Wave groaned inwardly as she hurried into the school gates, her bag slung over one shoulder and her hair slightly messy for her rushed morning.
Monday mornings were bad enough, but this one seemed to take the prize for the worst start to the week.
Oversleeping was one thing. Missing breakfast and running to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus breaking down was another. Half an hour of waiting, with no alternative but to endure unending complaints from fellow stranded passengers, left her nerves frayed.
Finally stepping into the school hallway, she thought she might be able to slip into class unnoticed. That hope crumbled the moment she spotted Mr. Rupert standing near the entrance, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto her disheveled appearance.
"Miss Fishers," he called, "Care to explain why you're wandering in at this hour?"
Wave swallowed hard, her brain scrambling for a plausible excuse, "Uh, the bus broke down," she offered truthfully, hoping for some sympathy.
Mr. Rupert raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "'And why, exactly, are you late? Shouldn't you plan for contingencies?"
Her jaw tightened; she kept quiet.
"Ten laps around the track after school. Consider this your wake-up for better punctuality."
Wave sighed, muttering under her breath, "What a way to start the week, a fantastic start."
Wave rushed into the classroom, her face still flashed from the disastrous morning. Mr. Carver stood at the front, handing out results for the last week's CAT. Thankfully he didn't seem annoyed at Wave's late arrival.
"Miss Fishers, here's your card for last week's CAT," Mr. Carver gave her the last paper he had after he had given out all of them.
Wave took the card and walked to her seat. She saw Dream looked happy, guess she had passed.
"Miss Fishers, well done! Full marks." He said with a proud smile.
The class clapped as they all looked at Wave in surprise. 'She was first nationwide, What did you expect?'
"'And second place, " Mr. Carver continued. "Taya Collins, Excellent effort."
The murmurs in the room grew louder. Taya was never second but this time she was.
"It's nice to finally have some real competition." Taya leaned and muttered to Wave.
Wave glanced at Taya, who now wore a faint smirk, though her eyes betrayed a glimmer of competitiveness.
Wave chuckled, leaning closer, "Real competition? I thought you'd be sulking."
"What's the point? I know I'll be back to first next time. Enjoy it while it lasts, Miss Fishers." Taya shrugged.
"Confident, are we?" Wave teased, "Don't forget, I don't plan on stepping down, Miss Collins."
Dream, sitting beside them, couldn't hold back her laughter, "You two are hilarious! Just team up and take over the world already."
Mr. Carver cleared his throat, bringing the room back to order, "Settle down, Everyone, Let's not get too comfortable, the next one won't be so forgiving."
Groans rippled through the class. As the class progressed, Taya passed Wave a small note under the desk.
'Don't think I'll go easy on you next time, Miss Full Marks.'
Wave suppressed a laugh as she continued to concentrate on the class. After class, the trio made their way to the cafeteria. Dream had insisted they stop by to get Wave some breakfast.
"You definitely didn't eat this morning," Dream said, grabbing a tray and loading it up with toast, eggs and a fruit cup for Wave.
"Is it that obvious?" Wave asked, her stomach growling at the sight of the food.
Taya raised an eyebrow, "You look like you're running on fumes. We can't have you passing out during class."
As they sat down, Wave recounted her chaotic morning, from oversleeping to the bus breaking down to the punishment Mr. Rupert.
"This is why I'm coming to pick you up every morning," Dream announced, stabbing a piece of toast with her fork.
Wave raised an eyebrow, "Dream, you're not exactly reliable. Don't forget you came to school last week with your shoes mismatched because you were in a rush."
Dream gasped, "That was one time! Silly Martin didn't tell me. Also Wavy for you I'll be a morning person."
Taya smirked, "This I have to see. If Dream actually shows up on time, It'll be a miracle,"
The three of them laughed. Their next class was P.E, Wave groaned when she noticed the gym shorts.
"Why are these shorts so short? Are they even legal?" She muttered, trying to tug them down for more coverage.
Dream jogging beside her burst into laughter, "It's tradition here. Hartley wants all of us to look sexy."
Taya jogged past them, throwing a teasing glance over her shoulder, "They're fine, Wave. Stop fussing and focus. You're running like you're in slow motion."
"This is your sector. I am not into sports. I already have ten laps to run after school." Wave complained already wheezing and out of breath.
Taya said something incoherent as she sped ahead.
At the library. Wave's eyes narrowed as she glanced at the clock once more, 6:15 PM. Her patience was wearing thin. She had been waiting for fifteen minutes, trying her best to focus on the books in front of her, but the delay was starting to get on her nerves.
"Five more minutes Wave. Five more minutes. If he's not here by then I'll leave!" She said to herself.
Hunter finally walked into the library, she stood up abruptly, her arms crossed over her chest.
"You're fifteen minutes late," she said, her voice low but filled with unmistakable frustration, "We agreed 6 sharp, not whenever you decide to show up."
Hunter barely glanced at her, he sat down, his shoulders relaxed, "Yeah, well, things come up. You'll live," he said with a shrug, as is it didn't matter at all.
"I'll live? WOW! how do you expect us to work together if you can't keep time?" She said trying to hold back the urge to snap.
Hunter's gaze flickered toward her briefly, but his expression unchanged, "Relax, I'm here now. Let's just get this over with."
The disregard in his voice only made Wave angrier. She sat down, her posture stiff, "Fine," she muttered the book in front of her but her focus completely shattered, "But don't expect me to wait for you. Five minutes late, I leave!"
At Trident, the atmosphere in the boardroom was as tense as ever. Damon Montgomery, seated at the head of the table, exuded authority as he flipped through the presentation slides on the sleek tablet in front of him. The managers and board members avoided his piercing gaze, their nerves palpable.
"Continue," he said, his voice calm but laced with and edge that demanded precision.
"As you can see, Mr. Montgomery," One of the department heads began cautiously, "The proposed expansion plan for the Winelands region in Quantum Republic is expected to yield a 20% increase in profits by Q4, but we encountered some setbacks with regulatory approvals."
Damon's sharp gaze locked onto the man, "Setbacks," He repeated his tone devoid of emotion, "That word implies failure in preparation. Tell me, who is responsible for this oversight?"
The manager stammered, glancing around for support, but none of his colleagues dared to meet Damon's gaze, "We- we're working on it, Sir, and we believe..."
"I don't care what you believe," Damon cut in coldly, "Belief is for the weak. I want results not excuses. Fix it. If this happens again, I'll be restructuring this entire division. You have until tomorrow."
He stood up, his tailored suit falling perfectly into place as the rest of the room scrambled to stand in deference while bowing. Without sparing a glance, he strode out followed by Assistant Cole.
"Sir," Assistant Cole began, "You have a business trip scheduled tonight. The team in Crale has requested your presence for the final phase of the acquisition."