A WEEK PASSED BEFORE EITHER ADRIA OR AL REALIZED. AL HAD NOW ROTATED TO EACH DEPARTMENT IN SCHOOL AND WAS LEARNING THINGS AT A PACE HE THOUGHT NEVER POSSIBLE. IN BOTH MAGIC AND ENGINEERING CLASSES AL WAS ALLOWED TO BASICALLY DO AS HE PLEASED. TYPICALLY HE WENT TO A RANDOM LIBRARY AND READ FROM SHELVES IN AN INCOMPREHENSIBLE ORDER, BUT OCCASIONALLY HE WOULD STAY FOR CLASS IF IT SOUNDED INTERESTING.

IN SWORDSMANSHIP CLASS HE BEGAN MIRRORING THE TECHNIQUES OF HIS PEERS AND IMPROVING ON THEM WITH HIS OWN KNOWLEDGE OR TIPS FROM THE PRACTICAL TEACHER, TYLIAN. ALL HIS CLASSMATES THOUGHT LITTLE OF HIS SKILL AT FIRST, THEY CHOCKED IT UP TO HIM BEING A PRODIGY IN THE FIELD. EACH CLASS THOUGHT ‘SURE, HE IS GOOD AT THIS BUT HE MUST BE DOING BAD IN…’.

BUT REALLY AL PAID LITTLE ATTENTION TO HIS FELLOW STUDENTS. HE DID HIS SCHOOL WORK AND MAINTAINED HIS PRIORITIES. READING, EATING APPLES, AND LIVING WITH ADRIA.

AND NOW WITH THE WEEKEND FINALLY COME THAT LAST PRIORITY COULD FINALLY TAKE LEAD.

ADRIA TOO SEEMED OUT OF SORTS WITH AL GONE FOR SO LONG DAY AFTER DAY. THEY BOTH SEEMED MORE AT PEACE WITH THEIR FIRST DAY OFF.

WELL ADRIA TECHNICALLY HAD NOTHING BUT DAYS OFF, ALTHOUGH SHE WAS CONSTANTLY FORCED TO HIDE FROM THE SLIGHTEST SOUND OF ROYALTY OR NOBLES SO IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE A BREAK.

"WHY ARE YOU TWO SITTING AROUND DOING NOTHING." DIANNA SHOUTS, BURSTING THROUGH THE DOOR AND SLAPPING THE TABLE WITH HER PALM.

"WHAT ELSE WOULD WE BE DOING?" ADRIA ASKS GLANCING UP FROM A BOOK SHE HAD BEEN READING THESE PAST FEW DAYS.

"OH I DON’T KNOW…" DIANNA SMIRKS WITH A GLANCE AT THE BED. "NO, WAIT I’M NOT HERE TO TEASE YOU TODAY. HURRY UP AND GET DRESSED! YOU KNOW WHAT TONIGHT IS RIGHT?"

"TONIGHT?" ADRIA ASKS GIVING LITTLE THOUGHT TO THE EARLIER INDECENCY. SHE HAD LEARNED TO IGNORE IT AT THIS POINT.

"THE ARENA’S OPENING CEREMONY IS TONIGHT! THE SPRING SEASON IS ABOUT TO BEGIN." DIANNA EXPLAINS WITH AN AMAZED EXPRESSION "HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT? DIDN’T AL MENTION HIS GOLEM IS PARTICIPATING?"

"AL’S GOLEM?" SHE ASKS, TURNING TO AL TO AUTHENTICATE THE STORY.

"THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN BUILDING THEM FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS, SO OBVIOUSLY AL’S IS A LITTLE LESS COMPLEX BUT IT'S STILL A BIG MOMENT, RIGHT?"

"IT IS!" ADRIA AGREES BOLTING FROM HER SEAT AND STARING AT AL WITH AN ASTOUNDED EXPRESSION. "WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME."

"SORRY." AL RESPONDS WITHOUT A VALID EXCUSE.

