~MONA'S POV~

Just as I was beginning to catch my breath in the storm of the introductions, Lena clapped her hands like she’d forgotten something.

“Oh! Least I forget,” she said, turning around in a 360 degree format, then pointing toward the top bunk on the far end of the room. “There’s one more person you haven’t met.”

My eyes moved as it followed her hand direction and sighted someone I hadn’t noticed earlier. A girl sat, her leg crossed on the top bunk, barely moving, half-shadowed by the curtain drawn halfway across the window. She had cropped black hair, thick-rimmed glasses which sat comfortably on her nose, and an oversized gray sweatshirt that practically swallowed her frame.

She gave a lazy wave, voice calm and unbothered. “Hi. I’m Ava.”

There was no fake cheer in her tone, just a sort of neutral vibe like she’d seen it all before and wasn’t impressed.

Sienna scoffed, “She’s basically a human calculator,” she said with a smile more like a smirk as she tossed a hairbrush to the bed. “Like, alien-level genius. You’ll see.”

Ava snorted. “She’s not wrong. I probably am an alien.”

I blinked up at her. “Nice to meet you,” I let the words out unevenly, whether to feel intimidated by her ability or laugh it off.

“I don’t bite,” Ava said, adjusting her glasses, jumping down from the bunk with surprising grace. “Unless provoked.”

“Or unless someone touches her quantum physics books,” Lena added with a giggle.

Ava cracked a rare smile. “Exactly.”

By the time evening rolled in, warm streaks of gold were being cast by the sun through the blinds, I’d learned more about my new roommates than I ever expected.

Sienna was unapologetically bold, owning every inch of the space like she was born to lead a sorority—even though we weren’t in one. She had that vibe: flirty, wild, but oddly protective. She reminded me of a lioness, ye, I meant her head high, voice commanding, her confidence woven into every word she spoke.

Lena was the polar opposite. She bounced around the room with a kind of manic joy, always complimenting something or humming a random tune. Her kindness was relentless, almost exhausting, but real. You could feel it in her- warmth like a fireplace on a rainy day.

And Ava... Ava was something else entirely. She didn’t talk unless necessary, but when she did, her words were sharp, scarily intelligent and thoughtful. She gave off this quiet yet mysterious aura, like there were layers beneath her calm exterior that no one had quite figured out yet.

As I unpacked my suitcase, Lena and Sienna helped sort out my clothes while Ava organized my textbooks without even asking. She lined them up by subject and alphabetical order—within seconds.

“Wow,” I breathed, watching her. “How did you do that so fast?”

Ava shrugged. “Pattern recognition. It’s not that hard.”

Sienna laughed from across the room. “She says that everyone's brain works that way.”

“I’ve accepted I’m abnormal,” Ava said with a soft chuckle.

By the time the moon replaced the sun, casting a soft glow through the thin curtains, I was settled. My things were in place, my bed was made all thanks to Lena’s enthusiastic insistence and my heart felt just a little less heavy.

I lay on my bunk, staring at the ceiling as the others got lost in their conversations and laughter. Somehow, in just a few hours, these girls had turned a foreign room into something resembling... comfort.

And maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t going to be as terrible as I feared.

The next morning came very fast, I wasn't ready for it. Just as a fire struck, my alarm rang and before I knew it, I was running- walking across campus, holding dear to my class schedule like a lifeline. I moved through the crowd, my backpack swinging behind me, hair a tangled mess, breath short and uneven.

Then—bam.

I collided with a solid figure, and before I could steady myself,a splashing sound of liquid hit my shirt.

“Ah! Damn!” the guy yelped.

I gasped, looking down at the coffee seeping into the front of my white top. Great. Just perfect.

“I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, looking for napkins, panic flashing in his eyes.

But I barely spared him a glance. My heart was pounding, class was already starting, and I had zero time to deal with this mess.

“It’s fine,” I muttered, brushing past him and power-walking toward the lecture hall, coffee stains and all.

The first class felt like it was three days in a stretch,the professor spoke in a flat monotone and the slides were as dry as toast, and my brain felt like it had gone through a meat grinder. When the lecture finally ended, I went straight to the student café, shoulders aching, head spinning.

I collapsed onto a plastic chair, dropped my bag with a dramatic thud, and let my head fall onto the table.

Seconds later, a tray slammed in front of me, followed by a loud voice.

“Oh my who do we have here, Someone who survived the first class!,” Sienna said, plopping herself down across from me. Her tray was loaded with fries, two tiny ketchup tubs, and a soda can already halfway gone. “So? How’d your day go?”

I groaned. “You won't want to know.”

She smirked, like a snack of victory, she was shoving the fries into her mouth.

Lena and Ava arrived right behind her. Lena sat next to me,her presence radiating sunshine as always, while Ava quietly and carefully sat down as she was peeling the label off her water bottle.

“Oh dear,” Lena said in a calming voice, patting my arm. “Don’t worry, babe. It gets better. Like, midterms better. Or graduation is better. But it does get better.”

Sienna snorted. “Forget better. I know exactly how to fix your day.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess… sleep?”

She rolled her eyes. “Nope. Something better. We’re going to the Freshers' Party tonight.”

I blinked. “Tonight? As in... today? Like—already?”

Ava, who had been laser-focused on her sandwich, looked up and spoke flatly, “Statistically speaking, about 90% of freshmen parties end with poor life choices, regrettable pictures, or both.”

Lena clapped her hands. “Sounds like my kind of night! I’m in.”

Sinking lower into my seat. I let out a sigh. “I don’t know, guys. I’m tired. I feel gross. I have coffee stains literally soaking into my soul.”

Sienna without a word, stood and circled the table like a lioness as she yanked me up by my arm.

“Hey!” I protested, but she ignored me completely. With a terrifying speed, she kept dragging me through the cafe.

When we burst through the door, she released me, marched to her closet, and tossed a silky black dress in my direction.

“No excuses.”

I caught the dress mid-air, still breathless and bewildered.

“You’re not staying in here sulking in coffee-stained shame,” she declared. “You’re coming out. You’re dancing. You’re living.”

I looked down at the dress, then at her determined expression.

“But—”

“No ‘but’,” she snapped, hands on hips. “You’ve officially met your dorm mom. And tonight, you’re going to thank me for this.”

Lena peeked into the room, already wearing glitter on her eyelids. “Don’t worry, Mona. We’ve got you.”

Even Ava appeared behind her, chewing quietly. “If you survive tonight, I mean without crying in a bathroom stall, I’ll genuinely be impressed.”

Despite the lingering exhaustion and the anxiety rumbling in my stomach,I somehow found myself smiling.

Maybe this night wouldn't be my worst after all.

Maybe... just maybe, it’d be the start of something new.

We arrived at the on-campus bar just as the party exploded into full swing.

The place was packed, people moving shoulder to shoulder asok their body danced to the rhythm of pulsing bass. Strobe lights spread across the room like lightning, casting flashes of red, gold, and electric blue. The floor vibrated with every beat.

Sienna leaned into my ear, shouting, “Isn’t this great?”

I didn’t reply. I just sipped my wine, scanning the crowd—until a group of guys near the bar caught my eye. They didn’t carry themselves like freshmen.

“They’re not,” Sienna said knowingly.

“They’re coming over.”

Panic flared. “Wait, wha—?”

Too late.

“You must be Mona,” one of them said.

I blinked. “You know me?”

“I bumped into you this morning. Spilled coffee all over you.”

Oh. That guy.

Back then, I barely noticed him. But now?

He smiled.

And just like that, I forgot how tired I was.