The orientation was more fun than the morning one, it was all student-led and they were creative. They did stand-ups and stage-acting to present their speech. There were supervisors and security around the perimeter, but they didn't intervene in the students affair. Zoya found herself smiling all throughout the sitting. Zoya glimpsed at her wrist that held her Hunter's mark, each unique to its master, and remembered her true purpose. She mustn't let the new life of her school, and the light of various possibilities, distract her from her father's agreement. She was here to be one of the top three at school. She was here to earn back her title and achieve her dream goal. Thus, Zoya's smile faded away.

After the event ended, Zoya and Zain headed back indoors and were walking back to the grand hallway for dinner. She was walking thoughtfully and rather silently. As they reached the dormitory to change, something colorful hung on the wall caught Zoya's attention. It was a printed footprint, a map, of the school. Hung in every corner and on every school floor.

"Wait, you knew about this?" She stopped in her tracks.

Zoya bent forward to get a better looked at the detailed maps. It was color coded and had a legend on the top right, there were several boxes. Each box represented the room numbers and location of the school, where everything was located: the lockers, classroom, bathrooms, hallways, even the Headmistress' office.

Zain turned to face her, and his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. Had Zoya been a regular human, she may not have noticed those fading shades of pink.

"Uh, yes?" He answered sheepishly.

He put his hands in his pockets and looked at Zoya expecting another shenanigan.

"Why didn't you show me that when you knew I was getting lost a lot, no thanks to you!" She yelled.

He looked at her, and memorized her features. Despite her attempt to punch him, he held the punch and didn't let go of her fist.

Seriousness overtook his friendly features, and his smile was concealed with intense eye-contact.

"Because you are fun to have around. And because," he stepped forward and bent that their noses almost touched, "I wanted to."

He let go of her hand, and whatever seriousness he had disappeared in mere seconds. Zoya didn't know how to respond, but she felt something drop in the pit of her stomach. She broke eye contact and allowed her black hair with dyed-blue stripes to cover her face as she looked on the ground. They hid her warm cheeks but didn't conceal the beatings of her heart.

"Stop that," she finally said.

She felt his intense gaze touch her skin, and the drop in the pit of her stomach increased. Something twisted inside her and she felt her body fume adrenaline. She needed to get out of this situation, whatever uncomfortability she felt needed to end.

"What?" Zain asked as he closed the remaining distance between them.

Zoya moved backward leaving the same distance Zain tried to enclose.

"We aren't friends, so stop acting like we are. It's just a truce, nothing more nothing less."

Zain stepped forward and tried to search her eyes, "What if I want us to be friends? You're fun to hang around when you aren't trying to plothing against me," Zain smiled.

It was one of his genuine bright smiles, and Zoya couldn't deny herself that they could capture one's soul.

So she did the best thing that worked on her disappointing her father, she laughed. Zoya laughed so hard that caused Zain to move backwards in pain.

"A werewolf? And a werewolf huntress? Friends? In which world is this possible?" She teased Zain as tears of laughter fell on her pained cheeks.

"Ours."

"Ours?"

"Yes."

He stood tall and radiated an aura of confidence Zoya hadn't noticed before. Zoya stopped laughing, unwillingly intimidated by the seriousness of his tone.

"Because in this world, you and I are humans."

"You will never be a human, Zain. You can talk like one, walk like one, sleep like one, but you smell like a dog, eat like a dog, and frankly look like a dog. Your existence is unnatural and you will never be accepted in my world," she snarled.

He looked at her and stood there silently.

"Look? Zoya, I wasn't raised by two great parents who worked blood, sweet, and tears to raise me and my sister, for you to body shame me. I have a medical condition, Zoya, and that's what's causing my obesity which, by the way, you don't even try to have the courtesy to conceal when you're observing me during P.E. class. This behavior is unacceptable and I can get you expelled for your Prejudice."

"What are you gonna rat me out?" She mocked him and faked her threatened expressions.

Zain stepped forward, remaining unthreatened by her hatred. Their noses touched, each baring their teeth at the other, but Zoya refused to be intimidated by his roaring aura.

"No. Because unlike you, I do believe myself a human. And I am. I may not smell like one, but I sure feel like one. I can get hurt by words, just like I am hurt by yours. I laugh and I enjoy life. If humanity to you is something else, please enlighten me. What is humanity to you, O' Great Huntress?"

