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“So, what’s your talent?” I ask with a grin just as I finish getting the fitted sheet on.
“Talent?” she asks, already blushing.
I grab the top sheet and start spreading it out over the bed as I answer her, “Uh huh, you know what I’m talking about. Your blush gives you away.”
“Wait,” she stammers, a lilt in her tone that gives away her giggle. “Are those llamas on your sheets?”
I nod, a blush rising to my own cheeks even as I own my bedding. “Yes, ma’am. Llamas are a girl’s best friend.”
Her soft giggle spills over despite her resistance, making me smile as I turn my face over my shoulder and give her a wink. The guys and Vanessa always made fun of my rather random fondness for the animal. It always just made me dig my heels in all the more over my love for the cute, little spit demons.
“Don’t think this lets you off the hook though. I know better than anyone that BSU doesn’t give out scholarships to just anyone. So what is it about you that the administration is coveting enough to offer you one of their prized places here?”
It isn’t enough to just be smart or be athletic to get a scholarship here. BSU gives out more full ride scholarships than any of the other prestigious universities, but only to those that they believe have the talent and ambition to not only make something of themselves, but line the pockets of their backers as well.
She chews on her bottom lip, obviously hesitating in giving me her answer. I finish tucking in the corners of my sheet before pulling out my light pink comforter. I don’t want to push her to give me an answer, I’m mostly just curious.
“How did you know I was here on scholarship?” she asks, surprising me. I freeze with my comforter firmly gripped in my hands, grimacing as I turn back to her. I don’t know how to answer her without sounding like a vapid bitch. I never had a doubt that she was one, based on everything from her clothes to her mannerisms, even the dorm room itself.
“Never mind. Don’t answer that,” she adds, the words rushing out so quickly she almost trips over them.
I give her a soft smile. “The room alone would have been enough to tip me off,” I say, ensuring there’s no judgment in my tone at all. I mean why would there be? It is our room after all.
She cocks her head to the side as if she just had the same realization. “Then why are you here? We both know you aren’t here on a full ride.”
I click my tongue as I fluff my comforter and start placing the pillows I brought onto my bed the way I like them. I flop down on my back dramatically, before grinning at her through my hair that now covers most of my face. I rest the back of my hand against my forehead and sigh wearily. “They never thought The Brielle Montgomery would stoop to staying in the dorms.”
Her surprised chuckle makes something melt inside of me. A little piece of the wall that I keep erect around everyone save for a few people. My inner circle that abruptly lost four members all at once. It feels better than I could have expected to let someone in again, even if it was only this small amount.
“They were shocked when I informed them I was planning on using my dorm assignment,” I explain more seriously. “That’s why you were listed as single until the last moment. They offered to move me into one of the private rooms, but I told them not to bother.” I spread my arms and legs over my bed, letting them hang over the edge. “This will do just fine.”
She giggles as she shakes her head at me. Her voice and laugh sound musical to me. I turn on my side to study her and her side of the room. BSU is no Juilliard, but we do get a handful of students gifted in the arts. It’s rare for that to be the talent the school desires enough to pursue. I bet this girl can sing, but I don’t think that’s what brought her here. I eye her skeptically trying to figure her out. She appraises me the same way.
I narrow my eyes on her playfully. There’s one thing that stands out about our conversation. “You know exactly who I am, don’t you?”
Her face turns a vibrant shade of red, but she doesn’t try to deny it. “I did my due diligence when I found out you were my roommate,” she mutters unconvincingly.
“Or maybe sleuthing has to do with this hidden talent you don’t want to tell me about,” I tease.
She rolls her eyes. “Or maybe I’m just like really smart,” she snarks back. I knew I had a good feeling about this girl. I think we’re gonna be great friends. Vanessa will love her. A pang of guilt hits my chest. She’s going to be so pissed at me if she ever realizes why I really came to this school. That’s a problem for another day. Like so much else, there’s nothing I can do about it now.
“Pft,” I scoff. “So is everyone here.”
“Not everyone here could possibly be Valedictorian of their high school, though,” she points out, but with less confidence now.
“Nah,” I reassure her, “but a good portion of the scholarship students will be. A graduating GPA of 4.0 or less is considered on the low side of average here.”
She whistles and shakes her head to herself. “We are not in Kansas anymore.”
“So sleuthing,” I say as I tick off my fingers. “Evasive maneuvers. You ever been out of the country?”
She raises a brow at me. “Yes?”
“Got it,” I declare. “You’re an international super spy.” I pause for dramatic effect, “ Super spy!” I finish in a sing-song voice.
Her perplexed expression breaks as she folds in on herself in hysterics. When she finally catches her breath, she wipes under her eyes and shakes her head. “You aren’t going to drop this, are you?”
I shrug. “Probably not. My guesses will only get weirder as time goes on.” Best to prepare the poor girl for my antics at least a little bit. She’ll be getting the full brunt of my personality since this will be the one place I can still express this side of myself.
