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a bad decision in coming to school so soon. Yet he couldn’t
just sit there and let Drake make a fool out of him. He felt himself growing
hotter with anger every second.
    “It wasn’t my fault the dock was nearly destroyed,” Skylar
blurted out.
    “Oh really? You were operating the winch with the cable that
didn’t release, weren’t you?”
    “Yes, but it got stuck.”
    “Stuck!” Drake gasped in mock astonishment. “That must have
been scary for you, Skylar. Except that those winches don’t get stuck. It’s
impossible. Everyone knows that. Although, maybe for an inept dockhand like you
it might seem stuck.”
    “It was stuck! I—”
    “Settle down, settle down” interrupted the flat voice of
Professor Valenkr, who was just walking into the lecture hall. Skylar and Drake
both abandoned the argument. Sitting back in his chair, Skylar took several
deep, forceful breaths. If only Drake Blacksands wasn’t two hundred pounds and
nearly a head taller than him...if only. Not that he would ever really start a
brawl with anyone. That wasn’t Skylar’s way. But if there was anyone on the
planet of Haladras he would like to grind into the sandstone, Drake Blacksands
was that person.
    Professor Valenkr’s lecture seemed to drag on longer than
usual. Perhaps because Skylar’s thoughts were focused on a particular
over-sized classmate. Finally the lecture ended. Skylar had heard nothing of
it.
    He got up and moved as quickly as his bruised muscles would
allow toward the exit, hoping to avoid any further confrontation with Drake.
Suddenly, he had an idea, and made his way straight toward Professor Valenkr,
instead. The professor was still collecting his books and parchments when
Skylar approached.
    “Professor Valenkr?” said Skylar tentatively.
    The professor looked up with a startled expression on his
face.
    “Did you say something, my boy?” he asked, his monotone
voice sounding higher than normal.
    “Yes, Professor. I was wondering if you could explain that
last point of your lecture to Drake. I don’t think he quite followed it. He’s a
bit shy, you know?”
    “What’s that? Drake. Which one’s Drake?” He looked up toward
the rest of the hall and squinted his eyes.
    “The large one, Professor.”
    “Ah, yes, that one. I’m not surprised. Very well,” he said
as waddled off to intercept Drake.
    It wasn’t really a lie, Skylar told himself. He had no doubt
Drake hadn’t understood a word of Professor Valenkr’s lecture.
    The few remaining hours of classes passed uneventfully. He
succeeded in avoiding Drake, who was doubtless irate over Skylar’s prank, and
mostly the other classmates stopped talking about what happened at the docks.
    By the end of his classes, he felt tired and achy as he
walked back to the Gorge. He was walking as quickly as he could, hoping Drake
wouldn't decide to come looking for him. In his condition, and without his
jetwing, he felt vulnerable. He glanced back a couple of times, expecting at
any moment to see Drake’s massive form lumbering after him.
    He hadn’t gone far when he heard a voice call his name. His
heart stuttered in his chest. The voice didn’t belong to Drake, though. It
sounded too delicate, too feminine. Turning around hesitantly, he saw the last
person on Haladras he expected to call his name. Kendyl Windlem.
    Smiling radiantly, she hurried over to him. Skylar froze
where he stood, unable to move or speak. Had she—the prettiest girl on
Haladras—really called his name? He had never spoken to her before, never dared
to. Her beauty somehow made her seem unapproachable—forbidden even. But there
she was, the crush of his life, jogging lithely toward him, smiling.
    ”Hi,” she said in a voice that turned his legs to mush.
    Skylar stammered out some reply that made him sound like he
could talk.
    “I know we’ve never met before...my name’s Kendyl.”
    Skylar only smiled dumbly. She tucked a long strand of her
flaming hair behind one ear and bit her