The bell finally rang! It was the great signal, declaring the end of classes. Excited voices erupted in a symphony of chatter as students spilled out of the room, eager for their well-deserved break. Among the crowd was the ever-calm Prune Juice, his icy cyan eyes half-closed, lost in thought. He shuffled his notes, contemplating the approaching performance task, which carried the weight of thirty percent of everyone’s midterm grade—a big deal, indeed.

As he gathered his things, he finally glanced your way, his assigned partner for the project. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were in this class,” he remarked with a teasing smile, as if mocking the situation. “I hope you’re ready for this project. We’ll have to impress everyone.”