Last chapter for 2020 (with a coincidentally fitting chapter title) but the updating schedule will stay the same for now.

Year Two: Not a Good Day

Wakanda's Palace - 9:00 AM

"You've been tossing and turning all night," Imanu whispers to his half-asleep wife. He knows she's more awake and aware of her environment.

Iqadi groans as she nods. Her eyes are closed as she lies on her bed, sheets up and body in a semi-fetal position as she faces Imanu. Some stands of hair cover hair face until Imanu brushes them away. He gently touches her temple with the back of his hand and she doesn't have a fever.

"Did I keep you up?" Iqadi asks, her voice grumbling.

"No," he responds.

"Liar." She grins a little. "How would you have known if I was tossing and turning if you were asleep?"

Imanu laughs a little. "You got me there."

-o-

Atlantic Residence - 13:01 PM

Emily: I have so many lab reports and experiments to finish as well as a lot of practicals to attend and discuss, and my parents want me to handle whatever Stark business is happening in Italy since I'm already here. It's insane.

"Yes," Angela says as she closes her dorm's door behind her and puts her bag on the ground, "but you're in Italy."

Emily: You have a point. I could be in Jersey.

Angela narrows her eyes despite Emily having a point. Out of all the places or even all the states SHIELD could've built the Academy, it had to be New Jersey.

Emily: So, how goes it in Jersey?

Angela groans, sitting on her beanbag chair. "I'm dealing with my own assignments and fitness tests as well as all the profs who want me to work for them this summer and it's all a lot. You know, James dumped me to give me more time for all of that but it still hurts."

Emily: I know. It's been three months but you two have all that history, even before you were dating.

Angela signs as she nods. All that damn history. That hurts. "I just feel like I'm more overwhelmed since I'm somehow behind on all my deadlines."

Emily: … is James that good at sex?

Angela pauses. It's been three months since she's gotten some but she never had this conversation with any of her girlfriends before. She's more disturbed by the fact that Emily seemed genuinely curious about that question and now she's waiting for an answer.

Emily: My bad. Was James that good at sex? To make you just forget everything about your life? Those are valid questions. I'll even tell you whatever you want to know about Daniel. Britney went into extreme detail when she told me about Xavier.

Angela narrows her eyes and gags at the mention of her brother as Emily bursts out laughing. She's probably taking the answer as a yes which, honestly, she won't be wrong.

Emily: Try and get a break. Maybe you could try and use nepotism with your broken heart.

"I am not abusing nepotism!"

Emily: Hey, we're in university. Sometimes, we gotta play our cards right because the rulebooks and policies are bluffing in our faces.

-o-

Darwin Library - 14:48 PM

James stares at the mostly blank document on his laptop that's supposed to be his overdue dissertation. All he has is the J in his name, which is weird since he isn't sure why he stopped typing his name. This is foreshadowing either his failure or zero-to-hero success. But he has to admit that this moment is better than that time he wrote a lab report in the class it was due for on the day it was due.

"Screw this," James says, closing his laptop. If he was still with Angela, he would be with her right now and not even thinking about his dissertation. Did he even have to do it at this point? It's not like the Academy was asking for it anymore.

James turns towards the main doors of Sci-Tech's library. He thinks about leaving but stops when Keith walks in.

"Hi, Keith!" James exclaims with a small wave, ignoring the library's keep quiet rule. Everyone shushes him.

Annoyed, as always, Keith walks over to James's table.

"Are you working on a second dissertation?" Keith asks, pointing at James's laptop. He remembers always seeing James working on something and a lot of their peers were thinking about doing a second one. "Your breakup must've really fucked you over."

"That's actually my first one," James admits.

Keith can't believe it but does since it's James. "But how did you get into second year?"

James shrugs. "Life worked in my favour until I fucked it over."

"Why don't you get a rebound?"

James looks horrified at that idea. "Angela Samantha Rogers is not the type of girl you dump and get a rebound. It's kind of like how Em - Daniel's fiancée - is the kind you marry."

Keith's brows wrinkle in confusion. "Are you in love with Daniel's fiancée?"

James, again, looks horrified at that idea but he laughs this time. "God no. I'm saying that because they're engaged. They could've broken it off because long-distance and busy schedules but he asked her to marry him. I could never live up to that level."

-o-

Operations' Academic Advising Wing - 14:59 PM

Angela managed to get an appointment with her academic advisor on the same day which was a miracle. All she did was go to the front desk and schedule only to find out her counsellor was available and able to take her in. Maybe life is working in her favour but that was a statement she thought of way too soon.

Angela explained her story from the breakup to where she is now with all the stress and inability to balance. It was at that moment when she realized that James balanced the scales. But she needed a moment just to pause and forget about school.

She thought her counsellor would be comforting and, if not give her an accommodation, at least give some advice. But no, her counsellor didn't give a shit. He sat across from her with the most annoyed face ever. It would've been easier to tell that whole story to Merida.

"Are you just going to sit there?" Angela finally asks because she's already tired of this appointment. She's getting those vibes that feel like she's wasting her time.

Her counsellor pulls out a set of forms from his desk and slides them across to her. "If you want this accommodation, you're going to need an agent with a high clearance and affiliation with the Academy."

"Not you?

"Nope."

Angela shrugs. She knew he wouldn't sign off on it and she isn't wasting her nepotism card on him.

"I'll save you the paperwork," Angela says, smiling as she takes the forms. "Give me an hour and I'll be back with this for you to process."

-o-

Noakes Library - 15:19 PM

Angela walks into the library with the accommodation forms in hand. She walks past the front desk and silent study area, entering the printing room. Angela walks over to the printer, standing to the side as she takes out her phone to call in advance first.

She could talk to any of her profs but that involves retelling the story and its details and likely getting the same and useless man up response. Angela doesn't have that time and not to mention that she has to find her profs and beg that they weren't busy. She isn't wasting her time with them.

Angela knows who will always be available for her. Emily did say to play their cards wisely.

"Hey," Angela says as she inserts the sheets in the printer. "I'm sending over some forms and I need you to fill them out for me. Please. I need them ASAP."

Angela pauses as she hers the response, grateful that it's a yes.

"I'll explain soon," Angela says, feeling like she's already going to break down. "I want to go back home for a bit."

Just some interesting things to point out (or things I find interesting): I've worked on a paper the day it was due in the class it was due. Also, my school would actually let you have an accommodation if you had a breakup. I think it would have to be for a relationship as serious as a marriage ending, but my professor just said they handle breakups.