The speaker system in the terminal hums to life again before a smooth female voice begins making an announcement. I sip my iced coffee and glance back down to my phone.

The three grey dots signaling Cayle's typing coalesce into a reply.

"I'll be back for Christmas. Speaking of Christmas: What are you going to get Sabine?"

I don't have to get her anything.

Do I?

"I don't have to get her anything, do I?" I type back then look around the terminal.

I believe Sabine's flight is about to deplane.

"Yeah you do!"

I roll my eyes at his reply, then bite my lip and start typing back.

"I feel like that'd be trying way too hard. I don't want to scare her."

Since I'm 90% sure she's running from somebody.

"It won't be taken as trying too hard." Cayle's response reads. "It'll hit the right note as long as you get the right thing."

The right thing. What the hell does that mean?

I don't want to get her anything too big or flashy, she won't wear it.

I don't want to get her something she absolutely hates or thinks is stupid. That'd be a disaster.

My phone blinks again, indicating Cayle's responded, only for me to be left looking at a link.

Okay…

I tap the link, and my phone switches over to my internet browser.

"Jewelry is commonly worn, though it is common to be plain and functional. Betrothal tokens from Mandalorian suitors were recommended to be easily portable, easily converted into any form of currency in case of emergency, and unimpeding in a fight. Any worn rings with gemstones were set in a shallow, rub-over setting so as to be easily worn under gauntlets or a glove. Often, Mandalorian jewelry would feature as a heavy belt of precious metal or a collar. Earrings and long chains were avoided, due to the possibility of being caught on something or, in the case of earrings, being violently pulled out. It is said that if an individual were ever to come upon a Mandalorian who was removing their ear piercings, it was a good idea to move away as they are likely about to fight. On the other hand, tattoos were somewhat popular, stretching back to the time of the Mandalorians under Canderous—"

The Force lightens significantly, drawing my eyes up to where—

Sabine. Her hair is—

"Hey." I smile nervously while simultaneously sliding my phone into my pocket.

"Hi." She returns my smile while closing the gap between us and pulling me into a hug.

I hug her for a moment as people pass us on either side before asking "How are you?"

"I'm great. How are you?"

I shrug, then sip my coffee. "Same as always. Baggage claim?"

"Yeah." Sabine replies before tucking her hair back behind her ear. "Are you drinking coffee?"

"Nah." I shake the drink before we start off towards baggage claim. "It's my normal Frappuccino thing. But the lady making it threw in caramel on top."

And now it's melting and mixed together.

"Ahh." Sabine replies, adjusting the straps on her backpack.

"How were things back home?"

Sabine smiles before answering. "Good. Great seeing everybody. Good food, old friends of mine, my room and clothes—"

"You missed your old clothes?" I laugh.

Sabine swats at my arm then continues "Yeah, I have a whole bunch of stuff that I couldn't bring with me that I wanted to. But I can only fill up so much of my car before coming down."

"Never thought of it like that."

Yeah, Sabine has her massive SUV down here. I guess she had to have driven.

From Chicago.

That had to suck.

Sabine gives me a smile before starting up again. I however, get distracted by her hair.

It's…different somehow. I don't know how. It's brighter, the purple and orange are standing out more.

"—so that wasn't so great. But outside of shoveling snow and nearly busting my ass…what?"

"Huh?" I blurt out.

Dammit.

Sabine slows down and glares right at me. "You weren't listening."

"Yeah I was. I just got distracted."

"Oh yeah?" She frowns dramatically at me. "What was I saying?"

"Uhh, a system went through Chicago, your parents made you and your brother shovel it, and you nearly broke your neck."

She told me this yesterday.

"Tristan didn't help." She shoves me, apparently satisfied with my answer. "Just handed me the shovel and told me to 'go do it'. Jerk. "

"Why not?"

"Because I'm the single one and he can't go out there and reveal his stupidity to his girlfriend." She rolls her eyes violently. "What distracted you?"

"Nothing. Your brother has a girlfriend?"

She's never mentioned it directly.

"Nuh uh." Sabine says, stopping short of the escalator and stepping aside, forcing me to do the same or be washed away in the crowd. "What was it?"

"Nothing." I repeat myself.

She pierced her nose.

She's got a stud piercing now too.

Suddenly I'm yanked forward and find myself almost nose to nose with Sabine, minus the multiple inches I have on her. "What? Tell me!"

"You…pierced your nose." I mumble, slightly terrified by Sabine's aggression.

What the hell Sabine!

Sabine's frown flips into a massive, beautiful smile. "You noticed…" Next thing I know I'm being tightly hugged. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah." I laugh and hug her again. "Looks great, just different."

