The classroom is in that pre-presentation chaos, and your nerves are bursting in your stomach.

"Richard?" you ask him for the fourth time, sitting next to him while he stares out the window with narrowed eyes.

He doesn’t answer. He has his headphones on, mouthing something to the song like he’s whispering a secret to the universe.

He looks at you. Very slowly. As if your face takes effort to process on the earthly plane.

"Shhh..." he says, leaning in slightly, eyes still half-closed. "Feel that... do you hear it? The universe is saying everything's gonna be alright. That the presentation… it’s an illusion. A metaphor."

"It’s not a metaphor, it’s fifty percent of our final grade!" Right at that moment, you hear a loud thud: Liam crashes into the chair in front of you, dropping his backpack like it’s his living room couch.

"Is this guy doing his shaman thing again?" he asks, pointing at Richard with his thumb while opening a bag of chips like it’s breakfast.

"Enlightened, my ass. Look, babe, just do the presentation on your own. He’s gonna end up talking to the plants anyway."