Feathers still floated around the room from the pillow war, and Amy was halfway through pretending to knight Sarah with a pillow when—
Knock. Knock.
Both girls froze.
Sarah crept to the door, still giggling, and swung it open. “Oh hey, girl!” she grinned when she saw Chelsea.
Chelsea smiled, stepping inside, her tote bag bouncing against her side. As usual, the dorm looked like a storm had passed through—pillows on the floor, feathers everywhere, and books stacked like Jenga blocks ready to collapse.
Amy’s face went crimson as she realized she was still in her underwear. She yelped, scrambling for the nearest cardigan while sweeping socks off the floor with her foot. “Uh—it’s not what it looks like. The place is just… temporarily redecorated.”
Chelsea laughed shyly, raising her hands. “It’s okay, seriously. I’ve seen worse.”
Sarah peeked into the hallway before shutting the door. “Wait, where’s Lily? She’s usually the first one to show up when there’s gossip.”
Chelsea dropped onto the bed with a little bounce. “I texted her. She said she forgot something in class, so she’s grabbing it.”
Amy tugged her cardigan closed, muttering, “Good. If she saw this mess, she’d give me a one-hour lecture and then color-code my closet.”
Chelsea giggled, glancing at the battlefield of feathers. “Honestly? She would.”
Sarah flopped dramatically back onto the bed, waving her hand. “Forget Lily—did you hear the latest Chloe declaration? She told like five girls in the cafeteria she’s basically Adrian’s fiancée now.”
Chelsea’s jaw dropped. “No way.”
Amy groaned, grabbing a pillow. “Future fiancée? Please. Adrian wouldn’t let her hold his cafeteria tray, let alone his heart.”
Sarah sat up instantly, eyes gleaming again. “Right?! She’s delusional. Chloe’s future isn’t with Adrian—it’s with a clearance-sale hair straightener.”
The three of them burst into laughter, feathers still floating around like confetti.
  Amy puffed out her chest, smirking. “Okay, I’m Adrian. Prepare yourselves for pure handsomeness.” She ruffled her hair like she was in a shampoo commercial, then deepened her voice. “Hmm. I am Adrian. My jawline can cut diamonds, my eyes make angels cry, and every time I walk, the hallway turns into a runway.”
Sarah gasped dramatically, nearly tripping over a shoe as she flipped her hair. “Adriaaaan!” she squealed in the shrillest, fakest voice. “It’s me, Chloe, your future wife, your destiny, your everything!” She fluttered her hands like a bird. “Don’t worry, I already told the entire school we’re engaged. Wedding next Saturday, by the lockers!”
Chelsea clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream-laugh.
Amy-as-Adrian arched an eyebrow. “Uh… excuse me? Engaged? To you?”
Sarah-in-Chloe-mode tossed her hair so hard it got stuck in her lip gloss. She yanked it free with a snap. “Of course, darling! Who else? You need me. Who else will take a hundred selfies beside you every morning? Who else will carry a mirror in her purse just so you can admire your face between classes?!”
Amy hugged a pillow to her chest. “This pillow, for one. At least it listens. At least it doesn’t talk like a broken alarm clock.”
Chelsea howled, sliding down the bedpost.
Sarah clutched at Amy’s arm like she was in a telenovela. “Adrian! Don’t betray me! Don’t you remember our destiny? I already picked out our children’s names: Dior, Gucci, and Lamborghini!”
Amy made a face, deepening her fake voice. “Wow. That sounds less like children and more like a shopping spree.” She kissed the pillow dramatically. “Sorry, Chloe. I’ve chosen a new bride. Meet Lady Pillow. She’s soft, silent, and most importantly—she doesn’t wear three kilos of makeup before breakfast.”
Chelsea was wheezing now, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Sarah fell to her knees, throwing her arms to the ceiling. “Noooo! How dare you pick a lifeless pillow over me?!” She scrambled to her feet, stomping around like she was on high heels. “I’m Chloe! I bring drama! I bring eyeliner! I bring high heels that squeak louder than the cafeteria chairs!”
Amy, still clutching the pillow: “Yeah, and you bring headaches too.”
Chelsea screeched with laughter, rolling on the floor.
