I sleep very little that night, so when Eydis starts to move around out of bed the next morning before the sun rises, I notice. I don't know what time is it, but I'm already up. I am tense. My shoulders feel like they are up to my ears. There is so much riding on today.

I peek at her. She is quiet and her movements are careful, like a cat moving around the dead of night. Her shadow dances across the wall, filling space where it could.

She does not notice me awake and I have a feeling she will not. Curiosity fills me. I want to know why she is up so early. Before she walks out the door, to clear my throat. Enough watching her, no matter how memorizing she is.

"Morning," I say, stretching.

She jumps, dropping her clothes to the floor. "Morning, Telvi. I thought you were asleep still. You don't have to be up for another hour."

I push myself up to look at her clearly, rubbing any sleep from my eyes. "Then why are you up?"

In the dark of the room, I can see a pearly white smile on her face. "Want to come and find out?"

Her smile tempts me, and I don't do well with temptations. Mischief in her eyes says to follow. She doesn't have to ask me again; I'm already out of bed before she picks up her clothes from the ground.

"Great. I want to leave at 10."

I scoop my clothes for the day from my backpack, then scramble after her towards the bathroom. All I know is I shouldn't miss this opportunity.

"You know, my last roommate, she never wanted to do anything with me. I like you already, Telvi," Eydis says before she brushes her teeth.

She's the only person I know here. She's my in, my understanding. I will go anywhere with her. My eyes caught sight of the time. 5:50 in the morning. Even when I had a full day in Hell, I never woke up this early. I should be asleep. She should be too. But her eyes are wide awake, telling me she does this often.

She spits the toothpaste into the sink and wipes her mouth. "It's probably not as cold out there as it is in Hell, but you should wear something smore than your PJ's." She smirks, pulling on my shirt.

I shift, feeling uneasy. She is close. Close enough to smell my breath. No one ever stood this close to me besides, Kol, of course.

"You aren't a morning person, are you?"

I am. At least, I want to say I am. But she is so quick. She's wide awake. Probably more awake then myself. I don't want to slow her down. I have to step up the pace. I quickly change into a pair of black pants and a faded black shirt with frayed ends. It isn't as clean cut or bright as Eydis outfit, and she notices. Her eyes lock with mine for a second before staring at my outfit.

"You will be getting better clothes. They will give you an allotment soon enough. We can go shopping on our off day. Trust me, you will love those days. It's the only day we can leave campus." She looks at the time on the wall, then collects her bathroom things. "We have to go. We will be late."

Like a child following her mother, I chase Eydis out of the bathrooms. This thing that we are going to be late for must be grand. Eydis seems so excited.

We walk back into our room where she dumps her things on her bed. She turns to me, placing her hands on her narrow hips. I look up at her, trying not to focus on her legs that resembled thin adolescent trees.

"Alright miss, no words," she says as she grabs my hand, pulling me down the hallway. The heat off her hand makes my heart beat faster. Besides my brother, no one had held my hand. I welcome the warmth and the company. I don't want her to let go.

"Get ready for the best unofficial morning tour this place has."

I'm grinning like a giddy schoolgirl. Her excitement is contagious, like the flu I got last summer.

Together we walk out of the building. The air is cold, but not nearly as cold as I'm used to. Eydis shivers, slipping a hood over her head, but continues forward, into the darkness, guiding me with her.

"It's quiet out here," I note. There isn't another soul out. It reminds me of Hell.

Eydis nods, leading me across the walkway. "It's probably the only time it will be silent in the day. I don't know what it was like in Hell, but in Solona, it was never this quiet in the morning. People were already getting ready for the day. Some were already fishing or talking to their neighbors. I think they started the day early so they could avoid the heat in the afternoon."

At this time, only the Amber miners were awake. Most waited a few hours, at least until the sun was up. We never had to worry about extreme heat in Hell. We just had to watch out for extreme cold. "Not many people were up at this time in Hell."

"Hu... interesting." She shrugs, then quickens her pace. "When I first got here, I thought everyone would wake up as early as I did, but I was wrong. I kept up the habit though because I like this quiet. I can think."

