Well, a roommate shouldn’t distract her from her routine. She was a long gone subject, after all. Yes, a long gone subject. Not a long gone friend. A. Subject.

Math homework wouldn’t be done by itself, would it. Time to get that done.

It would be easier if she actually understood what she was doing. What was the point in knowing what a parabola is? That wouldn’t help her in real life, would it? It’d be much better if they learnt how to cook something else than noodles and rice, or how to sew, for example. If you want to keep it math-ish, even Home Economics would be better. But the ones who decide what to learn are never the ones in the classrooms, are they.

– Why, hallo dere, Empson. Or should I say princess – greeted someone, loud enough to make her hear him despite the headphones. She decided to ignore him, since no one was allowed to speak to her in that tone – Hey. Dun ignore me, ya piece of shit – the guy said, grabbing her by her hood. Stupid jacket.

– Oh, I’m sorry, were you talking to me? – she asked, as sarcastic as possible, her golden eyes shining in disgust just by seeing him and his lame goons – Is there nothing better for you to do, Selman? I bet your Math homework remains untouched still –

– So what? You ain’t done it eider, didja? –

– And what if I haven’t yet? At least I am going to do it. What about you? Will you let your marks go even lower? –

– ‘S dat a challenge? Are ya challenging me? Don’tja know what happens when ya challenge me? –

– Yes. I win – she said, stabbing his foot with her heels.  Before he realised, she was free from his grip, and was gone by the second. His gorillas were so lame they wouldn’t even try to catch her, being so worried about their “boss”.

Some narrow alleys later, she was back at the school campus. Now she was safe. They wouldn’t dare hit her at school, they had been too many times at Detention already; they would be suspended, at the very least. She should still be more aware of her surroundings. This time it was those idiots, but the next time it could be a robber or a kidnapper.

Jeez. How annoying they were.

She tried to focus on that awful Math homework. Now she had to get a better mark than him. Of course she would, but extra effort wouldn’t kill her. If only she understood the exercise completely… But Mrs. Emily didn’t quite understand the questions they made, and always answered anything else but what they wanted to know. That happened as a homeroom teacher, too, so that’s why they weren’t too happy when they were told she’d be theirs. But, anyways, she was better than many others, and better than nothing at all, so she was accepted.

Math homework. Not Math teacher. Focus.

Actually, now that she thought about it, many teachers had that same problem…

Focus.

What if Shaiel was good at Math? She should check the timetable Kendra gave her; if she was in the same or even a higher level, she could ask her for help, maybe. Just for Math. It wouldn’t harm her, would it?

With that idea in mind, she hurried back to her room, decided to do her best before she arrived. Just to show her how good she was.

– She didn’t recognize me –

Having called Damon in a hurry, she was lying in Shaiel’s bed to avoid messing up all the plushies and cushions neatly covering her own, hiding her head behind a pillow. Who cared if she messed up her roommate’s side instead.

– Pfft- What? –

– She didn’t recognize me. She doesn’t know who I am. She seemed confused, as if she had some déjà vu or something, but she didn’t recognize me – she said, throwing the pillow against him when he started laughing.

Wonderful. Now she wouldn’t hear the end of it.

– Are you done yet? –

– I told you! I told you she ain’t recognizing you! You’ve grown up, you silly, you changed! I bet she changed too –

– ...She is much taller than me now. Were it not for my heels, the difference would be huge. Her English is still as bad as it was though – she said, but there was pride in her voice. It did improve. She just wouldn’t admit it.

– So? Where’s she? –

– I… may or may not have spoken harshly and told her to disappear from my sight –

– OH. MY. GOD! Lisette! – he started laughing again, making her blush. Well, yes, she probably shouldn’t have done that, but there was no reason to tease her like that! – Unbelievable. I ain’t believe you are so- The girl’s new here! Ain’t you wanted to make a nice first impression?? You really are dumb! –

– We all know I’m dumb, Damon, that’s no news –

– No. Wait. I ain’t meant it. No, you ain’t dumb. Damnit –

– Language, D. Do not worry, it is common knowledge by now. Anyways, did you get any more information? – she asked, trying to change the subject. It was no news, really. Everyone said so because it was true.

– I… no, not really. They told her to ask us questions instead, since she got so… well, shy about herself –

– Yes, I noticed. When she saw me she seemed… scared or something. It was… unusual. People tend to hate me, not fear me –

– Guess you’ll have fun with her around –

– Perhaps.., – she said, not paying much attention anymore – Say, what do you want for your birthday? –

– …Ain’t you a tad too early? –

– Come on, you know I like having everything ready beforehand. And it’s less than a month away –

– Fine, fine… What about a new helmet? For my bike, you know. The old one is, well, old. I got tired of it already –

– ...You are worse than me. But, very well! It is decided, then. Expect a new helmet, better than the previous one! By the way, where is your bike? You didn’t have it with you this morning, did you? –

– Nah, it’s in the repair shop. Somethin’s wrong with the breaks; it ain’t letting me stop when I want to –

– …Are you sure you don’t want me to buy you a new one? –

– Hell no! Dad bought it for me, ya know it. I ain’t changin’ it for anythin’. It ain’t matter if it’s second hand or anythin’, it’s mine. I’m keepin’ it until it ain’t fixable no more – he got really worked up. He quickly realised he was on the verge of getting angry at her for no reason and stood up to leave before he made any mistakes – …Welp. I’m off to get snacks. Want some? –

– Heck no, I’m still full from lunch. How do you even manage to keep all that food in your stomach? –

– Genetics, sweetie. Genetics –

<<Very well, we have spare time until lunch. What do you want to do?>>

She stared at the blondie, wondering what they could do next. They had already seen a bit of the main field, the dorms, the canteen… And everywhere they went, they were greeted by a massive amount of people.