Sarah staggered toward Amy again. “But Adrian! Look at me! Look at these lashes—they could fan a wildfire! These lips—” she puckered exaggeratedly “—these lips are blessed with ten layers of lip gloss!”
Amy pretended to shield her face with the pillow. “Get that oil spill away from me! My kingdom for a towel!”
Chelsea choked on her own laughter, kicking the air.
Sarah collapsed on the bed with a dramatic flop. “If you leave me, Adrian, who will stalk you around the campus taking blurry photos? Who will scream your name like a smoke alarm every time you sneeze?”
Amy pretended to think, stroking the pillow’s “hair.” “Hmm. Literally anyone else.” She lifted the pillow to her ear. “What’s that, Lady Pillow? You say you love me because I don’t smell like expired perfume? I love you too.”
Sarah gasped, clutching her chest. “You MONSTER!” She reached for a slipper and waved it like a dagger. “One day you’ll regret this, Adrian! One day when your precious pillow leaves you for a blanket!”
Amy puffed up her chest again, striking a ridiculous pose. “Then so be it. At least a blanket won’t scream ‘ADRIAAAN’ every ten seconds like a parrot on energy drinks.”
That was it—Chelsea completely lost it. She fell flat on her back, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
Sarah finally broke character, laughing too. She shoved a pillow at Amy’s face. “Ugh, you’re evil. But admit it—we nailed Chloe’s entire personality.”
Amy cackled. “I swear, if Chloe ever heard us, she’d faint on the spot. Or sue us.”
Chelsea wiped tears from her cheeks. “No—she’d probably try to copy this performance and make it a TikTok trend.”
All three burst into another round of hysterical laughter, their dorm echoing like a comedy club.
*********************
The dorm hallway was quiet, the chatter from earlier long faded. Lily adjusted her hair as she walked toward Amy and Sarah’s room, humming under her breath.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure heading the same way. Leo—hands in his pockets, strutting like he owned the hallway.
A mischievous grin spread across her face.
She ducked quickly behind the wall. When Leo passed, she jumped out with both arms spread. “Boo!”
Leo yelped so loud it echoed, stumbling back a step. “WHAT THE—?!” He slapped a hand against his chest and glared at her. “Are you trying to kill me? That’s attempted murder, girl!”
Lily burst into laughter, covering her mouth. “You should’ve seen your face! Priceless!”
Leo narrowed his eyes but smirked. “Funny. First time we meet and you already think jump-scaring me is the way to my heart. Bold strategy.”
Lily straightened, still grinning. “I’m Lily. I saw you at camp, but we never talked. I’m Amy’s friend. So… can we be friends?”
Leo tilted his head, giving her an exaggerated once-over, like he was scanning for hidden tricks. Then he leaned closer, lowering his voice mischievously. “Depends. Do you normally attack strangers in hallways before asking for friendship? Because if that’s your thing, I might need hazard pay.”
Lily giggled, extending her hand anyway. “No, I promise. That was a one-time thing.”
He finally took her hand, giving it a dramatic shake. “Alright, Lily the Menace. I’m Leo. And yes—we can be friends. But fair warning: I’m not the prince-charming type. Too much trouble, not enough… interest.”
Lily paused, raising a brow as his grin widened. “Oh… I get it.”
Leo winked, releasing her hand. “Good. You catch on fast. I like that.”
He started walking toward Amy’s room, throwing a mischievous glance over his shoulder. “But seriously—jump-scare me again and I’m sending you the bill for my future therapy.”
Lily laughed so hard she had to jog to catch up. “Deal!”
Lily caught her breath and smiled, tilting her head at him.
“You know… you’re really handsome,” she said, playful but sincere. “I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you sometime.”
Leo paused, letting the compliment sink in, then smirked. “Handsome? Well… I can live with that. And sure, we can hang out—but just so we’re clear, no feelings involved. I’m complicated like that.”
Lily laughed, a little nervously. "Okay!”
Truth be told, the moment she had seen him at the camp, her heart had skipped. She had already fallen for him a little… if only she knew his secrets.
Leo grinned, clearly amused by her expression. “Alright, Lily. I’ll let you stick around… but remember, I’m fun to hang out with, not easy to impress.”
She giggled, rolling her eyes. “I’ll take my chances.”
He gave a mischievous wink before walking on, leaving Lily smiling dreamily after him.