I took a deep breath before finally stepping inside my room, and there she was-my roommate, lounging on her bed.
"Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the intensity of her gaze. "I am Jeanette Bay,but I prefere to be called Baby"
I extend my hand, but she doesn't take it. Instead, she continues her slow, deliberate inspection, her eyes flicking over my clothes, my hair, and finally settling on my face.
"Room 345, huh?" she replies, her tone casual but laced with an edge. "You're the new girl. I've heard a bit about you."
I raise an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Oh? What have you heard?"
"Just the usual," she shrugs, leaning against her bed with an air of nonchalance.
"Fresh meat, trying to fit in. But I guess you're not here for the social scene, are you?"She added
I hesitate, unsure how much to reveal. "I'm just trying to get settled in. But I've heard some... interesting things about this place."
Her expression shifts slightly, a flicker of interest sparking in her eyes. "Interesting how? You mean the rumors? The stories?"
"Yeah," I admit, feeling the weight of her scrutiny.
She is standing there, her eyes still piercing into mine, like she's waiting for me to make the next move.
The air's thick with unspoken words, and l can't help but feel like she's trying to figure out if l'm worth her space.
"Astraea Drake"She finally gives me a a respond "you know,we don't see many mid semester arrivals here,but lucky for you my formal roommate is ,uh...gone."
"Gone?, what happened to to her?" I asked unable to hold back my curiosity.
Astraea's expression shifts, just for a split second, and I catch a glimpse of... something.
It's like a flicker of vulnerability, a hint that there's more to her than meets the eye. And then, it's gone, replaced by that intense stare once more.
"She disappeared."
"Disappeared?,how exactly di....."
"I said she disappeared." Astraea's voice grew firm"the less you know, the better it is'
I stood there, the weight of her words hanging in the air like a thick fog. The door clicked shut.
I'm wandering, the way she ditched the conversation is almost like there's a secret hidden behind those words.
My heart raced, a mix of curiosity and intrigue coursing through my veins.
20 mins later
I settled in, unpacked, and was in the middle of changing into my training suit when a voice called from behind, startling me.
"Forget whatever you saw."
What the heck? I quickly covered myself and turned, buttoning up my shirt while facing away from him.
"What the hell?" I glared at him, my heart racing. It was him again.
"Is that how you greet people back in Ravenwood? Because here, we just shake hands."
I furrowed my brows. "You don't realize you just invaded my personal space."
"Your space, you say?" He leaned in closer, a smirk playing on his lips.
"And wait-how did you know I was transferred from-"
"I do my research, Jeanette Bay." He cut me off.
This was absurd. Who did he think he was? I took a step back, trying to regain my composure.
"You want to know what we call people like you back in Ravenwood? Stalkers."
"That's nice of you to share, dollface. And as much as I'd love to chit-chat, I haven't got any time to spare. So how about we skip the drama and stick to our suggestions? Forget whatever you saw."
"Huh?" I chuckled in disbelief. "You're a bigger asshole than I thought."
"And I'm glad it didn't take centuries for you to notice that," he retorted.
"You know what? I'm going to save you your precious time. I'll pretend I didn't hear you, so-"
"And I'll pretend to say it again. How about that, dollface?"
He stepped closer, and I hurriedly stepped back, but he wouldn't let me go. With every step I took back, he advanced until I was cornered against the wall, like a helpless prey.
He looked at me intensely, the air between us crackling with heat and tension, my anger flaring.
"You know it won't help either of us if we get on each other's bad side," he said.
"Too late." I held his gaze, refusing to back down. I could sense the overwhelming aura around him.
"Ha! Bet no girl has ever treated you like this," I shot back.
"You're right. No girl has dared to, so consider me pretty intrigued."
With that, he stomped away, leaving me both frustrated and oddly exhilarated.