– Maybe we can… – she found herself saying, speaking her mind – I dunno, stay somewhere less crowdy and… talk? Or somethin’? –

<<We could go to the library>> she wrote after deep thought <<There’s hardly anyone there, and it’s so big no one would run into us>>

– Sounds good to me –

<<This way!>>

When she said the library was big, she meant it. Three whole floors stuffed with shelves, a computer section somewhere according to the evacuation plan, and thousands and thousands of books according to the digital record visible on the librarian’s glasses. That PC really had the brightness set high.

– Oh, hullo there, Miss Frist. You are with a new student, are you not? Are you on Committee duty? – the woman asked, smiling. She looked old, but she somehow seemed full of energy even sitting by the computer. The blondie nodded in response, smiling. The librarian turned to look at her – Very well, then, shall we register you? What’s your name, sweetheart? –

– Ah- May I fill it myself, if you don’t mind? That way we make sure there’s no spelling mistakes; my English is not the best, after all – she offered, as polite as she could, surprising both of them.

– Oh, well… as you wish! I do not see the problem. Here’s the form, take your time to read it – the librarian said, handing her some papers.

<<I didn’t know you could speak like that. It was really polite>>

– Oh, yeah, well, I, emm… I’m k-kinda… used to it, I guess – she said, focused both on the form and what the blondie wrote down. She was too used to it, maybe. She took a glance at every space she had to fill and quickly realized she couldn’t understand half the terms written there. Great. Of course, the blondie quickly caught on.

<<What are you having trouble with?>> she asked, leaning in. Too close. Way too close!

– A-ah, it’s okay! I-I can figure it out myself – she stammered, jumping from her seat, startling her. Did the blondie wince in pain for a second or was it just her imagination?

Would it be too rude to sit a seat away from her? She really wasn’t expecting that. She was too uneasy to sit right beside her now. Maybe she should leave the library instead, make an excuse.

The blondie’s phone rang suddenly, cutting her train of thought.

<<I’m sorry, they need me somewhere else. Do you think you could finish the form and then go back to the dorms? I can pick you up here if you can’t>> she asked, a polite smile on her face. 

– Yeah, I-I can do it. Go do your thing –

<<Alright then! When you give the form to madam Braddock, don’t forget to call her madam. I’ll pick you up for lunch>>

– Ah, okay –

She waited until the blondie was no longer in her field of vision, trying to hide her embarrassment. That was close! Literally. Just why did people always get so close to each other?? She surely thought it was weird. At this rate, she’d scare everyone away without even punching them once. That’d be bad, she had to make friends in here, that was the plan, not scaring them away at first sight! At least not yet…

She took out her phone and translated every word in the form, just in case. She tried to memorize them all so she wouldn’t have this problem again, and when she finished she made her way to the front desk.

While walking, she suddenly felt another presence in the library. She looked around, startled, until she spotted a black-haired girl sitting in front of a computer. Oh, so that was the computer section. Three long tables with, like, three computers lined up on each one, some coffee tables and low armchairs on the side and a desk separated from the rest with a really old computer but a nice office chair in which the girl was sitting. She was right in front of her, but the girl didn’t seem to notice. She was too focused on the images and webpages flashing through the screen. Even with the white light shining on her glasses, she still looked naturally pale. Actually, no, she looked sick. Like when she didn’t go outside for a long time. But if she was used to being outside and got sick inside really fast, then how much time had that girl been sitting there??

The girl suddenly stood up, startling her. She hid behind some shelves without thinking, watching her from between the books. The girl walked some steps and disappeared behind a door with a woman sticker. A bathroom. No, wait, it was a bathroom if it had a bath; that surely didn’t have a bath. A toilet, then, no?

She heard the chimes of the clock in the distance. Twelve gongs. Twelve?? Already?? The blondie said to meet her at the dorms for lunch and she hadn’t even handed in the papers!

She ran all the way to the main desk, naturally without getting lost. When she was close enough to see the librarian, she stopped to settle her breathing. You weren’t supposed to run in libraries, the woman shouldn’t notice.

– Here are the papers, madam – 

– Oh, thank you, miss… –

– Zárate. Shaiel Zárate –

– Very well, miss Zárate. I will add you to the system later. And please be more careful, we do not want you crashing into something, do we? –

– Y-yes, madam. Sorry, madam –

She sprinted back to the dorms in a straight line, ignoring the pavement. Stepping on grass felt better anyways. It was nice, running for a bit again. The cold breeze hit her in the face while she dashed between the other students, slowing down when she was some steps away from her destination. She didn’t crash into anyone nor anything. Not bad, considering she hadn’t exercised since the previous week. All the paperwork and packing left her timeless, not even for her nocturnal walks. She wondered if she could continue those now that she was on a campus. She should definitely ask if there was a curfew. 

She climbed the stairs quickly. The sooner she reached her room, the sooner she would be able to calm herself down to pretend she didn’t take a whole hour to complete that stupid form. She opened the door to the room to find it wasn’t empty this time.

Her roommate was sitting by her desk. And she was glaring at her.

All kinds of alarms went off her head. The weird feeling of nostalgia? she had had all day screamed at her all of a sudden, startling her. 

Her golden eyes squinted, as if judging her. Were her clothes dirty? They surely were, after everything she went through that morning. Maybe she could smell her sweat from there. Why did she have to run?

– I presume you are my new roommate – said the black-haired girl in front of her, coldly. She had such pretty hair. It probably was really soft, like her cousin’s – Well? Are you just going to stand there? –

– I-I… – her head was empty. Introductions. Yes – G-greetings, your highness. My name is Shaiel Zárate. N-nice to meet you –. If she was a princess, then surely that greeting she had practiced for her role plays with her cousin should be enough, no?

