“Now, before I hand back last week’s assignment, I have some general comments to make.”

Years of military service helped Leo school his expression instead of rolling his eyes. This was at least the third time this semester they’d gotten this lecture, and he already knew what was coming.

Out in the real world, there’s no margin for error.

On a stupid geography paper about volcanoes. It wasn’t even like any of them were going to become volcano scientists—volcanists? Vulcans?—and risk wiping out some rare indigenous species of parrot if they typed the wrong date.

This was one of those people who’d gotten a little too much power and a little too comfortable with it. Surrounded by sixty eighteen-year-olds and no more than a handful of sophomores, juniors, or even seniors, the temptation to talk down to them was apparently hard to ignore.

Leo was lucky he looked young. He seemed to blend in with the rest of them, enough that he didn’t get stared at like some of the “mature students” on campus. And everyone knew a few military guys who were going back to school on the VA’s dime. As he’d been told, there was a general atmosphere of support, but… isolation.

Even the warning that he might feel isolated hadn’t prepared him for the reality of being surrounded by kids who couldn’t seem to do their own laundry or change their oil, let alone survive a war zone.

Taking a mix of evening and daytime courses for the first semester had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now he was starting to wish he’d gone for just the evening courses.

He jolted to life when the clattering chaos of students rushing out of the classroom began. The ability to tune out lectures wasn’t a military thing; that had been a lifelong ability, much to the frustration of his superiors sometimes.

“Leo. Can you wait for a minute?”

Leo blinked at Professor Park, his paper clutched awkwardly in one hand as he balanced the laptop under his other arm. “Um, sure.”

He stepped aside with the professor as other students claimed their papers, immediately sweating. Had his been that bad? He was pretty sure he’d just spotted an A on his paper.

“I wanted to ask where you got your sources. I know I didn’t ask for a bibliography, but there were some interesting facts about desert biomes.”

“I lived in the desert for a few years.”

“Ah. You’re one of our VA kids, aren’t you?” Professor Park nodded at him when he nodded. “Thank you for your service, Leo.” He clearly felt pleased with himself for saying it and waited for a response.

Leo swallowed the groan of frustration. If that was all he wanted to say, he could have complimented his own generous patriotic spirit in the mirror and saved Leo the time. He had his own job to get to. “My pleasure. So I’m not in trouble?”

“Oh, no. That explains everything. I was impressed with your work. Diligent and high-quality.”

“Thanks. Sorry to run, though. I have to get to work. See you next class, sir.” Leo waved slightly and jogged out of the classroom, then broke into a sprint as he headed for the car.

Only when he got to his car and fumbled to unlock the door did he remember why he hadn’t been in more of a rush to get out of the house with a packed supper for later.

He wasn’t even working today.

He thumped his forehead and climbed into his car. Classes were the only thing helping him remember the days of the week.

Now he regretted racing out of the classroom. Other students lingered, chatted, made friends, got coffee together… and he was always rushing to work or to sit alone at home.

Leo drew a calming breath and let it out to focus on the drive home. The routine was nice, but dissatisfaction still stirred in his stomach as he walked through the front door of his quiet little apartment.

He hadn’t expected to be so lonely without the structure of his days—and his were some of the least structured of any of his friends in the military. Photographers were ready to shoot when needed, as needed, in a whole different way.

Again, Leo’s gaze wandered to his camera.

He used police department-issued gear for his current job, and he hadn’t picked his own up often over the last few months. Moving back here had taken its toll on him, but he’d never expected reintegration to be this difficult.

He had a new job he liked, and which helped him bring some good into this world—if only by catching evil bastards.

But what about friends?

That made up his mind: he’d hit up the bars. Wander around downtown, see what had changed in the last few years. Knoxville looked different now, even with just a few years having gone by.

Time to act normal, just for a night.