The Prodigious Nim, Part Sixteen
{Raven}
As the last student took their turn facing Javir, Raven watched from the sidelines, her mind racing.
[Damn it,] she thought. [I shouldn't have let myself get carried away like that. What if Javir suspects something now?]
But as Javir called the class to attention, Raven forced herself to take a deep breath, to push down the rising panic in her chest.
[No, no, no. Stay calm,] she told herself sternly. [You can handle this. Just play it cool, and everything will be fine.]
"Well, well, well," Javir said, a wry grin spreading across her face as she surveyed the students before her. "I have to say, that was quite the display. Of incompetence, that is. You're all really, really bad!"
A few nervous chuckles rippled through the class. Most of the students just looked embarrassed or annoyed, but Javir managed to lighten the mood a little with that.