Disclaimer: o_o; No, not yet. I'm getting there.

~Chapter 3: Home Economics~

"Today, class, we're making chocolate soufflés! Pair up, please."

Today was Home Economics day. Time for cooking and basic homely duties. All in one place: The HE room.

The pairings:

Umi and Clef (they're cousins, duh.)

Lantis and Hikaru (nuff said.)

Fuu and Ferio. (nuff said, too.)

Eagle and Sierra (Presea's friend's sister.)

Ascot and Caldina (don't ask.)

Other miscellenous un-named pairings I'm too lazy to type.

"Soufflés?" Clef turned to Umi, the baking queen. "Aren't they those delicate little French delights that collapse at loud noises?" "Yes," she replied. "I pity Eagle's partner." Eagle had a reputation for mucking up in HE.

The kitchen was Umi's territory. She and Clef had their soufflé ready to go. Now there was just the little task of that "silence period" where the soufflé had to set. Any vibrations from a loud noise and the delicate dish would collapse.

Eagle trooped past Lantis and Hikaru's table, and their soufflé was setting too.

CLANG.

Eagle tripped and dropped a pan on the floor. The soufflé collapsed. Clef and Umi winced. Their soufflé wobbled a bit. They saw that Eagle and Sierra's soufflé lay in a pathetic pancake shape in the tin.

The teacher, Miss May, frowned. Her soufflé, a fragrant vanilla one, was setting too. She hoped Eagle wouldn't drop something near her, or Clef and Umi as they were right at the front.

Unfortunately for everybody in class, there was Chinese Band practice going on in the next class. One member banged hard on his gong.

Everyone's soufflé collapsed into a sloppy heap.

Miss May stormed over to the next class and began shouting at the top of her voice. Ferio picked at his soufflé disheartendly. Clef chewed a small bit, and with great difficulty, swallowed. "Tastes exactly like cardboard," he muttered, coughing hard. "How'd you know?" asked Lantis as Hikaru jabbed holes in the soufflé angrily with her fork. "Presea tricked me into eating a whole chunk of cardboard when I was four. I thought it was chocolate," Clef said.

Author's Note: -imagines baby Clef choking on cardboard- XD