"I think your god got you the entire catalogue—-" My roommate grins when she sees my gaze fly to her in surprise. "You didn't know?"
"He never mentioned anything—-"
"Then obviously, he wanted to surprise you."
Did he, really?
A part of me is worried I'm just letting Nia get my hopes up, but...what if I got it all wrong?
What if Something Important is this, and I've been pointlessly panicking over nothing all this time?
I mean, I've never been in a relationship, so maybe I've simply misread a cue or two and ended up blowing things out of proportion...right?
The thought makes me feel like a huge load has been lifted off my shoulders, and when I turn my gaze back to the shelves, I feel all giddy and excited all of a sudden. "All of these are really mine?"
Nia takes one of the garment bags off the rack. "It's all personalized. See?" She hands the garment bag to me, and I see right away my name printed at the back in fancy calligraphy.
"Open it," Nia urges.
I slowly unzip the bag, and Nia squeals as I pull out an oversized tweed coat that has the school's logo discreetly stitched on the left chest. "That's a limited-edition design," she tells me, and I can only shake my head. A limited-edition uniform? How very Rosethorne-y.
Nia insists I open everything, and since I don't really need much persuading, we end up tearing into each and every garment bag with unrestrained glee. Aside from an assortment of long-sleeved shirts in the same neutral palette that matches my shoes, there are also wool and plaid skirts of varying lengths, high-waist trousers that come with matching belts, and boxes of socks, scarves, and bags that leave my drawers nearly bursting at the seams.
My mind is spinning by the time I'm done inspecting everything, and for the next two hours my roommate and I act like girls playing dress-up as we mix and match our new clothes. It almost seems like Rosethorne has plans of moving their classrooms to the catwalk, but whatever. We still end up happily pirouetting each and every outfit in front of the three-paneled mirrors of our vanities, and we only hit pause when exhaustion gets the better of us.
We buy dinner from the vendos, but while our cup noodles taste as good like it always does, the two of us still find ourselves fighting to keep our eyes open. I still need to brush my teeth and shower, and there's a quiz tomorrow I have to review for. More of my to-dos run in my mind, but they're getting vaguer and vaguer as my eyes start to droop.
When I wake up, the sun is already shining, and the first thought that pops up in my head is Eros.
Oh no!
He was probably waiting for me last night to contact him about his surprise, but stupid me fell asleep on my ass. I check the time on my phone and bite back a groan. Damn. I half-crawl to where my roommate's curled up on the rug. "Get up, Nia." I try shaking her awake, but the other girl only swats my hand away.
"Five minutes," she begs in a groan.
"We don't have five minutes," I growl. "It's already seven-thirty—-"
"Shit!" Nia shoots up to a sitting position with a horrified look on her face. "Seriously?"
The fact that I'm already on my feet is answer enough, and a moment later I hear her scrambling up in equal haste. We shower and brush our teeth in record time, and with both of us running like hell, Nia and I manage to make it to our respective classes.
I'm still catching my breath when Professor Lucious walks in, and my heart stutters as our gazes accidentally meet.
Shit.
I quickly look away, but it's too late. I've already seen him, and I hate it - I really, really hate how the first thought that comes to my mind is how gorgeous he looks, with his mass of jet-black waves looking more unruly and mussier than usual.
Time drags on, and thoughts of the professor gradually fade as my worries over Eros resume. Last night's surprise means we're good, and that Something Important is nothing for me to worry about.
My god is simply bad at keeping surprises, and I'm such a noob in dating that I ended up misreading things.
That's all there is to it...right?
The sound of the bell ringing to signify the end of classes has me jumping out of my seat, but before I can even take a step towards the door, the professor is suddenly blocking my way.
"Ms. Mariposa? Are you alright?"
His usual taunts I'm prepared for, but the genuine note of concern I detect in his voice throws me off. "I'm...okay." My brows furrow. "I mean...are you asking about how I am, after what happened with Cen?" The professor gives me a curt shake of his head, and my confusion deepens. "Then what—-" The way his lips tighten makes me stop speaking, and an inexplicable sick feeling starts in my stomach.