Alright. I can do this. It's just like anything I've experienced before.

As the gate closed behind me, I took a deep breath and turned around to face the new world I was now in.

Most of the buildings that caught my eye seemed to be made out of marble but with a touch of modernity. The nearest one to me, a two-story building, had an extended roof supported by two white marble columns. Carvings of men in Greek armor fighting decorated the outside walls and the bottom of the columns as well.

The place looked like something of a history book. It also looked like a mini version of the Parthenon in Athens. Kinda.

"Whoa." My jaw dropped. "It's gonna take me a while to get to. . . anywhere."

While l gawked at my new school, students passing by did the same to me, shooting me odd looks. As much as I wanted to yell at them to mind their own business, l couldn't help but look down to see what exactly they were looking at.

Oh. l had no uniform on.

"Shoot." l stared at the new set of uniform inside the box I was holding. I didn't fold the thing properly when I first took a look at it, and now the blazer already had some small wrinkles on its sleeves.

It's probably not a big deal if I show up in my first class with my casual clothes on, right?

Probably. But I'm sure I'll get a bunch of stares just like I had not long ago. And that's the last thing I want: to attract unnecessary attention on my first day.

It's the worst way to jinx yourself, and I learned it the hard way a couple of times.

Carrying my stuff along, I strode to the same direction the other students were going. Moments later, I paused, realizing that all of them were heading to different but identical-looking buildings.

Oh no. They're heading to their classes, so that means I have a little bit of time left to find and go to the dormitories.

I'm going to be late. On my first day of class, at that.

I rummaged through the package. There's got to be a map of the school campus somewhere—

"Can I help you?"

Yelping, I dropped the box in surprise. Before I even could reach down for it, a boy in uniform got to it first. I stood there, stunned, and it was a second too late before I realized that he was waiting for me to take the package.

"Oh. . . um, sorry." I gingerly grabbed the box from him, careful not to touch his hand. "Thank you."

"No problem," the boy said. "Are. . . Are you new?"

I blinked. "I, uh—"

"Sorry, that was a stupid question." He scratched his head. "You've got a box with the school uniform and ID inside, and you're carrying a suitcase and a backpack. You're clearly new."

"Thanks a lot for stating the obvious," I muttered.

Ugh! I wanna get out of here!

He gazed at me in concern. "I'm being awkward, aren't I?"

"No!" I said quickly. "I mean, no. I-It's fine, really."

"Don't worry about it." He laughed nervously. "I already know I'm pretty awkward with people. So anyway. . . I was going to my class when I noticed you were having a bit of trouble."

"Well, yeah." I fiddled with one of the box's flaps. "I. . . don't know where the dormitories are."

"Oh. The girls' dorms are right over there." He pointed somewhere on my left. "Just pass by the garden then take a left once you get to the dining hall. You'll see a bunch of smaller buildings packed together. Those are the dorms."

I stared at where he was pointing. I could see the garden that he was talking about. After that, a bunch of other buildings that stood some distance from it. . .

I'm not sure if I have the brain capacity to find the dorm while not panicking about getting late at the same time.

"Okay. . ." I inhaled deeply. "Thanks, I-I guess."

He ran a hand through his messy black hair. "I can take you there, if you want."

"That'll be great!" I blurted. "Uh, I mean. . . I-I don't want to give you any more trouble, plus I think I can manage—"

"Hey, it's not a problem." He smiled. "I don't mind. You can count on me."

"Here we are."

As expected from getting help from an old student, I got to the dorms without breaking much sweat. The boy, who later introduced himself as Pierre, didn't linger to talk a lot, but he gave me some tips on what I should do as a new student while we walked.

I pulled my suitcase into a stop. "Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it." He waved a hand. "I almost forgot to tell you. . . Show your ID to the lady in the lobby inside. She'll be the one who'll give you your room's number and keys."

"Okay."

"Well then, good luck!" He hurried off to his class.

Adjusting my backpack, I stepped inside the girls' dorm with my suitcase in tow.

Inside was a spacious, fancy lobby. Beige wallpapers covered the walls, giving the place a warm look. Comfy-looking leather seats stood on one side with a mini bookshelf nearby. Next to it was a large aquarium filled with colorful plastic corals and a few goldfish.

This looks. . . not cheap. Feels like I'm gonna live in a hotel or something.

Just like Pierre said, at the far end of the ground floor was a front desk with a middle-aged woman sitting behind it, reading a fashion magazine. I strode towards the desk.

"Excuse me." I coughed to catch her attention.

The lady perked up. "Yes? Can I help you, sweetie?"

