The night had begun like any other girls' night in Dorathea's dorm room. The living room was a cosy mess of face masks, chocolate wrappers, and skincare products. Drew was regaling everyone with another one of her outrageous boyfriend stories, her hair tied up in a top bun and her face covered in a green clay mask. Audrey, with her perfect Barbie ponytail, was lounging on the couch in a perfectly ironed pajama set, her legs stretched out as she painted her nails. Poppy, in her vintage satin nightgown and crystals around her, was curled up on the floor, carefully applying a sheet mask to her face.

Amidst all the chatter, Dorathea was in her element, tending to her plants lined up on the window sill. She had just painted her toes a rebellious shade of blue, a face mask giving her a slightly alien glow while inspecting her collection of succulents, including an Echeveria with its rosette of plump, blue-green leaves, and a jade plant, with its thick, shiny leaves. Next to them were a few flowering plants: an African Violet in full bloom and a Peace Lily, its white spathes reaching gracefully towards the ceiling.

Dorathea's fingers moved deftly as she checked the soil moisture, adjusted the positioning of the pots for optimal sunlight, and misted the leaves of the more delicate plants. She hummed softly, lost in the rhythm of her routine. Her friends' laughter and banter were comforting background noise.

Her phone buzzed, interrupting her focus. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from Levi. Rolling her eyes, she opened it.

Levi: Did you know Dora the Explorer is multilingual at the age of 4 but can't locate things right next to her?

Levi: Also, did you know my favourite building is the Flatiron Building in NYC? It's like a slice of pizza standing upright.

Dorathea snorted at the texts and was about to respond when she realised she had left the watering can tilted over her Echeveria. Water was spilling everywhere, drenching the windowsill.

"Hey, careful there, Dot," Poppy called out, noticing the spill.

Dorathea quickly righted the watering can, her cheeks flushing. "Shit, sorry, got distracted."

Audrey looked over and smirked. "Distracted, huh? By who? Or should I say, "By what?"

Drew chimed in, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oh, I bet it's not a what but a who. And I bet his name starts with an L and ends with an I."

Dorathea rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile. "It's nothing. Just Levi being... Levi."

"Oh, Levi, huh?" Audrey teased. "Is this the same Levi who drives you up the wall with his Dora the Explorer jokes?"

Poppy giggled, "Maybe he's finally realising you're the explorer he's been looking for all along!"

Dorathea groaned, tossing a cushion at Poppy. "Don't even start."

Drew, undeterred, leaned in closer. "What's he saying now? Anything juicy?"

"He's just being ridiculous," Dorathea muttered, thumbing out a dry response.

Thea: Riveting stuff. Any chance you'll find something useful to say today?

Poppy leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, come on, Dot. Admit it. He's growing on you."

"He's like a stubborn fungus," Dorathea quipped, suppressing a smile as she sent her message.

Drew decided to escalate matters. "What if we send Levi a few sexy pictures? That'll get him to stop."

Dorathea's eyes widened in horror. "Absolutely not! That's crossing a line."

"Or is it?" Drew teased, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Stop trying to corrupt me," Dorathea retorted, though a hint of amusement danced in her eyes. She knew Drew meant well, in her own peculiar way.

As if on cue, Dorathea's phone buzzed again. Levi's latest message was a picture of a bizarrely shaped building with the caption, "This one's for you, Dora. Guess where it is!"

Dorathea snorted, shaking her head. "He's impossible."

"But kind of cute in a weird way, right?" Audrey chimed in, smoothing down her pajama top with a knowing smile.

Dorathea shrugged nonchalantly, though her heart beat a little faster at the thought. "I guess he has his moments."

Before Drew could come up with another crazy idea, Audrey's expression turned serious "Speaking of boys, I swear, if I have to dodge one more guy from the basketball team, I might just join the track team to outrun them. It's like they think persistence will wear me down or something."

Dorathea's lazy demeanour instantly shifted to one of protective anger. "Those guys again? Seriously, Audrey, if they don't back off, I swear I'll—"

"Whoa, calm down, Dot," Drew interrupted with a laugh, though she could see the genuine anger in Dorathea's eyes. "No need for murder tonight."

"But seriously, Audrey," Dorathea said, her voice tinged with determination. "If they lay a finger on you or keep bothering you, I'll make sure they regret it."

Audrey smiled gratefully at her friend's fierce loyalty. "Thanks, Dot. I know you've got my back."

Poppy who sensed the tension, declared while waving a bundle of dried herbs dramatically. "You know, tonight's the perfect night to banish the bad juju, or maybe we could hex them and make them rethink their life choices."

"Or we could start a rumour that you're dating someone else. Someone intimidating." Drew perked up with eyes twinkling with mischief.

Audrey laughed, smoothing down her ponytail. "Or we could just tell them I have a highly contagious skin disease."

Dorathea huffed, leaning back against the wall. "Why don't they just leave you alone, Audrey? Can't they take a hint?"

Audrey sighed, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "I wish."