Sabine this time doesn't respond, instead pulling me to get on the escalator. "Thanks. I was feeling like I needed a little change. I used to have it pierced, back in high school. Just had to slightly reopen the hole since I had it just a few months ago." She explains.

"Also, did you…maybe do something with your hair?" I timidly add.

If I'm wrong, she is going to kill me.

"You…" Her huge, toothy smile returns. "Noticed. I did. How'd you tell?"

"I…" I fumble out. "I don't know how to describe it."

Brighter won't work. It's not shinier either. More vivid, deeper I guess.

"Try." She encourages me before I feel my hand get squeezed.

"I don't know." I shrug, then look away from her gaze. More…vivid I guess."

Sabine just keeps on smiling at me before replying "I went to my normal hair stylist. Got the color redone. Do you like it?"

"Yeah." I smile and nod. "It looks awesome."

"Good." She keeps on smiling. "You didn't have to be so nervous about it."

"Well I know how girls can be if a guy says something like that and gets it wrong. I'd be dead right now."

Her smile seems to alter itself into a smirk before she answers "Not dead. I'd be mad if you didn't notice. But you did. Thank you."

"You're…welcome?"

Do I say that?

Together we step off the escalator before we drift over to the arrivals board and spot the baggage carousel that will be depositing her bags.

9.

Glancing around , I see that we're standing near carousels 1 and 2 before Sabine begins pulling me to the left.

Guess that's where number 9 is.

As I'm being dragged, I take in Sabine's outfit comprising of sweatpants as well as her USC Women's Soccer sweatshirt and comfy shoes before we arrive at Carousel 9.

Sabine curls up for another hug while lowering her voice. "Remind me later to give you a proper hug. I missed you."

"Missed you too." I smile. "This isn't a proper hug?"

Shaking her head, Sabine gives me another embrace before snatching up my hand again. "By the way, JJ's invited us over to his house tonight. Dinner, drinks, all that."

"We have class tomorrow." I remind her.

One week of classes, then a week for studying, then Finals Week.

Then the Christmas Holiday.

Can't believe we're three weeks away.

"It's Dead Week." Sabine counters. "Most of the professors will be preparing for Finals or not have class at all. If they're back from the break yet."

"How do you know?" I laugh.

Last time I checked you're a Freshman too.

"Jaicey told me. They invited us. We're going." Sabine says, clearly intending for it to be the final decision.

I break off eye contact and look to the baggage carousel, which is moving and having bags rotating around. "I'll keep my eye out."

"Oh." She says after a moment. "I brought another bag too."

ANOTHER ONE?

"Really?"

Sabine nods. "You know what my first one looks like. I'll look for the second one. I might need help with them though."

"You loaded them up didn't you?" I laugh to myself.

"I kept it right under the fifty pound limit…Oh, there it is!"

Sabine points to a large black rolling suitcase with a bright pink tag. Taking a couple of strong steps forward, I lean over and pull it off the carousel as my momentum carries me into another family. "Sorry…"

"No problem." The man says before I drag the bag over to Sabine.

It's got wheels, she can handle that one.

I deposit the bag beside Sabine, then turn back in time to spot her other bag, also black but this time adorned with a USC Soccer emblem and tag. Scooping it up—

This is the heavy one.

"You packed this one heavier." I tease her as I make my way back over to her, then gesture for us to head towards the door and my car.

"I can take it." Sabine immediately volunteers.

"Nah." I wave her off. "I didn't work out today. I need a bicep exercise." I joke, then pretend to flex.

"Yeah, with those massive biceps…" She shakes her head. "What do you curl?"

Anywhere from 180 to 220…

"Max? Around 100 pounds."

Sabine's eyes bulge. "Oh no way."

"Yes way."

"Get outta here…" She pushes me slightly. "We're going to have to go to the gym and workout. I want to see your routine and how you supposedly got so jacked."

"Jacked?" I repeat after her.

First ripped, then jacked?

"I said it. And your abs. Stay away from my teammates." She reminds me.

"You've said that before." I tease her.

"I'm serious!" Sabine repeats herself as we walk out into the Southern California sunshine.

"Bzzzzztttt…"

"Bzzzzztttt… Bzzzzztttt…"

"BZZZZZTTTT…"

It can't be 6 AM already…

"BZZZZZTTTT…BZZZZZTTTT…"

Blindly, I pull my phone off the coffee table and into my hand before silencing it and daring to—

OWW!

I'm blind now…okay.

Taking a moment, I blink a few times so my eyes readjust to the pre-dawn light before glancing at my phone screen again.

6:01 AM

I really don't want to go work out. Class is at 9 and I don't care what Sabine said, I'm going.

If for no other reason than that I should be disciplined.

