Arthur stared at the soaked girl in front of him. She moved her blond hair out of her face and spoke. "Arthur!"

It was only then that Arthur recognized her. It was one of Arthur's classmates back home. "Anna? What are you doing here? Never mind that, how is my dad, my sister! Have you seen either of them recently? Are they worried about me?"

Anna furrowed her brows. "Arthur, stop that jabbering. They're fine, I saw them yesterday. At school. With you."

-"That's impossible, I've been here for two weeks."

"No, you haven't, we had our Geography test yesterday and I swear you were there. Now where am I? Who was that tall woman? What is this place?"

Arthur didn't speak for a moment, then the all-too-familiar voice pierced through his thoughts. "Arthur!"

Arthur shut his eyes and cursed himself. He wasn't allowed to talk to new ones. "I know, Ella." He said.

Ella tilted her head and smiled. "Listen, Arthur. I can't keep correcting you. You know that." she turned to Anna. "You have to find Mr Qillian, he deals with new Arborians." Anna opened her mouth to interrupt. "Ah tut-tut-tut, no. You can't speak to anyone until you have seen Mr Qillian. No worries, he's a very nice man and you'll like him. Everyone does. Tata for now!" She said, and walked off again.

Arthur stared at the still soaked blonde in puzzlement. How did she see him only yesterday? Why was she here too? Anna started walking up the stairs after he briefly motioned her that way with his head.

***

Arthur didn't see Anna for a while, until he had an Escape class. He had become closer with Aimee, although she was a Xinth and was not allowed to talk to him. So, they only spoke when they got to team up during Escape classes, no Ella in sight, and Professor Grassling didn't seem to mind either. When Anna stepped into the AXE cabin, Arthur saw the green button. She'd become a Vinchman. Aimee leaned towards Arthur. "Is that the girl you know?" She asked. Arthur nodded.

Anna saw Arthur and gave him a smile. She approached him and greeted him. "This place is awesome!" She said. "I still don't really understand all this, though." She said. Aimee and Arthur looked at each other. Anna realised Arthur knew Aimee, and she held out her hand.

"I'm Anna." She said. Aimee took her hand and shook it.

-"Aimee."

Anna raised a brow. "How do you write that? M-A?"

-"No, it's like the French word, A-I-M-E-E." Anna smiled, then turned to some Vinchmans.

The class started and Anna didn't talk to Aimee any longer. In fact, Anna seemed to find Sofia better company. The class was alright, and Arthur said goodbye to Aimee before leaving the cabin and pretending not to know her.

After that Escape class Arthur had another swimming class. Kile had told him the week before they'd continue the next week, and this time he said he had found a new way of making Arthur 'become friends' with the water.

First, he had a bucket and filled it with the pool water. Then he asked Arthur if he found that scary.

"No, it's big water, water I can drown in. That's what terrifies me." He answered.

Then, Kile walked to a wooden door at the side of the room, opened it with a creak and rolled out a barrel. "Water in here then?" Arthur shrugged.

-"I don't really mind, I think." Kile nodded and started filling it with water by filling and emptying the bucket.

Arthur stared at the barrel and when it was full he stepped in it. Kile had placed a step next to it. Arthur slowly lowered himself into the barrel, and his feet touched the ground.

"Okay, Arthur, I want you to paddle around with your feet. Try and float yourself." Arthur did as he was told, trying to pretend-bike in the barrel. He slowly lifted off the bottom of the barrel. "Is this scary?" Kile asked.

Arthur shook his head. "Not really."

Kile decided they would stop the lesson before Arthur would feel ill.

***

That evening during dinner Arthur looked at the Wulix table, trying to find Eylin. She looked back at him and smiled. She mouthed something, but Arthur couldn't see it properly, because the guy with the gigantic hat in the middle of the hexagon was moving in front of her. After he'd moved again, Eylin's attention was stolen by one of her friends again.

Elice and Finn were talking about how the temperature of the Mother Tree was dropping, and that autumn would begin soon.

***

After dinner Arthur lingered around the hall and waited for Eylin to pass. He tapped her on the hand quickly and she waited around as well.

"Arthur!" She greeted when people were gone. "Haven't spoken to you in a long time. Follow me." She started walking out, her cape-like jacket flying after her.

They walked all the way downstairs to the Eagle Fountain, and Eylin opened a wooden door across from the wonky door that led to the library. She twirled the key in her hands and let Arthur enter first. It was a small room, with two chairs and a coffee table.

"Tea?" Eylin asked, and Arthur nodded. "I brought you here because I know Ella won't find us. So how are you doing? How's the swimming going?" She asked, as she took two cups from a small cupboard.

"I still can't. Everything is good, I'm enjoying it here."

-"D'you miss home?"

Arthur thought about it. Every now and then he wondered how his family was doing, but because Anna had said they were fine, he wasn't as worried anymore. That made him think about the fact that Anna had said she saw him as well, so he asked Eylin.

"No one knows how it works, Arthur. Time is a complicated thing. You never get it back." She said solemnly. She poured some tea and gave Arthur a cup. "But Arthur, you do need to learn how to swim." She said again.

Arthur nodded and sipped his tea. "I like it here, but there's many things I still don't understand."

-"People understand things only when they have passed the time that understanding is useful." She said, before taking a sip of her tea.

Arthur and Eylin spoke for a while, until Eylin realised they had to get back to the cabins before the Evening Patrol would come bring them back. They walked up the stairs along the Eagle Fountain and went their own ways when they passed the Wulix door.

***

When Arthur entered his cabin he saw Elice and Finn were writing their homework. Arthur got his own out and worked on it, it was an essay about plants in specific environments, for the Explore class. After finishing the homework he fell asleep.