Her golden eyes squinted again, in disgust? and she scoffed. Shit.

– I see you at least know your place. I am Lisette, and unless you have unfinished business here, I suggest you disappear from my sight at once – she ordered coldly, turning her back again to continue what she was working on before she interrupted her.

She turned beet red and left as quickly as she came, closing the door softly to not disturb her again. Shit. Shit. Shit. Did her greeting piss her off? Or was it lacking? She seemed to be pleased but at the same time annoyed. Was it too much?? Too little??

Defeated, she walked down the stairs again slowly. She should’ve just waited at the door so the blondie didn’t have to go upstairs. 

Very well, there was no time to waste. Now that she had calmed down and she was sure the new girl had arrived, there was only one thing to do: research about her. Especially with that lingering sensation of having met her before. And there was only one person who would have that sort of information right after her arrival.

This wouldn’t have happened if she had paid attention when they were telling her about her new roommate, but she was too angry at the fact that they had disobeyed her orders. How dare they.

Ugh, she did it again.

Headphones on, she walked to the library. It was funny; even being so much smaller than the town, there were way less probabilities of running into someone in that building. No one went there besides the bookworms, and only occasionally. Rumour had it the amount of people graduating without ever stepping inside was skyrocketing. Then again, with the gigantic computer lab closer to the dorms, why bother.

Only two people could be found there often. One of them was herself, of course; such a good opportunity of escaping the common subjects should not be wasted like that.

Oh, gosh, she was too princess-y today.

Besides her, there was another girl who knew every library corridor like the top of her hand. A girl who was also isolated, but for other reasons. A girl who knew everything and anything about the school and its residents despite her always being alone; no matter how new the rumor, she’d already heard it. If there was somebody who had easy access information, it was-

– Oh, hullo there, Miss Empson – greeted the librarian, smiling.

– Good morning, madam. I’m here to see Kendra –

– Oh, yes, that’s right. Miss Kendra told me you would come see her. I guess she was right again – the old woman chuckled, amused – I am never lonely when she’s around, she really is a good listener. And she can get quite talkative when she wants. It is quite a shame no one bothers to notice… –

– You do know her story, right, madam? –

– Why, yes, of course I do. But it was an accident, you cannot blame her for it. Anyways, Miss Empson, she is at her usual spot; do not let me entertain you anymore – she smiled, although she seemed annoyed for suggesting that her backstory was the reason nobody came close to her.

– Thank you, madam –

The “usual spot” was the library’s computer section. There she had access to any social media the students used, and all the school files too. She was both a stalker and a hacker, and she knew how to use it. She was one of the most powerful people in school, but that was not the reason why people feared her.

– Kendra – she called, spotting the black haired girl.

– About time. Thought you’d never come get this – she greeted, throwing a stack of papers on the table behind her – There you go, everything about Shaiel Zárate. Probably pronouncing it wrong, anyways –

– No, that is her name. Backstory? –

– Yep. She’s from Endelgal. Right beside Elaytem, isn’t it? –

– Yes, I know… – she sighed, sitting down in the armchair in front of her, confirming her theories. 

– ...Don’t get it. Why are you here to get information if you already know everything about her? –

– I do not. I think I know her already, and everything you say makes sense. It must be the same person –

– Could it be… your first friend? –

– Pretty much, yes. It’s probably her – she admitted, dismissing she knew about that. It wasn’t uncommon for her to know such deep facts and secrets. No point in dwelling on that.

– Well, don’t have much info yet, but probably when Damon tries to befriend us, will have more for you. Sounds good? –

– Perfect. You really are a good informant –

– Flattering won’t work. You still have to pay –

– Yes, yes, I know. What do you want this time? –

– Need a favor. Y-you can’t tell anyone – she stammered, losing her cool, making her curious – Damon’s birthday is close and… Wanted to do something… –

– A birthday party, maybe? –

– D-dunno, maybe… it could be… – she whispered, completely red. So this is what happened when she wanted to do something for her friends – Since you’re close to him and all… thought maybe you could help… Still need a present, anyways, so… anything’s fine –

– Leave it to me, then! Maybe I can even get the new girl to invite people, in case we are too much for them to handle – she grinned, amused. Parties were her thing, after all. Even if nobody wanted to go, anyways.

– That’d be… difficult –

– Huh? Why? –

– Apparently she’s pretty shy. Like, really shy –

– Pardon? – she was taken aback. Shaiel, a shy person? She was the shy one, and Shaiel the bubbly one. When did they switch roles? She shook her head, dismissing it – Well, we can still use her as bait, and hope people will want to come meet her and all. Even if she shows up just for one second. Or not at all –

– ...Are you trying to protect her? Usually you’d just drag anyone without hesitating, why are you considering the possibility of letting her go early? – she asked, smirking. Was she really doing that??

– Don’t be silly. If we scare her right away, we won’t be able to use her anymore. There’s someone new who doesn’t know us. We cannot let that go to waste – she denied, trying to save face. She, being nice for no reason at all? That wasn’t right. 

– Well, you already have your info and surely you’ll pay. You can leave already – 

– See you later, K – 

– She’s nice. Really nice. And really humble too. She ain’t wanted to ask me anything about you cuz she ain’t wanted to bother me with her “silly questions”. I think if you tell her to bow, she will – 

– I’m not making her bow after me! –

– That ain’t what you said last week~ –

– I. Am. Not – she said, fixing her disgusted, golden eyes on him. How dare him accuse her of doing such a thing. How many times had she made him bow after her? Not a single one! But well, the teasing was expected, especially coming from him. That was the price for his spying services, after all – How is she like? Physically – she asked, trying to change the subject.

