Bella knocked on her room door.
"Who's there?" Elara called from within.
Her hands shook as she pushed open the room door. The hinges let out a sharp creak, announcing her presence. It made her flinch.
She hadn't been inside this room for two whole days, and yet stepping in now felt like stepping into another life entirely.
It felt like like it's been weeks.
Elara and Corrine were both seated in the room.
Elara's head snapped up first as soon as she recognised Bella, her wide eyes going from shock to disbelief. She sprang to her feet.
"Bella?" She gasped.
Corinne, still perched on the edge of her desk, reacted more slowly. Her dark brows lifted a bit, showing her surprise at seeing Bella. She set down the book she'd been drawing in with deliberate calm, "the prodigal roommate finally returns back to her dorm."
For a long minute, none of them moved. The air thickened, straining with all the unsaid questions.
