"I don't know," Adrian finally answered, his voice very level despite the jolt the question gave him.
Silence crackled on the other end. Karl clearly hadn't expected that. Adrian was usually decisive, focused. Uncertainty wasn't his style.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Karl blurted out, confusion overriding his excitement. "Bro, it's the Academy!"
Adrian navigated around another deep fissure, the Rover lurching slightly. He needed to steer this conversation elsewhere. "How's Serena?" he asked, shifting the focus smoothly.
The question had an immediate effect. Karl's nervousness was almost audible, a sudden intake of breath.
"Uh... she's... she's good! Yeah! She's right here with me, actually," he stammered, clearly thrown off his pressing line of inquiry. "We only met up so we could try calling you together."
"Hmm, by this time?"
"It's not that late," Karl protested quickly, his voice regaining a little confidence. "We're okay. Really."
