Asher and Bran leaned against the wall of the empty classroom, still snickering and cracking jokes, completely unaware of the storm brewing beside them. Mika, her patience finally wearing thin, snapped.
"Would you two cut it out already?!" she exploded, grabbing both of their ears, twisting hard enough to get their attention. "The exam is drawing closer, and have you two even decided on which squad you're going to join? Or did you even bother to fill out the form?!"
Asher and Bran, with their usual carefree attitude, responded in unison, "Yes."
Mika, surprised by the sudden agreement, released their ears and stepped back, arms crossed in suspicion. "Wait... what? Really?"
Asher, rubbing his ear with a grin, nodded. "Yep. I did it three days ago."
Bran chimed in with a confident nod. "Same here. Totally."
Mika raised an eyebrow, still suspicious. "Okay... So, which squad?"
Both boys exchanged a mischievous glance before answering in sync, "Squad Zero."
Mika froze for a moment, completely taken aback. "Squad... Zero?" Her eyes widened as she processed what they just said. "No, no, no!" She shouted, waving her hands frantically. "You two can't be on the same squad as me! You'll drive me crazy! How do you even know about Squad Zero?!"
Bran smirked, pointing at Asher. "Oh, easy. Asher saw your form and copied it. So we're all going to Squad Zero after the exam."
Mika's face twisted into a mix of frustration and disbelief. She had no words for a moment, her hands tightening into fists as she tried to keep herself from blowing up again. "Why do you even want to be in Squad Zero?! I'm a scholarship student, so any squad would accept me. You two could join literally any other squad."
Asher gave her a knowing look, leaning forward slightly. "Why do you want Squad Zero so badly, Mika?"
Mika's cheeks flushed a deep red. "That's... none of your business!" she stammered, turning her head away to hide the blush creeping up her face.
Bran, never one to miss an opportunity, leaned in with a teasing grin. "Oh, is that right? Or is it because I heard Logan Pendragon is going to Squad Zero? You know, that cute royal boy you've got a little crush on?"
Asher and Bran immediately started humming and dancing, twirling around in exaggerated movements. "Oooh, Logan! The royal boy Mika's got a crush on! Squad Zerooooo!" they sang together in mock celebration, their voices loud and obnoxious.
Mika's embarrassment quickly shifted to fury. Her entire face turned a deep shade of crimson as she clenched her fists, her golden eyes blazing with rage. "You two... STOP TALKING RIGHT NOW!"
Asher and Bran instantly froze, snapping to attention as they dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged in perfect unison. "Yes, Madam!" they chimed in, trying their hardest not to laugh.
Mika glared at them for a moment longer before storming off to the other side of the classroom, muttering under her breath as she sat down at her desk. "I swear, you two are impossible..."
Asher and Bran exchanged a grin, knowing they'd gotten under her skin, but also knowing they couldn't push her too far—especially with the exam so close.