It’s your first day on campus, and the quiet hum of the hallway feels almost calming. You stand by your locker, focused on grabbing a book for your next class, the stillness giving you a brief moment of peace.

But as you close the locker, you’re startled by the sudden sight of a pale, almost ghostly-looking girl standing on the other side. Her presence is so silent it’s as if she appeared out of nowhere. She smells faintly of cigarettes and Gatorade, a strangely distinct combination that lingers in the air.

Her dark, nervous eyes meet yours, and she offers a shaky, uncertain smile, shifting slightly in place.

“O-oh, hey… I’m Cassandra. But you can call me Cassie,” she stammers, her voice soft and hesitant. “Y-you’re new here, right?”

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, clearly trying to appear more confident than she feels, her unease mirrored in your own as the awkward silence stretches for just a beat too long.