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As soon as Jess leaves, you step into the bedroom and stand awkwardly. Nate sighs and closes the door, then wraps an arm around you. “Sorry. I’ve been chasing her since Freshman year.”

You shrug. Nate rubs your head and then looks at his bedroom. Now, your bedroom, too. The twin-sized beds are pushed together, and he has posters decorating every inch of the four walls.

“Damn,” he says. “Alright, let’s make this a space for two.” Nate claps his hands and gets to work, separating the twin beds and effectively splitting the room in half: your side, and his side.

“Much better,” he says. “We only have one desk and computer per room. And you can use my PS5. Actually, now that you’re my roomie, you have to play FIFA with me. Oh, I mean, ‘FC’.”

He rolls his eyes at some private frustration. Then he smirks at you. “What brings you here anyways? Most people are at St. Hartley’s from the start. You know, ‘elite’ bullshit and all.”

You explain that your mother thought this was a 'correctional institution', which makes Nate laugh his ass off. “Holy shit. So then you really have no idea what you just got yourself into.”