Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



Next to them, Slater, grinning like he was up to no good, was holding a water bottle, with Arkle trailing behind, arms full of gear and snacks. Roseanne looked away.

She wasn't exactly close with Grace.

"Roseanne!" Mamie called out from a distance, waving at her as she jogged over, a hefty backpack strapped to her back, bulging at the seams. It was stuffed with sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat, water bottles, and of course, a stash of snacks.

"I've packed a bunch, we can share later!" Mamie beamed.

"Sounds good," Roseanne replied.

"Hey, where's Scales? Hasn't he shown up yet?" Worrying about being late, Mamie had sprinted the whole way, even arriving five minutes early.

Scales, who was there before her, quipped, "Where did you get the confidence that I'd be later than you?"

Mamie pouted, "So what if you're two minutes early? I just hit the snooze button one too many times. But... why do you guys have such small bags?" Roseanne didn't need to say anything, and even Scales had only a small backpack that looked nearly empty, hardly weighing anything.

"We heard the botanical facility we're visiting is pretty well-equipped, so I just brought the essentials," Roseanne explained.

Scales nodded in agreement.

Mamie was speechless.

So, she was the only one who packed a giant bag, half-filled with snacks?

At eight, the school teacher checked off everyone's names, and they lined up to board the coach.noveldrama

Their destination was a botanical research facility located in the outskirts, over 60 miles away, requiring a three-hour drive.

On the bus, Mamie and Roseanne sat together, with Scales in the row behind them.

They had to navigate a winding mountain road en route, where cell signal was spotty, so Scales just pulled out his Kindle to catch up on some articles.

Mamie, being quite sociable, struck up conversations with everyone around her, diving into the latest gossip.

Roseanne, with nothing better to do, leaned back and enjoyed the view outside.

The morning landscape was dotted with mountains, and since it was winter, the sun rose late. Despite the early start, daylight had only just begun to break.

A mist hung around the mountainsides, like a white shawl draped over the landscape.

The sun was just about to peek through, promising a clear day ahead.

Roseanne watched the scenery for as long as the drive lasted.

By eleven in the morning, they arrived at the botanical garden facility.

The facility was divided into four major sectors, A through D, each further segmented into various

et

areas planted with diffe

UMS

After gathering at the main entrance, the groups went to check in and drop off their luggage.

The exam would last two days and one night, with the deadline for submission set for the following afternoon at five.

The task was to collect ten basic plant specimens, which would account for 80% of their final grade.

Finding rare specimens would earn them bonus points, with each discovery worth an additional 20%.

It was a mix of mandatory and optional tasks.

Completing the mandatory tasks would ensure a decent grade, while the optional ones were a chance to score extra points. Either way passing was guaranteed.

After settling in, the trio set off.

"Which sector should we head to first?" Mamie asked.

Scales checked his phone, looking at the list of ten basic specimens assigned to their group. "Half of them are subtropical plants." "Subtropical... Let's start with Sector D then."

"Sounds like a plan."

By one in the afternoon, they had successfully found the

corresponding specimens in Sect

D and quickly moved on to the adjacent Sector B.

Their luck held, and it only took them an hour there.

Finally, in Sector C, they found the last specimen they needed.

Mamie spread her hands, "Is that it? One afternoon and we're done! I really don't see why the teacher gave us a whole day and night."

She then pulled out a bag of potato chips, offering some to both of her friends, "Want some?"

Scales, ever the reserved one, took a single chip, "You're settling for an 80%?"

"What's wrong with 80%? That's 20 points above passing!"