"But I need to... ta..."

A sudden gasp and blink awake. "I'm totally awake."

Eyes... closing...

"Oh, I don't wanna trouble you or anything. There's the midterm exams coming up and there's also this mock trial next week... I'm not sure I can win it, though..."

I have too many things to do...! Like, uhhh, study.

"Help...?" Eustace sniffles, rubbing at their eyes. Their father would usually just get them medicine, tuck them in, and tell them to shout if Eustace needs anything.

"I'll be okay. My white blood cells are Winners, too. They'll win against any flu!"

— over his shoulder.

........ "Oh!" A ! in their hair.

"Ah. I... knew you weren't the detective, Gavin. Heh.

"'m not surprised you made it early to the crime scene. The coldest defence in the West has to be cold blooded... like the early worm.

"And what have you discovered? Forensics, get me a report," he mutters —

... "I had a lot on my palate at academy, and I thought I was doing really well handling it, but now that I really do, it feels like I can barely keep things upright."

— But, like, I don't think there's a floor under the library. Weird whirring. And then like footsteps? Like really heavy footsteps, like marching or something. And I went to the counter but they said they were busy and that they didn't hear anything.

That was the first day, anyway.

Heh.

[ He shuffles nervously on his feet. ]

Well. Well, I was at the academy. Studying for the exam, not that I need to study, because I already know I'm going to win it perfectly.

I found a spot at the library on my own. But there was this super weird whirring sound from underneath the floor. —

"Yeah, me toooo." Sniffle. "Spring has sprung and it's made me all sniffly."

"Are you okay????"

They certainly look like they're lost, don't they? Ambling towards the crime scene, attention caught by this and by that. Oh, that rock. Ew, he's stepped in seaweed.

"Oh, ah. Hello! You made it here early, Detective," he says - looking straight at Kristine. ... "Examining the body? Found anything?"

Monaaaaaaaa...?

Oh. Oh, uh, somebody actually read that?

Well, um, when I went home and told my pops, he just basically told me I was being stupid and imagining things so I'm really sorry for wasting your time sorry.

"Balance... Like... like on the narrow beam? I was never any good at that at school."