"Yeah, um, I was wondering if you could give me my dorm room keys and stuff." I slid my ID across the table. "I'm a new student, by the way."

"Of course." She set the magazine aside and took my ID. "Just give me a minute to look for your info."

After glancing at my ID for a second or two, the desk lady turned to the computer in front of her and typed in some words. Her eyes squinted. She typed in the same thing again, and her features crinkled even more.

"W-What's wrong?" I asked in concern. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, it's nothing." She gave a reassuring smile. "You're all good. It's just, uh—how do I say this?—you got yourself a very interesting roommate."

I raised a brow. "Is that a bad thing or a good thing?"

The woman shrugged. "All I can say is. . . she's decent as long as you're decent."

"What does that even mean?"

Ignoring my question, she clicked something with her mouse, and a printer behind her started whirring. She went under the table and I heard some rummaging and a jingle of keys. She rose back up and slid a golden key to me. A plain red key chain dangled with it, the number 14 written across its flat surface.

"Thank you."

The lady swiveled to the printer and grabbed the paper that emerged from its tray. "Don't forget this too."

I stared at the paper. "What's that?"

"It's your class schedule," she said, sliding the sheet on the table. "You don't want to wander around the campus like a lost puppy, do you?"

"Right." I took the key and the paper. "Thanks a lot."

"Anytime, sweetie."

I headed to the staircase several steps from the front desk. Looking upward, I saw that there were two more floors above me. Normally, it's gonna take someone a while to climb up the stairs with a suitcase, but thankfully, I packed light.

Soon, I got to the first floor. Doors of the rooms were lined up on both sides, numbers stuck in front of them. At the far end of the hall, a door with the number 14 stood between 13 and 15. I pulled my suitcase along as I rushed towards it.

The moment my hand reached the knob, a series of chimes sounded from afar, making me pause.

"Good morning, students," the voice of a young male crackled from the speakers. "Please be reminded that classes start in ten minutes. Punctuality is key if you want your day to be smooth-sailing. . ."

I didn't listen to the rest of the announcement and shook the door's handle. Unfortunately for me, it didn't budge. I knocked a few times on the oak door, but no one answered.

My roommate probably left early. Lucky her. And lucky me for having spare keys.

I took out the key the lady gave to me earlier from the box and jammed it on the lock. A tiny click followed and the door swung open.

"What in the name of—"

I didn't have time to enjoy the look of my new room when a blonde girl standing near a dressing table froze, her eyebrows furrowed. I was also frozen in my place as her eyes looked up and down, taking in my presence. One of her hands was on her hip while the other was wrapped around with a red and white cast that hung on her shoulder.

"What happened to your arm?" I blurted.

"Picking my room's lock, barging in without knocking and asking an inappropriate question." Her lips curled down with displeasure. "How rude of you. Now get out."

I stammered. "I-I'm sorry! I was rushing to get in and—"

She took a step forward as if claiming her territory. "I said get out."

I tightened my grip on my suitcase's handle. "Just let me explai—"

"Get out. Now." She pointed her finger to the door, her expression stern. "Or I'll make sure that this will be your last day in this school."

Her last words made me pause for a second. "Wait, what? B-But I haven't even started my first day yet!"

"And I don't like my patience getting tested by people like you." She scowled. "Get out of my room!"

"But this is my room too!"

The room fell into an awkward silence. The girl and I were stuck in a weird staring contest. I was currently losing to her serious, wide-eyed gaze, which for some reason reminded me of an owl. A scary, judgmental owl.

This is not how I imagined I'd meet my first roommate. Way to go for a first good impression.

She raised a brow. "What did you say?"

"My room is number 14 too, okay?" I said. "Don't ask me why but the lady on the ground floor gave me the keys and stuff. She said there wasn't a mistake about it. I swear I didn't know someone was still here and—"

"Stop blabbering nonsense." She rolled her eyes. "What do you truly want?"

I groaned. "I just told you. This is my room too, and I want to go inside. Please?"

She scoffed. "This must be some mistake. I don't have roommates."

"Well, now you've got one," I said, pointing at myself. "Deal with it."

The girl strode towards me, and I moved away a couple of steps. I thought she was going to confront me when she veered left, stepping outside and heading for the stairs.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?" I asked. "Aren't you gonna warn me off or something?"

She turned around and looked at me with eyes narrowed. "I'll deal with you later, but for now, you're making me late for Calculus."

Without another word, she continued on her way and disappeared out of my sight.

I exhaled, realizing that I was holding my breath for a while. As my gaze lingered to where the mean, blonde girl just went, I couldn't help but think. . .

Who in the world takes Advanced Calculus in high school?