"You won't be sleeping in our room anymore," Telea said, tucking Stacey's fringe behind her ear when Stacey had returned to the program building after being discharged from the hospital. "I'm going to miss you but it's probably better this way. There are now many free beds in the girls' rooms. You can take your pick."
Stacey glanced at AJ and Pearl who had come to meet her. With them was a girl called Imiliana Kroos who was meant to be her personal assistant. Then there was her new manager, Last Prose. AJ had already started filming. Stacey turned her head, trying to ignore the camera and not stumble or stammer.
"Imiliana is just there to get some experience," Thieren had told her over the phone last night. "It's a favour to a friend. He begged me to let his daughter have a chance to observe what the entertainment industry is like. She'll only be with you until the program ends and then I'll find someone more suitable and permanent to be your assistant. Just put up with the girl for now."
Stacey's suitcase had been unloaded from the bus and placed at Imiliana's side. Imiliana ignored it and Stacey to chat with the crowd of female trainees who had come to see what was going on.
"Alright," Stacey nodded at Telea, feeling a bit nervous. She hoped she would be able to get along with at least some of the trainees. Looking at the way they huddled together to talk but refused to meet her eyes, she had a feeling it might be difficult to gain acceptance from them. She had the feeling that they were blocking her out on purpose.
"Our room has a spare bed," a girl with short pigtails stepped forward, splitting off the side of the huddle. "And anyway, I sort of owe you one."
"You do?" Stacey blinked with a frown.
"You don't remember?" the girl with pigtails scratched her head in confusion. Her tilted head in a cute manner, tugging on pigtail. "Oh! Right!" The girl's eyes widened and brightened. She raised a finger. "Your head got hurt. I'm sorry. Nevermind. You can bunk with me and Vera and Chastity. Our room has six beds but there are only four of us in there now. I'm Zanity Ha."
The video of the battle had shown a girl with pigtails whose fluffy eared beastman had been injured by the centaur leader when he threw his machete. Maybe it was that girl.
"That's right," another trainee stepped forward, brushing her long hair out of her face. "You saved me too. It'd be nice if you stayed in our room. We can look after each other then. I'm Chastity White, by the way. From the videos on your channel, I was the wailing girl who ran away after you saved me from a centaur. I'm sorry I didn't stay to help you. I was so scared that I couldn't think."
"I'm ashamed that I didn't stay to help you either," Zanity scuffed the toes of her shoes in the dirt. "I was the first girl you saved by accident. I wasn't thinking clearly at the time."
"It's ok," Stacey smiled at the two trainees who were looking awkward and embarrassed. "I wasn't thinking clearly at the time either, I think. I don't remember, so it doesn't matter. I don't think I did anything to save you, Zanity. From the video, it looks like you saved yourself."
Zanity scuffed her toes and shrugged.
"If it weren't for you being there at that time, I wouldn't be here," she mumbled.
"Since my roommates have invited you, then I suppose I don't mind either," another girl stepped forward. She had her hair in a ponytail of ringlets and looked like a doll. "I'm Vera Vivi Vu."
"Nice to meet you all," Stacey said politely, reaching for her luggage case.
Imiliana didn't notice, being engrossed in her own conversations. Stacey didn't bother to wait for her to help. Not being used to people helping her anyway, Stacey pulled the wheeled suitcase away.
"We'll lead the way," Vera said, going ahead with Chastity.
"Let me take your suitcase for you," Zanity took the luggage handle from Stacey. "I heard you've had a few brain operations recently. My brother had one last year after a battle and he wasn't allowed to do any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for a few months. You'll have to take things easy while you recover."
"Looks like you're all sorted," Telea beamed, following the girls. Stacey's team followed behind AJ with Ning, so that they would know where Stacey's room was.
"Wait! Wait for me!" shouted Imiliana, dragging two massive luggage cases of her own. "I'm staying in the same room as you. Here," she pushed one heavy luggage case into Stacey, so that Stacey winced when it rammed into her. "Since someone else has your case, help me with mine. It's heavy."
Imiliana pushed her second case at Ning and ran up the stairs after Vera and Chastity. She didn't notice how everyone paused for a moment to look at her strangely.
"I'll take it," Last Prose snorted and shook his head, taking the case from Ning.
Pearl and Telea took the other one from Stacey.
"She's your personal assistant?" Telea raised her eyebrows at Stacey.
"So I'm told," Stacey shrugged. "I don't know what a personal assistant is supposed to do anyway. Maybe she thinks it important for her to scout ahead?"
"Maybe," Telea replied in a mild tone, but Stacey heard the multiple snorts around her, telling her what they thought of Imiliana.
When they got all the cases up the stairs, they found Chastity there waiting for them.
"Your personal assistant went ahead to choose her bed," Chastity told Stacey with a straight face, so it was hard to tell what she was thinking.
"Oh. Right. Thanks," Stacey nodded.
Chastity led the way along the corridor to a room with a big window and billowing cream curtains. Two bunk beds stood against one wall, while another bunk bed stood against the opposite wall. A wide space between the bunks in the middle of the room contained a lemon yellow table with matching chairs. At the back of the room, by the window, where there was an empty space instead of another bunk bed, shelving units and cupboards stood against the wall. The luggage cases of the other girls had been stored there out of the way.