"A human means that you are...that you are...that" Zoya couldn't find the words.

She knew what humans were but she didn't know how to express it in words. She knew one thing: humans are not mystical beings.

"Humans are not werewolves," she replied.

"Then what does that leave you be, werewolf huntress?" Zain asked.

"I'm a huntress, of course," she replied quite sarcastically to Zain.

"Yes, but who are you, Zoya. Not what are you. Who do you want to be?" Zain insisted to challenge her close-minded self.

"I—" Zoya couldn't explain who she was. Because secretly, she didn't know.

Zain moved backwards and shook his head in disbelief.

"You don't know who you are Zoya, but you surely know how to go around and make someone who is different feel unwelcome in your life," Zain scoffed at her.

"Well like it or not, I'm a gentleman of my word. And I will honor our truce and try to be your friend to prove to you that werewolves aren't all bad. Those, like hunters being old men with dummy swords, are nothing more than stereotypes and bedtime stories. I do charity work, and I pray daily to God, so think about this Zoya. If I'm truly a terrible person, why haven't I hurt you by now?" With that he left fuming with the heat of the discussion.

Zain went back to their room, without looking back. Zoya stormed off into the Hallway and found her way to the forest garden. All the decorations and booths were efficiently removed. Just like her room, it was whipped out of memory. Everyone now was at the dinner hall, and then they would all go to bed.

This couldn't be Zoya's life. She was to lead, she was destined to do great things. She could careless of classes and people's feelings. She was trained that nothing mattered but her family, or their distant memory, and her training and work. No hunter was able to achieve the numbers she got, she was able to capture half of the werewolves in the USA, two-third in Asia with her deceased grandpa, and all before the age of twelve. She was the youngest and most feared huntress of her time. Yet a werewolf of a roommate was able to disrupt her focus, confuse her beliefs.

"It's all an act. It must be," she whispered to herself.

Zoya began to shiver of the cold, but refused to go back to the room and smell Zain's scent.

"What is an act?" a stern voice surprised Zoya from her spiraling thoughts.

She turned to meet eyes with the Headmistress herself.

"I wonder why one of my students is shivering out in the cold, and not eating in the warm hallway?" She eyes Zoya.

Zoya felt the Headmistress was a lady not to mess with, and decided to be on her good graces. The Headmistress had brown hair that was dyed a smooth honey color, and it accentuated her beauty. She had sharp eyes, a bright smile, and a matching lipstick. She reminded her much of her mother, they would have been of similar age by now. Zoya decided to confine in this powerful lady.

"My roommate and I had a quarrel, that's all. He and I can't seem to see things on the same page."

"What kind of quarrel, Miss Fernando?" She asked smoothly.

Her voice was like honey, and Zoya understood why many love the Headmistress. She had a way with her students to see them, without judging them. To speak to their unsullied nature, and doesn't mind their differences.

"Our core values don't align," she replied truthfully.

"Ah I see," she went to the nearest bench and sat comfortably. She waved Zoya to join, and Zoya did as told.

"Sometimes we meet those who resemble us, match us, and others who are so different they challenge our beliefs in much more ways than we'd like to admit to ourselves. It seems that Mr. Aboulseoud, is one to push you out of your comfort zone, am I mistaken?"

Zoya admired how quickly she was true to her words, with only selected information displayed.

"Yes, you're right, Headmistress,"

"Please with the formalities, call me Professor Alena." She smiled softly.

"Yes, Head—I mean Professor Alena." Zoya smiled back.

"Excellent."

Zoya was lost in thought before she shared a lingering question.

"What if I don't want to be pushed out of my comfort zone?"

Professor Alena laughed sweetly, "Oh Miss Fernando, where will the fun be? Unfortunately life tends to push us out, to challenge our beliefs and help us see different things in new light."

She tood up and looked at Zoya.

"Sometimes it is great to lock our old habits in a closet, so we can welcome new possibilities with an open-mind. You remind me of a quote I used to love so dearly, I believe it went like this 'It never hurt one's eyes to look at the bright side', do you not agree?" That was the last thing she said before she handed out her hand to Zoya.

Zoya took acceptingly.

