Elena had no idea what to do. Ms. Essie was most likely preparing to welcome the rest of the students as they trickled in, and this didn’t seem the sort of thing she ought to disturb her with while there might be parents around. On the other hand, Lior did not seem well. Her eyes flickered along the wall as she began to walk toward it, and her face was set in a tight frown. Lior would not respond to anything. Elena tried shouting and waving her arms in front of Lior’s face, but the girl didn’t blink. She even tried grabbing Lior’s arm and pulling her away from the wall, but Lior just shook her off and continued walking forward.

Most concerning to Elena, however, was that the air around Lior was tinged orange with worry, shot through with confusion and fear. That blueish fear made Elena shiver. There was a difference between the fear that came from being afraid of clowns or ladybugs and this. The former was lighter blue and came with a dizzy sort of feeling. What Lior was experiencing left a lump in Elena’s throat and a stinging in her chest. Lior was witnessing something that would make most anyone afraid. Elena sat in the armchair nearest Lior and held her knees to her chest.

Just a few inches from the wall, Lior suddenly stopped and stood there frozen. Her eyes were fixed directly before her on the wall. Elena was glad she hadn’t run straight into the wall. It occurred to Elena that this must have something to do with Lior’s finnik, a possibility she’d failed to think of before in her panicked state. Still, she wondered and worried about what Lior was seeing, especially as she shut her eyes and took a step back. Then another. The dark blue fear was growing more dominant. Lior retreated quickly into an armchair, unconsciously mirroring Elena with her knees to her chest.

“Lior?” Elena asked tentatively. “Can you hear me?”

Lior still didn’t respond, seeming to have once again frozen until suddenly, her head shot up. “Why are you here?” She asked. Elena didn’t think Lior was talking to her. “Do you know what happened?” An interminable silence followed in which Lior gradually uncurled and stood. Finally, “You know I can’t. Just, stay with me?” Another silence, then she slowly nodded. She began walking in an odd zigzag sort of pattern toward the door, and Elena was surprised that she never once bumped into anything. What was Lior seeing?

Not able to do much else, Elena followed Lior out the door and in a straight line across the quad. When they had almost reached the main building, Lior paused. “I have to go around,” she informed the air. Then she began walking again, navigating neatly around the side of the large building.

Elena began to panic as they neared the front of the building. She was certain some of the other students who lived near enough to drive in with their parents would be arriving, and she had no way of explaining what was going on with Lior. But maybe Ms. Essie would be there and would know what to do, after all, she was the one who insisted it would be dangerous to tell their parents about what really went on at Galerose. Whether they were happy about it or not, there would be consequences.

Elena ran ahead and peeked around the side of the building. Sure enough, she saw Diana and her parents standing at the base of the front steps speaking with Ms. Essie as their driver removed Diana’s bags from the trunk of one of the family’s many luxury cars. Even worse, all three had wisps of sickly green annoyance curling around them.

As Lior rounded the corner into view, Elena linked their arms together and tried to pretend they were just out for a stroll. “Hi Diana!” She called out. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Russel.”

Diana’s parents didn’t bother acknowledging the greeting, but Diana gave them a small nod.

Lior led them at a diagonal to the road, now past the car and headed toward the forest. Elena was just thinking they might make it to the safety of the forest when Lior stopped walking and turned to the right. She raised her hand, waving and shouting, “Over here!”

Diana’s gaze snapped up toward them but fortunately, her parents had their backs turned and were slower to react. Ms. Essie raised her eyebrows and smoothly diverted attention. Diana said something to her parents before heading toward Elena and Lior, while Ms. Essie steered Diana’s parents inside.

“Elena!” Diana hissed when she was close enough to be heard. “What was that? You’re supposed to be acting normal.”

“There’s nothing I can do about it,” Elena retorted. “It has something to do with her finnick and I don’t have any way to communicate with her right now.”

“Well why did you bring her out here?”

“I didn’t bring her anywhere. If anything, she brought me here. She can’t hear or see us right now. You really expect me to restrain her?”

Diana sighed and closed her eyes. “No, but, why did it have to be now while my parents are here?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, No, not your fault.”

As they were speaking, Lior began moving toward the forest again, this time at a quicker pace. She was speaking softly, but neither Elena nor Diana could quite make out the words. All they could do was follow after her and hope they wouldn’t get too lost.

At the treeline, Lior stopped again. “I don’t know this area very well,” she said after a moment. “There’s a forest here, and I’ll probably run into something.” Another long pause, then Lior nodded. “I guess it’s far enough now. She took a few paces along the treeline, then plopped down on the grass.

Elena and Diana exchanged doubtful glances, but followed after her. Elena plopped down on the grass next to Lior, and after a distasteful glance at the grass, Diana joined them.

“I’m worried,” Elena whispered. “She’s got all this fear and worry around her.”

Diana stared at Lior and let out a long sigh. “I don’t know what to tell you, Elena. She’s new, so we don’t even know how her finnik works.”

