Previously on "The Otherworlders" - Master Liu has given the kids group assignments, and they all disperse into the courtyard to hang out a bit before they have to hunker down and get to their reports.

Now that the girls are back, several of the boys feel the urge to make up for lost time. 😁

**********

In the Academy courtyard rifling through his bookbag, Cameron spots Fiona talking to Jake and Aidan by the scraggly tree that sits on a verdant patch of grass at the center of the Academy courtyard.

She's saying something to them, they all laugh, and then then she turns to leave.

She manages two steps before suddenly stopping, mid-stride, her gaze falling on Ava and Farid talking intimately together on the other side of the courtyard.

Her frown turns into a scowl. She's still not used to seeing them together.

And although she's accepted the inevitable, it still hurts to see them like that, to see that look in Farid's eyes, that smile, the one that as hard as she tried, she could never quite elicit from him.

Realizing she's got no choice but to get used to it, Fiona swallows hard.

Hunching her shoulders, she clings to her book and wraps her arms tightly around her center, making a beeline for her dorm room.

Cameron, shoving his history book into his messenger bag, jumps up from the picnic table and makes his move to cut her off before she can disappear back into the building.

"Hey, there." He steps out in front of her and cracks a wide grin.

"Um... pardon me?" Fiona says as her frown returns. She quirks a brow.

"Soooo," Cameron drawls out the word. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Fiona just stares at him and doesn't respond.

"I'll take that as an affirmative," Cameron says. " You see..." He quirks his lips. "I find myself very, very depressed these days."

Fiona looks up, blinks a few times, then gives Cameron an irritated glare. Seriously? Who does this dude think he is?!

"I'm sorry to hear that," she says evenly. "I'm sure Headmaster Pierce can get you the name of a good therapist."

Cameron's shoulders shake as he chuckles. He lets his head fall back as he looks up at the sky. Then he returns his gaze to Fiona. His gaze is steady and intense. "Well, don't you want to know why I'm so depressed?"

Fiona shrugs slowly. "Should I care?"

Cameron, undeterred, says, "It's because I was really hoping we'd get paired up for this assignment."

Fiona looks Cameron up and down like he's a character out of Bad Boy Monthly magazine. "Why?"

"Why do I want us paired up together?" Cameron asks, surprised.

"Yep!" Fiona confirms, popping the "p". "That's what I'm asking."

"Because," Cameron points between the two of them, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, "personally, I think we'd make a really good team."

Fiona rolls her eyes and hikes her bookbag up her shoulder. "Look," she says impatiently, swinging her gaze back to him. "I've gotta go make a call, so why don't you..."

She tucks her chin in and tries to scoot around him, but Cameron takes a step to the left and blocks her path. "Okay but one thing first," he lowers his voice. "I wanted to tell you that looked really nice at the ball."

Fiona scowls. "How would you know what I looked like at the ball?"

"Inez sent me a picture of you guys on the red carpet." He starts to dig out his phone.

"Ugh!" Fiona groans. "She promised she wouldn't post that."

"Oh, she didn't," Cameron says as he flips through the photos on his phone. "I think she just sent it to me. Enchanted balls are such a drag. It's sort of an inside joke."

He holds up the phone so Fiona can see just how she good looks.

"Ack! Put that away!" Fiona screeches, as she pushes Cameron's phone from in front of her face.

Cameron chuckles as he slips his phone into his back pocket. "You don't have to get all embarrassed about it. You guys looked great! All of you. And, I have to say," He wiggles his eye brows." It was nice to see a whole other side of you."

Fiona's eyes narrow. "What? The glammed-up side of me? Me in a pretty dress, with fancy hair and makeup? Oh, please!" She rolls her eyes cynically. "That's so not me!"

Then, remembering Inez's comment about Cameron being a bit of a man-whore, Fiona begins to shake her head slowly. "You guys. You're all the same. So, so superficial..."

The playful smile on Cameron's face fades as Fiona's words hit him hard, like a punch to the gut.

He had no idea that she thought so little of him.

A muscle ticks in Cameron's jaw. He tilts his head. "No, Fiona," he says just as evenly as she was speaking to him earlier. "Actually, I meant the softer side of you, the vulnerable side. The side that, for whatever reason, you don't want anyone else to see."

And with that, Cameron steps aside to let Fiona pass, but she doesn't move.

