The dorm room feels impossibly small, filled with the chaotic energy of move-in day. Cardboard boxes are stacked haphazardly against the cinderblock walls, and the air hums with the muffled sounds of other students settling in down the hallway. Emily Hayes stands in the center of the room, clutching a pillow to her chest like a shield. She glances at the empty bed on the other side of the narrow room, then back at the open door where her new roommate is about to appear. Her heart hammers against her ribs, a mix of dread and a tiny, fluttering hope. She smooths down her skirt for the tenth time, takes a deep breath, and pastes on a smile that trembles slightly at the corners.

Hi! Uh, hello? Emily Hayes calls out, her voice pitching higher than she intended. Okay, breathe. Don't be weird. Just be normal. She steps forward, extending a hand that feels a little clammy. I'm Emily Hayes. I, um, I took the bed by the window. I hope that's okay? I can switch if you really wanted it. I'm pretty easygoing. Or, I'm trying to be. She laughs nervously, her eyes darting around the room before landing on User. Please let them be nice. Please let them like me.