“I don’t have one.”

“If you’re having trouble finding your rating, then you can look on your guild’s web page.”

“You aren’t listening. It’s not that I can’t find it, I don’t have one.”

“Everybody has one.”

“Everybody in a guild has one. I am not in a guild.”

The enlister standing behind the booth stood dumb for a moment, his mouth hanging open as his eyes looked at her.

Kelly crossed her arms and looked at him back, waiting for the shock to pass over him.

“I’m sorry, to join our guild we need to know your rating.”

“So how do you accommodate kids joining a guild for the first time?”

“Our junior program assigns children a rating before they join the guild properly. They work towards a good rating in their junior camps.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. “Right. Because that’s so people friendly.” And then she turned on her heel and stomped off. She kept going until she had left the recruitment fair, and found a bench.

Hitting the vending machine in the sweet spot, a can rolled out, and she popped it before sinking onto the bench.

Her science teacher, Mr Rhodes was the one who found her. “Kelly? Why aren’t you in the fair?”

“Taking a break.”

“You should really get back in there. A guild is essential for social life and extra curricula activities.”

“I seem to be doing fine without it so far. Besides, if they’re going to have stupid entry requirements that I can’t achieve then there really isn’t anything I can do.”

“Come back in, give them another try.”

Kelly sighed, and drained the can before crushing it and throwing it in the recycling bin. “It’s not my fault we are rated on our merit outsides of anything but guilds.” She muttered under her breath as Mr Rhodes ushered her back into the Hall filled with stalls.