#CHAPTER 3# ⠀⠀*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!* ⠀⠀Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I glance over to my nightstand. 6:45. By now, dad’s out of the shower. Time to get ready for school. Out of bed. Make my sheets. Grab my glasses. Trudge over to the bathroom. Wash my face. ⠀⠀As my hands fall from massaging the cold water into my face and move to grip the countertop, my eyes glance down. They rest on the orange bottle that I’d forgotten to put back in the medicine cabinet yesterday morning. A grimace forms on my face. I suddenly want to go back to bed. ⠀⠀Close my eyes. Take a deep breath. Sigh. Pick up the bottle. Lumateperone: 2 tablets/day. An antipsychotic. I hate that word - “psychotic”. I hate *being* that word. My grimace intensifies before I shake my head. Cut out this pity party crap, Ben. Unscrewing the cap, I shake some onto my palm, swallowing them with a bit of sink water. Normal for another day. Shower time. ⠀⠀…Gonna have to head to the pharmacy on Saturday. Wait, no - Friday’s the End of Summer Festival, they might have off then. Gonna have to head over Thursday afternoon. ⠀⠀I stretch as I step foot back in my room, clean and dry. A quick glance at my alarm - 7:00. A bit longer than usual, but nothing especially out of the ordinary. It takes me another 15 minutes to get dressed for the day and brush my hair - turtleneck, blazer, slacks, shoes. The routine’s gotten quicker after years of repeating it. ⠀⠀Dad’s already finished with breakfast by the time I get downstairs. He glances at me as he moves for the door. ⠀⠀“Hey, Ben.” ⠀⠀“Good morning.” ⠀⠀“Have fun at school today, alright?” ⠀⠀“Mhm. Bye, dad.” ⠀⠀And, he’s out the door. The morning ritual usually goes this way. Don’t usually have time for much more. Mom’s cleaning the frying pan as I step into the kitchen, taking a seat at my full plate. She glances over in my direction. ⠀⠀“Morning, Ben.” ⠀⠀“Morning, Mom.” ⠀⠀A bit of silence as I grab the grilled cherry tomatoes by the stem, taking two into my mouth and munching on them. ⠀⠀“You still worried about that audit?” ⠀⠀“Mmm.” ⠀⠀I’d told them about it at dinner last night. They weren’t that concerned. I swallow the food in my mouth before responding properly. ⠀⠀“A bit. It’s a lot of extra stuff to worry about.” ⠀⠀“Well, it’s not your job to worry about it.” ⠀⠀She didn’t really turn around as she said that. I glower as I begin to work on the potato slices. I’m not school staff, but… it kind of is my job to worry about it, what with how poorly the school’s doing financially. Between it, staying social, school classes, after school classes, other StuCo responsibilities, homework, appointments… it’s a lot. ⠀⠀Before long, I’m done with breakfast. 7:30. Time to head to school. Mom pipes up as I bring my plate over to the sink. ⠀⠀“Your lunch is next to the front door. Have fun at school, Ben. We love you.” ⠀⠀“Thanks, mom.” ⠀⠀I grab it as I head out the door. The bus ride to St Hammond is uneventful. ⠀ ⠀⠀The door of the drama classroom doesn’t quite slam - that would be too violent. But it certainly isn’t doing anything so careful or calm as simply opening. Somewhere in that in-between steps the endlessly energetic Miss Sizzle, a smile on her face, and her frizzy, feathery hair tied up in a knot. ⠀⠀“Good morning, class! I hope you’re ready for a lovely day of learning!” ⠀⠀I blink a few times at her dress. It’s very… eye-catching, with the spotlights, drama masks, and… clipboards? I’d heard from Kiara that Sizzle makes her own clothes, and given how bizarre that patterning is, I’m inclined to believe her. ⠀⠀“Now, not all of you were here yesterday,” she continues as she glances my way, “but that isn’t much of a problem. It was just syllabus reading and classroom introductions.” ⠀⠀“However!” The Yutyrannus claps her hands for emphasis. “Today we’ll be diving headfirst into the wonderful world of theater!” I hear someone shift in their seat next to me, grumbling something under their breath - something that sounded like “Fuckin’ finally”. I glance over automatically, and nearly jump when I see who it is. ⠀⠀It’s that brooding girl in the wheelchair from yesterday. Uh, Mia! I hadn’t ever