"Braxton, you don't have to do this."

"That's the fun part."

"Please, Braxton, don't do this."

"Sorry, Matty."

"You told me that you're scared to lose me. Well I'm scared to lose you. Please!"

Braxton laughed and cuffed his friend on the shoulder. "You aren't going to lose me, Matty. We already know I'm getting expelled, so really, this isn't going to change anything. 'Sides, I've got my pay saved up from these last two years. It's not quite what I'd hoped for, but I'll make due. I can get a small ring, and if nothing else, I have enough for two tickets and the ring can wait. Fikky and I will just go live on your planet. I'll teach your siblings to read while we wait for you to get home, alright?"

"No, not alright!"

"Let it go, Matt. You're not changing his mind." Jim sighed as he took a seat across from them.

"Change his mind about what?" Sy inquired.

"About fighting Stalkenew!" Varian plunked down, his tray in one hand and a book in the other.

"Why's he fighting Stalkenew?" Hogarth was right next to him, a tray in one hand, and a second book for Varian to reference in his other.

"They've been saying they're going to fight since they met," Jim filled them in quickly. "Hasn't happened yet. Guess they've decided it's now or never."

"Braxton!" Sy frowned over at him. "Absolutely not. Tell him, guys!"

"I don't think you get a say, Softspot."

"It did what to their mouths!?"

"Um, Varian?" Braxton raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you're on the same page as us any more."

"Forget this fight," Varian turned the book he was holding around and shoved it under Braxton's nose. "Have you any idea what radium does to people!?"

Hogarth shrugged. "Uranium was just recently isolated on his planet. He was interested in experimenting with the element, so I'm teaching him about the dangers of radioactivity. Today's lesson is the radium girls. Tomorrow we cover nuclear fission."

For a moment the table was dead silent. The other boys exchanged a glance among themselves before turning back on Braxton simultaneously.

"You're not fighting him."

"This isn't a smart choice, Braxton."

"Please don't get involved in anything else that might convince them to kick you out."

Braxton just crossed his arms and watched them in mild amusement. Beside him 628 dug into his meal as if the conversation wasn't even happening.

"He's not going to listen to you, guys." Sy sighed. "I know that look. It's the same one Jim gets when he has a bad idea he's intent on following through."

Matt, 628, and Braxton started laughing. Varian was still ranting at Hogarth about something in their books.

Sy blushed hard. "Well it is," he mumbled, mostly to himself.

"He's not wrong," Braxton agreed happily. "This is a terrible idea, and I am going to follow it like a rat on a spore transporter!"

"A what?" Jim's brow wrinkled with confusion.

"A rat's a small rodent known for eating people out of house and home."

"I know what a rat is, Braxton."

"To answer your question, Jim, a spore transporter is a merchant with mushroom spores, or stems. They usually also have dried mushrooms so you can identify the type you are buying. They're common on Braxton's planet, due to the nature of underground farming." Matt filled in helpfully. "Really, it's actually very fascinating. He wrote me up a paper on them last year to help me practice reading words I hadn't yet encountered in our academics."

"Underground farming?" Hogarth nudged Varian with his elbow. The other boy paused mid rant to look up at the rest of them, his hands still held out, frozen in whatever gesture he was making to emphasize his current point.

"That's how my planet grows food," Braxton answered with a sigh that was just a few steps on the affectionate side of exasperated. "The ground's too dry and the sun too hot to grow crops above ground. Everything bakes or is eaten by animals and scavengers, so we maintain gardens below ground. Some families have their own personal ones, but usually there will be three or four houses that share and maintain a garden all together. Our houses are placed in clusters with access into the garden from each house."

"Like a shared cellar," Matt clarified.

"Oh!" Varian perked up. "That makes sense! How do you grow food without any sunlight, though?"

"We use some specialized lighting that produces the correct wavelengths, but for the most part we try and stick with varieties of food that can survive in darkness."

"Thus the mushrooms!"

"Exactly."

"That's actually quite fascinating, can you elaborate further on how the practice is possible?" Sy folded his hands on the table, his attention fixated on Braxton.

Braxton snorted. "Nice try, Sy. You're not going to distract me from this fight."

"How did you…?"

"Well, first of all, it was quite obvious. And second of all, as if I wouldn't have seen through it to begin with, you got all formal and over invested. Huge tip off right there."

Jim snickered as he nudged his boyfriend's shoulder. "He's right, you know. You tend to project everything you're feeling. It's really easy to read you. I mean, I can practically read your thoughts with just a glance!"

"How long did it take for you to figure out I liked you?"

"...shut up."

All of the boys were laughing at Jim. Even he couldn't help but let a smile work its way onto his face. Sy did have a point, even if Jim wasn't about to admit it. He wasn't about to admit to being that clueless, even if they all knew he was.

"Ziz-ziz." 628 reached over to adjust Braxton's radio. He'd become quite accustomed to playing with it while in his usual seat on Braxton's shoulder.

"Hey, little bud, not right now, yeah?" Braxton rolled his shoulder just enough to throw 628 off balance, forcing him to grab onto Braxton's head for support. "We can mess with that later, when we're not in mixed company."

628 huffed and jumped down off Braxton's shoulder so he could find something else to do. He crawled across their table on all six limbs so he could see what Varian and Hogarth were working on. Curiously, he tilted his head and studied their books from upside down.

Hogarth rotated his book a quarter so 628 had a better view, but Varian could still reference it with ease.

628 pulled a face. "Yuck." Grabbing a handful of chips off Hogarth's tray, he scampered back over to his usual perch on Braxton's shoulder.

Braxton passed his own chips to Hogarth. "Back already?"

"Yes."

"You still can't play with my equipment right now."

628 just huffed again and crossed all four of his arms. Braxton reached up to scratch his ears, but otherwise ignored the temper tantrum.

"If we can't stop you from going through with this fight," Matt brought the conversation back around to their earlier topic, "We're at least going to be there so we can keep an eye out for officers."

"I'll accept that," Braxton answered.

"So where are you having the fight?" Jim inquired.

"I'm not going." Sy glanced up at the others almost apologetically. "I just don't agree with it, and I don't want to be involved."

"It's fine, Softspot." Braxton winked as he added, "I'm used to you bowing out of my idea of fun."

"So where are you two meeting?" Matt asked.

"Not sure. I'll message him to find out." Braxton pulled out his tablet and scanned his palm. His screen flashed as he flicked through to the messaging app.

Braximum 12:21

When and where

Will Fight Someday 12:21

Gymnasium, 21:00?

Braximum 12:21

I'll be there

Braxton turned his screen towards the others so they could see. "It's set."