"You are complacent. Lazy. Lackadaisical. Content when you have accomplished NOTHING. You aren't even through a full semester outside of this Temple."

I force myself to my feet, Billaba's words echoing in my head as I trudge back to my room.

She's right.

Once inside, I glance over to my bed where Sabine is taking advantage of my absence and is taking up a majority of the bed.

"I find your lack of discipline disgraceful. Insulting. An affront to this entire Order and its ideals."

I snatch a shirt off its hanger and throw it over my shoulder before closing my closet door and ambling over to my dresser.

Discipline is how I win.

The light side of the force is an exercise in discipline. If I relent in my efforts to contain myself, Vader will rise up and take over,

And that cannot be allowed to happen.

Discipline.

Discipline, Discipline, Discipline.

I grab some shorts and a pair of socks before seizing my new workout shoes on my way out of my bedroom.

(8:50 AM)

Lothal Hall 101 sits in front of me, almost completely unoccupied.

Class isn't cancelled…yet.

I look back down at my phone and tap over to my University email account.

"50% off all gear until 12 noon TODAY at the Trojan Horse!"

"Watch Party! 6 PM Friday before your USC Trojans take on—"

"ACAD: Reminder that class are filling up fa—

"SPAN 1301: Class cancelled for Monday, November 27th—"

Of course he cancelled Spanish.

Might as well just cancel the rest of the class while we're at it.

Only two more classes after today.

Crazy to think that I'm twelve classes away from studying for Finals for an entire week.

I'll be okay though. I'll use Twos to help make me a few study guides, look over them each day,

I'll be fine.

I swipe down through my emails and start tapping to clear away all the ones that are spam or campus bookstore sales that have expired.

That reminds me. I can sell my books back to them after all of this. Recoup a little bit of the price after they gouged me back in August.

I glance around at the six other people who braved this dreary November morning to come to an empty lecture hall before turning back to my emails.

"Dr. Renee Cambia—"

I should probably read this.

"Hey Ezra, it's me. We're expecting the workload to drop significantly this week, so we likely won't need you to come it at all. If we do, it'll likely be for just a few hours.

We'll be passing along an invitation for our end of semester party soon, with details to follow. Good luck on your finals! – Dr. Renee"

I groan and lean back in my seat.

I really hope Matt can come through with his idea.

In front of me, finally something seems to have happened as few students are talking, causing another to stand up and drift their way.

"—check your emails, he just sent something out."

Okay.

I swipe back to my inbox and reload the page.

"Univ Strat—"

That's him.

"Students,

Due to expected poor attendance and a lack of passion displayed, I have chosen to cancel today's class, Monday November 27th.

Please leave your name with the College of Psychology at the front desk. I have instructed the secretary to leave out a roll call sheet. Those who attended today will be given a 100 test grade in addition to wiping out their lowest quiz or clicker score.

Attendance sheet will vanish at 10 AM precisely to prevent abuse of the system. Good day.

Dr. Calhoun"

Cheery fellow.

Nevertheless, I gather up my notebook and pen, throwing everything back into my backpack before walking out of the lecture hall.

College of Psychology is next door.

Following a few other students from my class out the front door, I glance around me at the surrounding parking lot.

Looks like a lot of students and faculty decided to either show up late today, if at all.

Matt – 1 New Message

Hmm.

Wonder why he's texting me so early.

"Hey man, what's your schedule looking like on Thursday? Sabine said you work in Academic Advising right?"

"Yeah." I start to reply. "You need some help registering for classes?"

Most students that walked in last week we were here didn't have appointments, and the online scheduling system wasn't clear.

"Yeah. Been too busy to do it proper. Mind if Trey and I pop by around 11 on Thursday?" – Matt

"Sure." I say, then grab the door for another student. "See you Thursday at 11."

"Thanks." The girl behind me says, and I turn back to give her a slight smile.

No big deal.

"Awesome. Thank you man. Appreciate you." – Matt

I let myself smile and shake my head before finding a line of students up near a clipboard set aside on a desk.

Right here in basically the atrium of the place.

The line in front of me moves very quickly as each person checks off next to their name, quickly leaving me at the front of the line.

Ezra Bridger…

Scanning my eyes, I search until I find it and check off that I was indeed—

Sabine Wren.

Is still passed the hell out at my apartment,

I shouldn't…

She'd do it for me.

Yeah. Right.

Pretending to keep searching, I decide to buy time.

She's been good. She had a lot of fun last night, We ended up mostly sitting around a fire pit, making s'mores and drinking.

Well Sabine did. I didn't.

Oh screw it.

I check the box beside Sabine's name, then turn behind me and hand the pen off to the girl behind me.

Maybe I'll go to the Underground and get breakfast.

I think I deserve it after how today's started.