A Long Day, and Temporarily Home (Open)

Michi walked into the room she'd been assigned and finally heaved her heavy duffle off her back and onto the ground. It rolled over once before settling in a lump by the headboard of her bunk bed, where Michi collapsed onto the sheets to rest. With travelling and her run-in with that acid powered kid Grant, it had already become a long day. It was early afternoon, but Michi still wanted to lie down for at least a little while.

The initiate dorms were nice, but it was frustrating to know that within a few weeks she would have to move again, once assigned to her permanent dormitory. Michi resolved not to seriously unpack, and only to take what she needed out of her bag when necessary, leaving all else be until she moved again. But those were all worries for the next day. Dinner would come soon enough, and her classes would start tomorrow too. But for now, she needed to rest.

She wondered when her roommates would return, if she had any, or when they would arrive. Her thoughts drifted to confirming schedules, finishing paperwork, and before she knew it, she'd fallen asleep.

Regina couldn't get the day out of her head. She had been exploring campus when she had spotted Grant and the new girl near the fountain, but she never got a word in edge wise because the other girl had left in such a hurry. She knew how Grant could get, flustered and confused about even his own words, but she didn't have to react that way. "I swear next time I see that girl I should give her a piece of my-" the orange-haired teen cut herself off as she entered the dorms and immediately saw the girl. Thankfully she appeared asleep, and hopefully hadn't heard Regina's words.

Like coming out of a street lined with fog, Michi awoke groggily when she heard someone talking nearby. She wondered how long she'd been asleep, but didn't have a watch on. There still seemed to be at least a bit of light outside, so it wasn't too late. And when she turned towards the door, there was the girl Grant had been talking to earlier.

I've seen two people on this campus and manage to run into one of them twice? How small is this school?

Michi paused a bit awkwardly, staring at the girl before managing to sit up on her bed and push her hair out of her eyes. She haphazardly re-did her ponytail, only succeeding in making it messier, before saying, "Um, hi. Are you, uh... Regina?"

Good, she's just woken up. Regina thought to herself. "Hey, sorry to wake you up during your nap. Just coming home an all that." she tried to sound casual, but was a little on edge. "I'm guessing Grant introduced me?" she asked as the girl she didn't know addressed her by her name. Either that, or she's got some sort of weird mind reading gift... In response to her own thought, Regina quickly drove everything she could from her mind, in a last stich effort to keep her own security, Can't take any chances with the students here... she thought, paranoid.

Michi blinked a bit before rubbing her eyes and yawning. "It's alright, I understand that the dorms aren't exactly private," she said.

The girl seemed a bit nervous, but Michi chalked it up to beginning of school term jitters. It's not easy to meet so many new people all at once.

"Grant mentioned a Regina, and then you were the next person who approached him, so I assumed, I suppose. Maybe I shouldn't have, so I'm sorry. And I apologize that we didn't get to meet each other, Grant kind of went on a tangent and said something that made me uncomfortable, so I wasn't keen on staying."

She stood up and stretched before holding out her hand to shake the other girl's.

"Though it's nice to meet another student." Michi smiled.

Regina gave the other girl a reassuring smile, but eyed her outstreached hand nervously. I know very well, thanks to Grant, what I can do if I shake a person's hand... she reminded herself mentally and dug her hands deep into her pockets, clearly displaying that she didn't want to have any sort of contact with the other girl. "I find it kind of funny that you know my name long before I know yours..." Regina said with a hint of a chuckle.

Regina refused the offered hand, so Michi dropped it to her side, then up to nervously run it through her hair as she chuckled awkwardly. Well, she obviously doesn't like me.

"My name's Michi," she said. "Sorry for the lack of introductions. I was kind of set on getting into the school, and since you didn't show up until I was leaving, the opportunity was lost, I suppose."

"Oh, that's fine." Regina said with a small smile, "I was a little hasty on my first day too." She was trying to relate to Michi somehow, but was quickly running out of ideas due to her own lack of relations to people. She noticed the way that the other girl had reacted to Regina not taking her hand, Great, now she thinks I'm some sort of freak... Regina had to internally laugh at the notion, A freak among freaks, that ought to be new!

Michi was confused. She was getting mixed messages. Regina didn't want to shake her hand (refused, honestly), but then said everything was fine. Continued to talk to her even though it was clear that she came upon her in the first place due to what she seemed to consider a unfortunate accident.

I guess she's just angry that I didn't introduce myself. Is the school here so small that she would really value making one new friend this highly?

"I apologize for earlier, " Michi told her. "Maybe we could go to dinner, and sort out what we're thinking while we eat?"

Regina perked up at that. She'd never gone out with anyone to do things before, let alone dinner with a friend. Sure, she hardly knew the girl, but this was her chance to learn more about her, and show her that she and Grant meant absolutely no harm. "Sure! That sounds like a great idea!" the teen girl said with a bright and warm smile. "You mean now, right?" All of this was happening so quickly, not just the dinner, but meeting people. She had already gained a crush and a best friend from the first day of school, and now she was making even more connections that she hoped would last her. I just hope and pray that I don't scare her or hurt her... Regina thought to herself.

Regina seemed ecstatic at the invitation to dinner.

"Yeah," Michi said with a laugh. "I definitely mean now. I haven't eaten since I got here, and then I completely passed out. I'm definitely in the mood for dinner."

She smiled. I can take a little bit of time to myself, right? Try to make new friends and relax before my first day tomorrow? And hopefully this will smooth this whole situation over.

"Do you have any place in mind?" Regina couldn't help but ask, since she had no clue herself, "Just wondering if you had seen any place on your way into the town, or school, or whatever." The girl tried to stay nonchalant about the whole endeavor, but the anticipation was killing her.

"The cafeteria?" Michi shrugged. "I only just got here, and I probably should get to know the campus at least a little before I start school." She looked a little bashful and continued, "I also kind of slept the whole way here, so I didn't really see much of the town..."

I'm, like, being tested on geography in my first few hours of getting here! Serves me right for sleeping the whole bus ride here.

"That's fine," Regina said with a smile, "I've been here for a few days now and I still don't know where a lot of stuff is around here." She started to grab a coat out of her camouflage backpack and slipped it over her arms as she started making her way over to the door of the dorm. "We should probably hurry, I heard it closes at 6:00!" Regina said with alarm as she took a look down at her phone and saw that it was almost the hour.

Michi watched Regina pull a jacket out of her bag, so she turned with a similar speed to rummage through her duffle and pull out an athletic jacket. A tank top probably wouldn't be enough even in the warmer months when it got dark out.

"Sounds good to me," she said, pulling up her jacket zipper. She realized she'd left her shoes on while she slept, so no time lost there. She grabbed her phone and smiled, then asked, "Ready?"