2024
I used to see them everyday, sitting at that exact spot at the cafeteria. Well, the golden haired girl usually floats in the air, or she sits and eats hands-free. But their group of four was always there.
Even at the Elemental Ball, she and her date made a scene. The dark-skinned, glasses wearing resident Maths class nerd can manipulate magnetic fields, and he recently showed this off during this week's Elemental Show-and-Tell, or 'ESAT' session, where students discuss their powers... or when we don't have any other conversations, we gossip.
Anyway, what the two of them did was that they decided to float up in the air spontaneously. Neither of them had a specific reason, but she started it and he followed after.
The week after the ball, their dynamics seemed to have shifted. ESAT intelligence reported that the group met an elemental manipulation student, Lead Carbon. He looked nice enough, and according to his ball date, my techie roommate Thalia, he was mysterious... to say the bare minimum.
The air around me felt odd as well. Somehow, the atmosphere just wasn't atmosphering, and the weather conditions were strange. Thalia seemed a bit more secretive and fidgety than usual. I asked her about the weather. She dismissed it as a cheap attempt at small talk, then steered our conversation elsewhere.
This happened twice. Thalia clearly knew something. One night, she was up late, on her phone. She held it vertically, mostly touching the lower part of the screen. "Up late texting, are we? Who is it?" I asked curiously.
"Oh, uh... nobody. I was just typing a script for a presentation." she said, blushing softly out of shock and embarrassment.
"You know, you really are a pretty good liar, Little Miss Titanium."
That time she was genuinely, visibly confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Your power was never titanium. Come on, it's not super strength. I saw you come down the hallway, complaining to your boyfriend about how heavy your equipment is." I replied casually. "Titanium wielders wouldn't find it that heavy."
"... How did you... who?" she stuttered. "Boyfriend?"
"You know, your date to the ball... that quiet nerd from Elemental Manipulation."
"No way!" Her blush grew even redder. "It's not like that at all! We were online friends who just so happened to meet here at school."
***
A few months later, she was finding it difficult not to break out in tears when she found out that he liked her best friend instead. She made herself believe she didn't feel for him, but... it was obvious.
And the worst part? The clueless Carbon HAD to go and tell her first. Sometimes I really wanted to punch him in the face.
She never says a thing. I just know. Call it my constant gossip source, combined with pure intuition. People have told me I have a high EQ factor, meaning I'm very empathetic. I don't know how true that is.
Thalia and I didn't have to do a thing to watch that relationship end. I always knew that Aurelia Oxide was a bit self-absorbed, but I didn't know that it was to the point that she played two boys for an experiment. She failed to consider the fact that, being friends, they were both bound to tell each other then connect the dots at some point.
But my poor roommate didn't seize that opportunity. She managed to get rid of her petty crush once and for all. I mean, nobody likes a rebound.
***
2025
Remember that cafeteria table Thalia's friends all hang out at? It's been deserted by then, occupied by arts majors mostly.
The group was mostly scattered. Aurelia, typing out her research paper with whatever data she had left, spent her lunch breaks in the dormitory.
The two unwitting test subjects were usually together. Group therapy, I supposed. Though one blamed her and the other got on with his life.
The others, Thalia included, were split as to where to divide their time. They were like neutral countries in a world war, on neither of the two sides. Neither the Central nor the Allied Powers. I'll leave who's who up to your interpretation.
Oh, and Thalia moved out. She and the two other girls from their group are living in the 130's; triple rooms. Perks of Aurelia's parents being professors.
She always seems a little more confident now, and even revealed that her power was never titanium. It's thallium.
I knew it all along.
***
2026
My last year of college. The group was back together, and Lead even found romance again.
Rumors have it Nick likes Thalia, and the one couple who have always stayed a couple... (I forgot who) they broke up!
They claim it was because they wanted to focus on studies, but it looks weird. The boy seems a lot more terrorized and the girl anyways looks perpetually worried.
I wonder what could have happened...
I haven't talked to Thalia in a while. She looks happier than ever, but I, like her, wonder what the fate of the group will be after Year 3. Well, my year 4 though.
For now, I'm Aria, known by my batch as the quiet argon girl who's always judging everyone. Signing off!
ns 15.158.61.20da2