– She’s tall. Like you with the platforms. More less like that. Brown eyes, brown hair, really curly hair, like Now’s hair. Oversized hoodie, too oversized I think, some weird boots and -you’re gonna love this- cargo pants –

– What? –

– Yup. She’s wearing cargo pants. She really is something, ain’t seen a girl wearing something like that in a really, really long time – he said, throwing the last chip to the air and catching it with his mouth. Wait, when did he finish his steak? – Oh, yeah, she speaks Spanish. She’s from… Tedelma? I think? –

– No, she is not – she denied, glad of having talked with Kendra – She lived in Tedelma until recently. She probably picked up the accent because of it, but she is actually from Endelgal. The town at the other side of Elaytem Forest –

– Elaytem Forest? Ain’t Elaytem where you grew up? –

– Exactly. Remember that kid, the girl I used to play with? Her name was Shaiel, too. And she had chestnut, curly hair and dreamy, brown eyes. But something is off… What’s with the oversized clothes…? She used to wear pretty tight things back then… Also, she used to be really bubbly and talkative and all, even with her terrible English… –

– She grew up – he shrugged, stealing her chips while she was distracted. Was that it? Somehow, that answer wasn’t enough for her.

– Dei… What if she remembers me? – she asked, a bit annoyed by his lack of reaction, but still worried, playing with her food – I’ve always been arrogant, I don’t remember if I’ve done something bad to her… What if she ran away because I’d done something bad that I don’t remember? What if she gets tired of me, now that she has other friends…? – Surely she had made new friends already, such a friendly girl would have everyone’s attention immediately.

– Lisette. Chill. Why’d she do that??? She’s your roommate now, you’ll have to stand each other at least. The world ain’t go ‘round you, sweetie, snap outta it. She ain’t moving away just because you pissed her off, that’s plain silly. Besides, she probably ain’t recognize you! You were skinny back then, ain’t you? –

– Well, yes, but… – she mumbled, and shook her head – Why am I worrying about some long gone subject anyways? She does not deserve that much attention. I will meet her later, and that is all –

– That’s the attitude, sweetie! I’ll go get you more information –

– And your second lunch – she teased, smiling, her confidence back.

– Third one, actually – 

– How can you even- Nevermind. See you later, Cookie Monster –

A knock on the door startled her. Could it be the princess??

– W-who’s there? – she called out, almost nervously. Wait. Nobody knocks on their own door; the princess would just come in! Then that left… – Ah. Come in, Tracy –

The door opened and the blondie stood there, amazed, clumsily writing on her notebook.

<<OMG! Is this really the same room?? This looks amazing!>>

– A-ah, it’s not that… th-thanks… – she mumbled, looking at her job. Suddenly, in just one hour, her side of the room had new curtains and sheets, green based stuff, small, cute stones here and there, tiny details that weren’t there before… Maybe she should paint the walls; considering her roommate’s side was violet, there shouldn’t be a problem.

<<How did you even. I mean. Where did this come from??>>

– I had… all in my hoodie –

<<No wonder why you walked so slowly! JK>> 

<<I really like it. It’s like you are outside and the princess is inside or something. It’s weird. A good weird. I like it. It looks really good>>

– Th-thanks – she was getting really flustered. When was the last time somebody praised what she created? She couldn’t remember, but something tickled at the back of her mind. That sensation again? Geez…

<<It’s been a while since I’ve been here… Looks quite different… Well, anyways, we should go get breakfast. The sooner we get there, the better choices we’ll have!>>

It took them a long time to reach the canteen. Everyone knew Tracy, and everyone greeted them as they passed by. Everyone was so nice; it was even suspicious. The blondie tried to start a conversation once or twice, but there were so many interruptions that she just gave up.

The canteen was huge. It was full of rather small, round tables, with six or eight chairs; there were some people already sitting there, chatting and eating, and many students serving themselves at the side food room, trails in hand, always talking. There were just a few people there, why was it so noisy already? The high roof didn’t help at all, that for sure, but still. Just how many students could fit in there?

<<Are you ok? You look pale>>

– Ah- no, yeah, I’m fine, it’s just- this is really big –

<<It’s ok, take it easy. Let’s get some food and sit with Sissy and Nahuel, shall we? There may be some more people, but I know you can handle it. If you are too uncomfortable we can just leave, it’s ok>>

– I- em- no, I’ll stay here and… talk, or whatever – she mumbled as she took a trail, determined, making her chuckle.

<<Alright, your choice!>>

Tracy put her notebook under her arm, grabbing a slice of bread, toasting it, getting yogurt, all at top speed. She didn’t just write fast, her hands moved fast for everything. It was impressive. By the time she had finished preparing her breakfast, she had just decided to take some cereal.

– Sorry I’m so slow – she muttered, feeling like she had to apologize. Without being able to use the notebook, she just smiled and shook her head, dismissing it. Once she got her coffee, they walked over to one of the farthest away tables, alone in the corner, where Cecilia sat by herself, bouncing her legs.

<<Ask her why she’s alone. Please>> she almost begged as soon as she got her hands free, sitting down.

– Hi, Ceci. Digo, Sissy –

– Shy! Heya~ You can call me whatever you want, it’s fine~ I see you’re with Trace~ –

– Ah, yeah, okay, umm… where’s Nahuel? –

– Oh, he went to get breakfast! It’s easier when I’m not around, stumbling with the chairs and all~ – she shrugged, smiling, making them feel uneasy. How could she say that kind of stuff just like that? – Aw, shucks, don’t feel sorry for me, it’s the truth~ I’ve always been clumsy, I’d mess up anyways! –

– Sorry for the wait! Oh, hi Trace, hi Shaiel – greeted Nahuel, placing Cecilia’s tray in front of her while he sat down.

