“Hola, Amber,” (“Hey, Amber,”) one of them said, waving at her casually. “Te ves muy relajada.” (“You’re looking very relaxed.”)

Amber smiled and waved back. “Sí, tomando un pequeño descanso. ¿Qué pasa?” (“Yeah, taking a little break. What’s up?”)

Another member of the group stopped, tilting her head slightly. “¿Recuerdas nuestras tareas, verdad? Se entregan esta noche.” (“You remembered our assignments, right? They’re due tonight.”)

Amber’s smile faltered for a moment. “¿Esta noche? Pensé que teníamos más tiempo.” (“Wait, tonight? I thought we had more time.”)

The girls exchanged knowing looks. One of them chuckled and started listing things off. “Derecho Constitucional. Necesitas escribir un análisis del artículo 27 de la Constitución Mexicana. Luego está nuestro informe grupal de Derecho Comparado sobre las diferencias en los procedimientos de litigio civil entre México y los EE. UU. Y no olvides Derecho Penal: se supone que debes redactar una estrategia de defensa completa para el caso ficticio.”
(“Constitutional Law. You need to write an analysis of Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution. Then there’s our Comparative Law group report on civil litigation differences between Mexico and the U.S. And don’t forget Criminal Law—you’re supposed to draft a full defense strategy for the mock case.”)

Amber blinked, suddenly sitting up straighter. “Vaya, supongo que lo olvidé. Gracias por recordármelo.” (“Wow, I guess I did forget. Thanks for the reminder.”)

One of the girls shrugged with a playful smile. “No hay problema. Te veías tan tranquila aquí que pensamos que tal vez necesitabas un pequeño empujón.” (“No problem. You looked so calm over here; we figured you might need a little nudge.”)

Another added, “Vamos a volver para terminar el informe grupal. Si necesitas algo, ven con nosotras.” (“We’re heading back to help finalize the group report. If you need anything, just join us.”)

Amber nodded, her mind already racing with ideas. “Encontraré una solución. ¡Gracias por avisarme!” (“I’ll figure something out. Thanks for letting me know!”)

The group walked on, leaving Amber to gather her thoughts. She leaned back against the tree again, staring at the row of boys’ tents not far away. A sly smile crept onto her face as an idea began to take shape. She knew exactly how to tackle the situation.

Amber adjusted her hat, brushing off the grass as she stood up with a determined smile. Her idea was simple, maybe even audacious, but it was worth a try. She walked across the camp toward the row of boys’ tents, the sunlight glinting off her dark hair as she approached.

Reaching one of the larger tents, she crouched slightly and leaned half her body inside, propping herself up with one hand on the tent frame. A few of the boys inside turned their heads, startled by her sudden appearance.