Oak Hall's fifth-floor corridor echoed with Vivian's footsteps as she approached Room 509. The brass door plaque gleamed under fluorescent lights—a far cry from the concrete barracks Yueling described. She rapped twice. "Wendy?"
The door swung inward. Wendy Wang stood textbook-in-hand, glasses perched on her nose. Behind her, bunk beds formed steel sentinels in the cramped space. Roxy burrowed under duvets on the top bunk while Yueling slept curled like a fern on the lower. Lily Rao lounged cross-legged, airpods glowing.
"Life-saver!" Roxy croaked as Vivian placed the stew container on her desk.
"One-thirty." Vivian watched her friend descend the ladder, clutching her abdomen. "Code red encore?"
"Uteruses were a design flaw," Roxy groaned, spooning chicken-barley broth. Steam fogged her glasses when Vivian mused: "Seniors all board, right? For late seminars?"
Roxy froze mid-sip. "You're moving in? With shared bathrooms down the hall?"
Silence swallowed the room. Wendy's pencil halted. Lily removed an earbud, smirking. Even Yueling stirred awake.
"The dorms are lovely," Yueling said softly. "Back home, our outhouses flooded when it rained. We needed umbrellas... just to use them."
Lily's smirk died. "You're joking."
Wendy offered a gentle smile. "To excel despite that? Remarkable."
Yueling hugged her knees. "Mrs. Gable says knowledge rewrites destinies."
The earnest declaration hung until Roxy snorted. "Yueling, does your mom know you're this adorable?"
"Huh?" Yueling's confusion ignited laughter—shattered by Lily's retro ringtone.
Lily: (Into pink flip-phone) "Zane? Now? But Econ's at—"
(Pause)
Lily: "Hello? ...Hello?" She stared at the dead screen. "He hung up?"
Roxy mouthed ghosted! to Vivian as Lily ducked onto the fire escape.
Roxy: (Stage-whisper) "Zane's attention span: goldfish with amnesia!"
Vivian: "At least he remembered her name this week."
Lily stormed back in. "Ying! Skip Dragon Lady with me?"
Ying Chen paused mid-braid. "Li will skin us alive!"
Lily: "Zane's teaching me VR Battle Circuit! Cover for me?"
Wendy: (Not looking up) "No forged passes. Honor code."
Vivian's iPhone buzzed—Bryce's scowling selfie lighting the screen.
Bryce: (Over speaker) "Nexus Arcade. Canyon Run. Now."
Vivian: "Dragon Lady's seminar? You'd rather chew glass!"
Bryce: "Exactly why we're ditching. Zane's bringing his flavor-of-the-month."
Lily flushed at "flavor-of-the-month."
Vivian: (To Roxy) "Coming?"
Roxy: "My uterus's plotting mutiny. Bring me loot?"
Vivian yanked open her armoire—Burberry trench falling atop True Religion jeans. Lily watched, jaw tight.
Yueling observed the wardrobe hierarchy: Vivian's walk-in closet-sized armoire versus Lily's overstuffed Ikea rack. When Lily zipped her H&M jacket with trembling hands, Yueling ventured: "Is skipping wise? Dragon Lady—"
"—won't notice if we're ghosts," Lily snapped, then softened. "Sorry. Zane... he asked."
Vivian understood the calculus. Zane Xu collected hearts like vintage sneakers—admired, then shelved. Last month's gift had been diamond studs; this week's currency was indifference.
As Vivian swapped plaid skirt for ripped denim, Wendy spoke without turning: "Li's auditing attendance. For the midterm curve."
Lily froze mid-lipgloss. Vivian shrugged. "Then we run faster."
She dragged Lily into the corridor, their footsteps echoing. Behind them, Yueling whispered, "Knowledge changes destinies... but can it change Zane Xu?"
Roxy's laughter chased them: "Only if it's coded in binary, prodigy!"
Corridor Scene
Lily: "Do I look okay? This jacket's so last season—"
Vivian: "Relax. Zane once dated a girl who wore cat ears unironically."
Lily: (Horrified) "Ears? Like... furry ones?"
Vivian: "Worse. Sequined."
At the stairwell, Bryce materialized like smoke.
Bryce: "Took you forever." His gaze swept Lily. "Rao? Thought you had standards."
Lily: (Chin up) "Zane invited me."
Bryce: (To Vivian) "Since when do we run daycare?"
Vivian: "Play nice, Sterling. Or I'll tell everyone about your Justin Bieber phase."
Bryce: (Eyes narrowing) "Try it. I know where you buried the cafeteria goldfish."
Lily gaped as they descended, their bickering weaving an intimacy no outsider could penetrate.
Outside, Zane leaned against his Tesla, scrolling TikTok. Dylan lobbed acorns at squirrels.
Zane: (Without looking up) "Took you—" He froze seeing Lily. "Two strays, Sterling?"
Bryce tossed keys to Vivian. "Rao's your problem. Vixen rides with me."
As Vivian slid into the Ferrari's shotgun seat, Lily hovered near Zane's passenger door. He made no move to open it.
"Waiting for engraved invitation?" Bryce called through the window.
Zane finally tapped the unlock button. "Hop in, Rao. Try not to touch anything."
Lily climbed in, back rigid. Vivian watched through the rearview mirror—how Zane's fingers danced over screens, never glancing at the girl beside him. When Lily tentatively mentioned the new VR map, he replied: "Mute button's on your left."
Bryce gunned the engine. "Still think Stone's the glacier?"
Vivian turned up the radio. Some ices were worth breaking.