Day 17

Disclaimer: In the beginning, Mog created the universe…

"I just remembered! I've got something for you Lucrecia…"

Lucrecia looked at me quizzically.

"Okay, yah… I know I was supposed to bring this sooner, but… I just remembered this morning… At, like, three o' clock…" I was digging in my backpack and finally produced a bottle filled with a dark red liquid. The bottle was marked "Blood," in sloppy red sharpie. I placed it on her desk proudly.

Lucrecia opened the bottle, examined the liquid and gave me her favorite skeptical look.

"Corn syrup, flour, red and blue food coloring," I recited. "Not in that order though… Anyway, that's the edible version; add laundry detergent and it'll wash out of clothes, according to the recipe."

"Fascinating," she said, handing the bottle back pointedly.

The moment she looked away I slipped the fake blood into her backpack silently.

When Randal arrived, we were rather unceremoniously informed of the summarizing Mockingbird test we had not been informed of, but should have been studying for over the past month. Once again we were under-informed, and once again this exercise was ridiculous.

Two teams were to be competing against each other, answering any question pertaining to Mockingbird that Randal decided was valid. The team who answered the most questions would be awarded a single, stupid, extra credit point.

Team leaders would choose teams. Randal would choose team leaders.

"Brent!" The Randal pointed to the right side of the classroom. I carefully avoided rolling my eyes and moved to where I had been told to.

"Lockhart!" Tifa assumed her place across the room from me. I looked at her and as we made eye-contact I had the fleeting impression that we were waiting for the strike of high noon to draw.

Tifa broke eye contact and the team picking began. "Cloud." Like a trained dog, Cloud rose and joined his team.

I took up a stance of mocking melodrama, turned backwards an invisible baseball cap and pointed to Sephiroth. "I choose you!"

He swept to the front of the classroom quickly. "I am going to murder you for that…"

"Barrett." I waited respectfully for him to lumber to the front of the room.

"Lucrecia." I motioned for her to stand by me.

As Cid walked over to the other group Lucrecia whispered, "Vincent!"

"Well, off course…" I replied, then louder, "Vincent."

When he joined the group he started to put his arm around Lucrecia's waist, glanced at Randal, then looked at the floor, holding his wrists behind his back sheepishly.

Tifa chose Reeve as well, and I was awarded Aerith and Yuffie as compensation for having gotten second pick.

We lined up and were told that if we talked, sat down, or even so much as leaned against a wall we would lose a point for our team. The entire exercise was pointless, in my opinion.

The game so commenced. "Lockhart, what is the main character of this novel?"

I rolled my eyes as she gave the correct answer. I basically zoned out after answering my own question.

"What is scout's full name?"

"Jean Louise 'Scout' finch. Louise coming from her mother's—"

"That will do, Brent."

After a while, I began paying a great deal more attention to Cloud and Tifa who were whispering conspiratorially whenever Randal wasn't looking. When I knew that Randal could see me I pointedly put a finger to my lips, looking hard at Cloud. Randal saw me and responded by turning to look at Cloud and promptly announcing a point lost from their team.

With that done, I completely ignored the exercise and began daydreaming about what would happen if the Mythbusters were given Randal's head and C-4. I was thinking that, while they were at it, why not murder Hojo as well when my sixth turn to answer a question came up. By this point, all the standing was making me feel a little sick not to mention being almost asleep on my feet.

"Brent, define 'Philippic.'"

"Uh…" I felt myself swaying. Pretty purple and blue fuzzies were obstructing my vision, but disappeared when the room went black without my consciously having closed my eyes.

I was first aware that I was awake because I was cold. I tried to open my eyes, but decided I didn't particularly feel like it.

"What happened?"

"You passed out…"

"No shit..." I snarled, trying to sit up and finally opening my eyes. I saw Lucrecia hovering over me in concern and most of the rest of the class various distances away. I was still in the classroom, lying on three desks pushed together. "Speaking of which, where's Randal?"

Sephiroth pushed himself off of the wall where he'd been leaning to observe the events. "Walking down to the office, apparently. I don't think she understands Phones…" I glanced in Vincent's direction for a half second. He was looking at the ceiling. "So, Quail will probably be arriving soon…"

"Great…" I said, trying to get up off of the desks. Unfortunately, Aerith and Lucrecia both grabbed my shoulders and forced me back down.

I made a face and folded my arms, pouting. "C'mon… I'm fine. Seriously, I just… uh… locked my knees."

Tifa looked at me incredulously from across the room. "So you passed out intentionally?"

"Pretty much. Yah."

"You idiot…" Sephiroth whispered behind me.

I sat up quickly to turn and say something snide, but that didn't go as planned. "Aaaah… purple and blue splotches...!" I put a hand over my eyes and lay back down.

"Then you probably shouldn't do that." Aerith told me solemnly.

"Whatever…"

The door opened and Quail entered followed by a harried Randal.

"What happened this time?" Nurse Quail asked, as though people passing out in this room was becoming routine.

Lucrecia answered, using her know-it-all voice, "well, we were reviewing for a test we'll be taking tomorrow and I think Nicole was stressed about it…"

Lucrecia making up anecdotal evidence. If that isn't a show of loyalty, I don't know what is.

Quail bought the story, checked me over quickly and left. Randal glowered at us, so I leapt off the makeshift examination table and helped put the desks where they belonged.

Randal, however, was not so amiable. She refused to call off or postpone the test. Insead, she removed five points from my team tying us. Considering how well our team had creamed Cloud's, I wasn't that worried…

The bell rang and I started to leave the room but swayed a little as I did so, not fully recovered. I probably would have fallen if someone hadn't grabbed my shoulder to steady me. I looked around and saw Vincent looking at me solemnly.

He took his hand off my shoulder. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yah. Thanks," I said. "And Vincent?... Sorry about the fake blood thing…"

"I thought she gave it back to you?"

"I put it in her backpack when she wasn't looking…"

Vincent rolled his eyes, turned and started to walk away from me, shaking his head. "You are horrible, really."

"Thank you!" I said, laughing.

Author note: Sorry 'bout this taking so long, I've been very stressed lately...

Special thanks to my real English teacher. She put on my report card that "I wish I had more like you in my class." Depending on your definition of "like me…" Well, be careful what you wish for…