LAST TIME: Bruchy, Leah, and Dalia are excited to be moving into Bais Yaakov Boarding High School, a special school for talented students. It’s strange to be starting as tenth graders, but they’re looking forward to meeting their third roommate who was here last year and is the only remaining girl from Room 104…
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D
alia turned the doorknob and swung the door open, reveal-
ing their new home for the next ten months and possibly the rest of their time in high school. The room looked nearly identical to the photos she’d seen in the brochures the school had sent her. Two bunk beds made up with pale pink linen stood on either end of the room, with a window between them. Slatted doors on the op-
posite wall concealed large clothes closets, and two desks stood at the end of each bunk bed. The school provided a study area and library, so they didn’t need desks for every girl sleeping in the dorm room. It wasn’t a huge room, but it was big enough for sleeping and hanging out, which was really all they needed. But something that hadn’t been in the brochure drew Dalia’s eye. Well, not something. More like someone. A girl with long brown hair falling over her shoulder sat on the bottom bunk of the right bunk bed, engrossed in a book. Her hand concealed the title of the book, but judging by the wrinkle on her forehead, Dalia guessed it was about something complicated. At the sound of Dalia, Bruchy, and Leah’s footsteps, she looked up. Her face twisted into a sneer. “Are you the replacements?” She shut her book with a snap and stood up. “The girls I’m supposed to become friends with just because you’re living with me?” “We’re your new roommates, if that’s what you mean.” Leah stepped forward. “I’m Leah. This is Bruchy and Dalia.” The other two girls nodded when their names were called. Dalia smiled, but the other girl maintained her stony expression. “How nice.” The girl tossed back her hair. “I’m Adina. Don’t worry about getting to know me. I don’t plan on learning much about you.” Dalia’s eyes widened. She’d thought everyone at this school was close, with each room being its own little chevra of girls. That was what the brochure had said, at least. So had all the people her mother had spoken to when she’d researched the school. They’d insisted that the friendships formed in BYBHS were the closest they’d ever seen, even closer than seminary. But Adina was not exactly friendly, to say the least. Before Dalia could say anything, Adina shoved her aside and headed out the door. “Will we see you at the assembly?” Dalia called after her. Adina paused. “Sure, probably. But don’t try to cozy up to me or anything. I have my own friends here, even if my roommates aren’t at school anymore. I don’t need anyone else.” She left the room with a swish of her hair, letting the
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South Florida
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