(TW: Mention of suicide.)

Her first day was off to a bad start. She somehow still had the capacity to sleep and slept through the first alarm. Thank the stars for Ji-Yeong, as she rapped on Temperance's door until the woman sprang up in bed like Dracula from a coffin.

"Temperance? You up? I thought we could grab breakfast together before I show you around." She called, her voice muffled through the solid metal. "I would have done it yesterday but I didn't want to bother you while you slept off your jetlag."

Temperance scrambled for her phone, checking the time. 8:40 AM. Her first class was at nine, and it seemed like she had missed the opportunity to take a shower before Ji-Yeong came along. The cell phone reception had evened out bringing about a few unread texts from Constance and random notifications from random apps. It was better she did not read Constance's replies right away, anyway. Distancing herself from her sister, both physically and emotionally, would help the younger MacKenzie sister better cope with Temperance's inevitable end.

"I'm up," Temperance rasped to the girl on the other side of the door. "Gimme a second. I'll be out soon."

Quickly, she tamed her frizzy hair and threw on the yellow sweater with the black-and-gray plaid skirt. She ran her fingers down the pleats, feeling a breeze on her thighs. She cursed to herself as she squirmed uncomfortably. She would have to look into purchasing some slacks, after all. Skirts were just a no-go. No matter how close to the grave she was, skirts were the bane of her existence. 

She dug through her unopened luggage, pulled out a gaudy orange jacket, and wrapped it around her waist, if not only to give her some semblance of peace. Her schedule sat pristinely on the dresser until she grabbed it and folded it messily, slipping it into the skirt pockets.

Quickly brushing her teeth over the kitchenette sink and map in hand, she slipped on her boots and joined Ji-Yeong in the hallway. The smaller girl wore minimal makeup, some reddish eyeshadow, and some peachy gradient lips. Her bangs were curled slightly, but the rest of her hair was straight and sleek. She had obviously put more effort into her appearance than Temperance had, and now the girl with the bright orange jacket tied round her waist felt as exciting as the white walls.

Temperance locked the door behind her and slipped the keycard into her pocket. "Thanks for waiting."

"Of course! Kanani is still in bed. She has afternoon classes so she won't join us for breakfast. Maybe we'll see her for lunch if she gets up before noon."

"Sounds good. What's your first class? I've got, uh—" she patted her pocket and dug out the piece of paper, turning it over and opening it up "—Geometry 1110. Fuck."

"Bad at math?" Ji-Yeong guessed.

"Yup. Oh, well. Doesn't matter."

Not like I'm going to be here for much longer.

"I'm not good either. Kanani is, so maybe I can convince her to let you join our study nights!"

Temperance hummed, noncommittal. Kanani seemed like a prickly sort of person, and besides, the more Temperance socialized and became involved in others' lives, the more difficult it would be to keep her terminal illness a secret.

The hallways were certainly busier than they had been before. Girls of all ages and looks poured out into the hallways in a sea of sweater vests and plaid.

"Hey, Ji," a husky, French-accented voice came from behind them.

Temperance turned to see who called for the shorter woman and was met with a very tall person. Her black hair was straightened, framing their face beautifully. She was much taller than Temperance, nearly skyscraper level as their enormous heels allowed her to tower over everyone. Her makeup was dramatic — black lipstick, exaggerated black liner, neon pink blush. She certainly was supermodel standard, with her swagger and confidence. She was beautiful. Radiant.

Ji-Yeong smiled brightly. "Ryan! Temperance, this is Ryan. She's my partner for the semester in our fashion class. Ryan, this is the new girl."

"Nice to meet you, Temperance. You guys going for breakfast?"

"Yeah," Temperance replied. "Ji-Yeong's going to show me around before class starts."

"Sweet, I'll join you, if you don't mind."

The trio made their way to the dining hall, which was packed. Temperance glared at the line for the coffee pot, vowing to get some before class and definitely after the line dispersed.

She picked up three granola bars from the basket that sat on the counter at the entrance. Her nausea was low in her gut for now, but it was a hairpin trigger — capable of flaring up at any given moment. Her head was always in pain, tearing at the backs of her eyes like feral, rabid coyotes. But it had become commonplace, so she barely noticed it when it was mild. Only when it was so severe that she wondered if she could successfully tie a noose did she start downing the ibuprofen like it was Jesus's tears.

Ji-Yeong picked up an orange and a sweet pastry, while Ryan snatched a crêpe. 

They ate their respective breakfasts as they waltzed out of the dining hall, maneuvering their way through hangry people looking for something to start their day.

Taking a look at the crumpled schedule, Ji-Yeong began from the closest to the farthest, walking up and down stairs and hallways, through observatories and greenhouses, Ji-Yeong and Ryan introduced Temperance to the world of St. Văduva's. Music rooms with massive grand pianos, sunrooms with cozy seating and plenty of lights and windows, and an art room with wide, open spaces capable of housing eccentric artists.

On the lower level, a theatre stood, with couches and chairs capable of housing most of the population. The bathroom was massive, with several showers in a row while floor-to-ceiling mirrors adorned the walls. And besides the bathroom was a laundry room, stacked washers and dryers against the wall like soldiers.

They made their way back to the dining room once the tour was over. By then, the chime came in over the intercom, alerting students that class was beginning. Temperance thanked the two and headed up to the second level to get to Geometry, nibbling on the now-warmed granola bars in her pocket.