Rin stared at me for a long time. He seemed to observe everything about me. I felt like he was slowly erasing my soul, turning me into a blank slate. And I didn't feel like resisting. The more I stared into Rin's eyes, the more I slipped away from reality. The more my insecurities came to the surface.

"You seem like a hard worker, Andren. There's no way you don't deserve to be here."

I was silent for a moment. I felt like that was supposed to mean something to me. Like I should take it to heart. But I didn't. I didn't say a word to Rin after.

...

I've never really enjoyed trains. They give me knots in my stomach and there isn't really anything to see. Just people. And the smell of two-hundred blood types. It made me gag a little. Especially having a half mermaid in front of me. She reeked of drugs, stale sex, and seaweed. There were so many different species huddled into this compartment of a space. Witches, demons, zombies, werewolves. I'm mostly demon and a bit of vampire. I wasn't born with it, though. There was an accident when I was fifteen. Thinking about it still gives me flashbacks. And sometimes I have panic attacks.

Rin and I sat away from each other. A girl with a greasy bob and thick glasses sat between us with a map. She smelled slightly of fish sticks and cheese. Her blood smelled even worse. It smelled sour and thin. The kind of blood a vampire with simple intent to kill would drink. The type was C, which annoyed me. C was usually good. Not as good as AB-, though. AB- has never disappointed me, so it's my favorite.

Surprisingly, the girl was human. Humans are one of the least popular species. Demons are top tier, I think. Ghosts take second, and Vampires often wiggled from third to fourth and back. Vampires had been fighting with werewolves since the dawn of time. They live in a fine line of hatred. I'm surprised there hasn't been another war. Of course, gangs go against each other constantly. If you know where and when to go in New York, you can catch someone beating the shit out of someone else.

The train soon stopped at Juniper's main campus. The dorms are separate from the buildings, and the train has a station going to and from the two places. It's perfect for broke college kids who get discounts for being a student.

Rin and I stepped off the train and walked to the main campus. The only thing in the main building are the core classes, like math. Along with any other essential classes for your major or minor. I would take ballet history there. We boarded a bus and began going to the other buildings. I plugged in my headphones and listened to my daily playlist. Today, it consisted of Taylor Swift, Freya Ridings, and Lana Del Rey. The songs made me feel in a salmon pink kind of mood. Which reminded me of the Rosey Mocha. Mmm, coffee.

We reached Rin's stop. The school for film production was, of course, breathtakingly extravagant. Earlier yesterday, I learned that Rin only needed two years left before earning his bachelor's degree. He had already written screenplays for mini movies and such. And seeing as Juniper is the best school in the U.S for the arts, it wasn't surprising Rin had a name in the business already.

I waved goodbye to the slightly intimidating man and felt the bus began moving again. Rin watched me until the doors obstructed his view.

I strode away from the fish stick girl as soon as I could. She continued to stare at me across the train and pushed her glasses up her square nose. I looked away and brushed a hand through my soft curls. To appear busier than her, I texted Valentine and Matteo to ask about my furniture. Matteo responded quickly.

Matteo: Don't worry. We've got your stuff at my place. Can you pick it up after class?

Andren: Yeah, I'm done at 5:15 today.

Matteo: I'll be here.

Stepping off the train, I felt more content. I couldn't help but smile. Today was the beginning of college! And I was ready to tackle the year. My dance instructor, Madame Delphine, inspired me that way. I hadn't been too keen about joining a dance studio as one of the few boys. I had a bad attitude and a lot to learn. One day, I sat on a stage, defeated. Madame Delphine stepped towards me , and I helplessly looked up at her. Her look was cold. She looked like her eyes were made of granite, and her teeth marble.

Then she spoke.

"You will not have a place on my stage without an audience waiting for you, Thompson. Let me see your audience."