The Great Experiment

A few days had passed since Olivia had dragged us into her "Academic Success Operations Center." Although her master plan was chaotic and, at times, completely absurd, we had to admit that it at least kept things interesting. However, I never imagined she would take it as far as she did that day.

"Team Genius, emergency meeting in the library!" she had announced that morning through a group message. As always, her dramatic tone left no room for negotiation. "It's time for the Great Collaborative Study Experiment! Bring coffee, brains, and a good attitude. This is serious."

Lindsay and I exchanged a glance when we received the message.

"What do you think this is about?" Lindsay asked with a mix of curiosity and resignation.

"Probably something involving robots or karaoke," I replied, shrugging. "Whatever it is, it'll definitely be memorable."

When we arrived at the library, Olivia was already waiting for us at a large table filled with books, notebooks, and… was that a megaphone? She greeted us with a radiant smile while holding a sheet with assigned roles.

"Welcome, team. Today we begin the most important phase of the plan: The Great Collaborative Study Experiment. Each of you will have a specific role. Lindsay, you'll be the 'Head of Research.' Your task is to find key information and make sure everyone understands the main concepts. Sack, you'll be the 'Technical Genius.' You're in charge of solving math problems and explaining anything related to technology. And me…" she said, pointing proudly at herself, "I'll be the 'Strategic Visionary.' My job is to guide this process with creativity and innovation."

Lindsay raised an eyebrow.

"It sounds like we're forming a superhero band."

"Exactly," Olivia responded, ignoring the sarcasm. "Now, let's get to work."

What started as a normal study session quickly turned into absolute chaos. Olivia decided to implement unconventional methods to "optimize our brain capacity."

"Sing the answers out loud!" she ordered while trying to solve a physics problem. "This activates both hemispheres of the brain."

Lindsay and I looked at each other, incredulous.

"Are you serious?" Lindsay asked, trying to maintain her composure.

"Totally. Come on, Sack, you start."

I nervously laughed but decided to play along. I began singing the solution to a math problem with an improvised melody. To my surprise, Lindsay joined in after a few seconds, though with an expression of absolute embarrassment. Olivia clapped excitedly.

"Yes! This is exactly what we needed. Now, everyone stand up. It's time to do physical exercises to oxygenate the brain."

"What?" I protested, but Olivia was already doing push-ups next to the table.

"Come on, team! We can't study sitting down all the time. Movement, movement!"

Lindsay sighed deeply but eventually joined in. As we did push-ups and strange jumps in the middle of the library, several students stared at us with confused expressions. One even took a picture.

"Olivia, this is ridiculous," I said between laughs as I tried to catch my breath. "How is this supposed to help us study?"

"Science backs it up," she replied smugly. "Plus, it relaxes the brain and reduces stress. Don't you feel better now?"

To my surprise, she was right. Despite the absurdity of the situation, I felt more relaxed and motivated. Lindsay also seemed lighter, though she still refused to admit it.

In the midst of the chaos, Lindsay paused for a moment and looked at us with a small smile.

"You know, Olivia, although your methods are… unusual, I think you're right about one thing. This is helping us see exams from a different perspective. Maybe not everything has to be so serious."

Olivia smiled triumphantly.

"Exactly! That's the right mindset. Now, back to studying. But this time, with more energy."

We decided to take a break shortly after. We sat together at a nearby table, laughing about how absurd the situation was.

"I never thought studying could involve push-ups and improvised songs," Lindsay commented, still laughing.

"Neither did I," I admitted. "But, well, that's what makes Olivia special."

As we laughed, Olivia pulled out her phone and started checking something. Suddenly, her expression changed. She became serious and showed us the screen. It was an email from the engineering department: "Urgent Announcement: Mandatory Final Project Presentations tomorrow at 8 a.m."

"Final projects?" Lindsay asked, alarmed. "What is this about?"

Olivia swallowed hard.

"I think… I forgot to mention something."

We fell silent for a moment before Lindsay broke it.

"Olivia… what did you do?"

She smiled nervously.

"Well, technically, I enrolled Team Genius in a final project competition. I thought it would be fun."

Lindsay and I looked at each other, incredulous. I knew this wasn't going to end well, but at the same time, I couldn't help feeling intrigued.

"Alright," I finally said, sighing. "Tomorrow will be another day. For now, let's keep studying."

But as we prepared to continue, I knew the chaos was just beginning.

After a few more hours of studying (and some extra push-ups), we decided it was time to head back to our dorms. The campus was quiet, illuminated only by the streetlights and the faint glow of residence windows.

"So… a final project competition," Lindsay said, breaking the silence as we walked side by side. Her tone was a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Yeah, it seems Olivia really has no limits," I replied, trying to sound casual, though inside I was just as nervous as she was.

"But what project is she talking about?" Lindsay asked, frowning. "The only thing we've worked on together recently is that simulation model for Applied Math… you know, the one that relates differential equations to medical diagnoses."

Now it was my turn to stop.

"Do you think she means that?"

Lindsay nodded slowly.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Remember how we worked on it for weeks? We used advanced mathematical models to predict disease spread based on demographic data and social contact patterns. We even ran computer simulations to test our hypotheses."

"Yeah, but that was just for the course," I said, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. "We never thought anyone else would see it, much less that we'd be presenting it in a competition."

Lindsay let out a nervous laugh.

"That's true. But it's not like it's our first project together. All the projects we've done have been teamwork. This one just happens to be the most comprehensive."

"True," I admitted, recalling other moments when we had worked together, from simple prototypes to more ambitious ideas. "But this one is different. It's more structured, more… serious."

Lindsay looked at me, her eyes full of doubt but also determination.

"I guess we don't have a choice. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

I nodded, feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement.

"Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."