Reciprocal Altruism || Snowbarry College AU

Out of Airplanes Into Pools of Sharks II

"Aw, you guys are so cute!"

Barry jumped at the sound of Iris's voice and immediately pulled his hand away from Caitlin's; Caitlin did the same, but with much less vigor.

"Iris!" Barry said, happily. "You made it!"

"Hi, Barry," Eddie Thawne greeted cheerfully.

Barry did his best to give him a smile, though it ended up looking more like a grimace. "Eddie."

"Sorry we're late, guys." Iris looked at Eddie and smirked. "We were a little... uh... tied up."

Eddie blushed a light pink, focusing on the tiles of the floor as he grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. Caitlin did not really want to know any more.

"We're just glad you're here," Caitlin said with a genuine smile. "Thank you for inviting us."

Iris returned the warm welcome. "Of course! I have to get to know Barry's new girlfriend! Usually, I know his girlfriends before he does cause I was the one to set them up, so I'm happy Barry finally found someone on his own." She pinched Barry's cheeks in a motherly fashion and he batted her fingers away playfully.

"Plus, Iris thought our solo dates were getting boring, so she wanted to mix things up to keep our boring relationship interesting," Eddie added, somewhat sarcastically, but Caitlin could sense there was a bit of seriousness mixed in there somewhere.

Iris elbowed him jokingly, but seeing the look on Eddie's face as he tried to play it off made Barry and Caitlin exchange a quick glance.

Iris and Eddie remained standing while they talked until Caitlin finally got the memo. Sliding out of her booth, she went over to Barry's side and sat beside him so Iris and Eddie could sit together. She tried to ignore Barry's disappointed slouch that it was her sitting beside him and not Compass (aka Iris).

After a couple of minutes, the four of them had settled in nicely and had told the waiter their orders. The conversation went surprisingly smooth once the initial introductions had taken place and Caitlin was even beginning to enjoy herself.

Barry, Iris, and Caitlin discussed the exam they had taken that morning and the possible questions they could have answered wrong (note: all of them), all the while dramatically explaining to Eddie, who was not required to take the class, the absolute nightmare that the course was.

"I have contemplated dropping out of my minor so many times because of that class," Iris said.

"I have contemplated dropping out of my whole major because of that class," Barry countered.

"Come on, guys," Eddie said, keeping the conversation flowing. "It really can't be that bad. It's just one class."

"Oh, you say that now," Iris said. "But there are two professors teaching this course, okay? Wells and Stein. Both professors are super strict, but people will literally switch from one professor to the other just cause one class has an average of a D as opposed to an average of a D- because that's how bad it gets. Caitlin gets it. Right, Caitlin?" Iris looked over at said girl. "Caitlin switched from Wells to Stein," she explained to her boyfriend.

Caitlin gave a tight nod before Eddie exclaimed, "D? But that's failing the course. They can't let everyone fail!"

"They curve the class obviously," Barry butt in. "But they still try to fail as many students as possible. It's kinda supposed to be the 'deciding' course."

"Deciding course? What does that mean?" Eddie asked.

"The class that determines if you're actually cut out for your major... or minor," Caitlin explained. "More generally, it reveals if you have what it takes to make it in the STEM field."

"One class determines if you have what it takes? Huh," Eddie huffed. "So you guys think you're cut out for it?"

"Beats me," Barry replied as Iris snorted. "We don't even know what the curve looks like till the end of the semester, so right now we're all kind of failing."

The three science majors/minors exchanged high-fives.

Iris pursed her lips. "It's totally not right though. If they're going to teach the class and then expect everyone to fail... How is that fair? I mean, the whole system is rigged."

"Yeah," Caitlin agreed. "If they can't teach the subject to us properly, and expect us to learn it on our own, and then it's reflected in the number of students failing the class, then it's not our problem, it's theirs."

Iris nodded. "Exactly! Everyone talks about how there is a great need for scientists and mathematicians and then when people are interested, they are thrust into a class that literally tells them that they are not meant for it."

The soon-to-be reporter slammed her hands on the table as she continued her passionate speech. "Students who grew up in less privileged neighborhoods with schools that were underserved, who then finally get a prestigious scholarship to a university that can finally give them the education they deserve and then without any guidance are just told, 'Sorry you don't understand this as fast as this other student who went to a freakin' private school and was tutored since they were goddamn diapers. Guess you're not cut out for this after all, scholarship and hard work be damned.' No wonder so many STEM people switch majors! No wonder there's a lack of scientists!"

Caitlin nodded along, moved by Iris's words. "I completely agree. Science should be for everyone and I believe that if someone has the willingness to learn, they should be allowed to make mistakes along the way to get there. Just having one course to 'weed out' students who apparently don't 'belong' to the STEM field is such a toxic mentality."

"Caitlin, you are my soulmate!" Iris squealed causing Caitlin to blush a rose pink. "I keep trying to explain to my friends that it's more than just about passing and failing, but they won't listen to me. People learn in all kinds of ways and there are so many ways to express intelligence even in the STEM field alone and to put all STEM majors into a single bubble..." Iris huffed, catching her breath after her speech. "It's just absurd."

"Especially when science is all about creativity and finding ingenious solutions to problems that have never been solved." Caitlin added.

Eddie and Barry exchanged glances from across the table after watching the two girls go back and forth. Barry shrugged while Eddie took another bite of the free bread.

"That was amazing, Iris. I've always thought that, but I just didn't know how to verbalize it and explain it in a way that actually makes sense. The way you were able to just... put into words what most STEM majors are thinking." Caitlin smiled. "It's no wonder you're a journalism major. You should totally write an article about this!"

"You think?" Iris asked. "I'd probably get shunned by the STEM community," she joked.

"I have a feeling most of us will agree with you," Caitlin countered kindly.

Iris's whole tone shifted, turning angry and frustrated; her mouth curled into a scowl, as she said, "Yeah, well, some people only care about their grades and if they can get a passing grade, they don't really care about the injustices of the STEM field. They'll just do anything to get ahead."

If Caitlin blinked, she would have missed the strange look Barry gave Iris and the small shake of his head. It was as if he was warning her of something, but Caitlin had no idea what.

What did Iris mean by that? "People who would do anything to get ahead?" Was that a dig at her and how she constantly studied to better her grades? Of course Caitlin agreed with Iris, but she still wanted to be a STEM major and that meant passing the class. She could acknowledge the faults of the education system, but she didn't really have a choice but to be a part of it if she wanted to graduate and become a doctor.

She and Iris had gotten along so well just a second ago, Caitlin didn't think it was a jab at her... was it?

Clearing her throat, Iris decided not to push it. "When's this food getting here anyway? I'm starving." Her brilliant smile returned after she said that, as if it was never even gone.