Chiron Academy

Chapter 16.2: Written Section

Wyatt and company joined the crowd surrounding Achilles. It was a bigger class than usual today. Usually, the classes were quite small, only three squads, which depending on one the squads was either twelve to fifteen kids. This, however, was easily double half. Maybe half the school. 

Wyatt hadn't looked at the schedule to know exactly which squads were there, but he recognized SuperRyan's tall form in the crowd, his familiar white t-shirt with the red SR emblazoned on the front. Wyatt also spotted Professor Lawton's daughter's bright white lab coat. 

What was her name again? Wyatt asked himself. 

He was pretty sure it was Cassie, but he hadn't really spoken to her enough to be sure. They had really only spoken that one time in the hallway. They didn't have any classes together. Probably because she already graduated college and didn't need to be in basic level algebra anyway. 

Actually, did she even take other classes? She had a doctorate, for heaven sake. Would she even need to take any classes? What did she do all day?

Still musing mentally, Wyatt scanned the crowd again for Todd. If his squad was there, he was sure to be there too. He hadn't really talked with Todd in recent weeks, not since the squad competition.

At first, he had felt so mad about losing the game that he hadn't t spoken to Todd out of spite, most of which had passed now. He knew it wasn't really Todd's fault, but it had made him feel better. As more time had passed, his blood had cooled considerably.

There wasn't really a reason per se why they weren't talking now. There just seemed to be a distance between the two of them. Not necessarily, a physical distance; Wyatt knew where Todd's room was in the dormitory. Todd had shown it to him when they'd first arrived. It was just down the hall from his own. He could go there any time.

It was a different sort of distance between them. Todd had a different squad. Not that was a big problem either. Wyatt knew all them. He wasn't close with any of them but they seemed fine enough. Although what Amy had said about Ryan gave him some pause. 

Regardless, it just didn't feel natural to approach Todd. 

"Hey, guys," Achilles announced, a stack of papers in his hands," we're going to get started. We're going to start off our test day with a written portion.

"I don't want anyone to worry too much because this is going to be very much based on what we learned we've been talking about in class. Everyone who has been studying the Hero's Handbook will probably recognize some of these portions. They'll be word for word out of the book. And it is all multiple choice"

Peeeerfect, Wyatt thought. Book learning and theory were well and good, but fighting people on the street was something that required actual understanding. Repeating word for word instructions was not something lead to understanding. It was as if they had somehow managed to strip any sense of usefulness out of the most useful part of this school. 

Requiring only, Wyatt thought sarcastically to himself, the vague knowledge of how to avoid getting beaten up was the best way to keep kids safe on the streets. If anyone got violent they could just quote the book at them. That'd settle the criminals right down.

"I should have enough copies for everyone," Achilles continued. "Grab a test and find a place on the ground to sit. I don't think any of you guys would cheat, but just in case, make sure you're sitting a couple of feet from anyone else." 

"Do you have anything for us to write on?" one of the students asked, taking a test from Achilles.

"Ummm... no," Achilles answered, realization dawning on him on he noticed the concrete floor. "I guess I should have clipboards or something..."