I fear I'm infringing of her privacy. My pace slows. Does she want me here? Was asking too many questions?

"Relax, I want you here," she says, tugging on my hand.

I breathe a sigh of relief. I feel like I should stay silent, but I can't help but ask her questions that swirl around my mind. I have no more tears to cry. The emotions from yesterday have faded. It was time to continue forward with my head straight.

"Is there anyone else from your town here?"

Eydis shakes her head. "Nope. Just me. There is another person from my Commonwealth, but that's it. How about you?"

"It's just me."

"I think that's common. I think the Talent Seekers are just so picky with what they want."

"They said I was the first person in 30 years to be picked from Hell," I say as I follow her across the dead grass.

"I'm not surprised. I think I was the first person in 10 years. With as few people as they pick, you would think this campus would be smaller," she huffed.

"Do you know how many people are on campus?"

"Probably 170 people, maybe a little more. There are about 10 people in the math department. Before you ask about skating, I really don't know how many people are with you." She stops, then checks her watch on her wrist. It lights up brightly, shining on her face, casting shadows on it, before she starts walking again. "Walter. We're going to be late."

I still don't know what we will be late for. But the anticipation is killing me, like the dull pain in my stomach. Now I wish I ate something yesterday.

We walk up a hill and Eydis follows a worn-down path in the snow. She doesn't stumble even though the snow is slick and the hill is steep. This must be clockwork for her. She puts her hands on her knees once we make it to the top of the hill. Her breath fogs in the air as she looks out over Regal.

Headlights to a train zip below us, passing the metal fence around campus. It hums, stopping a few roads down. The city glows with a hue of soft candlelight. But I doubt candles are used to create such an effect here.

Slowly, lights turn off as the sun rises above the horizon. The bright sun makes the buildings sparkle. There is an uniquely beautiful aspect to Regal. I don't know if it is because of the glowing buildings or the soft colors of the sky, but something tells me that being here won't be that bad, especially if I have Eydis to rely on.

Eydis stretches her hands over her head, then takes a deep breath in and out. We stay silent for a moment, both overlooking the scene. I glance at Eydis, her eyes fixed ahead. Does she think this place is beautiful?

"This place is nicer in the summer." She claps her hands together. "Alright, next place!" She grabs my hand and pulls me down the hill. We walk into a building that smells of a chemical I only have smelt in the town hall.

"The early risers get the best breakfast," she says as she pulls me through halls until we end up in a larger room with tables.

There are only a few people sitting down to eat. They do not look up as we walk in.

Good.

Eydis, on the other hand, makes herself known as she walks deeper into the room. She throws her hands over her head and says, "I have arrived" rather loudly.

People stop eating to look at us. I try not to make eye contact with anyone. I want to shrink. No, I want to be invisible.

"And this is my new roommate," she says, wrapping her arm around me.

And she just made it worse.

"Telvi is going to be a new figure skater."

No one says anything or really does anything. In the silence, some turn back to their food, others just yawn. It was all very awkward.

"Tough crowd." Eydis takes my hand once again and leads me to the corner of the room where fruit, bread, drinks, and eggs are laid out in a fancy spread.

The smell of the food makes my mouth water. The ache in my stomach fades. Besides in a supermarket, I had never seen so much food in one area before. Is this all for us? Could we really eat as much as we want?

"Oh bummer, they don't have muffins today," Eydis grumbles, grubbing a glass plate and hands me one. "This is where all the meals are."

As someone that was used to eating only oatmeal in the morning, this spread looks grand. I want to try it all. Fill my stomach with anything I could lay my hands on.

The bright colored fruit temps me first, but I stop at the eggs. They are more filling. I don't know when my next meal will be, so I scoop a portion of eggs onto my plate. The portion is small and modest. I glance at Eydis who already has a small pile of food on it. Looks like I do not need to be so shy. I dish another portion of eggs onto my plate.

Soon, like Eydis, I have a small mountain on my plate. It makes me smile. Today my stomach will be full. No need to choke down plain oats.

