SOUL DORM

32

Life could be a dream...

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CHAPTER 32:

CONDITIONING AND COORDINATION 

Mars had completely trashed my mood. Even though he was gone, his words, that annoying grin, and those suggestive looks were still floating around like a bad smell. No matter how hard Tarben tried to distract me, I couldn't focus on anything he was saying or even touch the food he brought.

Thankfully, Tarben was super understanding. He didn't bring up Mars again and suggested we call it a night, mentioning I looked exhausted. He walked me to my door, handed me the basket, wished me a good night, and left. As soon as I stepped inside, Trouble was all over me. After a quick circle around my legs, he decided the basket was more interesting and started sniffing it.

I quickly checked my pet's stats. Fed? Check. Peed and pooped? Check. Played and happy? Double check. Apparently, it had spent the day roaming the Dorm and doing whatever it pleased. I sighed with relief and flopped onto my bed. How my cat managed to come and go from the room at will was still a mystery. But for tonight, I added it to the ever-growing list of unsolved Dorm mysteries and turned my attention to my current problem: Mars.

How dare he embarrass me like that? Those comments... those insinuations... Ugh! What an arrogant, self-centered jerk! I buried my face in my pillow and screamed. Still not enough. I thrashed, punched the blanket, and then started pacing the room like a mad carousel. I was fuming. Thinking a shower might cool me down, I jumped in, but the flames refused to die. Desperate, I turned to Tarben's basket for solace and devoured everything like it was my last meal. The result? A glorious food coma.

Trouble passed out next to the half-eaten strawberry pudding, and I conked out beside the half-empty basket. I had never slept on the floor before. The sleeping part was fine; the waking up was brutal. For a moment, I had no clue where I was or what time it was. Why was I on the floor? Why did everything hurt? And why was my alarm blaring? The sight of the basket and scattered dishes jogged my memory: the greenhouse, my workshop, Mars... Ugh. I groaned and cursed.

As I stood up, the alarm stopped. Thank goodness... It must've been a mistake. It wasn't a school day. I didn't have anywhere to be. Honestly, I couldn't think of doing anything but spending the entire day in bed. Trouble had somehow moved from the floor to the pillows during the night. I crawled under the covers next to my cat. But... as soon as my head hit the pillow, the alarm went off again.

"What's going on?" I shouted, jumping up in horror.

The Dorm didn't respond. Instead, my mailbox was blinking. Frowning, I disentangled myself from the covers and went to grab the letter. Had I lost track of the days? Was the schedule changed? No, it wasn't about a class. The letter was from Diego.

Couldn't see you at breakfast.

I'm heading out.

Meet me in the Pink Room.

D.

"Diego!" I whined, scrunching my face.

How could I forget about our dance practice? I must've slept through breakfast! Damn it! I rushed to the closet, tossing clothes everywhere looking for something decent. Nothing good, so I grabbed a purple dress. And of course, the Dorm cursed me with heeled dance shoes. No way out. Grumbling, I strapped them on and sprinted into the hallway.

Thankfully, the shoes were more comfortable than they appeared. This revelation came to me as I leaped down the stairs two or three at a time, my knee-length dress fluttering with a daring slit. In no time, I found myself in front of the dance studios, dashing down the hallway toward the Pink Room. And there was Diego, behind the fifth door, surrounded by ornate walls and facing the mirrors.