New Text Alert; You're doctor would like to make an apt with you, please reply by 5pm today to avoid notice sent to High Command.

Crap. Well that's what you get for not sleeping constantly, now they need to make sure you're not crazy.

"Hedda....Hedda!" I turn around and see Avery speed walking towards me holding two coffees. She looks like someone who has a full torso cast for a broken collar bone and will ram through anyone in her way.

"Hey, thanks." I say as I walk towards her and reach my arm out to meet her extending hand.

"Why were you up so early today?" She asks staring down at me. Avery is tall, around six feet but she lies and says she's five-eleven because she thinks it makes her less intimidating for guys. She also says it gives her a good reason to wear heels since it's harder to gauge a person's height when they have an added two inches. Her strawberry blonde hair is piled on top of her head with enough flyaways surrounding it that I'm more likely to bet she slept in it.

"Umm you know, couldn't sleep," I smile and take a sip of my drink. The mixture of caffeine and warmth races through my body helps to pull me from the haze that eight in the morning finds me. Even though I've been up since two-thirty I'm still tired, I know it's because I'm not sleeping well "maybe seeing a doctor isn't such a bad idea".

"Uhh, yeah right," Avery rolls her dark brown eyes and starts towards my lecture hall. Stuffing my phone in my back pocket I fall into step besides her. It's still early enough in the school year that the days get hot but the mornings and evenings are cool. It's my favorite time of year and even though eight in the morning is an ungodly hour to be awake in college, there's no shortage of student's littering the campus. Some are emerging and shuffling off towards the cafe, heads bent and some with sunglasses on to cover the fact that they are still hungover from last night. Others are walking while others look like they are trying out for the olympic hundred meter sprint "Late as usual". I smirk and reach across my body with my free hand to adjust my leather book bag further up on my shoulder.

"Do I even need to ask," Avery gives me a side glance and takes a sip of her coffee. When she lifts her arm I catch a glance of her dark pink line that isn't being covered by her light pink zip up sweater that's bunched up on her forearms. "Ok, the line party that's coming up, are you gonna go to it this time?"

Jeez not Avery too, I can't catch a break. "No, I'm not." I'm so glad that we're almost at the steps of my lecture hall. Everyday I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be here when I approach the Exodus building with it's four marble pillars and high stained glass windows and domed ceiling. It reminds me of a church and capital building all in one. "While I would love to chat I'm going inside now, to save this awkward conversation for a later time. See you back home."

"Ed," Avery grabs my arm and looks at me, "You can't avoid it forever you know." There's a softness in her voice and I know it's because she cares but she doesn't get it, you don't need a soulmate.

"Yeah I know," I say as I step out of her grasp and head up the stairs. "But I can avoid it for as long as it takes".

As I enter the building I noticed how purple, red, and yellow light coming through the stained glass window danced on the second story balcony. I smiled softly to myself as I veer right and started to walk up the stairs. The light always seemed to be guiding me to my lecture hall, and it's a small reminder that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Walking into my hall I stop in tracks as annoyance floods me when I realize that someone whos hunched over a computer has decided that they are going to sit in the spot that I've been using all semester. "What the actual F-".

"Ms. Cabot," Dr. Poulson calls while walking towards me. She's roughly in her mid-sixties with a blonde pixie cut. The thing that I love most about Dr. Poulson is her style, or more the way that she doesn't look like a traditional criminal psychologist and today is wearing an orange tunic with navy blue slacks and navy blue square rimmed glasses. To add to the accessories is a bib necklace made of different lengths of metal and each metal piece is a different color of the rainbow.

"Dr. Poulson, I've," I can barely get out before she cuts me off.

"Ms. Cabot, I assume that unlike your classmates you are mostly likely already working on your thesis project for the Kline Grant." she stares down at me over the rim of her glasses her plummy voice registering in my ears.

"Yes, I have started working on it." Straining to keep the annoyance out of my voice, Why is she bringing it up. I'm trying to keep eye contact but I'm also trying to think of what I'm going to say once I walk over to whomever is in my seat. Listen here, I don't know who you are but you're a real as-.

"Well unfortunately this year we are opening up the Kline Grant's eligibility to the programming department as well. For the rest of the year you will be paired with a student to co-work on not only a thesis but create a prototype and test it on real Faulters." She reached out her hand and gives my shoulder a squeez. "I am so sorry for this inconvenience." Dr. Poulson lets go of my shoulder and moves on to intercept another student walking in. I notice that the line on her arm is grey as she drops it to her side, everyone knows that the other Dr. Poulson died two years ago. I wonder what it would feel like to be with someone else for that long.

That might explain who's in my seat, I think as my annoyance is now at a new level thanks to Dr. Poulson's news. As I approach the intruder I realize that it's actually a boy and not a girl with a short haircut and decide to enter the isle and loom over them as opposed to confronting him straight on. Once I'm two seats away I notice that his shoulders are actually really broad, Yeah Hedda, no girl has shoulders that wide. I scorn myself as I clear my throat. "Ehmm, excuse me but your in my spot." My voice comes out more terse that I would like, I'm not normally this rude to people.

"That's funny because last time I checked this was college and assigned seats were left back in highschool." His flat baritone voice chuckled as he looked up from his computer. Instantly I was met with sapphire blue eyes that looked like they could drill holes into the wall from sheer boredom. I can't decide if he's being rude or has some sarcastic sense of humor, either way I try to hold back the smile pulling in the corners of my lips.

"Well I don't think it's funny, and assuming that you are new to this class could you kindly move." I crossed my arms and squinted down at him. His soulmate sure did get saddled with a real winner. After a few seconds of our staring contest he lets out a long sigh, like a day old baloon losing air at an extermly slow rate and closes his laptop. Standing up and grabbing his dark forest green backpack it's then I notice that he's taller than Avery and has to be close to six-two.

"Ladies first." again he delivers in that same flat voice like he has better things to be doing.

"Thank you", I grumble and I sit down in my seat. Some People's kids I think when I notice out of the corner of my eye that this guy sits down in the seat Right. Next. To. Mine. "Ok if this is your idea of a jo-". I'm interrupted by Dr. Poulson.

"Morning everyone. As I've already spoken to some of you let me address the elephant in the room. This is the first year that the  Kline Grant's eligibility will be available to not only the Psychology department by the Programming department as well. For the rest of the year you will be paired with a student to co-work on not only a thesis but create a prototype and test that thesis on the Faulters of our republic". She looks around the room while reaching behind her to grab her telapad, "Without further adieu your new partner on this project are as follows. When I call your name please raise your hand so that you two can identify each other and move accordingly. Thomas Osenburg you are paired with Patrick Chuck".

I stop listening as I take in the academic blow that's just been handed to me for a second. To have to rely on another person for my success is the absolute last thing I need. If it was for a small project or midterm final, that would be one thing but this, this is my whole future this is what will ensure I can finish my degree and start my career. Now everything is turned upside down at the expense that I have to work with someone who might not even care. Ugh I hope they are at least a hard worker. I look around at more people are paired together and notice that the stranger to my right is has yet to raise his hand.

"Hedda Cabot, you will be paired with Torin Vos." Dr. Poulson remarked and continued down the list.

I raised my hand and noticed out of the corner of my eye, at the same time. Stranger guy had a name, and I was his partner. Shit.

*Author's Note; Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. Please feel free to like, vote, or comment :)