Ronald grimaced. Having to split his attention between Kyla and the test would be very annoying. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and touched the rock. Thinking over what he would wish, he decided to keep things simple. "I wish that when Mr. Redding brings out our tests, he'll find out they've been ruined due to a printer malfunction. I wish that Mr. Redding would then decide to postpone the test and let us study in groups."
Up in front, the history teacher pulled out his stack of papers and began counting out sheets. A second into it, he paused and frowned, flipping through again. With a grunt of irritation, he set the papers aside and cleared his throat. "Class, it seems there's been a mistake somehow, and we'll have to save this test for tomorrow."
The room hummed with a collective sigh of relief. Only Kyla looked briefly disappointed.
"However, that does not mean we will let this time go to waste. Instead, we will open our books and review our lessons in groups of, um, five. Be aware, if I hear anyone talking about anything other than history, I may just decide to give you a pop quiz. Understood? Now, please begin."
As everyone brought out their books, Ronald quickly turned to Kyla. "Would you like to study with me?"
The girl looked at him, her face brightening up immediately. "Of course." Her voice had become a bit smoother, not quite as nasally as before.
In the meantime, Ronald's fast action had proven very fortunate. A mob of other classmates rushed over to snag the last three slots in Kyla's group. Her gift for history, as well as the fact that she was known to let others copy her extensive notes, made her a valuable asset to any study session. It seemed a bit tragic that this was the only situation where she could be considered popular. The lucky first three students to arrive managed to get in, leaving the rest to try their luck elsewhere.
For a moment, Ronald felt that having three additional people present would put a damper on his experiment, but he realized that it might be interesting to see how her interactions with her peers would change with each adjustment. Besides, upon seeing whom she had chosen, he knew this hour might turn out to be really fun.