– Ah- hi – she said, shrinking as he kept his eyes on her – …what? –

– Say something in Spanish –

– …what –

– C’mon, just do it –

– …No entiendo a dónde quieres ir con esto –

– You are from Tedelma, aren’t you? – he stated, surprising all of them.

– Wha- how-? –

– Puedo distinguir los acentos de los diferentes países sólo con escucharlos. Es divertido – he shrugged, smiling, eyes shining. 

– Now~! It’s not funny if we can’t understand you! –

– Right. Sorry, Sis. She said she didn’t understand where I was trying to get to, and I said that I can recognize the accents of different countries just by hearing them –

– And that it’s funny – she added, feeling better after speaking a bit in her original language. His accent was spot on, too. 

– Yeah, and that it’s funny –

– Got it, Dictio~ –

– I’m not a dictionary, Sis –

– Hallo, there, girls! – greeted a new boy, placing his trail on the table and sitting between Tracy and Nahuel. She hadn’t seen him before; was that even possible after being talked to by so many people that day? He had purple hair, some piercings here and there and he looked… gay. Did that count as an adjective?

– Oh, Diamond! Glad you came~ Are those cupcakes~? – greeted Cecilia, forgetting the fruit salad she was eating.

– Here, have one, sweetie – he said, putting one on her hand while making some complicated handshake with Nahuel. He suddenly realized she was there, and opened his eyes big – Oh my god; you are the new girl, ain’t you?? What’s your name, sweetie? Wait, wait, lemme guess. Shirley, was it? No, wait, that ain’t right. Janet? Gabrielle? –

– Shaiel. I’m Shaiel – she smiled awkwardly, amused by the words’ avalanche. Probably he could move his tongue as fast as Tracy moved her hands. It was almost complicated to understand him.

– Shaiel! Right. I’m Damon, Tracy’s roommate – he presented himself, offering his hand. A bit thrown aback, she slowly approached hers, and as soon as they touched, he shook it and let go. That was it? A common, simple, old-ish handshake? Well, that wasn’t too difficult.

– Wait, you are roommates? – she realized, puzzled.

– Yeah, there’s a genderless policy, didn’t you know? –

– Nahuel and I share rooms, for example~ And there’s genderless toilets everywhere in school, too~ Oh, and common PE classes~ –

– Oh. Wow, I didn’t know that. That’s… new, I guess. I’ve never been in a genderless school, less in a live-in one… –

– Word says it’s been like this since forever. Do you know the school’s name's meaning? –

– Vignar was the… – she blinked, annoyed. What was the word again? – El fundador, bah –

– Yes, the founder. They had a daughter- –

– A son – corrected Damon, food in his mouth.

– I was getting there. Anyways, a trans kid, you get it. Turns out he had always dreamt of a genderless school, where everyone was equal regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, etcetera, etcetera. So when his parents decided to open their school, they made it as inclusive as possible – explained Nahuel, playing with his bacon.

– Every person here has their own weirdness, and that’s why they are here. Mental disorders, disabilities, non-cis orientations, there’s a bit of each. I’m gay, for example –

– Yeah, I could kinda tell –

– Diamond’s the Gay God~! Bow before the Gay God~! – Cecilia sang, smiling.

– I guess you know by now that Sissy is blind and Tracy’s mute – he continued, apparently ignoring what the youngest had said but eyes sparkling – Now is here for them, of course. The princess… well, she ain’t got any other school in the area to go to, really… –

– Why are you here? – asked Nahuel, and she lowered her gaze, pale. Did she really have to tell them? Right now?

Just as she was gaining the courage to say it out loud, Tracy finished scribbling something and showed her the notebook.

<<Damon is the only friend the princess has, so if you want to know anything about her, you can ask him>>

– Wait, only friend? Aren’t you friends with her? – she asked, relieved of the change of subject, and everyone looked away.

– Being with her ain’t easy, sweetie. I got used to her easily cuz one of my sisters is really like her. But everybody thinks she’s some arrogant piece of shit –

– Diamond, language! –

– C’mon Sissy, don’t pretend you ain’t knew people say that. Listen, sweetie. If you ain’t wanna have trouble with her, then do whatever she tells you to. Please her. She ain’t doing anything if she likes you –

– …Alright. I’ll be careful – she said, hoping she didn’t hate her, at least.

– You are...? –

– Princess Lisette, of course! –

– Princess? You have kingdom? –

– No... –

– Then we make one! –

She woke up, hating herself for dreaming about that stupid girl again. Why should she keep seeing her in her sleep, when she was nothing but some disloyal subject? Yes, she may have been one of her first friends, and she may have waited for her to come back for months, but that had nothing to do with this! She was a nobody, a really annoying nobody.

She started her makeup routine, still complaining. Who was she kidding? Of course she’d dream about her, she used to be her best friend. Deep down inside, she hoped nothing bad happened to her. Maybe she just moved away without notice, or something. It didn’t matter. She shouldn’t give it any further thought, she concluded, brushing her shiny, black hair. After some minutes of choosing what to wear, she headed to the canteen, wanting to have breakfast before the students started showing up. She should go to the town later to get her own food, so she didn’t have to eat that commoner food.

Gosh, she could be so arrogant sometimes.

Shaking the thought off her head, she avoided every single person until she got in and out of the dining room. The juice and the cupcakes weren’t that bad anyways.

Back at the dorm, she decided to tidy everything before the new girl showed up. She couldn’t understand why she had to share the room, she specifically said she wouldn’t accept it back when she enrolled in the school. Well, at least they were sensible enough to pair her with another girl; that weird genderless policy wasn’t for her. But anyways, if she was going to have a roommate, at least she should give a good first impression, even if she didn’t plan to talk to her just for the sake of it, less being friends.

