"Four."

"Lara, I'm not-"

"Six?"

"I-"

"Eight? Oh my god, don't tell me he has eight."

I groan, covering my face with my hands to hide my mortification.

"I am not talking about how many abs my freaking teacher has!" I repeat for the umpteenth time, just as the door buzzes and the devil himself appears.

I mutter a profanity under my breath, already knowing that Slater has the hearing of an owl and definitely heard me. Buring my face into my piillow, I await his humiliating remark.

"If it aids your discussions at all, ladies, I'm not as fit as I was before coming into this profession."

With a snort, I turn to face him, not even trying to hide my lack of agreement, "Yeah, okay."

Lara giggles as if she's still sixteen, smacking my arm with a dreamy, "Awe, you guys."

We both give her blank looks. Slater busies himself with removing his outer layers and organising the endless stack of work on the desk while Lara and I fall into another conversation. The atmosphere is light and fluffy, like egg whites whisked to oblivion, and has my heart beating away elatedly in my chest.

Forget cloud nine - I'm over here on cloud 19.

"What were you actually going to tell me though? You said you had a reason for coming here, and don't think it was to ask about Slater."

Lara's eyebrows, which she also had dyed to match her head of fire, shoot up her hairline as she rubs the back of her neck, "Ah, yes... Well..."

I soften my gaze, picking up on what it might be as she looks down, struggling over a suitable sentence. Laying a hand over hers, I convince her to look up at me and offer her a reassuring smile.

"You're still having second thoughts about marrying Bennett?" I ask.

Her eyes widen to saucers as she frantically shakes her head. I sigh in relief, knowing that her and Bennet are the definition of the perfect couple and that if she were to end things, she would deeply regret it.

"Of course not. My hesitation before was just early pre-wedding jitters. I know he's the one for me and he just will not let me forget it as the days go by," she laughs a little, "My news is something else."

Her honey brown eyes lift to Slater before falling onto me.

"Can we go to a café or something?" she asks me, before adding, "No offence to you, Slater. This is just sisterly talk."

Holding his hands up in surrender, Slater only nods in understanding, eyes catching mine for a moment, "Of course. There is a café just around the corner."

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Lara exhales nervously, cupping the warm cup filled to the brim with freshly-brewed coffee in her hands. The low buzzing of chatter in the small café hums in my ears as background noises as customers enjoy their warm beverages. I clutch my own hot chocolate - loaded with brown sugar and creamer - impatiently, concerned for my sister.

"Spill already," I sigh, getting restless and shuffling closer to the edge of my birchwood chair.

I'm literally on the edge of my seat right now.

"Alright, alright. I'm just nervous; I don't know how you're going to react," she excuses her fiddling with a final sigh, and, taking a sip of her scorching latté, gathers the courage to spit it out.

"Okay. Well... I'm pregnant."

I wait a moment for my exhausted brain to catch u-

"WHAT?!" I exclaim, "Pregnant? When? How? Bennett's?"

She smiles so widely that her eyes close, and laughs at my reaction, "I expected something like that. Yes, I found out a month ago, I think you know how baby-making works, and obviously."

I blush at that, "Right, sorry. I just can't believe it! I'm going to be an aunt already?"

My mind is still dazed as I raise my hands to my face to combat my smile, hot chocolate forgotten as I practically bounce in my seat. Lara rolls her eyes playfully and continues to sip at her drink, nibbling at her slab of flapjack.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I question, realising just how big this news was, "And do mum and dad know?"

She shrugs, "You were busy with personal issues," she choose her words delicately, "and yes, they do know. I told them a week after I found out because I got paranoid that I would start showing immediately and they would notice."

I laugh at her sheepish expression, knowing that my sister, of all people, would be the one to drive herself off the edge of logic with her crazy predictions.

"They reacted surprisingly well. Early to mid twenties are supposedly the prime time to get married and have kids, but I still feel like that's a bit young, and I thought mum and dad would think so too. I mean, at that age, you've just gone from being a kid out of university to suddenly settling down and becoming a responsible adult who's meant to be a role model for the younger generation. You're telling me I need to finish school then start shitting out human beings? But it turns out, mum and dad didn't agree - they were so happy."

I look down at the table, unable to fathom anything but an expression of utter contempt on my parent's faces.

"Wow," I comment, pushing aside my sadness and replacing it with the knowledge that Lara has always deserved their love and acceptance more than I have, "That's amazing. But how are you feeling about this? Do you still believe that it's too young?"

With a sigh, she prods at her flapjack, running a hand through her hair.

"I don't know. I love Bennett with all my heart and I know that I would've married and had kids with him eventually. It does feel a bit early, but I know he feels the same, and I'm going to adore this baby no matter what. I'm sure I'd be saying the same if I was forty though," she laughs drily, "so I'll come to terms with it. I'm just thankful that you reacted well. Bennett was so shocked and freaked out."

I laugh at the image, running my fingers up and down the cardboard covering of my cup and relishing in its warmth, "That's Bennett for you."

The next few minutes pass peacefully. Customers start to file out of the shop, leaving behind their cups of coffee and small plates of brownies and flapjacks with grateful smiles of gratitude while Lara and I remain at our table. The sky outside starts to dim a little as we finish off the last of our steaming beverages and head back to the university after thanking the workers.

As soon as we step outside, a chilling breeze flutters past, tinging the tips of our ears red.

