Agott hated group assignments.
The conclusion had been reached years ago and reinforced countless times since. Whether it was studying, gathering supplies, or practicing spellwork, group projects inevitably slowed everything down. Someone always got distracted, someone always made mistakes, and somehow Agott ended up doing twice the work to compensate.
Today was proving no different.
Qifrey had sent the apprentices to survey an old stone bridge several miles from town. The structure had been damaged during a storm, and local witches wanted a detailed report before beginning repairs.
It should have been simple.
Unfortunately, Coco was involved.
Agott didn't bother turning around.
Coco hurried after her, boots crunching against the dirt path. "Not just fish. These fish are swimming in a perfect circle."
"It is if they're all swimming in the exact same direction."
Against her better judgment, she glanced toward the river.
Sure enough, dozens of silver fish moved together in a nearly perfect ring beneath the water's surface.
For a brief moment, she found herself curious.
And somehow the curiosity immediately became irritation.
"You spent ten minutes staring at fish?"
"It was more like eight."
"Remarkable. Truly. The pinnacle of magical research."
Not because it was annoying.
Most people found Agott difficult to approach. She knew that. Her bluntness wasn't exactly welcoming, and she rarely bothered softening her opinions for other people's comfort. Most students either avoided her entirely or treated her with careful politeness.
Coco, however, seemed immune.
No matter how many times Agott snapped at her, Coco simply smiled and continued talking.
It was deeply frustrating.
They reached the bridge shortly before noon.
The structure stretched across a narrow section of the river, its stone surface cracked in several places from the recent storm. Moss covered portions of the railing, and a few sections looked unstable enough to collapse if someone leaned on them.
Agott immediately pulled out her notebook.
Coco immediately wandered off.
By the time Agott finished documenting the first set of damage, Coco had somehow climbed onto part of the railing despite explicit instructions not to.
"I'm getting a better view."
The stone shifted beneath her feet.
The warning came out sharper than intended.
For once, Coco seemed to recognize it.
A crack echoed through the air.
The section of railing collapsed.
Everything happened at once.
And before Agott could think, she was already moving.
A hastily drawn spell flashed across the ground. Wind surged upward, catching Coco before she could fall into the river below.
Several seconds later, both of them sat breathless on the bridge.
Agott's heart hammered painfully against her ribs.
The realization of what could have happened settled over her like ice.
Eventually Coco looked up.
Agott immediately looked away.
"You should be thanking common sense."
"Pretty sure common sense wasn't the one who saved me."
"You wouldn't have needed saving if you possessed any."
Coco smiled despite herself.
Normally that expression would have annoyed Agott.
Today it only made her feel strangely relieved.
The silence that followed felt different.
The kind of quiet that settled naturally between people who had spent enough time together to stop filling every moment with words.
The thought disturbed Agott more than she cared to admit.
When had Coco stopped feeling like an unwanted interruption and started feeling like a constant presence?
When had Agott begun looking for her in every room?
When had she started noticing things like the way Coco chewed on the end of her pen while thinking, or how her eyes lit up whenever she learned something new?
Those weren't observations she should have been making.
Certainly not about Coco.
Unfortunately, her heart seemed unwilling to consult her opinion on the matter.
And that, Agott thought bitterly, was perhaps the most irritating thing Coco had ever done.
