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I TRY TO GET ALYX'S attention for three whole minutes before she finally unplugs one of her ears. I'm constantly competing with her headphones, and I rarely win.
“What?” my roommate snaps at me. “I already know what you're going to say, Leigh. Just spit it out.”
Alyx's hair isn't blue anymore. It's lime green and blindingly vibrant. I want to ask if she manifested the new color, but I have a more pressing matter on my mind.
“Amber said you didn't even try to complete your mission,” I broach the topic as gently as I can. “She wanted me to ask you... if you'd try a little harder next time?”
“Why?” Alyx snorts. “I'm so over this spirit guide crap. None of it is mandatory, is it?” Right before my eyes, she manifests a diet soda and brings it to her lips. I have no idea why she's still drinking diet-friendly beverages. I don't think we can gain weight here.
“Do you really want a record like that?” I ask. “Do you want everyone to look you up and see that you've got a zero out of ten?”
“Believe it or not... I actually don't care!” Alyx answers with a roll of her eyes. “I got bad grades in high school, and I'll get bad grades here. I honestly couldn't care less. Now, can you leave me alone?” Her second earbud is already ascending, preparing to block me out. “I have no interest in talking to the teacher's pet.”
Before I can respond, the bud is back in her ear. My roommate returns to Regal Crimson and reading her magazine.
“Oh well,” I whisper to myself. My shoulders slump as I shuffle to the door. “At least I tried.”
Am I the teacher's pet? I'm certainly not Taishi's favorite person in the world, so she must be referring to Amber. Speaking of which, I have a meeting with Amber today. Those of us who successfully completed our first mission were summoned to the classroom. When I get there, I realize the student body has thinned considerably.
A few minutes after the students assemble, Amber flits into the room with a smile on her lips. Our teacher looks gorgeous, as always. Her brown skin is glowing, her black curls are more voluminous than ever, and for the first time, we can see her wings. They're bright white and glittering, and I can't stop staring at them.
“Hello, my lovely students!” Amber's smile expands to reveal a set of perfect, white teeth. “Let me start by saying I'm extraordinarily proud of each and every one of you! If you're sitting in this classroom, you completed your first mission. Well done!”
When I look over at Alyx's empty seat, I can feel my lips dropping into a frown. The vacant chair is strange to see.
Amber's speech continues. “From now on, your tests will be increasingly difficult. Those who failed will be stuck with menial jobs. However, your human charges will tug at your heartstrings. They will infuriate you. They will make you cry. This is all part of the learning process. You might have to make some impossible choices and stay calm under pressure. Does anyone have any questions?”
In the front row, a gray-haired old man timidly raises an arm.
“Yes, Lawrence?” Amber allows.
“I've been thinking about something...” His voice trails off, revealing his reluctance. Apparently, he's about to ask an uncomfortable question.
“Go ahead, Mr. Brooks. You're welcome to speak your mind.”
While Amber's distracted, I pull out my LightTab and search for my own spirit guide profile. I wonder if it's been updated yet?
Name: Leigh Riley
Last Mortal Age: 17
Occupation: Student
Current Rating: 10/10
A proud grin explodes across my face when I see my perfect score. Awesome.
“W-well...” Lawrence is still hesitating. “Some spirit guide instructors are better than others, Amber. So... I've been thinking... it's not really fair.”
“Hmm.” Amber sits on her desk and stretches her wings. “Do you mind elaborating for me?”
“Well, for example, my instructor's score is an eight point five,” Lawrence says. “My roommate's instructor had a six point three... and he failed. It doesn't seem right that some of us are paired with superior guides.”
“I understand your concerns. Truly. I do,” Amber assures him. “However, your instructors were randomly chosen. It really was the luck of the draw, Mr. Brooks. If you were assigned to a skilled guide, consider yourself lucky.”
I wonder what would've happened to Alyx if she was paired with Taishi? She would be sitting here instead of me, I'm sure.
Another man's arm shoots up, so Amber calls on him. “Yes, Mr. Sood?”
Mr. Sood, a middle-aged Indian man, turns around and glares at me. “Leigh's instructor has a nine! Nobody has a nine! I'm with Lawrence. It doesn't seem fair!”
To be fair, Taishi doesn't have a nine. He actually has a 9.86. From what I can understand, he really is the elite of the elite.
“As I said, I understand your concerns,” Amber repeats. “However, Miss Riley has her own set of challenges. Her instructor, despite his high ranking, is notoriously difficult to work with.”
Notoriously difficult to work with. Notoriously difficult to work with. Notoriously difficult to work with. Amber's words must echo in my head at least a dozen times. I can't believe she just slammed my instructor in front of all of these people! Is it weird that I want to speak up in Taishi's defense? True, he can be a little icy, but I like working with him. Getting Taishi Nakamura to crack a smile has been an interesting challenge.
One of the younger students slowly raises her arm. She's not as young as me, but she is still way too young to have died from natural causes. Amber's smile wavers as she addresses her student. “Yes, Emma?”
“Umm... can I request a different spirit guide?” Emma asks. “Mine won't stop hitting on me, and it's getting a little weird.”
“Oh my!” Amber gasps. “Who's your guide?”
“Uh...” Emma looks a bit reluctant to call him out in front of the class, but she does it anyway. “Ewan Stillwagon.”
His name's unusual, so it's easy to look him up.
Name: Ewan Stillwagon
Last Mortal Age: 38
Occupation: Bartender
Current Rating: 8.1/10
Wow. An eight point one seems pretty high for an alleged pervert.
“I-I-I-I don't hate him or anything!” Emma stammers. “I just... I wish I could spend time with someone who makes me a bit less uncomfortable.”
Amber offers the solution to her woes. “Speak to me after class, Miss Watson. I'll try to find someone to accommodate your needs. Now... does anyone else have any questions? Anyone?”
No more arms shoot up, but Mr. Sood still looks a bit disgruntled. I don't think he likes me.
“If there are no more questions, there's only one more thing I need to tell you,” Amber continues. “If you pass all five of your field exams, you'll return to this classroom for a final test and a special reward. It is very rare for a student guide to successfully complete all missions. However, if you're one of the lucky few, your efforts will be rewarded with an amazing prize.”
An amazing prize? Okay, now I'm curious. I wonder what that could be?
“I wish you luck on your next mission,” Amber says. “I'm sure all of you will give it your very best!”
With that, class is officially dismissed. As I shuffle out of the room with the rest of the student guides, I've got my eyes on the ground. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going, because I almost run into Jophiel's rock hard chest.
“Jophiel!” I gasp as he pulls me aside. My favorite Archangel is still the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. He's so beautiful, it's hard to look away from him. “Did you need to talk to me about something?”
“No, silly. Have you forgotten?” a grinning Jophiel playfully admonishes me. “I'm taking you to your family... remember?”