"WELL ‘SORRY’ DOESN’T CUT IT. COME ON, DIANNA GOT YOU THAT SUIT, NOW GO WEAR IT!" ADRIA POINTS TO AL’S BARREN CLOSET WITH A GRIN.

"HURRY, HURRY. OPENING CEREMONIES START AT SUNSET." DIANNA COMMANDS GLANCING AT THE WINDOW ONCE TO MAKE SURE TIME HADN’T ESCAPED HER.

AL LOOKS A BIT SHOCKED BY THE COMMENT SO HE FOUND HIMSELF UNABLE TO RESTRAIN THE COMEBACK. "IT’S STILL MORNING."

"ADRIA HAS TO GET READY TOO MR. SELFISH." DIANNA SAYS GRABBING A BAG FROM A NEARBY GUARD AND HANDING IT TO ADRIA.

"AND THAT TAKES MORE THAN SEVEN HOU…"

""YES."" MORE THAN TWO VOICES REPLY IN UNISON WITHOUT A GLANCE AT AL.

"I SEE," AL SOFTLY RESPONDS OPENING THE CLOSET DOOR AND STEPPING INSIDE TO CHANGE INTO THE COURT ROBES DIANNA HAD BOUGHT OVER A FEW DAYS PRIOR.

FROM OUTSIDE THE DOOR HE HEARD A LIGHT MURMUR ASKING WHY HE WAS IN THERE. THEN ANOTHER EXPLAINING THAT IT WAS ADRIA’S WAY OF COORDINATING CHANGING BACK IN THE OLD ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT IN KNOBBER HILL.

HE PAID LITTLE ATTENTION TO IT AND BEGAN CHANGING INTO THE COMPLEX ARRAY OF CLOTHING. THERE WERE BUTTONS, ZIPPERS, HIDDEN BUTTONS, HIDDEN ZIPPERS. IT EVEN HAD A POCKET DESIGNED TO FIT A LONG CIGAR SEWN INTO THE BREAST.

"ADRIA WHAT IS THIS POCKET INSIDE THIS OTHER POCKET FOR? I JUST CAN’T IMAGINE A USE FOR..." AL BEGAN TO ASK AFTER STEPPING OUT OF THE WARDROBE. "… EXCUSE ME."

HE QUICKLY STEPS BACKWARDS AND REENTERS THE CLOSET SHUTTING THE DOOR FIRMLY.

"WELL THAT WAS AWKWARD." DIANNA SAYS WITH A GIGGLE AS SHE TIGHTENS THE CORSET SHE HAD BEEN ADJUSTING.

ADRIA ON THE OTHER HAND WAS SPEECHLESS AND TURNING PINKER BY THE SECOND. EITHER DUE TO EMBARRASSMENT OR PAIN, EVEN I DON’T KNOW.

"WELL AT LEAST YOU BOTH CAN MAKE REACTIONS LIKE NORMAL HUMANS."

ALTHOUGH DIANNA SAYS THAT AL HAD NO REAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHY HE LEFT SO ABRUPTLY. HE KNEW OF COURSE BASED ON EARLIER TALKS WITH ADRIA THAT WALKING IN ON HER CHANGING WAS NOT ALLOWED, BUT IN THIS CASE THAT WASN’T WHAT HE WAS THINKING ABOUT. HE HAD LEFT BECAUSE OF AN INDESCRIBABLE FEELING THAT SETTLED ACROSS HIM ON SEEING SO MUCH OF ADRIA’S BARE SKIN.

EVENTUALLY THE COAST IS CLEAR, A FIRM KNOCK SOUNDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CLOSET DOOR. AL CAREFULLY TURNS THE KNOB AND GLANCES AROUND THROUGH HALF COVERED EYES. "IS IT…"

"IT’S SAFE." DIANNA LAUGHS. "AW YOU TO ARE SO CUTE."

"SHUT UP DIANNA." ADRIA QUICKLY SPIT, GLANCING NERVOUSLY AT AL. "YOU DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING, RIGHT?"

