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| tiramisu |

She woke up to the sound of something crashing against their dorm door.

Rue woke up with a start and looked over at June who was still studying. Both looked equally confused.

'What was that?'

June walked up to the door, Rue following her steps, lazily dragging her fingers through her messy bed hair.

The blonde haired girl opened the door and Rue poked her head over June's shoulder. At their feet, was an upturned cardboard box that seemed to be scurrying away.

'Am I hallucinating, or are you seeing this too?'

June asked as the box turned haphazardly, dashing into their room. They heard footsteps behind them as a girl dived into their dorm, hands around the haunted box.

'Uh...' Rue trailed off looking at the girl who had just crashed inside their room, with a mysterious box.

A woof came from the box.

'I'm so... sorry!' The girl exclaimed, taking the box into her arms and trying to hold it shut (she was failing at it). 'I didn't... mean to... oh wait, I haven't introduced myself.... ugh... I'm Sienna.'

'Nice to meet you?' Rue added, still dumbstruck and suspiciously eyeing the box. The girl tried to edge away, out of the room. June pulled her back in.

'What's that?' She asked pointing at the box in Sienna's arms.

'Uh... it's nothing! Nothing at all! Just a science experiment!' The girl said, her voice cloaked in a mild Italian accent.

'Aren't you a design major?'

'...For my roommate!'

The box tumbled onto the floor of the dorm and out of came something neither of the girls expected. A brown and white beagle. It ran around the room twice before hiding itself between Sienna's legs.

'A dog! If the professors find out...' Rue began but then her eyes met the dog's and all she wanted to do was hug it and feed it and protect that small ball of happiness. Forgetting all the rules and technicalities, she whispered, 'It's adorable.'

'How did you manage to sneak a dog in?'

'He was all alone! I saw him left on the road in this box. I couldn't leave him out there!'

The girl looked genuinely sad as she picked up the said beagle in her arms, turning it around to face the other two.

The dog's eyes seemed to be oozing love out of them.

June and Rue both couldn't help but want to keep him.

'Look at him!' Sienna added. 'Also, I'm extremely sorry about, uh, barging in...'

There was a moment of silence.

June snorted.

Rue couldn't hold back a laugh. The girl in front of them gave a sheepish smile. It was an hour past midnight and here they were, with a secret pet.

Rue asked Sienna, 'So what's his name?'

She didn't say anything for a while.

Then looked up at them happily.

'Tiramisu.'

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