All of us Explorers looked at each other, and I promptly gleaned their varied silhouettes and colored eyes and hair, with my preference to partner with Lyviria in mind. Across the aisle, I saw Kailus reaching his palms out towards me in attempt to give me a warm welcome into his arms, but I mustered up the courage to give him a brisk shake of my head to solidify my wall of denial. He ignored me and started walking to my table along with Olma as I intensified my shaking to no avail.

When the boys arrived, they stood on either side of Lyviria and towered over our seated heads. “Who will be paired with who?” Olma asked.

Kemia’s head and eyes darted all over the place, revealing the eagerness she had to partner with anyone. When she looked into my eyes and I returned a mutual stare, I felt a bubbling energy rise within me, tickling me to laugh. Exercising all self control I had, I allowed myself to leak out only a faint smile. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to laugh all the time when grouped together with her.

Kailus was standing next to me with arms crossed and seemed to ponder in silence as he stared blankly in front of himself. Notemi, with forearms on the table, didn’t seem to pay any mind to anything that was happening. Lyviria was looking up at Olma and down to Kemia, discussing some ways in which we could choose our partners. Either in boy-girl combinations or going in depth with choosing the pairings based on our personality.

“I got it!” Kailus said. We all turned to him as he kneeled down on the floor before proceeding with enthusiasm. “Let’s talk quietly so that the Integrator can’t hear us.”

We all huddled in to whisper. “I say that we don’t fall for the Integrator’s prediction, how’s that sound?” Kailus suggested. We all nodded in agreement.

“Sounds like a game,” Olma whispered with a new quality and a combination of sounds I haven’t heard. It was a mix of rumbling and humming – spiced with care. “What’s the plan?”

“If I may start, I want to be with Lyviria,” I said.

“Why do you want to be with Lyviria?” Kailus asked, scanning my face and torso.

“Because I don’t want to be with anyone else. And, also, preference,” I answered.

Lyviria swiveled her eyes to me while her forehead wrinkled in astonishment. “Ehh?”

“It’s because you’re not as chaotic as everyone else, and it will be more efficient for me,” I clarified.

“But if you want to break the Integrator’s prediction on who we choose our partners to be, then you need to do something you are uncomfortable with,” Kailus said. Olma and Kemia jerked a few nods of agreement.

“We will most likely be with our partners until we are dead, so why not base it off of that?” Notemi suggested.

I lifted my head from our conversation at the table to sneak a peek at the Integrator, who laid his back on the teacher’s desk with hands over his chest. The room was already quite silent, so it could be possible for him to hear our whispers – if he had good ears. Realizing that he already made the prediction as told to us by Doctor Amy, I returned to my whispering position. Judging by Kailus’ and everyone’s silence, they agreed with Notemi and continued the discussion after my return.

“What do you think of Notemi’s idea, Laizen?” Lyviria asked.

“Not a bad idea, but I don’t think my answer will change.” I took a glance at Kemia. “Although it might.”

“If that’s the case, then I will pair with Olma,” Kailus said. Notemi swiftly nodded her head while her eyes looked down at the table, seeming to not pay attention. Lyviria stayed sandwiched between the two boys, unmoving. Kemia did not seem bothered by it, and neither did Olma.

“Alright, let’s do this, partner!” Olma whispered. The new partners shook hands behind Lyviria’s hunched back and stood up.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” I asked.

Olma held a hand to my shoulder for consolation. “Sorry Laizen, you’ll be choosing between those three. We’ll see you on the bus.”

“Ah, no worries,” I replied. The two boys took one last look at us before leaving the room. Lyviria was still here, and Kemia could be a possible partner. Notemi? She could, but thinking about her similarities with Ruyo, it gave me the shivers.

“Hurry up, the bus won’t be waiting all day. You also have some ET friends waiting for you to finish training in the future!” The Integrator shouted. The four of us looked at him lying on the teacher’s desk, playing with his palms and fingers like shadow puppetry.

“So,” Lyviria broke the silence with her gentle whisper. “Who will be partnering with me?”