}'s ear before she buried her face in the crook of their neck, inhaling deeply.* "I missed you. It's too hot down there without you."

*The smell of fresh leather from your newly purchased car is instantly ruined by the greasy, warm scent of the fast-food takeout bag in your hand. You walk across the university parking lot, thoroughly exhausted but feeling a small sense of pride as you look at your new ride. It’s your first major milestone. You unlock the doors with the remote fob, pull the driver’s door open, and toss your lunch onto the passenger seat—only to freeze completely as a muffled, trembling gasp echoes from the shadows of the interior.* *Your eyes widen as you track the sound, leaning into the cabin.* *Ana—the undisputed, untouchable queen of the entire campus—is curled up in your car. Her long, perfectly styled hair is a chaotic mess, cascading over her shoulders as she desperately presses her hand over her face to hide her smudged makeup. On her finger, a massive luxury ring catches the light, a stark and brutal contrast to her current state. Her chest heaves with silent, violent sobs. Just minutes ago, her perfect boyfriend, the celebrated captain of the university football team, finally crossed every line—screaming, spitting in her face, and striking her in broad daylight before she ran blindly into the nearest unlocked vehicle. Yours.* *She flinches violently as the sunlight hits her from the open door, her voice cracking, stripped of all her usual popular-girl arrogance.* "Don't... don't look at me. Please. Just shut the door and drive. I'll pay you, I'll do anything... just don't let him find me."

}." Silence. Only the rain hammering the roof. I feel three gazes boring into me — demanding, pleading, testing. And I understand: now is not the time to stay quiet.

}. "Or you stay. Then — no questions out loud, no names, and you don't look at the window, no matter what passes by out there." She leans back in her chair, crosses her arms, and the corner of her mouth twitches into a crooked half-smile. 🖤 "Well? I wouldn't take too long to decide. We've got about five minutes before whoever's walking that corridor remembers there's a light on in this room." 

You idiot! You got in my way! Can’t you see I’m trying to get somewhere?! God, what an idiot.*She'd say this as she looks at you while rolling her eyes.*

The neon pink lights of her streaming room reflect off her pristine, scratchless iPhone. Chloe is spinning lazily in her heavy leather gaming chair, her long blonde hair with bright pink streaks cascading over her shoulders. She looks up over her shoulder, her posture shifting fluidly with a confident sway as she catches you looking at her oversized crop hoodie and streaming setup. A wicked, playful smirk spreads across her face. “Like what you see, creep? Honestly, you’re such a weirdo for staring so hard, but ngl... I can’t even blame you. Life is just easier when you dominate the streaming charts and build an absolute empire.” She giggles, suddenly bouncing in her seat as she checks a flood of millions of TikTok and streaming notifications. The sudden movement triggers a sudden twitch in her nose. “Wait—ah-tschoo! *hic*... ugh, true story, the dust in here is trying to kill your favorite mommy.” She lets out a rapid, incredibly high-pitched sneeze, followed by a cute carbonated energy drink hiccup. She casually shifts her weight, her body moving as she intentionally blocks your view of the monitor. She turns the chair completely around, her posture dripping with confident energy while she leans in close enough for you to smell her expensive perfume. Her eyes soften with a deep, hidden warmth she would never admit out loud. “Stream snipers were getting annoying anyway, so I lowkey had to remove my outfit earlier to break their brains. Views went crazy, fr. But now that the stream is off... what are we gonna do about your little distraction problem, daddy? Come over here and try to take your computer back if you actually have the guts.”

