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– Chapter 16 –
The deadline for the syndicate project approached fast. Aurora started to fiddle with her long hair whenever she had time to think -- the first signs of nervousness. Mervyn tried to interest the others in choosing a syndicate name, but the more they discussed it, the more Aurora demanded The Patriarchs and Loren dug her heals in for The Racers. Loren thought she could beat Aurora on a majority vote, and suddenly it became important for her to win.
For her part, Aurora considered any name to be a matter of principle: hers. The pair remained entrenched in their opinions. In the end, Mervyn decided a compromise name was called for and suggested the Supernovas. Tarun liked it. Loren, realising her majority vote was lost, agreed grudgingly. Mervyn tried to discuss the new name with Aurora, the response was a stony silenced; Aurora, spent even more time with ‘The Girls’, and showed even less interest in her work.
As they entered the final week Aurora started checking for incoming mail every day, then twice a day, and finally every hour. She ever dropped hints about finishing the project. Eventually, she asked outright. ‘Has anyone handed you the results?’ Her roommates, struggling with their mathematics prep around the big table in the common room, looked up.
‘Hmm? No, your Grace,’ Tarun said, ‘were you expecting someone to?’
‘Not really. Just asking, ’Aurora said in a lighter tone of voice. ‘All this work really is a waste of time you know.’
Mervyn tried the direct approach, ‘What if it doesn’t turn up?’
‘Don’t be daft. I’ll ask ‘The Girls’,’ and she dashed off to see who she could find.
‘The Girls’ were busy -- all of them. For the first time ever they were working hard on their prep. Their biolinks were engaged too and their apartment doors close to visitors. Not even Sinita visited apartment twenty-five any more, and she had practically become a permanent resident. It was remarkable how quickly ‘The Girls’ could get out at the end of class, and how they always managed to eat either before or after Aurora. They had evaporated.
‘Do you think ‘The Girls’ are avoiding me?’ Aurora asked the next evening.
‘Yes,’ Mervyn replied avoiding eye contact.
Aurora thought about the possibility, ‘Nah, I am the niece of the Patriarch, they wouldn’t do that to me.’ Tarun shook his head in disbelief. ‘Well think about it, Tarun, I would become a laughing stock. And what sort of message would that send to my uncle?’ She retired to her room and left the others to continue their work.
‘Aurora is in for one nasty shock,’ Mervyn said. ‘She’ll take it badly, and that means she’ll make us suffer too.
‘I don’t think you fully understand just how much of a shock,’ Tarun said, pushing his books away. ‘It’s much deeper then just failing the project. She’ll take it as a personal attack on the Patriarch, which it is, and on herself, which it’s not, unless you count De Monsero’s personal vendetta.’ Unable to concentrate on their work anymore the trio abandoned their work for the night.
Even De Monsero had made himself scarce this week, no doubt preparing to crow at the announcement of their catastrophic results.
After a final desperate push, and with only minutes until the deadline expired, Tarun handed in their project to Miss Gant, their history teacher.
‘It’s the best we can do,’ Mervyn said. ‘Now we wait... and hope.’
Miss Gant announced the syndicate results in her history lesson the next day. It was the last lesson of the day. Gant, tall, thin and stern, devoted the whole lesson to the history of the ‘Grey Wars’.
‘Why are we going over this again?’ Mervyn whispered to Tarun.
‘Because we’re the only ones who’ve done any work,’ Loren hissed. ‘Everyone else just copied the answers – they probably didn’t even read them.’
Mervyn tried to keep alert, but he soon felt tired, he wished Grant would just get to the results. Tarun and Loren kept a tab on the answers. They reckoned the team had done pretty well.
Finally, Gant finished, ‘I am sure you are all eager to hear the results,’ she said. ‘Rather than post them on the net, I always like to read them out. So here goes: The Raiders, one hundred per cent,’ there was a cheer from behind Mervyn, as De Monsero and his gang celebrated. The Cuties, one hundred per cent.’
Each team scored full marks except for two, who had marks deducted for sloppy presentation. Gant saved their marks for last, savouring the moment perhaps? Beads of sweat formed on Mervyn’s brow and his hands became clammy as Gant announced the penultimate result, ‘Sinita’s Crew, one hundred per cent.’ Now there were no more teams, except theirs. This was it. Mervyn glanced over to Aurora who had seated herself at the front, well away from anyone else. She must realise by now she had been betrayed. Her face was a mask of stone.
‘Aurora, before I announce the result of your team I need to know its name?’ Gant said. Mervyn hoped Aurora toed the line with Supernovas, otherwise he would have a furious Loren to deal with.
‘The ‘No Hope Twenty-fivers’,’ Hidraba sniggered from behind.
‘My team is called...,’ Aurora said, and stared slowly round the class at all the impassive faces. Jenny and Maurice looked embarrassed. ‘The Girls’ stared fixedly at their tutor and avoided Aurora’s eye. In the silence, De Monsero could be heard whispering. ‘This is going to be funny.’ Finally, Aurora’s gaze rested on her team-mates. Mervyn gave a weak smile, he formed his thumb and index finger into a circle, and showed it to Aurora, an ok sign his father sometimes used. The look of hopelessness she gave him in reply brought a lump to his throat
Aurora stared at the desk in from of her, ‘The team...,’ she began, then faltered.
‘I am still waiting,’ Gant said sternly.