Daphne sat at the vanity curling her hair.
The warmth of the alcove and the quilt slipped away as I slid out of my bed.
“Morning!” Daphne chirped, sounding way too chipper for a girl who had chugged tequila last night. “You ready for your first day?” She dropped the pink curling iron to swivel in the stool and look at me. “You seriously started at the perfect time. The professors aren’t being as annoying as they are at the beginning of the school year.”
“Morning,” I grumbled, politely smiling while shuffling toward the vanity.
I grimaced at my reflection in the vanity mirror from behind her, taking in the puffy, dark circles beneath my eyes, and swallowed down the urge to tell her I wasn’t ready at all.
Not ready for classes, for Saint Vale, and definitely not for whatever had lurked outside my window last night.
Daphne glanced down at the watch on her wrist, settled between gold Cartier bracelets. “We have twenty minutes before classes start. If we’re late, the professor emails Arisono. She considers it one of herstrikes.” She rolled her eyes while unplugging the curling iron.
I gave her a small, appreciative smile for the heads-up.
The last thing I needed was a strike on my first day.
While Daphne might’ve been a roommate killer, so far, I liked her.
I shuffled to the bathroom, wishing I’d set my alarm last night, and took the fastest shower of my life.
When I returned to our room, Daphne was finished with her makeup. We switched places at the vanity.
Her crisp white Oxford shirt, with the Saint Vale crest neatly embroidered over the left breast pocket, matched mine. So did her gray pleated skirt and white socks. Saint Vale’s uniform. Though they did give us the option of the socks or black tights. I chose tights today.
Not having the time to dry my hair, I pulled it into a ponytail, smoothing the strands down. Scooting closer, I drew a sharp lineof black winged eyeliner across each lid before applying mascara. For the final touch, I tied a red ribbon around my ponytail, pulling the knot tight.
“Any words of advice?” I asked Daphne.
“About what?” she asked.
I stood and zipped my skirt. “Surviving Saint Vale.”
“Honestly? Most students don’t leave this place with their sanity fully intact.” She grabbed her black Mary Jane pumps from the floor and slid them on. “This place can be the best time of your life or the absolute worst.”
“How do I make it not the worst?”
“Lie low and mind your business. It’s boring but safe.”
“I’m okay with boring.”
“Suit yourself.” She flashed a smile. “I hate boring.”
We grabbed our bags and left the room.
Other students were already walking out of the corridor toward the steps.
“Definitely follow Arisono’s curfew,” Daphne added as we walked. “She’s strict as fuck about it. And trust me, don’t test her. Just because she can’t move her face doesn’t mean she’s not crazy. Only a few students are exempt from her rules, and no offense, but if you were on that list, you wouldn’t have me as a roommate.” She motioned toward the third floor. “You’d have your own wing.”
I nodded in understanding, filing everything she told me into my brain.
She smiled and waved at a girl as we passed, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she thought about what else to tell me. “Oh! Don’t go outside campus after dark.Anddon’t make fun of me for this ridiculous idiom, but therearethings that go bump in the night here.”
There was no stopping my snort. “What, like the bogeyman?”
“I’d say bogeymen.”
I slowed, remembering the figure outside mywindow last night.
