Chapter 5

Julia’s POV“There you are!” Amber exclaimed when I returned to the dorm. “What took so long? I’ve been holding this tissue to my face for ages.”I applied the ointment to her cut, still distracted by the encounter. “Sorry, there was a line.”“You look weird,” she observed. “Like, flushed. Did you run back?”“No, I just…” I hesitated. “I made a fool of myself, giving sleep advice to someone at the health center.”Amber laughed. “Only you would stress about something like that. Come on, we’re going to be late for the ceremony!”Inside the packed auditorium, the university president welcomed the new students with the expected platitudes about excellence and opportunity. I was only half-listening, my mind still replaying the health center encounter.