{Elira}
~**^**~
"Anything," Cambria shrugged. "Except loitering around the grounds during siesta hours. Some read, some do assignments, others gossip or nap lightly."
We stepped into the elevator, the small metal box reflecting our uniforms under bright light. My chest tightened with nerves.
I had been so focused on getting through orientation and meeting my homeroom professor that I'd nearly forgotten: I was about to meet the rest of my roommates.
Cambria must have felt the shift in my breathing, because as we stepped into our floor's hallway, she said gently, "You are about to meet them now. Just be yourself."
Her words offered a moment of comfort before fading into fresh dread.
She opened the door, and together, we stepped inside.
Three girls sat or stood around the spacious dorm room. Each of them turned at the sound of our entrance.
Cambria spoke first, her tone bright and friendly. "Everyone, this is Elira. She's joining us."
