It's not whether you pass or fail...OK, maybe it is.

[D. Planet]

Malcolm thought he was going to be sick. Very sick. He clutched the few sheets of paper in his right gauntlet, supressing the urge to toss them in the trash. How was he gonna go home with this? He had studied for the past two weeks for this pre-calculus test, stayed up late, and still...

The worst part was that he couldn't dodge out or act like nothing had happened. He had been griping about this test for weeks. What was his dad gonna say? Heck, what was his *mom* gonna say?

[Mercy Strike]

Thankfully the bell picked that moment to ring the end of second period. In the shuffle of people rising, grabbing their books and talking, Mal felt a tugging on his arm.

It was Aura, who sat across the aisle. She hovered uncertainly over him.

"Is everything alright?"

She glanced down, so he glanced down. The wad of paper in his metal fingers was approaching neutron star density from the pressure he was applying.

[D. Planet]

Mal almost didn't notice the tugging at first, but finally, he glanced around and was nearly floored when he saw it was Aura. After all, why would the homecoming queen want to talk to *him*?

He turned around, slightly shocked, and stammered out "Not...nothing' s wrong! There's nothing wrong! Right! Nothing wrong! Why would you think there was something wrong?"

So shocked he was, that he lost grip on the paper, as it fell to the ground.

[Mercy Strike]

She reached down to pick them up automatically of course, her hair swinging forward. No! His score was right at the top of the first sheet. In a second she'd see it and the Homecoming Queen would know just how badly he'd messed up the whole thing and she'd tell the rest of them and everytime he walked by in the hall from now on he just *knew* they'd laugh at him and this time he'd know exactly why.

He didn't know what else to do. He lurched forward a half step and deliberately bumped her away. The problem was that with his suit, he misjudged it and she was knocked to the ground, her head banging against the desk behind her.

"Ow!"

He snatched up the incriminating test. Flummoxed he looked down at her. Her knee was twisted and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey, what's going on? Aura?"

He swung his panicked gaze to the right. Oh, no.

-------------------------
Your turn! Or somebody's turn anyways.

[D. Planet]

The test was near instantly forgotten (never mind that he had made a freaking 79 on it and might make it so he wasn't valedictorian next year) as Mal dropped down to his knees next to the fallen Aura. His hands went under her knees and back as he prepared to take her to the nurse.

"Are you OK? Do you need any help? Do you want me to call someone?"