Liir H. Dillamond was, and had been, a nervous wreck for the past eight weeks. Rightfully so, one might add, because eight weeks ago he had sent his application to Shiz University, the most prestigious, and, therefore, hardest to get into university in all of Oz. If he was accepted, the sky was the limit. If not, well... he tried not to think about that.
"Honestly, Liir, if you worry about this anymore, they won't accept you because your grades are too low!" his mother said. "Just try to relax. The letter will get here when it gets here."
"Easy for you to say! Your entire future isn't on the line!" Liir snapped.
"Liir, Mom has a point." said Shen, walking into the room. "Last I checked, you can't control when the mail gets here."
"Unless you're the mailman." said Averic, who had been watching up to this point with slight amusement. "Hey, when you don't get accepted, you could look into that."
"Maybe... hey! What do you mean 'when'!" said Liir. "Aren't you supposed to be the supportive older brother?"
"Aren't you supposed to wash the dishes right now?" said Averic.
"That would be me." said Shen. "Liir, you are going to get accepted. You're the smartest person I know. The day that you don't get accepted will be the end of days."
"If I had a nickel for everytime you were wrong about that." said Averic.
"Averic, did you check your bed this afternoon?" asked Shen.
"No." he said. Then, realizing he was talking to, asked "Why?"
"Just curious." said Shen. Averic fled the room.
"You didn't actually put anything in his bed, did you?" asked their mother
"No, just short sheeted it." Shen smiled innocently. Her mother smiled and shook her head at her daughter's antics.
"Shen, you really think I'll get in?" Liir asked. "I am a Goat, you know."
"So am I! So is Mother, and Averic, and everyone else in our family. So what if people say it's our fault Oz is in the pits? We KNOW It's not, and I'm pretty sure the Headmaster does, too." Shen was always outspoken for her age, but no one in the family minded. "You'll get in. I know it."
"Maybe you're right." said Liir.
"Shen," said Averic, having thoroughly inspecting his bed, " You are so dead!"