The sky was black outside his dorm window when he finally blew out the candle, the dim light flickering as it extinguished. A hint of exhaustion weighed on him as he stood, stretching his tired limbs. Todd was back home temporarily due to a family situation, and if he was being honest with himself, Neil missed him. It was nice having someone to talk to, someone to share the silence with.

But he couldn't change that now.

He inhaled deeply, walking over to his bed, eyes lingering on the window that framed the black sky and the faint glow of the courtyard below. As he sat on his bed, a sudden noise made him freeze, his brow furrowing in confusion and his warm brown eyes glimmering with curiosity. Was Todd back already? His eyes shifted to the door.

There were a couple knocks, and immediately he stood up off his bed, walking over in his red pajamas. He opened the door, his eyes widening visibly as he saw who was there. A girl? Let alone a pretty girl?

He swallowed nervously, his head whirling with confusion. What the hell was she doing here? God, never mind that. She was gorgeous. His eyes lingered, licking his lips quickly, shifting nervously.

“I…Uh, can I help you?” He asked, his voice suddenly feeling a little weak. He didn’t see women often or at all at Welton, this was like a miracle. She was a gem. A beautiful pearl, that somehow got washed to shore and stranded at his door. He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

You, a daughter of a visitor that had come to speak at Welton, got lost in the maze of dorms and such. You had woken from your slumber to get some food, restless and unable to sleep, and you ended up lost… and… to this hall of dorms. Thank God it was Neil’s you picked, some other guys probably would’ve acted like idiots.

Neil was stuck thinking that this girl was at his door like a sign. Like fate. He had to act cool. He had to impress her. God, this was his chance. It was hard to act cool though when he felt so nervous-instead he offered her a soft and shy smile, adjusting his posture once more.