Darcy's spent a lot of time with Manish. Manish helps Darcy not be so driven. You've told yourself that that's for the best. That it doesn't hurt, your friends pulling away. You've practiced this lie enough that you almost believe it.
Darcy jerks a thumb over her shoulder. "I'm gonna jet. See you in the lab."
You shake off your melancholy. "I'll go with. Class projects that are due tomorrow wait for no person."
"Cool, cool. Don't forget we're meeting Manish tonight for the memory pattern."
As if finals weren't busy enough, Darcy cooked up the idea of the three of you recording your experiences using a memory pattern so you can remember them perfectly.
But before that, you need to finish your senior project. The school gave you a choice between creating an artifact and learning intrinsic magic. The artifact will maintain a magical pattern forever, while intrinsic magic is magic that you can channel repeatedly without needing a pattern. The artifact tests your lab skills, while intrinsic magic challenges your research.