Silent Hearts, Golden Lies

xtbook from Room 4 b

tions. This was the easiest interaction she'd had at St. Jude's so far. He opened the sup

term," he said, already t

er her arm and wa

s. This required the full equipment trolley, the good glassware, and a careful setup that

u followed the method, the results would follow. Cause and effect wer

, Victor, w

eat. Empty. She gla

ed up from his papers. "Work ind

ould handle

d the heavy glassware tray and the conductivity meter, both of which were now on the storage shel

er was manageable. S

beakers of various sizes, was the issue. It was too heavy for one pe

ed at Mr

l busy with

d up, setting up their own stations. Vic

th and gripped the t

e weight. She adjusted her grip, trying to hold it more securely

that had been pushed out from the

p tilted left, and three of the beakers slid and rattled against each oth

care

g. He crossed the three-bench distance in just two ste

settled. Not

fell s

see the small gold fleck in his left eye, a detail she had not be

ing pushy either. He was just being practi

ay slowly, shifting th

p the conduc

lked the equipme

cked that all twelve beakers were s

you," s

al and somewhat rough,

ith an expression she

s if it was completely normal,

d to his o

d seemingly forgotten about her experiment, Elara s

not lo

mented both roles. Her handwriting was small and neat

he pro

Mila appeared

o hear, raising her hand. "Elara's beakers are set u

es look

rrectly. The labels were right, the order was right,

s said, peering o

bench, viewed the

rect to me

ned confusion. "Really? I just

ed to her

setup again. Every

Mila's bench. T

ab report, completely focu

ara thought. And I don't know

r solutions, lab

n't touched yet, set up for the third measur

up and held it

ide the beaker. It was tight, white, pressed against t

tion to this beaker

would contaminate the solut

fail the l

d believe it wa

r down and stared a

, removed the paper, and placed it at the edge of her

again using a clean beaker

look at Ch

riment four minutes a

h to collect the reports. He stopped when he sa

's th

the margin: Foreign material found inside Beaker C prior to us

up the folded pap

n't need to say anything. I

ked at

t his

y, at the students gathering th

e said quietly and put the

acked h

Julian appeared beside her, fa

t Mila did

ntinued

thing in your

ough the door in

followe

ara

busy hallway. Students moved around them in

ld his

ed out h

I hand

e message and

I saw." He paused. "But

r chest. Something com

ped qu

roblem. Don't make

ay before he

the hallway, she fe

idn't

glance

ge read:

e arrived while she was s

that you started a fight in the lab

stop

he corridor towar

were already movin