Chapter 29-2: The Secret Formula (Patreon)

For the first time in what must have been ages, Kaitlyn stepped into an unfamiliar space. Despite the usual red-brick building it was housed in, the hall's interior appeared far more modern than most she'd seen. Its spotless whiteboard and freshly upholstered seats indicated a newness to the place that felt like stepping into a new world. The white-painted space buzzed with the sounds of chattering students and rustling backpacks. It was also approximately half the size that she'd expected, housing seats for one or two hundred students rather than three or four.

Maybe it's because it's a more specialized class. If fewer people take it, then they obviously don't need such a big space. A slight grin crept onto her features. Guess that means I'm finally leaving the basic classes behind. Good riddance.

Glancing around, she searched the room for Philip. Sure enough, the tutor's familiar figure was already sitting in one of the side sections near the front, closest to the door.

Huh. He always struck me as more of a front and center kind of guy. I guess I was half right.

She hurried over to claim a spot next to him. The hall was filling up quickly, and already she could see people starting to pack in indiscriminately. Better to staker her claim while she could.

"Hey Philip!"

Philip glanced up at the greeting. Against all expectations, he still wore his usual blue dress shirt and vest, even to lecture. Kaitlyn had almost been excited to find him in more casual clothing, especially since the restaurant was closed on Tuesdays, but no. He blinked before dipping his head in a formal greeting. "Kaitlyn. I assume that you've chosen to audit this course, then?"

"Yup!" She flashed him a thumbs up. "I think you're right. Algorithms seems like the play if I want to keep going down the CS rabbit hole. It seems kind of interesting, too."

She'd initially held some reservations about the class. With a name like "Algorithms", it was certain to be full of the kind of nonsense she'd always hated about Calculus. That, or worse. But that was even more reason to take it now.

If there's anyone who's going to get me through this class, it's Philip. I trust him to help me through any kind of math, even if he has to drag me kicking and screaming.

Philip nodded. "Agreed. Most software engineer positions require at least a basic knowledge of these concepts, and the classes beyond it are sure to be just as useful in their practical applications. Particularly at the higher ends of employment."

"Is that why you're into programming, then? To get a job?"

He nodded sharply. "Software engineer is a vocation that is both in demand and higher-paying than most alternatives if one seeks out the right position. Additionally, but hiring decisions are often made using competence and coding tests as the primary screening factors rather than resumes or certifications. Given my specialties and relative competence in the field, I hope to secure a high-paying position once I'm skilled enough."

Dang. He's thought this through. She should have expected as much, but hearing it laid out like that just drove the point home. I never had my life planned out that well. I just kind of figured I'd go to college and find a job afterwards, doing… I dunno, something.

Philip glanced sideways at her. "Why are you pursuing programming?"

"Me?" She shrugged. "I just… wanted to learn more things. It sounds way less impressive, maybe even silly compared to your reason. But I kind of wanted to, you know, broaden my skillsets and try out new stuff." Maybe even get good enough to help with Ian's game.

He nodded. "Seeking to grow beyond your current limitations is never silly. It is arguably one of the most worthwhile things a person can do."

Kaitlyn blinked in surprise. "Thanks."

"Why? I merely made an observation."

Before Kaitlyn could respond, a lanky and balding man stepped to the podium. He cleared his throat and began speaking with a clipped accent. "Ok! Let's get started."

Philip's attention snapped to the front, their conversation forgotten as he began typing. Kaitlyn pulled out a notebook and began to take notes as well, though she felt a bit self-conscious about the action. She didn't have her own laptop quite yet. But soon.

As the professor talked, covering the syllabus before launching into the meat of the lecture, Kaitlyn found her attention wandering over to the well-dressed tutor beside her more than once. Philip didn't appear to notice, his gaze laser-focused on the course content. His fingers flew across the keyboard with deft assurance. A quick peek at his screen revealed painstakingly detailed notes on the level that she'd expected.

Ok, focus. Putting the guy out of her mind, she tried to keep her eyes forward. I'm learning here, too. Gotta get serious about it. Especially if I don't want to completely embarrass myself as a study partner…

Eventually, after a healthy dose of algorithm definitions, types, and proofs that threatened to make her brain melt, the class came to a close. She sighed inwardly in relief and exhaustion. Geez. It's day one and I'm already feeling the burn. I'm gonna really need to focus hard on this one, aren't I…

She packed up her belongings quickly. Hopefully she could catch the professor before he became overrun with other students. "I'm going to talk to the professor about auditing. You want to grab lunch after this?"

