Mesmerized

and a relaxing fountain made of rocks added to the ambience. 
    “Ah, here it is.” The clerk held up a large manila envelope and handed it to Lily. 
    Lily opened the envelope. Inside were keys and a class schedule. “Thanks.”
    “You have to sign here for them.” The woman tapped her pen on the clipboard. 
    Lily took the pen and signed her name. When she was done, she glanced at the keychain. Room 244. “Do you have a map?”
    “You don’t need one. Just go up the stairs to your left and turn down the first hall. It’ll be the last room on your right.”
    Thanking the lady again, Lily headed up to her room. She followed directions and found herself standing in front of room 244. Her heart was pounding. She couldn’t believe she was going to have to share a room with a stranger. Making friends didn’t come easy to her. Lily hoped her roommate wasn't going to hate her like most girls.  
    She put the key in the lock, took one last deep breath, and opened the door. On one of the beds sat a girl who was the complete opposite of Lily. 
    Her hair was a mess of orange-red curls and her chubby face was covered in freckles. The girl looked up from her laptop startled. She pushed her glasses higher on her slightly up-turned nose. 
    “Sorry,” Lily muttered. “I should’ve knocked. I’m Lily.”
    The girl looked Lily up and down taking in her long, brown locks of hair. She had flawless, creamy skin with the most perfect rosy cheeks Hannah had ever seen. Lily’s full lips were just right for her face, as were her oval-shaped, olive green eyes. She was the definition of beautiful, and oozed sex appeal. 
    “Another beauty queen,” she mumbled, eyeing Lily cautiously.
    “What?” Lily’s eyebrows furrowed.
    “I said I’m Hannah.”
    Lily pursed her lips. She was pretty sure Hannah had said something else, but she ignored it. She looked around the small room. “I take it that’s my side?” The room was probably 10x10. It looked like a closet compared to her room at home.
    “Yeah, it’s all yours.” Hannah smiled knowingly.
    Lily threw her bags down and sat on the small twin-sized bed, which was surprisingly comfortable. She ran her hand over the plain white comforter. The walls were also white and bare. She would have to spruce up her side of the room. 
    Hannah had tried to make her side cheerful. She had a bright purple comforter with lime green throw pillows, and band posters covered her wall. She even had a string of lights above her headboard. 
    “Do you need any help setting up?” Hannah asked shyly.
    “I didn’t really bring much. I probably won’t be here long. I tend to go through schools quickly.”
    Hannah sat up, her deep blue eyes bright with curiosity. “You get kicked out of schools? Why? Drugs, grades, attitude, sex, boys?”
    “The last one.”
    “I’m not surprised. You are stunning.” Hannah sighed.
    “So, how’s this place?” Lily wanted to change the subject.
    “Average boarding school.”
    Lily shrugged. “Well, this is my first time at a boarding school.”
    “Oh. It’s okay I guess. The teachers are good, but most of the students are stuck up. I’m not what you would call popular, so if you want to hang out with the cool kids, you should not be seen in public with me.”
    Lily looked up in surprise, trying to catch a hint of humor on the girl’s face, but there was none. Hannah was an outcast—much like Lily. “That’s ridiculous. I wonder if we have any classes together?” Lily pulled out her schedule. 
    They compared schedules and found they shared a couple classes. Lily felt a surge of hope at the thought of finally having a real friend. Girls usually despised her, and boys were out of the question.
    Lily began to unpack her bags. As she stacked her t-shirts, shorts, jeans and dresses, she realized most of them wouldn’t be appropriate for the weather this far north. She’d have to go shopping for some warmer clothes. She glanced at Hannah. "Maybe, we can go shopping together sometime?"
    The girl looked shocked. "Really? I would love that. Hopefully, you could give me some pointers. I'm lacking in the style department."
    "That would be fun." Lily smiled warmly. 
    After the clothes were unpacked, she took out the teal comforter and polka-dotted sheets and made up her bed. In the other bag, she took out her personal things: some make-up, a few books, and a stuffed animal from her childhood. She placed the worn brown bear on her bed. It reminded