Her last class of the day was Math, something Cassie was very good at, but something she wasn't all that fond of. She didn't need to take notes for this class, since most of the work tended to focus on problem-solving of one kind or another. Cassie wasn't as proficient with the word problems as she was when she worked with the other types, but Cassie liked to think that she was learning to handle them rather well.

Once Math class was over and school was out for the week, Cassie breathed a deep and profound sigh of relief. Two days off, Cassie smiled widely. And, just as a bonus, I get to go flying today.

Rachel met up with Cassie at the curb that bordered the parking lot.

"Hey, Cass. Did you have a good day?" Rachel asked. It was the same question her friend asked at the end of every day.

Cassie gave Rachel her usual answer. "About as good as can be expected, but I'm really glad to be going home."

"Especially now that it's Friday?"

"Yeah," Cassie grinned. "Especially today."

Walter's truck pulled up then, and Cassie's father leaned across the passenger seat and unlocked the door for them. "Good afternoon girls, Walter's taxi service is now ready to depart," Walter said as he opened the door.

Rachel and Cassie both laughed. "Thanks for the ride, dad!"

"Any time, Cassie," Walter ruffled his daughter's hair as she and her best friend climbed aboard his truck. Rachel closed the door behind herself as she slid into the front seat beside Cassie. Rachel locked the door, and Walter started the engine. Not long after that, the three of them were on their way back to Cassie and Walter's home.

"So Cassie, how was your last day at school for two days?"

"Great, dad, but I'm still glad that today's Friday."

"Well that goes without saying," Walter grinned. "I'm glad it's Friday, and I haven't gone to school since college."

Walter drove off, while Cassie and Rachel sat back and enjoyed the ride. Soon enough, they were all at Cassie's house.

"Thanks for the ride, dad," Cassie waved to her father as the two of them exited the truck.

"Anytime, Cass. Hey, why don't you two have a snack before you start feeding the animals?" Walter stepped out as well, closing and locking the door behind himself.

"Nah, I had a big "lunch" at school," Cassie made quote marks in the air with her fingers. "I'm still sort of full from that."

"Not to mention disgusted by it," Rachel said.

Walter laughed. "C'mon, maybe the memory of some real food in your stomachs with help you forget that slop."

"Slop is too nice a word," Rachel said. "That stuff's more like industrial waste."

Cassie and Walter both laughed. "Nah, I think we'll get over it, eventually. Thanks for the offer, though, dad."

Cassie hugged her father, and Rachel waved to him as they walked into the barn. Closing the door behind them, Cassie went about feeding, watering, and cleaning the cages of the animals before the other Animorphs would arrive.

"So, I thought you were going to ask Slade if he wanted to come," Rachel said.

Cassie started. "What? Oh, I guess I forgot about that."