Philip hesitated, then shook his head. "Unfortunately, I must decline. I must be going for now."

"Ok," Kaitlyn shrugged. "See you Thursday then?"

"See you on Thursday. Provided you plan to sit next to me once again."

Kaitlyn bit her tongue. In her head, she'd meant that she'd see him Thursday at Chella's, not at lecture. But the slip went unnoticed, luckily for her. Dang. It's been a while since I made a mistake like that.

"Sounds good. See you!"

With that, they split up. Philip strode quickly out the side door as Kaitlyn headed toward the front. A few overeager students had beaten her there, but at least it was just a few. She wouldn't need to wait too long.

As she stood among the loose gaggle of students waiting to speak with the professor, the lesson whirled in her head. She reviewed the concepts and mentally categorized them into bins - "confident", "iffy", and "absolute gibberish". For now, most of the stuff fit into the first two bins. But she could only imagine how quickly things might go downhill if she slacked off.

It's ok. I'm only taking one class for a reason, here. Because I knew it would be hard And hopefully Philip's got a better handle on this stuff than I do.

The thought made her wonder once again. How different would it be to study together rather than have him as a tutor? She expected the guy to still be magically good at this stuff, despite just learning it as she was. But what if he wasn't?

Well, no point worrying about it, I guess. If we both suck, we both suck together. I'll have to text him and put together a time to meet. Maybe this weekend…

"Can I help you?"

Kaitlyn smiled, stepping toward the professor. "Yes! I wanted to ask about auditing your class…"

***

A pair of electric stovetops hummed away atop the common room's long counter. In one bubbled a large stockpot of spaghetti, while the other held a smaller - albeit still huge - saucepan of simmering red liquid.

Spaghetti and meat sauce had never been Kaitlyn's favorite recipe on offer. It always felt too basic, too simple to justify the price tag she put on her meals. But after learning some more of Scarra's secrets, she finally felt confident enough to make the meal pop the way it deserved. Hopefully her customers agreed.

Who am I kidding. They obviously will. A bit of pride crept onto her face. They always have, even before I made all this progress. And Heather's still had to turn away people on the very first day, so it's not like there's no interest.

A quick taste of the meat sauce made her frown. Salt's good, but… it needs something else. What is it? She scanned her available ingredients before her gaze settled on a small bottle. Hesitantly, she poured a splash of the red wine vinegar into the pot and stirred it before testing it again. Her fist pumped in victory. Yes! Just right.

As she continued monitoring the food, Kaitlyn considered her plans for today's profits. Between the discounts on used equipment, Kate's Kitchen, and working at Chella's, she was on track to afford a laptop in two weeks. But now that I don't have to pay for tutoring, that does give me a bit of extra cash to work with. And if I want to study with Philip, it would be nice to have it sooner…

She frowned. The guy was always understanding of her situation and willing to work with her lack of a computer during past loops. But still, she didn't want to be the one holding them back or bumming off of his stuff if they were study partners. It felt different somehow.

Well, if we do study together this weekend, I'll have to survive one session like that at least. A long breath escaped her nostrils. But I might be able to push the purchase a week forward if I don't focus on expanding the business so much. It'll mean I can't buy the keyboard for music practice until later, and probably less customers by the end of the loop, but…

Heather popped up by her elbow, blonde curls bouncing. Her usual tank top and cutoff shorts were once again in season given the warmer weather of the loop's start. "Hey Kate! Getting everything ready? How's it going?"

Kaitlyn smiled. "Good. I'm really happy with how the meat sauce is turning out."

"Omigosh, awesome!" Heather's blue eyes glittered with excitement. "Can I try?"

She suppressed a small chuckle. Her roommate was as overeager as ever. "Heather, It's not even done yet."

"But it smells so good!" The girl pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe you can give me some early, just so I can, like, take pics? Posting about this will totally drum up excitement! It'll be a smart business move!"

Dang. She is convincing. Kaitlyn shook her head in wonder. "It'll be just a few more minutes, promise. And you're getting the first bowl anyway, remember? We had a deal."

Heather squealed with excitement. "Ok, fine, I can wait! I like, just had to make sure you didn't forget. Seriously though, remind me to take pictures first - otherwise I might totally gobble the whole thing up before you know it…"

"I'm not giving you a second bowl if you do," Kaitlyn warned. The girl had already tried that tactic in a previous loop.

"Ugh, fiiiiine." Heather bounded over to a table and set her backpack down. "I'm gonna bang out some of these assignments while I wait, mmmkay?"

Kaitlyn nodded and turned back to the pot of sauce. Some things never change. For the better, though. Thankfully.