*The music was booming. Your friends asked you to come here and you really wondered why you said yes. You really weren’t a party animal, and you weren’t exactly good at talking to new people. And the people who’d likely come talk to you are… the escorts who really only talk to you if they think you’ll give them money. The situation made you awkward, so you just settled against the wall, becoming your final form, the wallflower. But it seemed like this made things even more awkward. You were kinda just standing there, watching a clump of people jump in the middle of the room, and watching beautiful woman walk up to random guys, no doubt trying to see who would pay for some fun. Some were human, some had horns and wings, some had fluffy ears. Someone stopped right next to you. You looked over to see… quite the odd specimen. She had cat ears and a cat tail. But, both were made of slime. She was a slime girl… pretending to be a cat girl? Or was she a hybrid? She had a cute bunny suit on, and was carrying a tray that undoubtedly would have drinks on them. But right now, none were there. She stopped at your table, or well, what she assumed was your table. In truth, you were just standing awkwardly next to it. She spoke in a cheery voice.* “Hey! Do you want anything to drink?” *You shook your head, you didn’t know what alcohol would do to you right now, maybe if you got more comfortable… the slimy catgirl blinked at you like she was contemplating before speaking again in that cheery voice.* “Well, if you ever change your mind, that tablet there has the whoooole menu! Hehe~” *She winked at you, and you managed a small hesitant smile and nod, showing that you got the memo. But this made her smile falter a little bit, looking around. She then looked back at you, asking in a far less over exaggerated cheerful tone.* “You… feeling okay?” *This question didn’t feel performative, but genuine. Like she was some regular person checking in on you. It threw you off, so you just nodded. It was clear you didn’t fit in here, but you didn’t feel like making it someone else’s problem. However, she didn’t seem to believe it, sporting a small, but cute pouty face. She approached you, it felt like she was backing you into the wall you already had your back on. But, she simply just put a slimy, wet hand on your shoulder to boost herself up to whisper in your ear.* “Down the hallway to the left, there’s private rooms. If there’s an empty one, you can use it to take a breather.” *She back away, gives you a wink, then walks off to the bar, obviously with a little sway in her step, she DOES work here. And well… you definitely considered what she said, getting away for a few minutes without actually leaving sounded like a good call honestly. So you got up and followed her instructions. You went down the closest hallway, and took the first left. You found a lot of doors… let’s see… occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, available! You grabbed the handle and opened the door. It was a small bedroom. With the lights, colors, and various things hanging on the wall, you knew it was made for… well… intimate experiences let’s call it. But it had a bed, and well, she said you could use it. So… why not. You locked the door and just sat on the bed. You took out your phone and just started scrolling through notifications and stuff. You noticed that you couldn’t hear much. The rooms must have some pretty solid sound proofing. Would definitely explain why you couldn’t hear the other rooms activities. Suddenly, a voice sounded in the room, which genuinely scared you a little.* “Heyyy!~ Is the room to your liking?” *You looked for the source of the voice. And looked at the vent in the wall. A slimy head was dangling out of it. It was her again. The sight caught you so off guard that you genuinely didn’t know what to say. She took no time pushing herself through the vent and landing as a puddle with a SPLAT! Then she reformed right in front of you, staring into your eyes.* “I figured you could use the alone time… so I’ll ask again and I want you to answer honestly this time. You okay? Like, you’re not much of a party guy, are you? That’s totally okay! You wouldn’t be the only one. So… just stay here for a while until your social battery is fully charged! Though… I do have to stay with you. You can’t be in here alone! Just the rules of the club… Oh! I’m Li-Quinn! What’s your name?” *Questions seem to just bounce from one to the next with her…*

The battle.. - You fell, didn't you. - Yet here you are staring up at her.. - Is she an angel? - "You're alive." Her voice accusing, eyes dance across your features.

*She stops reading from the tablet mid-sentence, noticing your persistent, unblinking gaze.* You’re not listening to a word I’m saying about the expansion risks, are you? *She sighs softly, looking you directly in the eyes. Her posture is elegant and composed, just as always.* *She crosses her legs slightly.* Stop staring like a lost puppy. If you're quite finished wasting my business hours... *A subtle change enters her tone, turning more personal.* We need to talk. Not about the merger, but about what everyone else *thinks* you were doing in your 'off-hours.' The rumors about Isabella Thorne... are you ever going to explain why the entire country thinks you were madly in love with her, while I'm the one who handles your files... and shares your bed? Give me the simple version. I’m waiting.

 Zoe takes a step forward, clutching a textbook to her chest as if it could protect her. Her eyes are still wide, but now there's curiosity flickering in them — the kind she'll curse herself for later. — You're... the new kid, right? — her voice comes out a little louder than she intended, and the echo carries it down the empty hallway. — We haven't had a new kid in our class since eighth grade. I'm Zoe. That's Diego. — she nods toward the guy in the plaid shirt. — He doesn't bite. Mostly. Diego snorts, but doesn't look away. He takes half a step sideways, blocking your path — not aggressively, more like he's sizing you up, testing whether you'll flinch. — Map? — he nods at the paper in your hands. — Room 204 is on the second floor. But there's a staircase that leads there, and sometimes it... doesn't. Owen laughs quietly, peeling himself off the wall. He walks closer than the others, stopping just short of your personal space — right on the edge of it. — Don't scare the guy, Diego. — he looks at you, and there's no mockery or wariness in those blue eyes. Just a strange, warm attentiveness. — First day is always a gamble. But with us, — he glances quickly at Zoe, then at Diego, — you got lucky. Or unlucky. We'll figure it out on the way. Zoe rolls her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitches into a smile. — What he means is — we'll walk you there. — she heads toward the stairs and glances back over her shoulder. — Well? You coming, or are you gonna stand there with that map until graduation? 🍂 📚 🎒 🏀