“I wish we could get Ms. Essie.”

Diana pulled her into a hug. “Let’s just stay with her.”

As the two sat with Lior, more students began arriving. Diana’s parents came out of the building, and she quickly stood to see them off. Elena could tell some of the students arriving were also new, but luckily, Ms. Blanchet had arrived and was dealing with them quite efficiently, though Elena felt a bit bad for those students.

Finally, as the shuttle from the airport was trundling into view, Lior seemed to wake up. She didn’t seem surprised to see Elena, but at the sight of Diana, she started.

“Sorry,” she murmured, a bit disoriented from the changed scenery. Diana didn’t exactly help with her hair scraped back into a braid, painfully neat clothes, and cool demeanor.“It doesn’t usually last that long. Um, my name’s Lior.”

“Diana. And if that happens again today, do us a favor and don’t wander around.”

“Sorry,” Lior said again. “I don’t think I bumped into anyone?”

“It’s not that,” Elena explained. She pointed to where students were pouring off the bus. “We have to act normal around the parents who drop their kids off.”

“Oh, so I…” Lior’s gaze drifted back to Diana.

“Yes,” Diana snipped. “But we managed to avert disaster.”

“Sorry.”

Elena scowled. “Leave her alone, Diana. And, Lior, stop apologizing. The teachers hadn’t arrived yet since you were the only one getting here early and Ms. Essie didn’t think you would cause any trouble.”

Lior dropped her head and almost apologized again but stopped herself at the last minute. “I’m hungry,” is what she said instead.

“Me toooo,” Elena moaned. “We missed lunch ‘cause of you.”

Lior opened her mouth to speak.

“Don’t.”

“Right.” After a moment, “Is it dinner time yet?”

“Not quite.” Elena gave her a sympathetic smile. “Ms. Essie the orientation for new students before dinner. She says kids can’t think after dinner.”

“If it’s any consolation, we don’t get to eat dinner yet, either,” Diana offered.

Lior thought she ought to be offended, but then again, it was probably true. “I really hope that’s starting, like, right now.”

Elena shrugged. “Depends if everyone’s here. We can go ask Ms. Blanchet.” She pointed toward a tall, thin woman with buzzed white hair. The pencil skirt and button up she wore only served to make her more stick-like.

“Blanchet? Isn’t she the one who was on my letter?”

Elena nodded. “Yeah, she’s head of admissions, but she also teaches math.” She shuddered and whispered, “It’s terrible.”

“That’s because you don’t pay attention,” Diana interrupted. “She’s a perfectly lovely person to those who don’t daydream through her class.”

“Oh, come on. Do you know how distracting all those emotions are? I can tell you, I’m definitely not the only one who hates her class.”

“I hope you’re not talking about my class, Miss Rosencrantz,” came a stiff voice.

Elena’s face drained of color when she realized that Ms. Blanchet had approached them as they were talking. “No, ma’am,” she squeaked.

Diana looked as unperturbed as ever, but Lior was sure she could detect a hint of a smirk beneath that facade. Elena’s comments and reaction to Ms. Blanchet made Lior a bit nervous to address her, but she figured the teacher didn’t have any reason to dislike her yet. She mustered up the courage to ask, “Um, we were just going to ask if the new student orientation is starting soon?”

“Ah, Miss Sova.” Lior shrank a bit as Ms. Blanchet’s attention turned on her. “Yes, I was just coming to tell you. The new students have all arrived. The president is waiting in the foyer.” She didn’t stick around for a response, striding away to herd the lingering students toward the dorms.

“President?” Again, that niggling feeling of familiarity made itself known.

“Ms. Essie,” Elena responded, cheer instantly returning with the departure of Ms. Blanchet. “She’s the only one who ever calls her president or Esperanza.” Elena shook her head solemnly. “I’m pretty sure Ms. Blanchet uses her full name just to annoy her.”

Lior didn’t think Ms. Blanchet was the sort to purposely annoy someone and was about to say so when the pieces fell into place. “Oh,” she breathed out. “That’s why you were talking about dreams.”

“Oh, yeah. Do you remember now?”

“I remember that she didn’t really explain anything to me,” Lior grumbled. “Is that her finnik?”

“Yup, Ms. Essie can slip into dreams. She says she doesn’t do it very often, but I don’t believe her.”

“Don’t say that,” Diana snapped.

“Why? She always knows when someone’s broken the rules. She probably sees it in their dreams.”

Lior shivered. “I think I’m with Diana on this one.”

Elena pouted. “Whatever. Someday you’ll know I was right all along.”

“I doubt that,” Diana replied.”

“I probably shouldn’t keep her waiting just in case,” Lior said. “Um, I guess I’ll see you both later?”

“Of course!” Elena squeezed her in an unexpected hug. “I’ve decided we’re friends for life, so you can’t get rid of me.”

“Um, right, okay.” As Elena jogged toward the front steps, she heard Elena go back to arguing with Diana, and she thought she maybe just made her first friends who could actually touch her.