really expected to be in a class with her, given her, ah… ‘academic performance’. But, those were all rumors. ⠀⠀…I also hadn’t expected to see an expression on her face that wasn’t some kind of checked out, angry, or miserable. She’s attentive, focused - paying attention. There’s a kind of fire in those eyes I don’t think I’ve seen before in the admittedly few times I’ve met her. A theater fan! ⠀⠀…And then the hostile expression comes back as she notices I’m looking at her. Realizing that I’m staring, I course correct back to Sizzle. ⠀⠀“...oup project due by the eighteenth. I’ll let you know your pairs in class tomorrow. Now, before we begin our lecture for the day, I only have one more announcement: this year’s stage play!” ⠀⠀I hear Mia huff in annoyance next to me. A quick glance out of the corner of my eyes sees the pink parasaur roll hers and begin ignoring Sizzle in favor of her laptop. Her notes quickly get replaced by a SnootTube tab of a FasCar race from a month ago. I stomach my annoyance and give Sizzle my attention once more. ⠀⠀“We’ll be performing a musical rendition of the Wizard of Oz! Well, the original was already a musical, but we’ve made some edits to the list of songs…” ⠀⠀My focus wanders elsewhere. Not because Miss Sizzle is boring - no, not at all! It’s something else. My brow furrows as I look back at Mia. She’s not even pretending to pay attention. What’s with this girl? ⠀⠀“Hey.” I don’t realize that I’ve angrily whispered to her until after the words have left my mouth. I get an annoyed glance back. “Pay attention!” ⠀⠀The glance turns into a glare. I meet it with my own. Neither of us budge an inch. There’s tension in the air. ⠀⠀Then, it dissipates. Mia pauses her video and squints at me, like it’s the first time she’s ever looked at me before. I’d say it was if it weren’t for the glance yesterday. I can’t discern her expression. Then, slowly, she pauses her video, grimaces, and tunes back into her education. I realize I’m still scowling when I do the same, correcting my expression. Miss Sizzle is looking at the both of us, a single brow raised slightly. ⠀⠀“As I was saying, auditions will be open until next Monday. The cast will be posted on the corkboard outside my classroom on September 22nd; I’ll try to have it up before Edna - erm, Principal Scaler calls everyone down to the Auditorium for the Art Contest, but if I don’t, just come by afterwards.” ⠀⠀As the class actually starts, I fall into my thoughts again. I see people goofing off in class all the time and always just brush it off. It’s their lives, not mine. This wasn’t any different, but I got… indignant? No, angry! I still kind of am! I feel my brow furrow again. ⠀⠀…Why did that bother me so much? ⠀⠀I suddenly feel very keenly aware of the pill bottle in the interior pocket of my blazer. Agitation is one of my symptoms. Am I…? Maybe I should take some after class. ⠀⠀…I dunno. ⠀⠀Ugh, now I’M having trouble paying attention. ⠀ ⠀⠀Nothing much to be said between the first period and lunch. Just dry, sterile lectures. I did manage to introduce myself to Mr Ferris - or, well, it’d be more accurate to say he introduced himself to me. He was personable enough, though I’d never have expected a whale to be an uncle to a brachiosaur… Squeezing through the lunchroom warzone, I immediately get to the usual rotation. Ask George how the gaming club’s been doing. Check in with Michael’s table. Say hi to Lunara… Lunara… ⠀⠀Oh, there she is. Odd, the only other person at her table is - ⠀⠀…Mia. Huh. ⠀⠀“Hey, Lunara.” Her smile falters, turning to look up at me surprised. When she sees me, the smile returns. “Oh, hey Ben!” ⠀⠀“You never mentioned you knew Mia.” Lunara’s eyes turn to Mia, who’s fixed me with a guarded, baggy-eyed stare, before turning back to me. “Oh, yeah. Me and Mia go way back. We came from the same middle school!” ⠀⠀I look up, squinting as I try to recall the name. “Mmm… School 9, right?” She nods, beaming just as much as ever. “Mhm! Came to St Hammond together. I’m always trying to get her to come to clubs and hang out with everyone, buuuuut she usually just says no.” ⠀⠀“...You’re the Student Council President, right?” Lunara turns to Mia, a bit