4

The rifle is a beautiful piece, well balanced and accurate. But no…just no. It can never be a good idea for a student—especially one seeking to right an injustice—to bring up the topic of guns in a conversation with an authority figure. The last thing you need is for Dean Green to take your remarks as a threat.

So that's out.

As you turn over some other approaches in your mind, you spot a couple of familiar students. They're a study in opposites: short, overweight, long-haired Casey is an outgoing paleontology PhD student with Asian features, while tall, scrawny Skyler, with Northern European features and a blond buzz cut, is a reserved engineering student. You had been impressed with a talk Casey gave on Hadrosaurus dentition, and peppered Casey with questions afterward. You got to know Skyler from taking several classes together. Later on, you spotted them hanging out with Darien Vance, the person who has caused you so much grief.

Casey is saying to Skyler, "…Actually done it. I've signed on with Darien."

The mention of your enemy distracts you. Thrown off your stride, you step on some dead leaves clumped on the path, not realizing that they're slippery. Your feet come out from under you, splashing cold, dirty water on your jeans as you fall. Ouch!

"You OK?" Casey extends a hand to help you.