Hugh was a little nervous about this Ga'Revali class - it was his first one with a group of students. Certainly he had started getting used to hanging out other people, but Tanya was the only telepath he'd connected with since leave the base.
Then, across the room, he spotted her. He'd seen her in passing a couple of times at school but this was the first time he'd been able to look at her for longer than 2 seconds.
The pregnant student.
The telepath whom 'everyone knew' was as good as Tanya.
Avery Hanson.
Hugh figured their meeting was probably inevitable, so he walked over to introduce himself.
"Hi," he said. "I'm Hugh."
Avery
Avery looked from pulling things out of her bag and smiled at him.
"Hey, you play basketball with Libby and the rest, don't you? I'm Avery."
Hugh
Hugh nodded.
"Yeah," he replied. "Libby insisted. I'm not very good though. I've heard a lot about you."
Avery
"You couldn't've been any worse than I was," Avery reassured, laughing. "I think they were glad to get rid of me from the team."
Hugh
Hugh chuckled.
"You mean they didn't kick you off? Darn, there goes that plan..."
Avery
Avery grinned.
"Nope, afraid you're stuck on that team until you die. I just went and lived downside for a bit, so they had to replace me."
Hugh
"Ahh, well, that explains it. They only went after me to replace you," Hugh considered. "The telepath-who's-bad-at-basketball must have been critical criteria."
Avery
"Well," Avery considered. "It did come in handy. I was able to tell what the other team was going to do and tell our team."
She shrugged.
"Perks of the power?"
Hugh
"I didn't think of doing that," Hugh considered, his eyes brightening. "It's a great idea though."
There was no way he would have ever had a conversation like this back at the SPM base. Ever.
Avery
Avery grinned.
"I got found out when they realised that I was... me," she explained. "Apparently kids on the station knew who I was. Even before the pregnancy."
Hugh
"Ahh. Well, I guess that might make it awkward for me too," Hugh replied. "There's been enough rumours flying about me lately. Y'know. Coming out of rehab and everything."
He shrugged.
Avery
Avery nodded slightly, then decided to make light of the situation.
"Well, this should send the rumour mills into overdrive," she joked. "After all, I'm the pregnant slut of the class, and you've just come out of rehab. Think of the trouble we could get up to together!"
Hugh
Hugh laughed.
"Yeah, I suppose, if there are going to be rumours about us, we should have the right to start them in the first place."
Avery
Avery rubbed her hands together, grinning cheekily.
"Exactly. Oh hey, this is your first mixed class, isn't it?"
Hugh
Hugh nodded.
"Tanya's been trying to figure out what I'd been taught back, umm, yeah. My best teacher was an intermediate, and after that I taught myself."
He debated telling Avery of Tanya's assessment that he could be a master, and decided to err on the side of discression.
Avery
Avery nodded.
"Fair enough. I've been having private lessons with Tanya, so these classes are more just... practice?"
She also left out that she was a Grandmaster.
Hugh
"Ahh, okay," Hugh said.
Then he stood there awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say.
Avery
Avery nodded slightly, then looked towards the door.
"Guess... I'll see you around?"
Tanya and Hugh
Tanya walked in the door at that moment.
"Yeah, guess so," Hugh replied.
"Okay, is everyone ready?" Tanya asked. "Let's get this class started then."