surprised that the para actually spoke up. The blonde is boring her eyes into me with the intensity of her look. ⠀⠀“...Yeah?” She nods. “Cool.” She doesn’t look away. ⠀⠀Lunara, meanwhile, is looking between the two of us as though she just saw her friend stand up. Once she finally regains control of her slack-jaw, she clears her throat and asks me the question that’s been burning into her brain. “S-so, uh, anyways, Ben. You know Mia?” ⠀⠀I shake my head as I sit down. “Not really. I only really met her in Miss Sizzle’s class today.” ⠀⠀Lunara seems to have recovered by the time I finish my statement. “Oh, yeah, Sizzle. Kiara’s always telling me about her fashion talks with her. I don’t really get it, but, y’know. She sounds really nice”. She sticks her fork into her mystery meat lunch and raises it to her mouth, but freezes as she remembers something. Turning excitedly to Mia, who immediately notices something’s wrong, she blurts out, “OH! Mia, Mia!” ⠀⠀“WHAT?” ⠀⠀The intensity of her response freezes both Lunara and I. Mia slowly uncoils. “...I was wondering if you were gonna be signing up for the play today.” A tiny flash of guilt passes the wheelchair girl’s face. She looks to the side, the corner of her mouth tucked into her cheek, before shaking her head. “Nah.” The word almost seems to wound Lunara. ⠀⠀“Awww, why not, Mia? You love acting! And the song li-” She’s silence by a raised hand and a pinched brow. ⠀⠀“Lunara,” the hand clenches for a moment before Mia sighs. “It’s… Look, it’s fine. I just don’t really feel like doing it.” The raptor gazes at her, concerned, before sighing and relenting. “Well, if you change your mind, I think submissions are open for the rest of the week.” ⠀⠀“Until Monday, actually,” I interject. Lunara turns to me confused. I rub the back of my head as I continue, “Yeah, Miss Sizzle told us in class. I had to tell Mia to pay attention.” ⠀⠀At the sound of that, Lunara’s expression drops from ‘mild confusion’ to ‘OH NO’. I’ve only ever seen her use that expression when Kiara called Monica fat in front of her. ⠀⠀Her body frozen, her eyes dart between Mia and me once again. I raise an eyebrow expectantly. Mia looks at Lunara like she’s insane. ⠀⠀“...The fuck are you doing?” That got Lunara moving ⠀⠀“Ehem. O-Oh. Uhh, so… what happened after that?” ⠀⠀“I paid attention.” ⠀⠀Once again, Lunara’s expression went through a dramatic shift of which I’m starting to get tired. This time, from mortification to shocked confusion. “...Oh?” ⠀⠀Then, something new came over her face. I… can’t describe it, but I don’t like it. It looks devious. She cocked her head, her open mouth tugging into a slight smile. “Huh…” ⠀⠀This is starting to get a bit absurd. I try to bring her back to reality with an exasperated, “Lunara.” ⠀⠀No response. She just keeps looking at us. Mia raises her hands in the air in an unspoken, annoyed question. Lunara just shifts her body further to the right, craning her neck to the side, getting a different angle to look at us as though she were an owl. ⠀⠀Then, her eyes bulge wide again, and her slight smile spreads into a grin. I can see the gears turning behind her eyes. She’s starting to giggle. ⠀⠀“Lunara. The FUCK are you doing?” asks Mia once more. ⠀⠀“Hehe, oh, nothing…” babbles Lunara in response. Suddenly, she gets up, picking up her food. She’s already scampering away. ⠀⠀“Lunara? Where are you go-” ⠀⠀Before I can finish my sentence, she cuts me off, scurrying faster. “Hey, I just remembered, I gotta go talk to Kiara about stuff! Seeyouguyslaterbye~!” I just barely see her dump her lunch in the trash and pull out her phone before she disappears into the lunch-war. I feel my body slump. ⠀⠀Between the two of us, Mia’s the first one to say anything. “God, she’s so fucking weird.” ⠀⠀I open my mouth, but I just choke on whatever it is I was gonna say. Instead, I sigh. “...Yeah.” ⠀⠀Some more awkward silence. She goes back to munching on the cafeteria leeks. “Well, I better keep making the rounds. See you tomorrow morning, Mia.” ⠀⠀She grunts in affirmation as I walk away. ⠀ ⠀⠀Click-snap! ⠀⠀“I dub this portrait, ‘d’étudiant sans poils’.” ⠀⠀The classroom laughs lightly as Mr Iadakan pins the photograph he’d