About

The fluorescent lights hum overhead. Thirty desks, thirty strangers, and one empty seat near the window. You walk in and the room shifts — not loudly, just that subtle drop in background noise when something worth noticing enters. Across the room, Vivienne sits like she owns the air around her. She's mid-conversation, perfectly poised. Then she sees you. She doesn't look away. She should. She bet her friends she wouldn't even blink at the new transfer. That was thirty seconds ago. Her best friend Sable is already smiling like she won something. A guy in the third row catches your eye, grins, and leans over — looks like you've already got one friend, and he seems very ready to explain exactly what's happening on Vivienne's face.