felix barrelled through the oak door, almost losing his footing in the process. the room was teeming with the voices of his professor and tutorial partner, already engrossed in a discussion about the democratic peace theses. felix had chosen to study ppe because of how easy it was -- plenty of his father’s friends had pursued the same degree with the intention of breezing through -- barely attended lectures, handed in assignments late, and still ended up as MPs. his entrance was met with a hard glare from his professor, which softened as he explained the tardiness with a cheery, boyish charm. he was sorry -- so sorry -- but his bike had gotten a flat tyre, and he couldn’t possibly have come earlier. felix always did things at his own convenience, but his professors could never bring themselves to dislike him, even when he deserved it. he plonked down next to his tutorial partner, greeting them with a smile that was met with a stony glare. though it was subtle, the tension between the two was palpable, as was the frustration.