It didn’t take much time. Her room was always spotless after all. Soon she was out again, headphones on, straight to town. It was too small for her; she could run into other students too easily, it was annoying. Still, it was good enough for the main purposes: shopping the basics, hanging around and escaping school. Probably the best thing to do would be to stay the whole day there, window shopping and walking at snail pace. Just to avoid going back to the dorms.

But just as she was reaching the main avenue, a familiar, friendly face ran into her.

– Up so early? – she asked as a greeting, smiling, headphones off. The purple haired boy chuckled, rolling his eyes.

– Nope, I ain’t slept at all. I’ve been working, y’know, I always work Fridays and Saturdays’ nights, remember? That guy’s probably ending up in my pros’ list tho, he wasn’t bad at all – he joked, knowing there was nothing to fear in talking freely with her.

– How much this time? –

– Enough to pay for the next three lunches – he beamed, and she let out a chuckle – This one’s been a good one. Bet the purple suits me, ain’t it? But anyways, what are you doing here? Escaping the common subjects? –

– What else would I be doing here? –

– Enjoying life for once, maybe? Oh, right, too simple for your majesty –

– Very funny, Damon, very funny… If you stop fooling around, I’ll have breakfast with you; my treat, of course –

– Royal breakfast? Sweet! I’d never miss one! –

– Especially if it’s for free… – she joked, teasingly. Damon surely ate a lot, but she didn’t mind it. He was her only friend after all; she had to accept him as he was. And if that meant buying food all the time, then why not? She had enough money to afford it. Who said money didn’t buy friendship?

– Princess, are you listenin’? –

– Oh, sorry. What were you saying? –

– The new classmate. Word says you’re sharing rooms with her. They must be crazy if they thought pairing a haphephobic, kindness-needed girl with you was a good idea –

– You say that as if I were-! Wait, how do you know that? –

– Tracy is my roommate –

– Oh. Right. Still, I’m not a monster –

– Well, I guess you ain’t one. My bad. I apologize, your highness – he teased, messing her hair up – Where are we going to anyways? –

– You know where –

– Palazzo? Sweet –

– Damon… Do you… Do you think she’s gonna hate me? – she asked, worry eating her. There it was, her real voice. Not the fake, arrogant one. For once, he gave it deep thought before answering.

– Well…  That depends a lot on what she’s like. But I don’t hate you, right? She may as well see you ain’t just an arrogant piece of shit, like everyone thinks you are. But we can’t know till we meet her, so don’t worry about that, ‘kay? It’s gonna be fine, promise – he reassured her, striking her hair slowly to calm her down – And if she ain’t nice to you, I’ll get one of my guys to make her –

– …Thanks, Dei –

– Heh, what are friends for? You’re welcome –

Having breakfast with him was nice. Damon usually ate so much she just took bits from his plate. They kept on rambling about random things until they decided two hours in a café was more than enough and left, heading back to school.

– Very well, princess, I’m off to the canteen. Can’t go without my third breakfast! You’ll be okay by yourself, right? –

– Yes, it is not a problem, you can go, Cookie Monster – 

– Sweet. See you later, princess – he chuckled, patting her head, far from getting annoyed for the nickname.

Now that she was back at school, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go back to her room to load her phone’s battery, maybe even start doing that awful Math homework; it would take her years to finish it, anyways.

Headphones on again, she headed to the dorms, glaring at anyone who looked in her direction. Common subjects didn’t deserve to. 

There it was, the arrogant princess again. She should work on that. Some time. Not today.

Soon she was opening her door… and closing it again to check the number. Yes, it was the 216. She opened it again and looked carefully at her roommate’s side, for she obviously had already arrived.

Anything slim enough to tie something around it was covered with branches. Branches. The bed frame, the desk, even the curtain bar looked like trees. And that wasn’t all, oh, no, it wasn’t. Both the bed cover and the curtains were green. Leaf-patterned. Bet the sheets were, too. Were those stones on top of her drawer?? Just what kind of girl could this be, turning her room into some kind of forest?

And why did it look so good?

She stormed out of the room. Her phone didn’t need charging anyways. And she could do the homework in the library. She suppressed the tears trying to take over her eyes.

– Ok, Shaiel, tranquila. Nueva escuela, nueva vida, nueva gente, nadie te conoce, nadie va a juzgarte. Tran-qui-la –

She couldn’t help but grip her grandma’s necklace below her hoodie.

– Abu, no te vayas muy lejos, ¿ok? – she mumbled, almost hiding her face behind her messy, curly hair, closing her eyes. She felt a presence not far away from her, and she opened them back quickly, a bit startled. There was a girl holding a notebook walking straight to her. Blond ponytail, blue eyes, slim - she looked exactly as if she was ripped from one of those last century’s photos.

She smiled at her when she was close enough. Perfect, white teeth. Sip, straight from last century. 

The blond girl opened her book on a random page, scribbled something and showed it to her.

<<I bet you’re Shaiel Zárate, aren’t you?>>

What…?

Ok, that wasn’t in the photos. 

– Em… yeah, I’m Shaiel… – she answered, wondering if the girl could hear her. She could understand her at least, because she smiled again and wrote something else below.

<<Good! How do you pronounce it anyways?>>

– Umm… Pro-noun-ce…? – she repeated, confused. Not again. First conversation and the language barrier was already getting in the way.

<<Say your name out loud. So I can hear it>>

– Oh! Shy-ELLE ZAR-ah-teh – she said slowly, trying to move her lips as clear as possible so she could “read” them; making her smile and write something else.

<<It’s ok, you don’t have to do that, I can hear you, I just can’t speak>>

– Oh. Sorry – she mumbled, cheeks burning, feeling really dumb. Great. She already messed up.