"Now, come. Dinner is almost finished, and one needs a warm meal before we sleep."

Zoya's stomach grumbled in approval.

The Headmistress smiled one last time, before she hummed a melody and walked back into campus. Zoya followed and found her way to the grand hallway, thanks to the maps.

She entered the room, not realizing how hungry she was , she looked for the nearest table. Before she sat, she heard someone yell her name.

"Over here!"

She looked up to find Nadeen frantically waving. Nadeen's excitement and Memphis' red face made her smile.

"Come sit with us!" Nadeen prompted her as soon as she closed the distance between them.

"Yes I'd love that, thank you."

Zoya sat down and filled her plate with the warm dinner before she devoured her food for the second time in a day.

"Where's Zain?" Nora asked.

Zoya looked at her with guilty eyes and a full-mouth.

"I don't know," she replied.

"Ugh, finish eating first before you start spitting your food," Nora commented in disgust.

Zoya swallowed and continued, "Last time I saw him, he went to our room."

"That's unusual, Zain never misses a meal," Nadeen whispered and Memphis nodded.

Nora eyed Zoya in confusion.

"What?"

"You tell me," Nora wondered.

"What do you mean?"

"You were the last person with him. What did you do?"

"Nothing," Zoya replied, maintaining her perfectly innocent look.

"Are you lying?" Nora raised her voice, ready to punch Zoya in the nose.

"I mean he may have felt unwell? He told me he had a medical condition," Zoya lied.

"Oh dear, he must have forgotten to take his medicine again," Nadeen panicked.

She started to hysterically cry, and Memphis tried to gather as many napkins to comfort his friend.

"Does he have it with him?" Nora asked, and Zoya realized the seriousness of the situation.

"What did he have?" Zoya inquired.

"Well it's a hereditary disease, it called [check a diease] and he can [find symptoms of that disease], that's why he needs to take his medicine twice a day: after breakfast and dinner," Nadeen explained.

"But the Asshole forgets, because he gets too busy studying of course." Nora shook her head in disapproval.

"I see. And of course he needs a meal for that," Zoya concluded.

"Yes."

Nadeen's enigmatic energy suddenly tipped off and made the whole group gloom.

"Well then, I'll take some food with me upstairs and make sure he takes his medicine," Zoya proposed looking at Nadeen.

Nadeen beamed gratefully at the kind human in front of her. The group's energy changed and Zoya understood that Nadeen is the center of positive energy of the trio.

Zoya thought of what she can do with this information, and how that can help her get rid of Zain. But conflict broke inside her as she imagined Nadeen's devastation. She was too bright, too kind to see her in pain like this. It seems they were very close, and that would be a problem for Zoya.

Zoya's newly acquired information still didn't explain how Zain is a werewolf and Nadeen is human. Something didn't add up, and Zoya was determined to press Zain.

Dinner passed quite successfully, much to Zoya's content, and she enjoyed the food without any further inquiries. Zoya observed them, learned their quirks, tried to see patterns in their conversations, and facial expressions. One thing she realized undeniably, is that each one loved Zain and they were worried despite Zoya's comforting words.

'Remember Zoya, your word is your law. Whatever it takes, make you always follow through. It distinguished a hunter from another: the honesty of their words.' Zoya's Grandpa would always remind her. One of the few people she never lies to.

She gathered food as promised, and made sure everything was still warm. She held two plates, a meal for Zain and a dessert for the both of them. Zoya reached the room, and knocked.

Zain opened the door and let her in, looking at her like she was about to devour him as well.

"Someone has an appetite." Zain closed the door and sat back at his messy bed, observing Zoya as she placed the food neatly on the desk table.

"That's for you. And I'm here to make sure you take your medicine as well."

She waved him to sit at the chair, and pulled hers from the opposite of their room.

"How did you know?" Zain's body stiffened and didn't conceal his embarrassment.

"I may have asked what was your condition, and Nadeen may have explained to me," she bit her tongue unsure of what to expect him to react.

He nodded silently, unlike his usual self.

"You have good friends, Zain. They are worried about you and I promised to make sure you take your medicine," she pushed the plate closer to Zain as an invitation to eat.

He remained on his bed, with a look on his face. Zoya couldn't identify what he was thinking but she knew he was considering her offer.

