Andria's POV
Voices drifted through the thin wall of my dorm room. Both laughter and footsteps, I think they were laughing at a joke.
I enjoyed their laughter and voices, and deep inside me, I wanted to join them.
I pulled my knees tighter to my chest, sitting on the edge of my bed, debating whether I should go out or just pretend I was asleep.
My room smelled like cardboard and dust from unpacked boxes, my duffel bag half-zipped beside the closet.
Everything felt temporary, like I hadn't truly arrived yet.
Another burst of laughter echoed through the living room.
I bit the inside of my cheek. I couldn't hide forever.
Taking a deep breath, I slid off the bed, my bare feet brushing against the cool tile floor. I hesitated at the door, hand hovering over the knob.
For a second, I imagined opening it and stepping into a room full of judging stares, just like in the cafeteria. I just didn't have energy for another drama.
But I wasn't going to cower, not after what happened earlier.
I turned the knob and stepped out.
The hallway was quiet except for the murmur of voices from the living room. I walked slowly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I reached the corner.
Two girls sat scattered across the space. One on the couch, legs tucked under her and the other sprawled across a beanbag with a bowl of popcorn in her hands.
Then they looked up, their eyes darting in unison towards me as I stepped into the living room.
All of them.
Two pairs of eyes, different colours, different shapes. They looked at me as if they could recognise me, their lips contorting into a smile.
'Ok, no drama, they are smiling. But what for?'
"Hey!" the girl with the wild curls and oversized hoodie called out, waving like we were old friends. "You're Aria, right?"
"Yeah." My voice came out quieter than I meant it to.
"Finally! We were starting to think you were a ghost," the girl on the beanbag said with a grin. "I'm Mel, by the way, and that's Larissa over there, scrolling like her life depends on it.
"Shut up, I'm texting my cousin," Larissa said without looking up, then glanced my way. "You've got good timing. We were just talking about you."
That made my stomach twist.
"Me?"
Mel leaned forward, smiling. "You're kind of famous now, we didn't think the famous girl was our flatmate until now. "
"Oh god," I muttered.
Larissa set her phone down and crossed her arms, her smirk widening. "Tracy, Tricia, and Alexia? That cafeteria takedown? Legendary."
Mel nodded so fast I thought her curls might bounce off her head. "You completely destroyed them. Like, I was waiting for a mic drop or something."
I felt my face heat up. "I didn't mean to make a scene. I just… couldn't take their crap anymore."
"Well, you did more than stand up for yourself," Mel said. "You humiliated them. Deservedly."
"They've been ruling this place with side-eyes and insults for too long," Larissa added. "It was refreshing seeing someone put them in their place the way you did."
A small laugh escaped me, half relief, half disbelief. "I thought I'd get in trouble."
"Nope," Larissa said. "You got fans instead."
They all laughed, and I found myself smiling too, even though I felt awkward just standing there in my socks and oversized sweater.
For a second, I felt like maybe I wasn't completely alone.
"Well…" I shifted on my feet. "Thanks. I didn't really know anyone noticed." I took steps forward to the sofa to join them fully in their conversation.
"We noticed," Jules said. "And you've got guts. Respect."
It got quiet for a beat after that. Not an uncomfortable silence, but one of those moments where everyone had said what they needed to and didn't know what came next.
"Anyway, I think I'll just, um, finish unpacking. But it was nice meeting you guys."
"Anytime," Mel said cheerfully. "We're usually out here annoying each other if you ever wanna join."
I nodded and slipped back into my room.
I shut the door behind me, and I leaned against it for a second, exhaling slowly.
They were nice.
That shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did, but it did. After weeks of snide remarks, cold shoulders, and people pretending I didn't exist or worse, pretending I was just something to whisper about. This was... new. Normal. Kind.
I sat on the bed again, fingers tugging at the frayed seam of my blanket. My thoughts were a whirlwind. Maybe not everyone here was a vulture waiting to pounce. Maybe this place wasn't entirely terrible. Maybe...
Then suddenly I started to feel so uneasy. 'What is wrong with me?'
That creeping, twisting unease. Like something inside me was out of place.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry, nauseous, faint, but persistent, like an itch I couldn't reach. I stood up abruptly and walked to the small bathroom attached to the suite.
The mirror above the sink was slightly cracked on the corner. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to chase the feeling away.
It clung to me.
My reflection stared back with tired eyes and flushed cheeks. Something inside me was humming, low and constant, like a sound only I could hear. My fingers trembled slightly as I dried my face with a towel..
I knew what it was. I didn't want to admit it, but deep down, I knew.
The thirst. The pull. The hollow ache I'd been ignoring since lunch. It had only gotten worse since then.
I couldn't stay here, not like this, not in this manner.
I grabbed my scarf from the desk chair and wrapped it tight around my neck, pulling my hood over my head.
Quietly, I eased the window open. The cool night air kissed my skin, and I stepped outside making sure I wasn't followed.
Good, I wouldn't want them to find out what I was.
Because if they knew what I truly was, no amount of cafeteria bravery would matter.
And I couldn't lose this, not now or when I'd just started to feel like this is my place.
So, I had to go somewhere in the woods surrounding the school, to sort out my unease.