<<Don’t worry, you wouldn’t have known. Anyways, I’m Tracy Frist, I’m in the Welcoming Committee and I’m supposed to help you get settled down and show you around a bit. Do you have a room assigned yet?>>

– Em, room? Yeah, it’s the… two point sixteen…? – she doubted, and the blondie got even paler, and her writing way messier.

<<216? Are you sure that’s your room?>>

– I… Yeah. That’s… That’s my room –

<<No. Way. You’re sharing room with the princess??>>

– Princess? Eh? Who…? – she asked, and something tickled at the back of her head. Weird. She turned the page and started scribbling at top speed. She had never seen somebody write so fast.

<<She’s not a real princess, of course, but everybody calls her that behind her back. She’s one of the most well known girls here, but not precisely for being nice or sporty or whatever. She’s one of the non-clinically crazy people on campus. She seems normal, even cheerful sometimes, but she gets these weird “princess attacks” and she suddenly starts bossing everyone around and telling everyone to call her “Princess” and to bow after her and who knows what else. I for one don’t think she’s bad, she’s just a tad off. But since most of us are too, it’s not that weird>>

<<She’s been here for a year or so now and she asked for a room far away from everyone and for herself alone. I thought she’d never get a roomie! But don’t worry, I’ve heard her say once that people who treated her well were her allies and therefore wouldn’t be bothered. During one of her princess rushes, of course>> 

Even with her weak English, she was able to make out the most important parts, and somehow it sounded familiar. This place was giving her an odd sensation, but weak enough to shrug it off.

<<Anyways, do you want me to show you the way to your room?>>

– Oh, em, s-sure, you lead… –

The blondie smiled reassuringly. She was clearly starting to realize just how shy she was. She closed the notebook and started walking to one of the huge buildings in front of them; and she quickly followed suit, dragging her bag clumsily. She really didn’t want to get lost here.

– This place is really big! – she said, feeling stupid again when she realized the girl couldn’t answer her – Oh. Sorry –

She shrugged, opening her notepad once more.

<<It’s okay. I can write and walk at the same time, but can you read this way?>>

– Oh, yes, I can – she couldn’t help smiling. How many times had she read a webnovel while walking in the middle of the street?

<<Good! Any questions?>>

– Emm… Why…? Emm… –

<<Why don’t I speak? You’ll see soon…>> she answered, gazing at another blond girl and a boy beside her that were coming their way. The blondie stopped, seeming a bit down suddenly; and she stayed put as well, curious as to what would happen.

– Tracy~! – the other girl called, cheerfully. Now that she was closer, she noticed that they were somewhat alike, but this second girl was shorter, had grey eyes and short hair.

– Hi, Trace – the boy greeted. He had brown, curly hair just like herself, but his eyes were a beautiful green. Now that they were closer she realized he was holding her by the arm – Oh, hi, what’s your name? – he asked her, noticing her for the first time.

– Oh, em, hi, I-I’m Shaiel. Sh-Shaiel Zárate – she introduced herself, shrinking without noticing.

– Oh~? I’ve never heard that voice before~ You must be the new girl! I’m Cecilia, but you can call me Sissy~ I’m Tracy’s sister~ Trace, are you on committee duty~? – she asked, and the blondie walked up to her and squeezed her hand. Wait, why did she do that…? Something was off...

And only then did she realize the girl’s eyes weren’t gray. They were blue, just like her sister’s. But they were covered with a white cloud.

– Your eyes! – she exclaimed without noticing, going red as they all looked at her.

– Well, aren’t you a good observer~ Yes, I’m blind, but don’t worry about it, sweetie, I’m fine~ – she chuckled, shrugging it off as if it was nothing, making her sister look away in pain – Aww, don’t be sad, Trace, I’m alright~! I have Now to help me, right, Now~? – she asked the boy.

– Of course. I’m Nahuel by the way. We gotta go now. It was nice meeting you – he smiled, starting to walk away.

– Bye, Shy~! See you later~! –

She waved even if she couldn’t see it, that weird feeling popping up again for a second, and got surprised when she noticed just how sad the blondie looked.

– Em. You okay? – she asked, but she just shrugged and continued walking, writing something down so slowly she started reading without waiting for her to finish.

<<There you go. That’s why I don’t speak>>

<<Sissy wasn’t blind since birth, she got some weird illness a couple of years ago, and she survived, but lost her sight in the battle>>

<<Since then, I couldn’t speak anymore. The words just don’t come out. Not even a sound. It’s just>>

A drop stained the paper, and her hand started trembling. Was she really crying??

– Oh, ey! I-it’s okay, please don’t cry! – she tried to console her, but she couldn’t do much in that state, she couldn’t just touch her! But she didn’t have time to panic, because just as suddenly as she started, she stopped, wiping away the remaining tears.

<<Sorry for that>>

– N-no, it’s ok… –

<<Here we are. The dorms>> she announced, changing the subject abruptly, going up some stairs and walking through the massive open doors. A ridiculous amount of corridors full of doors, with a huge staircase in the middle of everything. Where had she seen this before…?

They went up to the second floor and into one of the corridors. Just at the end of it, a door with the numbers 216 stood in front of them. The blondie opened the door to find the room empty.

– No one’s here… –

There were two beds in the room, on opposite sides. The princess’ side was full of violet and shiny stuff, and it was quite tidy. Her own side had just the bed, a simple desk, and a small drawer. Not bad at all.

<<This will be your home from now on, so get yourself comfy. I’ll pick you up later for breakfast>>

– A-ah, okay, th-thanks, Tracy – she mumbled, and the blond girl closed the door behind her – “Home” era hogar, ¿no? Pfft- Ya veremos en qué termina esto… – she said to herself, smiling. 

