Page 36 of The Bleak Beginning

I’ve only met one person I could possibly consider a friend, but I wasn’t sure what dormitory Sutton lived in, and even if I did, I wouldn’t want to bother her at this early hour.

I sigh. “Not really.”

“Welp, that sucks for you.”

My mouth goes flat at the girl’s bluntness. I thought RAs were supposed to be caring toward their fellow peers, not rude. I was grouchy and cold, and all I wanted was to be asleep in my comfortable bed.

“So what would you suggest?” I ask. “Am I just supposed to sleep in the hallway?”

The girl’s lips quirk into a grin. “Not quite. But I do have one idea.”

Before I can protest, she grabs my wrist and starts dragging me through the corridor and down a flight of stairs.

“Where are we going?” I ask, trying to keep up with her surprisingly quick pace.

“You’ll see,” she replies cryptically.

We come to our destination.

“Come. On,” I protest, pulling back. This seriously can’t be my only option.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s all I can do for you on short notice. There’s a cot over in the corner you can set up. I think one of our janitors used to crash here, but it looks like it hasn’t been touched in a while, so you should be good. I’m sure they won’t mind.”

My teeth clench. You’ve got to be kidding me. “You honestly don’t expect me to sleep in a supply closet, do you?”

The girl rolls her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Look, I appreciate your…creativity,” I say, eyeing the cramped, musty space dubiously. “But I’m not spending the night in a janitor’s closet.”

“You got any better suggestions?” she asks fluffing a musty pillow and tugging a blanket that seems about as soft as a wire brush down from the shelf.

I open my mouth to protest, but the words die on my lips. The truth is, I don’t have any better suggestions. After the disastrous assembly, thanks to Bishop, I didn’t have a lot of options or allies. The closest I’d found was the red-haired magician from the mail room the other day.

“Fine,” I grumble, stepping into the closet. The scent of pine cleaner and musty fabric assaults my nostrils. “But if I wake up covered in rat bites, I’m blaming you.”

The girl snorts. “Rats are the least of your worries, mudslide. You’re lucky I’m helping you at all.”

My shoulders tensed—gah! That stupid,stupidname.

“Look,” the girl says, her tone softening slightly as I eye the worn cot. Was she taking pity on me? Please tell me she was taking pity on me. I could sleep on the floor of her room—the idea is on the tip of my tongue, but she started speaking again before I could suggest such a thing. “I know it’s not ideal, but hey, at least you’ll have a solid roof over your head.”

My tongue slams into my cheek to bite back my scream of frustration. My shoulders sink like a deflating balloon.

“A roof over my head,” I repeat. “How generous.”

The girl flashed me a scowl, her spiky hair catching the dim light from the single bulb swinging overhead.

“Can’t you just…I don’t know, sneak me into your room?” I ask, desperation creeping into my voice. The thought of spending the night in this musty closet made my skin crawl.

“Yeah, okay.” She let out a short, sharp laugh as if that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.

I wince at her words. Campus pariah. Is that what I’ve become?

I glare at her, but she just smirks and turns to leave. Her confident stride almost as infuriating as the position I was currently put in, no thanks to some faulty plumbing.

The room is musty, and the scent of mold and dust permeates the air. The sharp, chemical smell of disinfectant hung in the room, like a failed attempt to cover up the underlying filth.

Lovely.

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