"Why care?" He asked.

"Because they do. Humans may have terrible sense of judgment at times, but not when a few agree on the same person. I never had that."

Zain moved closer, accepting the food before it cooled off.

"An Agreement?" He gulped the frizzy juice and stuffed his mouth with that day's dinner food.

"Friends."

She pulled her chair closer and stretched her feet on Zain's bed, dominating the space comfortably.

"I told you I never cared for school. And training all the time meant sacrificing your social life. Sure I have hunter friends, but our code says if something happens to one of us, neither cares and moves on. It's just how it is. You have to reach the goal of capturing werewolves, and it's more of a competition so you can never be friends with your rallies. 'Less trust, means less hurt and more focus', my grandpa would teach me."

She looked at Zain for the first time during her talk, and she thought she'd find disappointment. She did not. She found his friendly eyes and welcoming smile as uncanny as ever.

"I'm sorry." Zain felt genuine sorrow for Zoya.

"Don't be. It's what made me who I am. A powerful huntress with the ambition to save the world. That is my purpose, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill it," she said before Zoya looked at him and gave a small genuine smile.

"So when I said I want us to be friends?" Zain prompted curiously.

"I can't. If someone finds out about you, they will kill us both. I can't risk our lives for a forbidden friendship," she explained, her worries with exquisite honesty.

"But what I can offer is my respect. I don't question a person's judgment, so if three humans' trust you, than that will be enough for me."

Zain thought about it and his cheerful self re-surfaced.

"I'll take what I can." He offered his hand and Zoya shook his in agreement.

"Now use Google Calendar for crying out loud! It helps with constant reminders to take your medicine even if you forgot to jot them down on the planner," she explained.

Zoya helped Zain to connect Google Calendar with another app to remind him of taking his medicine daily, and to insure his water intake of the day. It prompted her to print a monthly planner to track his progress, and have a separate one for the overlapping classes. In return, Zain explained to Zoya all the intricate literature texts that they were supposed to read and summarize for the next class.

Zoya smiled, and they both ate their shared deserts. The pudding gave subtle warmth to the room and its smell made these passing moments between the two bearable, even maybe likeable for either to admit themselves. Everything was new, they were unprecedented and Zoya knew that. A small fraction in her mind wondered what life would have been had they both been regular humans? Would they have been friends by now?

She let her eyes wander and explore Zain's features. How he had dark green eyes that blended with forest trees, and his perfectly aligned white teeth. The healed scar on his chin, and how his double-chin accentuated his subtle charisma. Or how his cologne was sweet, despite its strong scent. She drew closer to smell it as for a slow moment, she didn't smell his scent. Suddenly, he was a boy, she was a girl sharing a room and trying to figure out their English Homework. Zain locked eyes and Zoya realized he was doing the same thing. A sudden alarm rang loudly inside her, and she shifted her focus back to the textbook.

Zoya suppressed her thoughts away. Such nonsensicals weren't allowed, and her grandpa would be disappointed. The greatest Hunter and Leader of the century wasn't about to have a disgraceful granddaughter. So Zoya suppressed her feelings even more, and ignored her rising heartbeats and heated face. No matter what she thought, no matter the unwanted "what ifs" that came to mind, Zoya reminded herself that Zain is a werewolf. They would always be mortal enemies, no matter how kind he was. They're core values clashed, one of them was meant to break, and that person wasn't going to be Zoya.

It bothered Zoya that she could hear her heartbeats ringing in her ears, and feel Zain's uneven breath on her skin. Tension rose in the birth of an awkward silence and that tension gave comfort to Zoya. It was a form of reassurance that she despised Zain to her core, and all the small details she had acquired about him. She stood up and went to open the window nearest to their desks.

She let the cool air calm her fiery body. It changed the air in the room, and the freshness allowed her to smell the wolf scent radiating immensely from Zain. Her nose was getting used to his animal smell, and she needed to make sure that the window remained open to catch it.

They continued their shared homework, with a comfortable distance between them. The few slow moments they shared, burned with the demolished ancient civilizations. In Zoya's mind, it no longer existed.

They attempted to sleep early, without saying goodnight. Zain and Zoya silently listened to their unwilling heartbeat rhythms align, neither knowing the other was awake.

But the window remained open.