taken of Inco to the corkboard - alongside the surprise photos he’d taken of everyone else. I can’t help but chuckle a bit too. The almost-but-not-quite-late human was soon sat right next to me. I think he’s gonna like Mr Iadakan. ⠀⠀Our Pterosaur mentor was thankfully quick with his syllabus, letting us get right into our first lesson: exposure and lighting. He had gone through the effort of showing us every single lighting fixture he spoke about. It’s things like this for which I’ve always appreciated Mr Iadakan. ⠀⠀“Now that you’ve had a small taste of it, we’ll start on your first photography assignment; proper lighting!” ⠀⠀Judging by the reaction of Inco next to me, he appreciates the ptero too. Yep - knew he was gonna like Mr Iadakan. ⠀⠀“Remember, though, that these are just tools meant to enhance the photo. You can highlight a turd all you want, it’s still a turd.” I hear a few students behind us chuckle at the toilet humor as Iadakan checks the clock, humming. “Well, I see we’ve managed to finish this lecture a tad bit early. Why don’t you take these last ten minutes to compare notes, maybe even consider doing the assignment piece as a collab piece with a classmate.” ⠀⠀I smile to myself as Iadakan returns to his desk to lounge. I know where I’m taking my picture, and I definitely know who I’m working with. ⠀⠀“Hey.” Inco, the only other person in the room who paid as much attention to the lecture as I did turns to face me as I address him. “Do you wanna do a joint piece? Since you don’t know any good spots in the school and all.” ⠀⠀I give him a moment to scan the assignment sheet before I continue. “I’ve got the perfect place for it. If we work together, we can even use two items.” Inco agrees with a smile and a handshake. ⠀⠀“So, you’re doing okay with classes and everything?” ⠀⠀…And he doesn’t let go. Or stop smiling. I wiggle my hand out of his grip as my own expression turns from excitement to bemusement. ⠀⠀…He still hasn’t stopped smiling. Is this… normal for him? ⠀⠀…Still smiling. ⠀⠀… ⠀⠀“Inco?” No response. ⠀⠀I rub the back of my head, my bemusement turning to worry. Did Coach Solly give him brain damage? What do I do? Should I ask Mr Iadakan for he- ⠀⠀Oh. Mr Iadakan’s got his sleep mask on. Not a good idea. ⠀⠀…Still smiling. ⠀⠀“Inco!” Finally, as I shout his name, he snaps out of it, looking at me as though nothing just happened. Oh, thank god. “Maybe you should see a doctor, man. Head injuries are no laughing matter.” ⠀⠀He waves me off, saying, “I’m fine. What were you saying?” ⠀⠀“I was asking how you were doing. You know, with school and classes now.” He instantly smiles again. Raptor Jesus, please don’t let him get stuck again. ⠀⠀“Oh, right! Doing good. Really good, actually. I’m in a class that I’m 100% enjoying, and starting to make some genuine friendships…” he pauses, taking a deep breath. I think he’s getting misty-eyed behind those sunglasses. “Compared to the disaster of yesterday, today has been astoundingly positive.” ⠀⠀Thank you, Raptor Jesus, for not letting him get stuck again. ⠀⠀“That’s good to hear.” ⠀⠀“Yeah I’ve even got some friends now.” My thoughts go back to lunch. Towards the end of the period, I had stopped by Damien’s table. Inco was actually getting pretty chummy with him and Olivia - though there really wasn’t enough time left to ask the pressing question. ⠀⠀“Good, good. Hey, Olivia apologized for yesterday, right?” ⠀⠀He blushes at the mention of the gator. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I actually had second period with her in Iadakan’s art class. She apologized to me then. I had my doubts when she hit me in the face yesterday, but she’s actually pretty cool! In a teasing way.” ⠀⠀I breathe an inward sigh of relief as my smile widens. Thank you, Raptor Jesus, for sorting that out too. Though, with the way Olivia was looking at him at lunch... I think Inco’s gonna end up getting a lot closer to her than he thinks. ⠀⠀“Great! Oh, and what about your art submission? Was Liz able to help?” ⠀⠀“Yeah, she gave me my log-in stuff and everything. Uploading the submission was a piece of cake after all.” I give up an ‘OK’ hand gesture. ⠀⠀“Awesome! Though, that does make you my