IN HUMAN WORLD:
The sounds of alarm blared in the tiny space. Clothes were strewn across the floor and chairs, and books lay open on the huge blanket in the middle of the room.
Underneath the blanket, a blonde mess of hair peeked through. The alarm and the sound of bus horns finally caused the body beneath the blanket to stir.
Emily let out an annoyed grunt as she pulled away the comforter and grabbed her phone to turn off the alarm. She took a peek at the time and jumped to her feet.
"Oh my God," she exclaimed, dropping her phone. She ran towards the closet to get dressed, then brushed her teeth and hair. She quickly put on her sandals, packed up her books and threw them into her small peach-colored bag.
Without looking back, she ran out of the room and headed to her exam room on campus.
Emily knew that she couldn't afford to be late that day. This was her final exam as a college student. She had always dreamed of how it was going to be like when she finally finished college and had her dreams within reach.
She rushed through the streets as fast as she could, and made her way into the large building where her exam was going to be held.
She reached the second floor and walked as quickly as she could to get through the doors before they closed, and made it just in time.
Breathing heavily, she sat in the corner near the windows and prepared her materials for the exam. She had been up all night studying and had missed her first alarm. Emily took a deep breath and thanked God that she had taken track running classes in high school.
"Hey, Em." her friend Jennifer said, her cheerful voice drawing Emily's attention back. Emily turned and returned her smile.
"Hi baby!" Emily exclaimed, giving her a hug.
Jennifer sat down next to her and giggled, "Stop calling me that." She said.
"Never."
"All right, let's get started, everyone," their professor said, standing at the front of the class, arranging their papers. "Time for your papers." the professor said.
Every student in the room shuffled around, putting away any unnecessary materials before handling their papers.
"Good luck," Emily and Jennifer said to each other, smiling.
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"Ugh, I was so sure of my answer." Jennifer said, frustration evident in her tone.
They had finished the exams already, and both girls walked towards their hostel as Jennifer checked online to confirm her answers.
Before Emily could say a word, she heard a tiny familiar voice call out her name.
It was Remi.
"Oh hi," Emily said with a huge fake smile.
Remi walked up to her, with her friends following closely behind her.
"Emily, we're having a party this weekend, and I'm inviting you." Remi exclaimed, flashing a huge smile as she flicked her hair.
This time, Emily gave Remi a genuine smile. "For real?" She asked.
"Of course. I mean, why not? You're part of us now," Remi said, turning away with Abigail, Zoey and Ava walking next to her. "We'll see you there, I'll send you the location."
"Don't tell me you're still obsessed with Remi and her dumb clique." Jennifer said, rolling her eyes.
Emily turned to her friend, beaming with excitement. "I am beyond excited, Jen, and you should be too." she said.
"Uh no, I'm not blonde and dumb." Jennifer said, continuing to walk.
"Come on, be real. Those girls are the classiest on campus, and they have connections in the real world that I would need as a career woman after graduation. I'm trying to build a successful career, you know, and I don't care if people call me a dumb blonde, I need to be part of their social circle." Emily said.
Jennifer stopped and looked at Emily. "No, you don't need to be part of a clique like the 'Blond-ist' to get exposed to the real world, Em. You need to get over this unhealthy obsession and infatuation you have with those girls. You're a grown woman."
"Hey!" Emily said, attempting to sound nonchalant.
She was used to Jennifer's lectures, and this time she couldn't care less. Her hard work was finally paying off, and being accepted by Remi and her friends made her feel happy and validated.
Emily had always wanted to be part of Remi's clique. Remi's dad was a wealthy attorney who offered opportunities most could only dream of having, and Emily felt that she needed to be part of their social circle to succeed. She knew Jennifer refused to understand why she wanted to be part of Remi's clique, so she didn't bother explaining again.
Emily and Jennifer walked in silence as they approached their hostel building, the tension between them palpable.
———————
It was past 8pm. The cold night air caused Emily to shiver. She had no idea why a celebration party was happening in the night.
Her green dress offered little protection against the cold, and Emily could feel the chill on her skin. It was the night of the party Remi had invited her to, and Emily is thrilled to be attending. As it turned out, it was a party for finalists and everyone from their class would be in attendance.
Emily gently held her crotch and adjusted her dress as she approached the towering building and walked inside, feeling a bit self-conscious about her outfit. The sounds of loud music filled the air, and the dance floor was packed with people dancing and having a good time.
Emily greeted some people she knew as she made her way to the bar to get a drink and relax.
She saw Abigail walk towards her with a smile, "Hi." Emily said, smiling back at her.
"Come on." Abigail said, turning around and walking up the stairs.
Emily followed Abigail up the stars without any objections, and into a room where the others were sitting.
She saw the girls drinking and chatting. They all paused to welcome Emily and one of them offered her a drink.
She felt elated and relieved, knowing she had finally found a sense of belonging and acceptance. She could see herself getting the life she has always wanted. Emily accepted the drink that was offered to her and greeted the others before taking a seat.
It was now 11pm, and Emily could not deny the fact that she was having a good time. The night was filled with laughter and dancing, till their feet hurt making them take a break to grab a drink. She had a feeling of immense joy and satisfaction.
They all sat down, sipping their drinks and enjoying each other's company. One of the girls, Ava, had mentioned earlier that she had an announcement to make and apparently, it was time for it.
"So, We finally have a new member, Emily." Ava spoke with slurred words, the others cheered loudly, clearly excited. Emily gave a big smile and cheered along.
"However, Emily, there's one more thing you need to do before you can officially join our group - a tradition that we've upheld for a while now.." Ava finished, a smirk spreading across her face.
Emily knew every group had a secret sick tradition they did before officially welcoming a new person. It was a silly, high-school-like tradition, but Emily was determined to see it through.
She knew she was not backing down. She had earned her place in this group and a sick game wasn't going to sway her.
With a loud, enthusiastic laugh, Emily declared, "I'm in! Let's do this!"