The door to my dorm clicks shut behind me, and I pause for a moment, letting the quiet settle in. The room is still and untouched, the kind of stillness that makes everything feel surreal. This is it—junior year, ==Riverton== University, and a room that’s finally mine. Well, technically mine and my roommate’s, but at the moment, it feels like it belongs to me alone. I set my suitcase on the bed and glance around. The room is nothing special. Standard-issue university furniture, the same neutral walls, and a view that overlooks a courtyard. It’s on a mixed-gender floor, but I’m okay with that. My ==roomates== name is [[Jasmine]]. I frowned slightly, wondering where she could be,she was supposed to arrive today, but she’s nowhere to be found. I shrugged it off for now. She’ll turn up eventually. Unzipping my suitcase, I start unpacking my things, methodically hanging up clothes in the small closet and stacking my textbooks on the desk. My mind drifts as I work, thinking about the months ahead. I’ve been ignoring my parents’ texts since I arrived at ==Riverton==, and the relief of being on my own is immense. No constant pressure, no suffocating expectations. Just me, in this room, doing what I came here to do. The thought is comforting until I realize how quiet it is. The silence feels almost oppressive. I grab my jacket and decide to take a walk around campus. Stepping outside, the crisp autumn air feels refreshing against my skin. ==Riverton’s== campus is as beautiful as I remember it—ivy-covered buildings, winding paths, and the kind of architecture that makes you feel like you’re walking through a different era. The sunlight filters through the trees, casting soft shadows across the cobblestone walkways. I take a deep breath, feeling a little lighter with each step. As I make my way toward the central quad, I spot a girl sitting on the edge of the fountain, sketching in a notebook. Something about her catches my eye—maybe it’s the effortless way she’s perched there or the way her bright red hair stands out against the muted tones of the other students. She’s completely absorbed in whatever she’s drawing, her brows furrowed in concentration. Curiosity piqued, I walk over. I don’t normally approach strangers, but something about her feels different—like she doesn't exactly earn to be here. Maybe it’s her ease in a place that still feels foreign to me. “Hey,” I say, stopping a few feet away. “Mind if I sit?” She glances up, her green eyes bright with a mix of surprise and amusement. “Go ahead. Just don’t bump me. I’m trying to nail this shadow, and it’s giving me hell.” I smile, sitting down beside her. She’s sketching the fountain, but the details are intricate, far more than just the typical lines and curves. The way she captures the light and shadow makes it look alive. “Wow, that’s impressive,” I say, genuinely admiring her work. “You’re really good.” “Thanks,” she replies, glancing at me before focusing back on her sketch. “I’m _Grace_, by the way.” “Lillian,” I offer, then quickly add, “Not Lily.” She raises an eyebrow. “Got it. Not Lily. You new here?” “Yeah. Just moved in. My roommate hasn’t shown up yet, so I figured I’d wander.” Grace smirks, closing her sketchbook. “You picked a good day for it. Campus is calm right now—wait till next week when all the clubs start recruiting. It’s a madhouse.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” I say with a laugh. “What about you? You seem pretty at home here.” She shrugs, leaning back on her hands. “I guess. I’ve been here for a while, so I know the lay of the land. Plus, people tend to notice the girl with the crazy red hair, so I don’t exactly fade into the background.” I can see why people notice her. There’s something about Grace that stands out—she’s got this quiet confidence, like she knows exactly who she is and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. It’s magnetic, in a way. “So, what’s your major?” I ask, genuinely curious. “Architecture,” she replies, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I love designing spaces, figuring out how people interact with them. You?” “ ,” I say, and her eyes widen in mock horror. “Yikes. Better you than me.” I laugh. “It’s not that bad. I like the challenge.” She eyes me for a moment, as if sizing me up, then nods. “You’re not like the usual crowd here, are you?” “What do you mean?” Grace leans forward slightly. “I mean, you’ve got that vibe maybe just to fit in but you don’t really have it in you do you.” “No. I don’t. I hate all that. don't get me wrong its lovely to have money but everything is intertwined with some lie.” She studies me for a second, then smiles, a real one this time. “Good. You’ll survive ==Riverton== better that way. The ones who come here just to live off their name? They burn out fast.” I feel a strange sense of relief talking to Grace. She’s straightforward, no-nonsense, and it’s refreshing after a day of internal chaos. “Well, thanks for the tour guide vibes,” I say, standing up. “Maybe we can hang out sometime?” Grace grins. “Sure thing. I’m usually at this fountain or in the design studios.” “Noted,” I say with a smile, waving as I head back to the dorm.