"RIGHT." AL LIES WITH SHIFTING EYES.

ADRIA SIGHS LIGHTLY, "GOOD."

DIANNA LOOKS BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEIR SHEEPISH EXPRESSIONS. "HE’S LYING, AND YOU KNOW IT."

"SHUT UP DIANNA." ADRIA AGAIN SHOUTS TURNING TO HER FRIEND WITH SOME GENUINE ANGER.

"FINE FINE." DIANNA EVENTUALLY RELENTS WITH A WAVE OF HER HAND. "BUT AL, COME ON GIVE A RESPONSE."

"A RESPONSE?" AL ASKS WITH A COCKED HEAD.

"HE DOESN’T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT! I ALREADY SAID DROP…"

"I’M TALKING ABOUT YOUR DRESS ADRIA. NOT THE STRIP SHOW EARLIER."

"AH? THE DRESS. RIGHT." ADRIA SAYS REGAINING HER COMPOSURE AND TURNING TO FACE AL WITH A BIT OF A TWIRL.

"WELL?" DIANNA ASKS WITH AN EXPECTANT GLANCE AT AL.

"IT LOOKS SOFT." AL SAYS REACHING OUT A HAND TO FEEL THE MATERIAL OF THE DRESS. AT THE APPROACH OF HIS HAND ADRIA TAKES A QUICK STEP BACK.

"NOT THE MATERIAL DUMMY. DOES IT LOOK GOOD ON HER?"

"I DON’T UNDERSTAND." AL SAYS TURNING TO DIANNA AS IF THE QUESTION IS FOOLISH.

ADRIA SIGHS AND LOOSES THE PERFECT POSTURE SHE HAD BEEN MAINTAINING UNTIL THEN. "AH, JUST DROP IT DIANNA, AL’S NOT GOOD AT STUFF LIKE THAT."

"WAIT." DIANNA SAYS WATCHING AL’S LINE OF SIGHT CAREFULLY. "WHAT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND AL?"

"ADRIA ALWAYS LOOKS GOOD, SOME FABRIC CAN DO LITTLE TO CHANGE THAT."

ADRIA TURNS TO ANOTHER DEEPER SHADE OF RED. DIANNA ON THE OTHER HAND BEAMS A SMILE. "THAT’S MY STAR STUDENT FOR YA!"

"I WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING HIM." ADRIA SAYS AFTER REGAINING HERSELF AGAIN. "BUT, THANK YOU AL. THAT’S VERY KIND. YOU LOOK VERY DAPPER IN YOUR SUIT AS WELL."

THIS TIME THE REDNESS FOCUSED ON HER CHEEKS AS SHE STEPPED ACROSS THE DISTANCE SEPARATING HER AND AL. SHE LIGHTLY STOOD ON HER TIPTOES AND PECKED A KISS ON AL’S CHEEK.

AL HAD NO RESPONSE. HE WAS AGAIN OVERCOME BY THE STRANGE FEELING FROM BEFORE. SUBCONSCIOUSLY HE WAS SEARCHING FOR THE REASON FOR THE FEELING, AND SEARCHING FOR A WAY TO RE-TRIGGER IT. BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH CONTRADICTION IN THE FEELING.

"OH! MAYBE I HAVE TWO STAR STUDENTS." DIANNA SMIRKS AS ADRIA QUICKLY RETRACES HER STEPS AND DIPS HER HEAD TO AVOID AL’S AWESTRUCK LINE OF SIGHT. "COME ON LOVE BIRDS. LETS GO SEE SOME GOLEMS BEAT EACH OTHER TO PIECES. REAL ROMANTIC STUFF, DON’T YOU THINK?"

NEITHER AL OR ADRIA REPLIED. NOR WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO. DIANNA CONTINUED SMIRKING AS SHE WALKED TOWARDS THE DOOR WHERE THE MAJORITY OF HER GUARDS AND A WAGON WERE AWAITING THEM.