"Lina, please promise you'll behave this time."
My mom had said the same thing about five times already since we left home.
"I will," I told her, though we both knew my promises didn't always mean much.
Dad was driving, eyes fixed on the road like he was counting every second until they could drop me off. "Your mother and I mean it," he said. "This is a good school. A new start. Don't mess it up."
I looked out the window instead of answering. The ocean stretched endlessly beside us, gray and shining under the morning light. Waves crashed against cliffs that seemed way too close to the road. The new school St. Marina's Academy sat on a hill above the water. It looked old, with stone walls and tall windows that glinted like mirrors. Peaceful, maybe. Or trapped. I couldn't decide which.
When the car stopped at the main gate, I climbed out and grabbed my suitcase. The wind smelled like salt and something sharp. Mom got out too, fixing my collar like she always did.
"Try to stay out of trouble, okay? No more arguments with teachers. No sneaking out after curfew."
"I said I'll behave," I muttered, even though I wasn't sure how long that would last.
She smiled a tired, worried kind of smile and kissed my cheek. "I know you'll do your best. Just… give this place a chance, Lina."
Then they were gone, the car rolling down the hill until it disappeared. The silence that followed felt heavier than I expected.
I stood there for a second, staring at the gates. "Well," I whispered, "here goes nothing."
Inside, the school looked like something out of a movie long stone halls, echoing footsteps, and that constant sound of the sea somewhere in the background. I followed a sign that said Girls' Dormitory East Wing until I found Room 213.
The door was already open.
Someone was inside a girl standing by the window, brushing her hair. The sunlight caught it just right, and for a moment it shimmered like water.
She turned when I walked in. "Hi," she said, her voice calm and smooth. "You must be Lina."
"Yeah," I said, a little surprised. "That obvious?"
"I saw your name on the list," she replied, smiling. "I'm Mira. Your roommate."
"Nice to meet you," I said, dragging my suitcase to the bed by the wall.
For a moment, neither of us said anything. The ocean roared faintly outside, and a breeze moved the curtains. I glanced at her again. There was something about her something too still, too graceful.
But maybe that's just how some people are.
Or maybe… not.