Still smarting from her comment, Cameron turns and begins to walk away. Then with a look over his should and a shrug far-too-casual to be genuine, he adds, "And, yes Fiona. You looked very pretty in that dress as well." He turns around and heads for the Enchanted's wing.

Feeling like an ass, Fiona blinks. Well, he certainly shut her up, that's for sure!

Her lips purse as she wishes that, for once, her brain would catch the words that fly out of her mouth before she can actually say them.

Well, shoot! what does she do now?

Text him with an apology? Go after him? But even if she caught up with him, what would she say?!

Fiona scrunches up her face in confusion, fruitlessly debating how best to rectify this mess she's made as she watches Cameron walk away.

***

Ava is standing at one of the patio tables, her fingers anxiously rummaging through her bag as she searches for her elusive phone.

As she continues her search, Farid approaches her, his footsteps echoing softly on the cobblestone path.

The sight of him causes Ava's heart to skip a beat, and her eyes light up as she looks up from her bag.

"Heyyyy..." she greets him, her voice tinged with excitement and relief. It's been a long day of classes and training, and seeing Farid's friendly face is a welcome distraction.

Farid smiles and can't help but notice a change in Ava's since the ball. While there was always an ease about her, she hadn't really come across as what he'd call confident or terribly self-assured. But now, what he might have thought of as insecurity comes across more as vulnerability, and he finds that incredibly endearing.

He shifts his backpack to his other shoulder and rubs his neck. "So, um, before you guys left for your mission, you'd said that you were interested in learning more about Vampyric weapons. Did you maybe want to... um... I don't know... set up a time, and I can show you how to use them?"

Eyes wide, Ava nods eagerly, forgetting all about her phone for the moment. "Yes, please!" She straightens involuntarily, before she can stop herself.

No, no, Ava!

You're being WAY too extra!

Play it cool!

Realizing that her posture just screams out "Like me! Like me! By the gods in heaven, please like me!" she leans casually back against the table and crosses her arms over her chest, going for a far more chill vibe. "I mean..." she says, trying to sound much less excited, maybe even a bit board, "That'd be..." She shrugs. "That'd be okay, I guess. You know, if I've got the time."

Farid grins even wider, relieved she's still interested in learning more about an aspect of his culture. "Cool!" he says enthusiastically. "It's kinda funny. I've been getting really lazy about practicing, and I don't know, I find your enthusiasm refreshing, inspiring even! Seriously, you've gotten me really excited to work with the weapons again!"

"Really?!" Ava claps, feeling a flush of pride, knowing that she's had an impact on Farid, even if it's only to get him to want to practice more.

Then she realizes that she's being extra again.

"Oh, yeah," she says, nodding her head slowly, trying to sound nonchalant. "Well, I love weapons. They've always been a fascination of mine, you know, like, seriously. I love 'em. Just love 'em!"

Shoot! Inside she withers. That didn't come out right!

"I mean, we can't all be born a badass, now can we?" She says with an awkward chuckle that, unfortunately, comes out more like a snort.

And then she dies a little inside, hearing just how lame she must sound to him.

But Farid merely tilts his head and squints, taking her in for a long moment, like he can't quite figure her out.

If he's honest with himself, he finds her kinda odd. Really, really cute! But odd.

"Okay, well then," he says. "I'll just shoot you a text, and you can let me know what works best for you."

"You got it!" Ava winks and clicks her tongue in a misguided attempt to look cool. She slouches back against the table again and forces a smile. "That sounds good!"

Farid just nods at her, charmed but utterly bewildered.

He turns to go, and casts one last glance over his shoulder back at her as he pushes the door open to leave.

Ava's cheeks burn as she watches him walk away, his confident stride making her heart flutter.

Oh, good Lord, Ava! 'You just love weapons!' Seriously? Seriously?! What a dork!

She closes her eyes in an attempt to compose herself.

After a beat, she opens up an eye to peek out and confirm that Farid, has indeed, completely left the building. Once she knows she's in the clear, she lets out a low groan and drops her face into her hands.

Why do I have to be such a goofball around him?!

He's just a boy!

He's just a boy!

He's just a boy!

Argh!

**********

A/N - We're back! Not much I can add more here. 

We're just trying to keep our heads above water as find ourselves drowning in awkwardness. 😆

Until next week!

~ Paula ❤️