This ain't a diary, this is a - mirror?

Chapter 29: It's Good to be Alone Once in a While... Wait, What About My Stuff

Samantha padded out of English, relieved that school was finally over. Elena quickly caught up with her with a sigh of her own. "That was boring, and I am so tired. I'm going back to the dorm... you?"

"Same." Samantha nodded. "I don't think I have homework today, since we spent a lot of time on it yesterday... so I think I'll just chill."

"Sounds good." Elena yawned. "Well, let's go."

---

Samantha lay on her bed and snuggled under the covers. She scrolled through PawTube with a content sigh. Opposite her bed, Elena half-snored under the covers with some sort of music playing over her phone.

Even as an episode of her favourite show played, Samantha couldn't help but think back to the words they had said... or written.

"What's a story without plot?" She quoted dully. "And what exactly do they think they're going on about? Just because they can control one aspect of my life doesn't mean they should ruin it for me..."

She turned over, completely ignoring her screen, and stared at her wall. "I hope this isn't just some kind of grand prank someone's been playing on me for my entire life... there must be more to this." She briefly considered checking her diary to see if they had responded, but decided against it. She leaned her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

Before she knew it, she'd drifted into a dark, dreamless sleep.

---

Her computer had turned off somewhere in between her nap. Samantha shifted under the covers and moved her computer off her bed so she could sit up.

"Five o'clock." She read aloud off the wall. She turned towards Elena's side of the room and was surprised to see that her bed was empty. Samantha slid off her bed and wearily picked up her phone.

"Went out with Luna because I didn't want to disturb your sleep. You definitely needed it. Once you wake up, well, you don't have to wait for me to come back. Have fun! By... er, heart, Elena." Samantha read. She yawned and entered the bathroom to freshen up.

She took a long, hot shower - half because she didn't really have anything to do, and half because Elena usually would hog up all the hot water. Samantha switched off the water and stepped out of the shower.

She shivered as her paws touched the cold floor. She dried her hair and fur with a towel and combed back her long strands of grey-blue hair. She ran her paw along the misty mirror and made eye contact with her reflection.

Her reflection stared blankly back. Dull, purple eyes blinked ever so slowly as she continued staring.

Finally, she looked away. "Who am I? Someone without a power? Or... someone with a power that could change... everything?" She chuckled dryly at her 'joke'. "Ha, I wish. Probably the former option, really. Or just someone with a useless power."

She dried and fluffed her fur with the towel once more and pulled on a plain shirt and shorts. She sat on her bed while she dried her hair with the towel, not bothering to spend time on the hairdryer.

She put down the towel when her hair was mostly dry and forced herself to her feet. Even though she didn't want to go out, she still needed to feed herself - and none of the snacks she'd brought with her would make a proper meal.

She threw on her favourite hoodie, not bothering with dressing up, and exited her room. She paused and returned to her room to pick up her backpack. She exited the room once again, locked the door and slowly made her way to the cafeteria.

She bought herself a small meal of rice and fish then sat down at an empty table. She plugged in her headphones and blasted her favourite music over to drown out all other noise.

Samantha slowly went through her meal. It had already gone cold by the time she started on the leftover rice, but she didn't care. With her music at her side, it at least meant that no one would bother her for the time being.

She finished off and put away her tray, still with her headphones pressed firmly against her ears. Without really thinking about it, she started to wander around the school.

She stopped abruptly when she realised she had walked up two floors. She looked around in confusion - what exactly had drawn her here? Finally, after removing her headphones and looking around, she got her answer.

There was a haunting, yet strangely familiar tune floating in the air. She followed it across the second floor of the Arts and Performance Block and found herself standing in front of a row of doors that she identified to be... practice rooms.

She sat down on the floor outside and listened to the music. Strangely, she couldn't tell what instrument it was - it was light and delicate yet carried a strange, deep sorrow, deeper than any flute or violin could carry.

Samantha hadn't realised how long she'd been sitting there, listening to the music, when it abruptly stopped. There was a shuffling sound and one of the doors opened.

Samantha leaped to her paws and bolted away without even thinking. No matter what, she wouldn't be caught sitting around like a creep and listening to a stranger's music.

She shot down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time, and hurried away.

---

Samantha returned to her dorm and sat down heavily. She'd run all the way from the Arts and Performance Block all the way back to her dorm, and now the exhaustion was starting to kick in.

She frowned and patted down her pockets. Her phone was there, her headphones were around her neck... but she could've sworn she was missing something.

Her eyes widened and she leaped to her paws. "My backpack!" She cried to no one in particular. She grabbed her keys and forced herself to run all the way back to the Arts and Performance Block.

To her horror, her backpack was gone - alongside her private diary and - well, nothing else, really, since she made a habit of putting everything she didn't need back on her desk after a long day.

She swore under her breath and hurried in between the practice rooms in hopes of finding it. There was nobody around to ask - not even the person playing music from before.

The sun dipped beneath the horizon. Defeated, Samantha padded back to her dorm. "Maybe I'll find it tomorrow, or in the lost and found," she said hopefully. She sighed as she opened the door to her dorm. "Not like my diary's very helpful anyways..." she added quietly.