Tilly and Carl found a spare seat amongst the first years. There were about a hundred of them in total, which in a confined space like the dining hall seemed like more.

Tilly looked at her meal. There was a limited choice at the food counter and all of it looked like it had been there a week. She eventually decided to go for bangers and mash with gravy. Even then, as she was looking at it she wished she had thought to bring some crackers.

Tilly placed the first forkful into her mouth. It tasted as bad as it looked. Grudgingly she finished her meal and pushed plate away from her before turning and listening to the conversation Carl was having with a guy on his left.

Before long the principal stood up and reminded the rest of the students of the rules and regulations and what would happen to them if they broke them.

He dismissed the second and third years and asked the first years to remain in their seats.

"I just want to inform you that your partners have now been assigned and can be located on the screen in the Atrium. As of next week your class rank will be displayed on the same screen." The principle announced before dismissing them.

As a group they swarmed to the Atrium to find out who their partners would be for the next three years. Tilly hung around at the back of the group, her size making it difficult to get to the front without using violence. Carl was stood next to her. She really didn't understand why he was clinging to her and she didn't like it.

She heard cheers and groans as people discovered who they were paired with until the crowd had thinned enough for Tilly to get to the front. She scanned the board for her name and before she found it she felt a nudge on her shoulder.

"Looks like you and me are going to be spending a lot of time together" Carl told her, pointing at their names next to each other.

Tilly groaned and headed for the stairs. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was go to bed.

"So why do you think they've done that. They never have mixed gender pairs. Not since Ward and Romanov, and they were only paired together because their skillsets matched." Carl started rambling.

"I swear to god if you don't shut up I will punch you." Tilly muttered under her breath.

Fortunately they reached her room, so she let herself in and went to bed.

The following morning Tilly woke up at the usual time of 5.30 am. She wasn't required for breakfast until 7 so she went out for a run.

"You're cutting it fine aren't you?" Carl asked as she joined him at their table with a plate full of food.

"No. Cutting it fine would be turning up ten minutes before classes start."

"What lesson's first?" he asked her.

"It's Wednesday so Russian, room L22"

"What did you do? Spend all night memorising your timetable?"

"Not quite." Tilly replied, putting a forkful of beans into her mouth.

"I have the funniest feeling me and this food isn't going to get along" she continued, picking a sausage off her plate with her fork and knocking it onto the table. It was that over cooked and solid that it actually left an indent.

"Tell me about it. Word of advice. Avoid the eggs." Carl agreed, spitting a mouthful of eggs into a napkin.

"Thanks for the warning. I think I'm gonna eat out tonight." Tilly said, pushing her plate away from her and taking a couple of slices of toast off the rack in the middle of the table.

"Hey. I've got to go and make a quick phone call. I'll meet you in Russian 101." She told Carl, before getting up and heading towards the classroom she was due to be in.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled.

"Hey Trouble. How's Phys Acc?" her brother asked.

"You could have warned me about the food. It tastes like cardboard."

"Got your partner yet?"

"Yeah. He's a former tri state champion in some martial art or other. I really wasn't paying that much attention."

"Bet that's raised a few eyebrows!"

"Everyone keeps nagging me and asking my why."

"Jesus Tilly. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, well not in front of the other students anyway."

"They gave you private assessment?" another male voice asked her.

"That you Coulson?"

"Sure is!"

"Awesome!"

"Which room you in?" her brother asked.

"They put me in your old one."

"Smuggled any contraband in yet?"

"No!"

"Third floorboard from the left. Its loose so you can pull it up and hide stuff you don't want found in there."

"Thanks for the tip!" Tilly noticed Carl and the rest of her class approaching the room. She changed her voice to a whisper and continued "gotta go. Call you soon. Bye!" and she hung up.

"Who was that?" Carl asked.

"Santa. I forgot to change my address with him for Christmas."

"You're going to get into trouble if you keep making phone calls like that." He warned her.

"You aren't worried about me getting into trouble; you're worried about whether any punishment inflicted on me will also be inflicted on you."

"Well seen as though we are partners, I kinda am."

"There's no need to be worried." Tilly told him, smacking both of his cheeks with her hands and leading him through the now open door to the classroom.