Talise decided to make the tweaks on Destiny Omaha's profile alone. Afterwards, she was going to work on the malware file that would contain our profile's details and hack into Zavlon's system to control the visitor selecting algorithm. The time consuming nature of the latter made her leave for her home back in Ridgeton sooner than I'd liked.

   After Rav kept us in his room (the first room we'd booked) for a two hour romantic comedy—his terrible choice, Dorian decided to call it a night, with Camila following suit a few minutes later.

   Maybe it was the sugar Rav kept stuffing his face throughout the movie or just, you know, him being Rav, but he was nowhere close to sleepy.

   As Camila retired to her room, I felt inclined to follow her since she was my roommate for the night and I'd never joined her and Dorian when they booked their rooms and dropped off their luggage to locate hers.

   Also, it would be weird if I came in later. Or should I say weirder. This whole roommate situation was already a thing on its own as it is.

   Even though it seemed like we should both be way past that by now, it was hard to overlook the fact that I was spending the night with Camilla. She was, after all, the best friend of Viola Quill, my Zavolonian torturer (currently on a mind-control influenced hiatus, of course) and had taken a few digs at me herself.

   Camila and I's walk to her room was even uncomfortable. Knowing well that I couldn't walk directly beside her unless I wanted to birth awkward small talk neither of us could handle, I was torn between taking steps that were too far ahead of her and the slow kinds that made me come off as a stalker to any passerby.

   Needless to say, it was a long walk to her room.

   I got a full glimpse of the room immediately I entered after Camila since it wasn't large. In fact, it was quite similar to Rav's current room.

   The only differences were that this room was painted purple, the medium-sized bed was situated at the right side of the room against the wall, instead of the centre, with a desk that carried a lamp beside it. The position of the closet, bathroom and couch, however, was just like in Rav's room.

   I noticed Camila hadn't made any touches to make the room seem more personal aside the colourful bed sheets and pillows she probably purchased back at Ridgeton.

"You'll be sharing the closet and bathroom with me permanently," Camila said as she eyed the suitcase in my hand. "So you don't have to worry about having to split your clothes with Rav and Dorian's rooms or anything."

   Considering the fact that everyone had their respective rooms because of the money I'd contributed, I didn't think I'd have to worry at all. But okay.

"Thanks." I blinked.

"I can help you unpack, if you'd like."

"Yeah, sure. Thank you...Wait, now?" I frowned as she pried the suitcase from my grip. "Okay, then."

   As Camila opened one of the zips of my small suitcase, I had to stifle a laugh at the startled leap she gave when comic books burst out of the area she'd unzipped. It was like watching a person who'd opened a 3D jack-in-the-box for the first time. The comics showed no signs of being oppressed as she struggled to push the ones that hadn't fallen to the floor (yet) back into the suitcase opening.

   I had to thank Tali again for packing my stuff.

"You know what?" I bent over to help her on the floor. "Let me take it from here."

"Thank you." She heaved out a sigh of relief as she faced me with flushed cheeks.

   Camila proceeded to leave me to it by taking what I assumed to be her night clothes from her side of the closet and going into the bathroom.

   I focused on my suitcase once more. Talise knew me well enough to not fill it with excess clothes. Before I knew it, all the contents of my suitcase was unpacked into the empty half of the closet Camila had made available.

   It must've taken more time than I'd thought though because by the time I was done, Camila returned from the bathroom, clad in a green, silk pajamas and damp hair.

   I chose to imagine she'd just rinsed her face and hair. Though it was fun to, I refused to believe as roommates with a person who could pull off showering without making any audible noise—ninja showering. No one could be that perfect.

   I took my time in the bathroom with the hope that Camila would be asleep by the time I got back.

   To my dismay, however, I came out dressed in my night clothes to see her wide awake on one side of the bed. She was sitting upright against the bed's headboard fixated on her phone. At least that could keep her occupied till I went to sleep.

   Speaking of sleep, I looked toward the space on the bed her body hadn't filled. Was I supposed to just lay beside her?

   Camila must have felt my laser focused gawk on her since she lifted her eyes from the screen to stare at me.

"So," she said, folding her arms. "You don't mind the couch, do you?"

   I wasn't sure whether to be relieved that she'd read my mind or shocked that she wasn't even going to have the classic, "D'you want the bed? I don't mind.", "Oh no, no you take it...okay fine" exchange.

   Especially since, you know, I brought most of the money that was used to pay for everyone's room.

   I should really learn to not get ripped off more often.

"Nope," I replied, stretching my lips into a thin smile. "The couch is fine."

   It really did look fine though. The blue fabric that draped the three seater could pass off as somewhat new at first glance and the couch was adequately sized to accommodate my five foot six frame. I went to retrieve the sheets I had folded earlier in the closet to spread them over the couch.

"Your friend, Talise, is very pleasant," Camila spoke out, interrupting my actions.

"Yeah, she is." I couldn't resist smiling.

"She's already proved to be a valuable asset to our team with her help with Zavlon's algorithm," Camila continued. "and she's been more than thoughtful in helping us with our move and everything."

"That's Talise."

   Changing the world, one person at a time with her hacking skills and kind spirit.

"Must be nice to still have your best friend around," Those words came out of her in a bare whisper.

   I whirled to glance toward her for the first time since our conversation began. Camila's hands had lost all interest in her phone and found each other instead, her fingers knotting into each other. It was a perfect match with the downcast expression that dominated her facial features.

"When I see you and Talise, it...it reminds me of Viola."

   I didn't know what to say. It never crossed my mind that anything about me could actually relate to Viola, much less in a good (sort of) way. It really wasn't easy trying to think of words for Viola that didn't end with '–itch.'

   Come on, try it.

"Do you think about the other Zavolonians sometimes? In their mind controlled states?" Camila asked.

"I... no."

   Yes. Kinda?

   I was ashamed to say that on some days, I spent most of my time blocking any images of the dazed, hollowed faces of students from settling into my thoughts. Believe me though, it was not easy. I ruled out the fact that I still hadn't had any nightmares about this whole thing yet to be a miracle.

"I miss Viola." She sighed. "and Minji." It always slipped my mind that Camila and Minji were cousins.

"Me too." I admitted.

   Minji was the Zavolonian I mainly struggled to not picture mind controlled. The thought of someone as kind, funny and wonderful as her being a pawn those aliens infuriated me to my core. These aliens had to pay, whether their insane alien invasion plan was successful or not.

   Camila took in concentrated breaths of the lukewarm air stagnant in the room and settled deeper into the sheets. I supposed our conversation was over. I'm just glad it did before it could eventually graduate into the full heart to heart kind.

   I was startled, however, when she said, "You know, the bed can take two people. Why don't you join me? You have to promise not to tell Rav that we slept together though...at least promise not to tell him using those words."

"Wouldn't plan on it." I blinked after moments passed without a reply from me.

   This was going to be a long night.

A/N: Thoughts? Predictions? Let me know in the comments!

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