SOUL DORM

Get around round round, I get around...

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CHAPTER 8:

FORCED ENCOUNTERS

"Olive! Hey, Olive! Over here!"

It was none other than Ursa, zooming toward me like a comet, her hair a bright burst of orange, announcing my name to the entire cafeteria. When she finally reached me, her face lit up with excitement. "Looks like the fabulous food has totally dazzled you. I've been calling you for ages!"

I had heard her perfectly well and hoped she would give up and move on, preventing any other souls from discovering who Olive was. But that hope vanished when she linked her arm with mine. I braced myself for the pointing fingers, whispered names, and snickers about my clumsiness. However, Ursa's nonchalant attitude toward the chaos seemed to diffuse the situation quickly. Heads turned back to their meals, and the souls quickly forgot about the disruption. I noticed the blond boy moving away with his plate while Pam returned to her table.

"Come on," Ursa said, pulling me along. "Let me introduce you to the gang."

I appreciated her friendliness, but socializing was the last thing on my mind. I had already wasted enough time sampling the delicacies, only to end up causing a mess. My priority now was finding Mars, getting through orientation, and diving into my classes.

When I hesitated to follow her, Ursa misread my reluctance. "Don't worry, the Dorm's got everything covered," she said, likely referring to the chaos I'd left on the floor. I opened my mouth to object, but Ursa had a grip like a vise. Despite my feeble protests, she pulled me along, navigating through the crowded tables until we reached a specific one.

Lifting his head, the first to spot us was a Latino boy cradling a meerkat in his arms. His rich cocoa skin and waves of dark brown hair were as winsome as his grin. Both he and the meerkat shifted their gaze from Ursa to me, tilting their heads slightly as they studied my face.

"Good morning, lovely souls!" Ursa announced with her trademark cheerfulness.

This caught the attention of others at the table. Two more souls sat opposite each other, and let's just say... they weren't as adorable as our Latino amigo. The blonde girl, ghostly pale, could have been Wednesday Addams' sister, only more anemic. I couldn't decide if her stare was icier or if it was the chameleon's on her shoulder.

The other girl was Black, with full lips and round eyes, her shaved head enhancing her unconventional charm. Perched on the back of her chair was a snowy white owl. Just as her eyes met mine, she laid a card from her Tarot deck on the table. The card flipped over to reveal the Hermit, but upside down. I didn't know much about Tarot and wasn't a believer in fortune-telling, but her gaze held a captivating enigma.

"Losing your way, ignoring the truth, looking for solutions outside rather than within, failing to find your potential," the girl listed.

Before I could figure out whether she was talking to me or to someone else, she gathered the cards and started reshuffling the deck. I was at a loss for words, but Ursa seemed unfazed by this odd introduction.

"Olive," she chirped, "this is Diego and Meer."

The boy and the meerkat raised their right hands in unison, greeting me with broad smiles. "Hey, Olive!"

"And this is Helene, and that is Glace," Ursa continued, pointing to the blond girl. When Helene nodded in greeting with a microscopic movement, the chameleon stuck out its tongue. I forced myself to smile out of sheer politeness.