"Get this. My Commonwealth produces these." Eydis hands me a bright orange small fruit. It fits into the palm of my hand. "We call them tangerines. The Motherwealth is obsessed with them. They always want more."

My eyes land on a circular loaf of nearly white cake. It looks like something my mother used to make. I gravitate towards that and cut myself a slice. I haven't had it in years but I hope it tastes familiar. Mom only made it for special occasions, but something tells me that they have this daily.

"Ah, the milk bread. Good pick."

"My mom used to make this. She called it the same thing," I explain as put butter on the slice.

Eydis mumble something, but before she could say more, a girl with hair so red it looks pink walks up to us.

"Eydis, so this is your new roommate?" the girl asks. She plays with a small gold hoop in her nose. It looks out of place, and I cannot tear my eyes from it.

Never have I seen a hoop in someone's nose. In Hell, everyone dressed similarly. Anything out of the normal would be a cause to be stared at. And no one liked being stared at.

Eydis' smile slides off her face as she looks at me, bumping me with her shoulder. "Yup. This is Telvi."

The girl meets my eyes for a moment before glancing at my outfit. Judging. I want to run from her gaze. She frowns, brushing her long red, no, pink hair from her shoulder. "And why are you special?"

"She skates," Eydis blurts out before I have a chance.

"Ah... a figure skater." The corners of her mouth turn upward for a moment. Her eyes flicker like a snake. "They are going to eat her alive in there." With that, she walks away.

Bile rises in my stomach. I place my plate down at the nearest table. I'm hungry anymore. I'm far from it. What did I get myself into?

"Don't pay attention to Odette. She's just bitter that she's not my roommate anymore," Eydis says as she pulls me away. She places her hands on my shoulders and gives a small shake. "You're going to be great, Telvi. Don't worry."

Worry, no, more like sheer panic. There are so many things that they could do to me. My hands shake as I look around. Everyone has new clothes, neat hair. They belong here. I don't. I'm not like them. I'm good enough to be here. I should be in Hell. This is some fantasy that will never work.

Eydis take my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Telvi. You'll be alright. I promise."

My eyes snap towards hers as she holds my hand tightly. Her long fingers intertwine with mine and ease my thumping heart. I don't want her to let me go. Tears well in my eyes and this time, I do not care if she sees. I try to take a breath in. None of this is worth it. I should have never left Hell.

Eydis brings me into a hug and holds me tightly. "I'll watch out for you. Nothing will happen," she coos, stroking my hair.

I take a deep breath, breathing her in, holding onto her. My insides feel as if they are being held together by her. With every second she holds me, my breathing slows. Her flower scent is as calming as a summer breeze.

Eydis finally lets go of me. "I'll take a day off today and watch you train. I'll be right there for you. You have my word."

I wipe the tears from my eyes and nod. I want that. I need that. In this strange place, Eydis is the only thing that feels right to me.

__________________

Soon I'm standing in front of an older woman with light purple hair at the entrance of the ice rink. Eydis is now gone, unable to take the day off. Her last words to me before she left were, 'her bark is worse than her bite'. I have no idea what that means, which adds to my fear.

"So, you are Telvi," she says finally.

Her stare makes the hair on my arms stand on end. Is she the one that would eat me alive? It feels like it. I'm jittery, ready to bounce away even though I ate nothing. I suck in a breath and cross my arms over my chest. As if that would protect me. I want to pretend it will.

"Yes, I am Telvi."

"And you brought your skates?"

I nod as I hold my bag.

"Well, let's see them."

I pull them out of my bag and show her one. She takes it out of my hand and pushes against the leather. She sniffs it then makes a face. "These will not work. We will buy you new ones."

"New skates?" I whisper. With what money? I could not afford a new pair. This is all I have.

She tosses the skate on the ground, making a clank against the hard cement. "Do I need to repeat myself?" she snaps. "Today, you will skate in the slag things. Tomorrow you will have new skates." She turns towards the doors of the ice rink. "Now, get those skates on. Your practice starts now."

I fight back the stomach acid that wants to come out of my mouth and follow her into the building. The excitement with Eydis is long gone. I swallow the lump in my throat and find the first bench to tie my skates. Here goes nothing.