Falling to the floor from the dorm’s ebony portal, Valery hefted her back against the door as tears and snot seeped across her face. Her body shuddered with each wavered breath and her dark hair only entrapped her in a darkness beyond her puckered eyes. Why was I so stupid?! Valery screamed her throat, releasing only a ruined shriek amongst her babbling sobs. “I can’t believe it! Why did I try why ever try its pointless”

Huddling into the corner of the room, Vallery snaked a pillow from her bed and silently rocked, wiping her face across her new giant kleenex. spying the dark smears across the sheet Valery only felt her heart wilt even further. It was all pointless and I worked so hard. All the tutorials, all that time… it was for nothing’. 

Letting her hot tears sting her lips, the cool trickle of snot neared in tandem. Vallery still couldn’t believe it. No matter how much her heart stung, she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Even as she imagined every scenario, every possibility she never expected the pain that weighed against her ribs.

It was supposed to work! Valery thought as she recalled the experience. I followed the flow chart, I made sure we were alone I was straight forward so why... why?

Wiping her face, Valery calmed down, her shallow gasps slowing until the pounding beat of her heart stood as the only think keeping her from silence. As she twirled the pillow between her fingers Valery felt a flare of rage sending the pillow tumbling for the wall. With a weak sigh Valery crawled to her bed turning to the wall allowing her mind to go dark. Focusing on nothing more than the room’s pristine silence.

Until a large clatter shook the room’s oppressive air. Shattering her stupor, Valery bolted upright, staring at her neighbor’s door. With a grim reluctance, she passed through the bathroom’s short portal to find her roommate tangled amidst a series of cables, straps and clothing. Wearing a coy smile, Sarah raised her hand as Valery braced for the incoming assault. “Okay, I know I’m wrapped up right now, but I’m just wired a bit differently than you. Okay?” and as those words left Sarah’s, mouth Valery went to shut the door on her way out.

“Wait, come back!” Sasha screamed “life alert, life alert! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

It didn’t take long for Valery to untangle Sasha, yet every time she asked some form of “how’d you even do this to yourself?” Sasha gave a dismissive wave before thinking of another pun. With limp hands, Valery tossed the cables away and motioned back to her room, but the strangled grasp of Sasha’s arm ground her to a stop. 

Spun with a violent quickness, Valery stood startled as Sasha inspected her face. Soon her eyes narrowed into a determined glare as her once jovial tone took on a grim bearing “who is it?”

Quaking with fevered glances, Vallery fought to worm from Sasha’s grasp but her grip stayed firm “w-what are you talking about I don’t-”

“Vallery your eyes are puffy, there’re streaks of makeup still on your face and there’s a booger on your cheek. What happened?”

Stranded against the bathroom door, Valery grew flushed as the threat of tears brimmed her eyes once again. Moving to the bed, Valery collected her self cleaning the atrocious mess that was her face before recounting her meeting with William.

“So let me get this straight you asked to meet his behind the school during lunch, you told him you had a crush on him and he called you a weird creepy bitch’

“More or less” Valery muttered, pinning her eyes to the grey linoleum floor.

Feeling Sasha’s weight leave the bed, Valery turned to see her fishing through the bottom of her closet “what’s his room number”

“What?!” Valery blurted

“William, what’s his room number”

Leaping from the bed Valery neared Sasha wringing her hands of their obvious dampness “I-I dont know but Sasha, you’re scaring me”

Emerging from the closet Sasha stood proudly, gripping the end of a shattered board with a deathly calm mask strung about her face. “Oh? Don’t be scared,” Sasha remarked “I’m just gonna introduce William to the civil disputes board”. Clapping the splintered wood against her palm, Sasha started for the door only to be mildly inconvenienced by Valery’s weight.

Settling down, Sasha sat the board in the corner as Valery’s gloom over took the atmosphere once more. With the wariness of a doe Sasha approached draping an arm around Valery’s hunched shoulders “well at least you tried the make up I suggested” Sasha quipped. Yet that only forced Valery to tuck herself tighter, desperately hiding the dark pimple scars across her skin.

“Look,” Sasha began “fuck that guy he’s just some asshole who probably wanted to get his dick wet but you are a diamond in the rough”

“Huh?”

“All you need is a little practice and boys will flock to you guaranteed”

“But.. I really thought he was the one”

“Well, don’t worry if he tries anything funny then me and the disciplinary board will make sure he comes out correct”

“I thought it was the civil dispute board”

“Semantics, ”

Suddenly a crisp cry shattered the scene the pair had created in favor of the bells omen of oncoming students. Departing for her classes Sasha gave a warm smile and as she ran away Valery sat stagnant. Wishing to hide from the world, if only for a second longer.

The day swept through in a gradient of color. The classes and lectures all writhed together into a sea of unintelligible nonsense whilst Valery mused around the library’s dusty shelves. Dutifully collecting and attending to the books better than the librarian himself. Welcoming the room’s crisp quiet air, Valery huddled in the corner and began the treacherous tower of homework. While its presence was daunting, it served a sound purpose as each question and equation drove the dread further from Valery’s heart. Until her projects came around. 

Flipping through her folders, Valery recalled the catharsis she felt in presenting her projects, each better than the last and all to the tune of her class mates lesser grades. The memory spoke of a welcomed joy, but as she looked at the assignment such a feeling was vacant. Crushed and replaced with an apathy Valery had never shown before.

From the aisles to the halls Valery treaded silently, the shuffle of her feet staring as her only chorus. As the day wound down and classes neared their end, Vallery slunk back to her room. Hoping for a pleasant trip down the YouTube rabbit hole Valery halted as a particular sight caught her heart. For on her door was a folded piece of paper with one word on it. 

“-William”.