"Wilbur--left?"

"Yeah, and good fucking riddance. Jesus Christ, why is everyone at this study group so slow. I told you to do my goddamn homework." He slaps some papers in front of her.

"I hope it eats you."

"Someone's in a bad mood. Jesus Christ. Alex?"

"Yes, sir."

"You'll do my English homework if Niki won't. Is anyone else here alchemy track?"

"...Just you and Niki."

"Damn. Just my luck, huh. I'll do my own alchemy homework, you and Toby figure out who's doing the rest of it."

"Yes, sir."

"At least fucking loverboy is gone now. I mean, Jesus." Papers for Alex. "Set stuff back up with Tampa, Alex."

"I'll, I'll do my best. Sir."

"Yeah, that's right."

Tommy tugs on Toby's arm and whispers to him, quiet enough that Schlatt probably won't hear. "You-- you voted against Wil."

"I voted for Alex. He's right, we need to stop making Tampa our enemy."

"You voted for Schlatt. And now Wilbur's gone--"

"He'll-- he'll be back."

"It's-- come on, man, it's Wilbur."

"It's a study group, Tommy. It's not a big deal. You're being irrational. I just voted for our best interests."

"Wilbur's supposed to be our best interests."

"He'll be back tomorrow, okay? It'll be fine. Do your homework."

"Fuck you, bitch." Tommy flips Toby off half-heartedly and takes out his sewing instead.

Wilbur doesn't, in fact, come back the next day.

He doesn't show up to the library the day after next, either.

He does, on the third day, show up at Tommy's room in the morning, after curfew ends but before breakfast starts.

"Wilbur! Wilbur, man, come on in, we missed you."

"You missed me."

“Sure. I mean… Yeah. Of course I missed you, you’re big dubs! My partner in crime! You’re like my brother, man, and you fuckin’ disappeared for two days, of course I’m going to miss you!”