SOUL DORM

23

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon...

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CHAPTER 23:

PINK PRINCESS

I was ambitious. Being ambitious was a good thing. I had spent my entire life hearing and embracing this. I was taught to give my all for whatever I set my mind to. But when setting a goal, one might not always consider how exhausting the journey could be. For instance, when I challenged Mars, I didn't realize it would cause as much trouble for me as it would for him.

I was wrong. It had been fourteen days since I put my devilish plan into action—six school days, three weekend days, and five more school days. Tomorrow was the weekend again, which meant I had wasted another week without reaching my goal. I was tired. I was angry. I was in despair.

Don't get me wrong, I hadn't given up. Not a single day had passed where I wasn't on Mars's tail. Every step he took, every breath he inhaled, I was right there. I started with his morning workout, ruined his breakfast, and made the hours he spent in the studio feel like torture. Thanks to Tarben, I knew every hiding spot in the Dorm: the library, the movie room, the chocolate room, the greenhouse, the treehouse in the forest...

Whenever I couldn't find him, I meticulously searched each of these spots, always managing to throw a wrench in his plans. Those plans usually involved composing or reading. Twice, I caught him with different girls, and once I ran into Blue. Blue was a sweet girl. While Mars hated my guts, she seemed quite happy with my presence. No wonder she and Tarben were soulmates.

Speaking of Tarben, he was undoubtedly my greatest ally. Much like an angel investor, he observed my every move, offering strategies and insider information to aid in driving Mars to the brink of insanity. The toy room where he treated me to dinner became our secret meeting spot in the following nights. What more could I say? If we ever broke free from this limbo, I would find him and be his lifelong servant.

Meanwhile, my heart broke with every letter that found its way into my mailbox each morning. The tally of missed classes continued to climb... How could I possibly hope to catch up? Where would I even begin? If I didn't keep reminding myself of the greater goal I was striving for, I might have succumbed to despair long ago. But no, giving up was not an option.

After yet another day spent trailing behind Mars, I was in the cafeteria. My eyes instinctively scanned the room for my soulmate, but he wasn't there. Since Blue was also nowhere to be seen, I assumed they were still holed up in the music room. They were going to perform at the lake again tomorrow, and Mars had spent the whole day like a ball of fire, sparking at everyone because he still hadn't finished the piece he was composing for tomorrow's show.

I didn't need to say who was to blame for that, did I? If someone pestered you with questions or started debating world problems every time you tried to concentrate, I'm sure you wouldn't be very successful in creating something either. I was that annoying crow in Mars's life, and I was proud of it.

After scanning the food options, I quickly identified what Mars would hate the most. In no time, I had filled a big plate with things no one else would touch, just for my dear soulmate, and another one with my favorite foods for myself. I smiled at my masterpiece. That's when I saw my friends. Ursa and Diego were waving their arms, calling me to their table. My cat, Trouble, had already run over to them, jumped into Diego's lap, and then onto the table. I didn't have time to sit with them as duty called, but as usual, I went over to share my daily report.

"Alright, spill the tea! Where are we in you master plan?" said Ursa, grinning from ear to ear.

Lark laid out a card on the table and smiled at me. "The Chariot," she said. "Control, determination, imminent victory..."