Duel Lyceum

Familial Strain

It was night. Emily and Jones rested on the mattress while Miriam and Lyder lay next to each other on the ground. Cards from their pack opening festival lay scattered across the floor. They had so much that they been toying with new ideas and playstyles.

'Hey, Lyder, can you walk with me for a bit?' Miriam whispered, unsure of whether anyone was awake.

'Sure.' He rolled onto his feet. Feeling around the dark room, they found the doorknob and traversed through the dark hallway until they were under the cover of the moonlight.

'I suppose you already know that I have an illness,' Miriam said. The night was clear and still. Lyder felt lonely even though Miriam was right next to her.

'Yeah.'

'The doctors say that there is nothing to be done. They say I only have two years left at best. I've decided that I'm going to live every moment of my life as if it was my last. I'm going to reach everyone with my own words and I'm going to destroy my faults. I've got two years left; I'm going to live them for myself.'

'That's good to hear. Miriam, do your best.'

'Thanks. I've decided that I'm going to climb back up to dorm A and become the best person that I possibly can.'

'Your sickness,' Lyder said, 'are you keeping it a secret?'

'Yes. Not even my brother Murel knows.'

'Let's see here.' Professor Jackson paced the room. 'Lyder, are you here?'

'Yes sir!'

'Jones?'

'King Jones.'

'Emily?'

'Aye sir.'

'Miriam?'

'Sir, I didn't realise that we had homework, please it wasn't my –'

'Edward.'

'Yes.' The man from dormitory B smiled, winked and ran a hand through his gelled hair all in the same motion. Edward, the self-proclaimed romantic of dormitory B had joined them for their third detention in a row.

'I knew you four would be here again. What with you messing around the island with zero regard for responsibility, but Edward, third time in a row, are you joining in with them?'

'I'm not a fool that would join in with such uncouth behaviour. I am a gentleman sir, and love does not wait for me to finish my homework.' Edward pretended to hold a rose in his mouth.

'The school requires for me to know why you could not hand the homework in this time. So, you four, where was it this time?'

'We went to the mountains.' Emily stood on her chair and placed one foot on the deck, pointing to the roof as though she was a great pioneer. 'We got back two hours ago, that's why we are so late.'

'Sir, I didn't realise there was homework, I'm serious,' Miriam said,

'She fell asleep during class, so I said we had no homework,' Emily said.

'You told me that she had already done it when we were leaving,' Lyder said.

'Don't get worked up on the details, Lyder.'