What's Wrong With Us?

Kamaria spent the entire night comforting Mackenzie, who slept fitfully in her lap, her face twisted with unease. Ria, knowing she couldn’t do this alone, reached out to Archer—the one person who could truly help Macky overcome the jealousy that had taken hold of her.

Arch arrived quickly, finding the two of them under the acacia tree, its branches swaying gently in the night breeze. Ria quietly filled him in, detailing everything that had happened. She described Macky’s sudden vulnerability, the way her usual emotional barriers had crumbled. When she mentioned Macky’s crush on Celestia, Arch’s eyes softened with understanding.

Together, they carefully carried Macky to her room in the Skaters' Building, laying her down so she could sleep more comfortably. Despite their efforts, the night still haunted her. Her sleep was troubled, the incident replaying as her latest nightmare.

The next day, Arch and Ria walked into the classroom, their eyes heavy with exhaustion from the previous night's events. Ria clutched her sketchbook as usual, slipping into her seat with a quiet sigh. Arch, though his brow was furrowed with stress, kept his composure, holding his PBL in a neatly decorated folder as he settled beside her. But the seat next to him—Macky’s seat—was empty. He felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He wanted to check on her, to make sure she was okay, but the thought of jeopardizing his perfect attendance held him back.

"Who's absent?" Kiefer asked, his pen scratching across the attendance sheet as he scanned the room.

"I think it's Mackenzie," Cheng(Chen) remarked, his gaze lingering on Arch with a disapproving frown before returning to the Bible in his hands.

Kief noticed that Macky wasn’t by Arch’s side like she usually was. “Why is Macky absent?” he asked, concern coloring his voice.

Arch glanced at Ria in front of him, then turned back to Kief. “She’s not feeling well,” he murmured, his tone casual as if trying to downplay the seriousness.

Kief’s expression softened. “That’s a bummer… Tell her I hope she gets well soon,” he said, a gentle smile forming as a genuine concern reflected in his eyes. He then returned to his duties, though the worry lingered.

It wasn’t just Macky’s illness that weighed on him; it was seeing Arch down because of it. As Kief continued marking attendance, Arch stood up and walked to the front of the room. The usual chatter continued until Loxley intervened, quieting the class.

“Everyone, shut the fuck up! Archer has something important to say.” Loxley’s unusually authoritative tone cut through the chatter, instantly silencing the room. Arch cleared his throat, grateful for the attention.

“Thanks, Loxley… Good morning, everyone. The officer and I had a meeting about how to keep our class rep strong and manage our class fund. We need to figure out how much each of us can contribute, but let’s keep it under 10 bucks.”

★・・・・・・・・・ ・・・・・・★

After a few minutes of discussion, the class agreed to contribute five dollars each. Arch nodded, satisfied with the decision, and asked Ria to start collecting the funds. Ria, with Wolf by her side, moved methodically from the front row to the back, gathering the money from each classmate. Wolfie kept a close eye on the cash, mentally tallying as they went along.

As they neared the end, Wolfie quietly leaned in to Ria, “We’re short by fifty bucks… looks like ten people didn’t pay.”

Ria frowned, glancing around the room. “Should we ask them again?”

Wolfie hesitated but then shook his head. “Let’s chill for now. Maybe they’re just broke at the moment.” He gave a small nod, reassuring Ria as they securely placed the collected $200 in a large jar on the shelf near the whiteboard. The shortfall lingered in their minds, but they decided to address it later.