competition. Both Liz and I have pieces in the running too.” He laughs a bit at the friendly ribbing, but there’s a bit of worry on his face. ⠀⠀“She told me she had submitted something, yeah. I’m a bit concerned since I didn’t have as much time to prepare anything, but…” ⠀⠀I cut him off, trying to cheer him up. “Hey, everyone’s got a chance. You never know.” He nods. ⠀⠀“Yeah. She was pretty cool about it, too. That whole friend group is pretty welcoming.” ⠀⠀I nod. “Mhm. It’s good that Olivia gave you an olive branch - those three are pretty good people… if a little… elitist? Still, it’s important never to judge a book by its cover. You might’ve steered clear of Olivia and ended up with three less friends.” ⠀⠀Something stirs in me after saying that. Judging a book by its cover. Brief memories of yesterday flash in my eyes - of Mia glaring at me as she nearly runs us both over. Might’ve steered clear of her… ⠀⠀My brow furrows. There she is again. ⠀⠀“Ben?” ⠀⠀“Hm? Oh, yeah. Sorry. Just thinking about someone. Er, something. Stuff.” ⠀⠀“Stuff like the assignment, I trust?” ⠀⠀I jump in my seat as the shadow of Iadakan’s wings falls over us, the teacher fixing us with a judgemental red-eyed glare. Inco reacts faster than I do. “O-O of course, Mr Iadakan, we were just discussing where we’d take our picture. Right, Ben?” I nod, blushing in embarrassment as I run my fingers through my hair. ⠀⠀“...Well that’s good then!” Iadakan instantly relaxes, smiling at us disarmingly. “Good thing you guys weren’t talking about something off-topic, like gossip. That would be a pretty embarrassing use of your time right off the bat, I think. Especially considering you’re currently the subject of some fairly humorous gossip, aren’t you, Mr Nito?” Inco immediately cringes in shame. ⠀⠀I do too. Iadakan might’ve grilled Inco, but that’s just because he was the one who responded to him. His real target is me - he only came over once I started acting off. After four years of his classes, I know Iadakan well enough to know when I’m gonna be asked to stick around after this period ends. ⠀⠀“If the air around someone needs clearing, clear it yourself.” ⠀⠀*DING DONG BING BONG* ⠀⠀*BING BONG DING DONG* ⠀⠀As if summoned by the pterosaur’s advice, the end-of-period bell rattles the classroom. He immediately returns to his teaching persona, turning to the entire class with a smile. ⠀⠀“Alright, off you go now. And remember to get your assignment done by the end of the week!” The classroom empties slowly. Inco looks at me expectantly, but I wave him off. I know better than to try and run off. Soon enough, it’s just Iadakan and I. He flops down into his especially cushiony chair, clasps his hands together on his lap, and stares right at me as he slowly pivots side to side. ⠀⠀“...So. Who’s got you down? Don’t say it’s just the audit, you only drooped once you said something about first impressions.” ⠀⠀I suck in air, rubbing the back of my neck. Well, no getting around it. “Well… There’s this girl.” His eyebrow immediately raises and I realize what that sounded like. “No, no, not like that! We met in Miss Sizzle’s class. She’s another parasaur-” ⠀⠀Iadakan, who had leaned his head back and furrowed his brow in thought, suddenly interrupts me. “In a wheelchair? Is her name Mia?” ⠀⠀I look at the teacher in shock. “Yes, how’d you know? Do you have her?” ⠀⠀“Oh, no, I realized once you mentioned Miss Sizzle.” He shakes his head, chuckling. “Valerie’s an awful gossip. Everyone in the Art department has heard everything that anyone in her class has ever done.” I furrow my brow and look away. Duly noted. He notices my consternation. “Don’t worry, most of it gets forgotten in the flood.” ⠀⠀“So, you’re pretty obviously talking about your little encounter this morning.” He scratches the side of his snoot as he tries to recall things about the ornery student. “Generally miserable, doing poorly in every class that isn’t related to acting, subject of gossip and rumors, rejects offers of help or attempts at connection from her eccentric teacher who worries about her often… yeah, I can see how that’d be a bad first impression.” ⠀⠀“You’re telling me.” ⠀⠀He goes back to staring at me, going so far