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He would’ve flipped down the next flight of stairs if he hadn’t heard a door swing open below him and footsteps move rapidly up toward hihtly, careful not to let the ainst the steps

That’s how Yuri ran into hier boy’s face The plebes were already at lunch while the Middles finished up Calisthenics, but obviously Yuri was taking advantage of the hour for an extra jog up the stairs

"Thomas," Yuri said, surprise in his voice

For aif Yuri, as a plebe, could even see his exosuit But Yuri didn’t react at all, so Toured it had to be censored from his neural processor

"Are you not supposed to be in Calisthenics?" Yuri asked him

Middles weren’t supposed to share particulars about exosuits with plebes They hadn’t "earned the privilege" Touessed what the ansas "Ah, I understand" His face seemed to shutter closed "It is not for ?"

"Nah, I can handle it" Even without the exosuit, this was no problem He hoisted it up on his shoulder and took care with his steps, trying to stop the their way down the stairs As they started talking about lunch, about the upcohts turned back to the conversation he’d overheard between Blackburn and Vik

God save To hiht people saw him as a screwup here Sure, people like Karl and Dalton and Blackburn saw him as some insolent, mouthy little punk who deserved a beat down, but he hadn’t realized everyone expected hi of hi was, he didn’t kno to fix it any his with the CEOs As if he could walk up to them on the street and make amends

Even if he could walk up to those CEOs sos He couldn’t do what Marsh expected hiratulated hi hi on the way he’d ruined it all

The realization staggered Tom He stopped in his tracks, and Yuri thu he’d stopped He peered back at hi he’d been doing the sa this, talking about it, helping hi hi here at the Spire?" Toonna pro anywhere"

If he was startled, he didn’t show it Yuri gazed up at hiht?" To "Yes"

"Why are you wasting your time like this? I love this place, too, and I know you’re into Wyatt I get why you wanna stay, but, Yuri, h school when he’s twenty You shouldn’t be hilory days are the ones still ahead of you"

Yuri sighed "You are telling ht ?"