Monday brought the first exam.
Luca woke to his alarm at six, stared at the ceiling for a solid minute before convincing himself to move.
Beside him, Noel was already awake, scrolling through something on his phone.
"Morning," Noel said without looking over.
"What time's your exam?"
"One. International Trade Policy."
"Mine's at nine. Corporate Strategy."
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Luca sat up, rubbed his face. "It's multiple choice and two essay questions. I've been over the material enough times I could probably recite it in my sleep."
"Probably not the best exam strategy."
"Probably not."
They moved through the morning efficiently—shower, coffee, toast that Luca barely touched.
His stomach always got weird before exams, even when he knew the material cold.
"You want me to walk with you?" Noel asked.
"Nah. Your exam's not for hours. Get some more studying in."
"I'm not studying more. I'll just psych myself out."
"Then sleep more."
"Can't. Too wired."
