dr. Sutton? Your hair's dry, so I'm assuming you drove together."

"We did, but he's still in the car park," Jenn replied. She threw her bag over a chair and took a seat. "Said he needed to grab a couple things, but I suspect he's calling Dr. Ingram too."

Something seemed to click in Dev's eyes. "Aw, bloody hell," he said with a frown. "I should know by now not to joke about you getting a poor night's sleep. You had a dream about your parent's accident, right? Man, I really am a dickhead."

"Dev, stop. You're fine," Jenn assured him. "Not all my nightmares have to be about the crash. Harry still wants me to see Dr. Ingram, though."

"Can I ask...what it was about?" Dev said slowly.

"Think escaping from a futuristic lab that's about to explode," Jenn replied. It sounded so silly when she described it like that. Easy enough to joke about, but thinking back on it still brought her pulse up.

Dev hummed thoughtfully, a hint of skepticism on his face. Not that Jenn blamed him. And yet-

"Oh, sorry, but I won't be making it to The Grindhouse tonight," She added after a moment. "Harry wants me to see Dr. Ingram right away. Which means this afternoon, apparently."

"No, no, that's perfectly alright. You do what you need to," Dev said earnestly, finally taking his own seat. "By the way, what did you get for question 11B?"

That was one thing Jenn always admired about Dev. He wasn't afraid to talk about difficult subjects, but he also knew when not to pry. A smile began to pull up the corners of her mouth, and not just because of her appreciation. "Little late to be asking me that, don't you think?" She scoffed. She would tell him, of course, but not straight away. She enjoyed Dev's distress too much not to tease him first.

While they compared notes, the lecture hall began to fill. Jenn hadn't been the last to arrive, but she'd certainly cut it close. Harry seemed determined to beat that. The closer it crept to the lecture's nine o'clock start time, the more confused Jenn became. Maybe his discussion with Dr. Ingram wasn't going as planned.

At five after nine, one last student, Alicia Dunhill, ran through the doors. She shot a glance at the clock, then one at the podium, inhaling sharply in preparation of giving an excuse. When she found Harry's spot empty, that breath became a sigh of relief. Taking a seat behind Jenn and Dev, she dropped all her things before turning in Jenn's direction.

"Hey, Jenn. Something up with Professor Sutton?" She asked.

"No clue," Jenn replied, sending a look at the doors. "He said he was just grabbing a few things from the car."