as to point a finger from his lap. “And I take it you’re hung up about her for some reason?” I shrug sheepishly. Guilty as charged. He sighs and shrugs back, closing his eyes briefly. “Well, I already said the best advice I could give. ‘If the air around someone needs clearing, clear it yourself’.” ⠀⠀“Yeah. Yeah…” My hands find their way to my pockets as I stand up to leave. “Thanks, Mr Iadakan.” He simply gives me a silent wave goodbye as he grabs his sleep mask from off his desk again. ⠀ ⠀⠀After-school tutoring again. Mr Garfunkel wasn’t kidding yesterday - it’s PACKED. I’d wonder if the Math department was really trying its hardest if it weren’t for the fact that I’m chatty with one of the members of it. It’s been forty minutes and I’ve already gone over homework with three different students. ⠀⠀Unfortunately, the third student is Damien. He’s been twenty of those forty minutes, and we’ve only managed to get through three problems. ⠀⠀“Wh- Damien, we explained what a variable is yesterday!” ⠀⠀“Yeah. I forgot, dude.” ⠀⠀I’m about to say something when something catches my eye and I look past him. That red-violet jacket. Is that…? ⠀⠀Yep, it’s Mia. I recall what Iadakan told me about her academics, and what Garfunkel said yesterday about mandatory tutoring. Guess she’s here for that too. I feel a little bad for Juan, having to tutor her… ⠀⠀Damien follows my gaze, then turns back to me as his frills pick up a bit. His cheeky smile forces me to pay attention to him again. “Really dude? Didn’t think she was your type.” ⠀⠀I blink a few times as I realize what he’s talking about. “What?” ⠀⠀He bumps my shoulder, laughing. “Haha, chill, dude. Just playin’ with you. You never see Mia before?” I shrug in response. “Not really before this year - and then here I am, running into her three times today.” ⠀⠀“And now you’re head over heels?” I furrow my brow at his toothy smile. “Just kidding! I’ve been in a couple math classes with her. Not really surprised they dragged her in here.” ⠀⠀I perk up at the sound of Damien having a history with her. “And what did you think of her? Like, as a person.” He raises an eyebrow, giving me a look. “Damien, I know everyone in our class year *except* for her. Can you blame me for being curious?” ⠀⠀He shrugs, then scrunches his face as he thinks. A frill comes up to hide our mouths, giving us privacy. “Weeeeell… she just sorta seemed pissed off that she had to go to class. But, like, that was half the room. I don’t really have any problems with her…” ⠀⠀“But?” ⠀⠀He looks over at her for a second, mulling something over. “Well, Olivia HATES her.” I look over at Damien, surprised at the sudden revelation. “I dunno why. I think it’s just cause like, y’know, ‘Liv kinda gets testy sometimes? And maybe Mia just got angry at her and she held a grudge. I dunno. She doesn’t really talk about it, but she gets PISSED when she sees her wheel past. Liz doesn’t like her either, but she doesn't really seem angry about it?” ⠀⠀Well, Liz does kinda make sense. She's always had a pretty low opinion of a lot of people who aren’t active - and vocal - about their goals. But Olivia? That’s not something I would’ve expected. I begin to look back over at Mia’s table, biting my tongue as Damien’s frills recede. ⠀⠀“...Huh. Thanks, Damien.” He just gives me a thumbs up and grins in response. ⠀⠀“Thanks, dude! …But, like, I still need help with my homework." ⠀⠀We manage to eke out two more questions before my time’s up. I consider talking to Mr Garfunkel before I leave, but... ⠀⠀"No, you have to - you need to write down your steps, Kyle. Your teachers won't be able to tell that it was 'just a typo' if they can't see your entire process." ⠀⠀Better not to interrupt him. He's already busy enough. ⠀⠀My thoughts return to Mia as I step into the hall and head to the exit. I still don’t know why I keep thinking about her, it’s… almost annoying. It’s probably just like I told Damien - if I know everyone else, why shouldn’t I know her? ⠀⠀…Of all the things I’d be focusing on in my Senior year, never thought it’d be some girl in a wheelchair with anger issues. Oh well. It beats worrying about the Audit. I think. Still haven’t quite reached a verdict.