I stuff my hands in my pockets, "Hey, I also need to ask you about something."

"Shoot."

We soon round the corner and enter the university, hit with a warm hug from the radiators that are constantly on, "Well, there's a trip to a nearby lake and camping site coming up, and it sounds like a good time, but there's a payment involved. I need to get mum and dad to pay but I don't think we left off on the right foot, so I was wondering if you could-"

"You know my answer to your unspoken question already, Quo," she laughs as we step into the elevator and I press the letter H for the teachers' dorms.

Deflating with relief, I smile appreciatively and return her hug.

"Of course I'll convince them. I'd do anything for my baby sister," she says earnestly.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

I frown, watching Lara shrink into nothing but a black dot in the distance. I remain on the side of the road for a little while, my giddiness leaving with her as I cross my arms across my chest to combat the gust of wind that dances past.

I miss her already.

Heading back through the heated doors of Harrow University, I enter the elevator and soak in my solitude, every audible breath leaving my lips like a whisper.

When the doors open again, I'm stuck between reclosing them and jabbing my finger at a random floor, and sharpening my claws and getting ready to stab a bitch.

"Well, hi," Martha-May giggles, wiggling her badly-tanned fingers at me as if her batted eyelashes could restrain my urge to gouge the stupidity out of her.

I narrow my eyes at her and fake a giggle, "-to you to. Get out my way."

My fingers already tingle with the irrevocably persistent need to claw her goddamn eyeballs out as I attempt to bypass her barely-clothed body. I hold my breath to keep down the vomit that threatens to rise in my throat, triggered by the sickeningly sweet, pungent scent of her perfume. Maybe the toxic stuff has seeped into her already-challenged brain?

I make it one step before she's at me again, like a predator chasing its prey.

"Touchy, are we? That wasn't my first cat fight, Neversea, and it won't be my last," she grits out through a clenched jaw, playful attitude diminished.

I purse my lips and stop, turning around, "You really want to start something now? And if you had any respect for yourself, you wouldn't call yourself a cat. Me-ow. That's cat for 'goodbye', by the way."

Turning to stalk down the corridor, I only glare harder as I spot a certain someone with an unamused expression plastered across their face.

"Ladies, can we avoid another bout of violence? It is still undecided what the result of your last one will be, so it would be best to at least try and act civil towards each other. Miss Neversea, come inside. See you in the next lecture, Miss Jameson," Slater shakes his head with a small sigh, gesturing for me to come towards him.

With a scowl, I disobey his demands and look over my shoulder to narrow my eyes at Martha, "What are you doing up here anyway?"

Her smile sours faster than milk left untouched for three months, "Funny, Professor Hartley asked me the same thing."

She takes a step towards me, towering over me in her I-don't-want-to-know-inch heels, "You know," she begins, pitchy voice reaching an ultimate high as her eyes brighten as if she's cracked the Da Vinci code, "Putting together the evidence, I think I have reason to believe there's a secret you're hiding."

I squint my eyes at her and try to dismiss the sudden jolt to my heart as it pounds in my chest. Remaining a cool exterior, I sigh and pick at my nails, pretending that I'm not interested in finding out about her suspicions at all.

"You're doing that thing again," I trail off.

She tilts her head at me, unkind smile faltering in confusion.

"Where you speak as if you're the most omniscient being in the entire damn universe. Tell me, Martha," I match her step with one of mine, "What evidence?"

Her grins returns, broadening like my vocabulary after I first discovered the wonders of reading.

"Well, for example, I know that he's seen you naked," she says, eyes flitting to Slater behind me, who falls unnaturally quiet.

My heart drops at her statement but I don't let it show on my face. Unable to whip up a comeback, I resort to rolling my eyes and marching away from her, "Get over yourself, moron."

Slater narrows his eyes at me as I approach, leaving Martha-May in the dust. She simply giggles at my reaction.

And of course, Slater has to open his mouth, "Qu-Miss Never-"

"Quorra, was that?" Martha repeats, and I can picture the smug expression on her caked face, even without looking, "Awfully unprofessional of you to call a student by her first name, no? Lecturers in this university tend to stick to surnames. Care to explain?"

Slater seems to be losing his patience as well as I watch his chiselled jawline tighten and a steely look glaze over his usually-warm eyes.

"Leave, Martha. I'll see you tomorrow."

At that, we enter and he shuts the door behind us.

●（=｀～'=） ●

Oooooh daym.

What's going to happen next?

Next chapter is going to be their trip to the lake! Any predictions?

I'd just like to quickly mention Alexandra-Sofia who has become a good friend of mine over the last two days. I love you, Alex! ❤️ I know our friendship will only bloom from here, and I plan to support you as much as you do me.

Thank you to everyone who is being patient! I know every reader's object of hatred is exams, especially on Wattpad, because updates slow down for all writer's. These are only my mocks, so this whole ordeal will happen again in around six months, but please be understanding. Imagine having all these ridiculously high standards set by your teachers and then on the side, trying to write a book? I'm 15, and a normal 15 year old doesn't need to deal with this. It's so stressful.

Nonetheless, I love you all. Exams officially start on the 28th, so I'll get one or two more updates in before then :)

Question: Any nicknames for Martha-May you can think of? I'm running out of words starting with M! My personal favourite so far is Martha-May-June-July haha XD

Over and out,
Spud 🥔