Up the bridge, down the fence, across the stream. That was the quickest way to reach their playground, right in the forest. She had met a girl there once, and they had been friends ever since. They called it the queendom, a place where adults weren’t allowed and they ruled as princesses. Her friend had been there every single day, adding more and more things to their castle or making the village bigger and greater. She was never mad at her when she couldn’t go; no, she wasn’t like the other kids, demanding and arrogant.

Down the fence, across the stream. She put special effort in keeping her dress and shoes spotlessly clean. They got angry at her if she didn’t get home exactly as she left. Her long, black braids were starting to get messy, but she could fix that later. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Across the stream. Be careful with the stones, don’t fall into the water, don’t wet the shoes. She had arrived home soaked once, and, man, were they mad. Just a bit more, and she could meet her friend.

Her golden eyes got bigger trying to see in the forest darkness. She was really close, so close she could hear her humming. She smiled when she finally saw the brown, curly mess on her friend’s head and the stained hoodie. For being a princess, she was quite unsophisticated. And she liked her all the same.

– …Hi –

– Oh, ey! Princess Lisette! You here! You maked it! – her friend greeted, wide smile and shiny, chestnut eyes. Even with her broken English, they could perfectly understand each other. Games don’t need proper language. She chuckled.

– It wasn’t easy, but I really wanted to play with you… –

– Heh, thanks! Come, I finded somethin’ nice for da queendom! – she called, pulling her hand and going right to the opposite side of the huge rock that played as the queendom walls. There, over a sunny field, laid a lot of tiny buildings made of sticks, leaves, flowers and anything they would find, and in the middle of all that, a huge, broken playhouse: the castle.

– Oh, the graveyard got bigger since the last time I’ve been here… –

– Sí, I finded some… em… nut’s animals…? –

– Do you mean squirrels? –

– Sí! Squirrels. I taked them here. Now they can sleep, no? – 

– Yeah… What did you want to show me anyways? –

– Ah, sí! – her eyes shone again as she made her way to the castle and let a flower curtain fall over the door frame – Ta-tan! See! We have door now! –

– Woah, fantastic! Shaiel, this looks amazing! – she gasped, hugging her and making her chuckle.

– You sayed you want door, and da princess wishs are orders, no? I make windows tomorrow! But come! I seeed some rocks today! You like it! – she said, making so many mistakes her friend laughed.

– Shy, you don’t say “seeed”, it’s saw! Or seen! Seeds are for plants, not for watching! –

– Ah. Well, I seen some nice rocks, and I want you see they! –

– Pfft- Ok, ok, let’s see them! – she agreed, realizing teaching her would take more than just correcting her every now and then. Her friend grabbed her hand again and she led the way to a small waterfall, all the stream covered with rocks and little, shiny stones.

– See! Nice rocks! – she smiled, getting to the water without even taking off her trainers.

– Wait! Won’t your parents ground you when they see your clothes? – she stopped her, worried. Her friend looked at her stained hoodie and wet trainers. One of the sleeves was ripped, and the shoelaces were covered with mud.

– No? Why? – she asked, confused, staring at her and realizing her clothes were too perfect for that dirty forest – Ah. Well, if I use that clothes I get ground! I use my bad clothes! You can’t use that clothes here, Lise, it’s forest! –

– Well… Yeah… I know, but… –

– Princess use shorts, Lise. See me! I’m princess, no? I use shorts! – she said very seriously, trying to convince her.

– Fine… I’ll bring shorts tomorrow… –

– You here tomorrow? Yay! –

– I’ll try to! But it’s getting dark, I have to go, Shy –

– Oh, ok… See ya tomorrow, Princess Lisette –

– See you tomorrow, Princess Shaiel! –

Across the stream, down the fence, up the bridge.

Up the bridge, down the fence, across the stream. Her friend was right, shorts and trainers were way better; now she could run and jump without fearing wounds.

Down the fence, across the stream. Actually, no, screw that, climb the fence! And swim in the stream! No more worrying about that; if she got stained, she could wash herself in the water, and if she got wet, she would dry up with the field’s sun.

Swim through the stream. She could get some stones, even, to surprise her. Her friend would be so glad to see her working on the queendom too, they would work together from now on!

She ran all the way from the waterfall to the sunny field, her arms full of shiny stones.

– Princess Shaiel, I’m here! – she called, trying to settle her breathing. Weird. She didn’t answer – Princess Shaiel? Shy? Are you here? – she called out loud, dropping the rocks without noticing. Clearly there was nobody there. But she wouldn’t get mad at her, no, she had never gotten angry at her when she couldn’t go, she wouldn’t do that to her only friend – Well, maybe she got sick from the wet trainers… – she tried to convince herself. Yes, that should be it. But then again, there was no point in staying there if her friend wasn’t with her.

Across the stream, down the fence, up the bridge. She would come back tomorrow to play.

And yet, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she wouldn’t see her again.

…No?

Many years later…

And there it was, the last time they would hear the ring bell that week. Now they were free to do whatever they wanted until Monday came. Well, while respecting the school rules, that is.

– May I retain your attention for one last minute? – asked the teacher, and everyone froze in their seats. Would she give them more homework? They already had a bunch of her Math’s book pages to solve, she wouldn’t give them more as the tutor, would she? Those self reflection questionnaires were even worse.

– Listen. This weekend, a new student will arrive. She’s really delicate and she will be in this class specifically because of your kindness. There’s one warning: whatever you do, do not touch her. She’s haphephobic, she really can’t stand it. If you get in trouble because you touched her, you can’t say I didn’t warn you. Please, be nice to her. And don’t forget to do your homework. You are free to leave now – she finally said, and immediately everybody started talking as they made their way out of the classroom. A haphephobic who needed an extra amount of kindness? That was kinda rare there.