The Maplethorn Initiative (Book 1, The Maplethorn Series)

The Cynic

Cam's second week at Maplethorn Academy began with an hour of pushups, sit-ups, and laps around the gym before moving on to waffles and sausage in the chow hall. The hard part was telling which black discs were waffles and which were sausage.

"Did you remember to buy a backpack?" Keegan asked as he and Cam climbed the stairs to their floor.

"The exchange was closed by the time I got off work on Saturday," Cam answered, his words echoing in the stairwell. "And they're not open on Sunday. Why do we need backpacks anyway? It's not like we're going anywhere."

"Because you have to take your books to class with you, and there are no lockers in the courthouse."

Cam slowed his pace. "Well, today's gonna be awkward because I don't have any books except the one you stole."

"Just take a notebook," Keegan said, chuckling. "Tell the CI's it's your first day, and you're kinda special needs."

"Don't the CI's give me my books?"

"Nope! You were supposed to buy them at the exchange. It should say what you have to get on your class schedule."

Cam's eyes bulged. "Class schedule?"

Keegan pulled the door open and shoved Cam down the hall. "Captain Carver!"

•  •  •

"How did it go, Drex?" Keegan asked when Cam returned to their room later that afternoon.

Cam slid the new, book-laden backpack off his shoulder and dropped it onto his desk with a thud. "Sucked."

"Well, look at it this way. Just another two-and-a-half years, and you're out of here!"

Cam flopped across his bed. "Pretty sure I'll be dead by then."

"You'll do okay," Keegan reassured him. "Probably be our valedictorian. What did they give you for makeup homework?"

"I missed a quiz in Lit class on Friday, but the CI said I could fill it out tonight and give it to him tomorrow."

"Cool."

"Yeah, but it's not a quiz if I get to take it home."

Keegan shook his head and laughed. "He's just too lazy to stick around after class and give you a makeup test. And do you realize you just called this place home?"

Cam slapped a pillow over his face. "That did not happen."

•  •  •

The quiz was only ten questions, and Cam had it done less than ten minutes after he and Keegan got back from evening chow.

"I can look it over if you want," Keegan offered.

"I'm pretty sure it's right," Cam said. "I read half the book yesterday."

"What else did they give you to work on?"

"Algebra." Cam pulled his math book out of the backpack and laid it in the center of his desk. "Which is stupid because I took algebra last year."

"At least you should know all of the answers."

"I suppose," Cam agreed, digging for a pencil. "I did most of tomorrow's homework while our CI was talking."

"Most?"

"There's one problem I still can't get," Cam said. "I figure I'll go as far as I can, then take partial credit."

"Partial credit?" Keegan asked with a snort. "Where do you think you are?"

Cam's fingers found the pencil at the bottom of his backpack and pulled it free. "Some sort of Greek underworld?"

"There are two kinds of homework, Drex."

"Right and wrong?"

"No, done and not done," Keegan said matter-of-factly. "If you leave anything blank, you'll get detention for not completing your assignment."

"Isn't this whole place detention?" Cam asked.

"Not the point."

"Are you saying I should purposefully write in a wrong answer? What good does that do?"

"It teaches you a fundamental life lesson."

"Which is?"

"That it's better to do something than nothing," Keegan explained with a raised index finger. "Even though you know the something is wrong."

Cam's face twisted into a scowl. "Disagree."

"Okay, then how about it's better to be wrong and confident than admit you don't know what you're doing?"

"I think there's a word for that."

Keegan pulled a book from a backpack that was a twin to Cam's. "Yeah, leadership."

"Great," Cam droned, pretending to make notes with his pencil. "X plus Y equals leadership. Let me write that down."

"And you didn't think you'd learn anything here."

"Apparently, I'm learning how to be a cynic."

"Do you even know what a cynic is?" Keegan asked.

"A guy who hates everything?" Cam answered. "Who complains about everything?"

"Wrong again, Drex-man. A cynic is someone who questions whether the things we do are worthwhile. Not because he hates them, but because he thinks there might be a better way. The people in charge make you think cynics are bad because they don't want anybody to question what they're doing."

Cam raised an eyebrow. "And you're saying always question?"

"I'm saying let them think they're in charge. Play the game but learn to see things for what they are."

"Has anyone ever told you that you read way too much into this stuff?"

Keegan mirrored Cam's raised eyebrow. "Are you questioning me?"

"Ha! I guess I am."

"Then you'll do all right, man."