chapter757

Grace sat between Sybil and Hertha, her expression as calm as a summer lake. She seemed unbothered, almost like she was watching a movie rather than living it. Her end-of-term grades had averaged out to a C, with a couple of classes barely scraping a pass, but she didn't seem to care.

"Why stress over something that doesn't matter?" she thought. "I'm not here to burn myself out. A woman doesn't need a degree from an Ivy League just to live a good life. Isn't it really about securing a future with a decent guy and living comfortably ever after?"

Sybil knew Grace had snagged herself a wealthy boyfriend and had her eyes set on marrying into money. It irked Sybil to no end. She couldn't stand this "trophy wife" mentality, banking on a man for security.

But what really puzzled her was Carlson's similar nonchalance. He should have been a bundle of nerves, considering the lab's shutdown affected him almost as much as Edna. His major projects, some state-funded, were on hold. If things kept dragging, results would be a pipe dream by next year.

Yet there was Carlson, cool as a cucumber.

Sybil had tried to gauge his reaction a few times, but he never took the bait. Instead, he spent his days off-campus, working at a research institution. He was out the door early and back late, barely a trace of him around.

When Sybil mentioned Carlson's side gig to Edna, all she got was, "Penny- pincher," and that was the end of it.

"Hey, Carl," Arkle nudged him, "how long until the lab's back in action?"

"No idea," Carlson replied.

"You seem like you couldn't care less."

"Would worrying help?"

Arkle paused, then shook his head. "Nope."

"Then why bother?"

Arkle went quiet for a moment. "There's something I've been meaning to ask." "Shoot," Carlson said.

"Remember when Roseanne's lab had to shut down? They borrowed a lab from next-door Elite Business University. Can't we do the same?"

Carlson's eyes narrowed as a sarcastic grin played on his lips. "In theory, sure. But you have to be able to pull it off. You think no one's tried?"

His gaze drifted to Edna sitting up front. Borrowing a lab wasn't like borrowing a cup of sugar. You didn't just ask and receive.

The reality was, Roseanne's team pulled it off because they had the connections. Edna? Not so much.

Arkle felt a wave of frustration. He was the most lost amongst them He'd worked his tail off to get into Kingswell University, thinking he'd find his path in research here. But now he was left in the lurch.

"Hey Carl, why do we bust our chops studying anyway?"

They always said education was the key to changing your fate. But his life felt pretty much unchanged.

Carlson was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke. "For most of us, our fate isn't really in our own hands."

"Then whose hands?"

"We just go with the flow."

Arkle sank deeper into his chair, feeling defeated.

As the last research group wrapped

up

resentation, the dean gor

up and announced something that caught everyone's attention-

The National BioOlympics was kicking off soon!

"What competition?"

"Is it run by the school?"

"You've never heard of it?"

"Think about the name-National College Students... It's a nationwide thing!"

"Winning

Your phonors could

and

your scholarship

you'd get extra cret

practically lifts you to the

"That impressive?"