USA

Even though it was going past her normal bed time, Anastasia decided to stay awake. She pulled out her computer and sat on her bed under the white covers.

Anastasia opened Google and looked at the logo for a long time. The Academy restricted access to what websites could be accessed on their internet servers since not everything was deepened “appropriate,” much like a lot of schools. At home, she had open access but, of course, learning was not necessarily on her mind during those times. Now, she hated herself for not taking every second to read articles and learn instead of spending time out on the garden or figuring out how to sit on the rooftops.

Now, the internet, unrestricted at every second. There was so much left to learn…

After a moment she typed in yabel and then chabel. After a few tries, she finally came across what she supposed Jisun was talking about. A conglomerate of family-controlled firms… she read on the screen. She took the time to click through a few links, learning about the history of the South Korean firms, the different scandals over the years, and the biggest companies. She had heard of companies such as Samsung and was surprised to learn that they were from South Korea; she realized that she didn’t know where most products came from. Anastasia spent some more time learning about different kinds of companies. There was so much information, however, that after some time she went back to the search engine’s main page.

She decided to search up something different Ramen. The images varied from bare ramen soup to more elaborate ones like Jisun’s. After watching a few videos on how to make ramen, she somehow found herself getting lost amongst the videos, seeing how to make everything from no-bake strawberry cheesecake to churros to fluffy pancakes. Some of the videos didn’t have anyone speaking and, instead, focused on capturing the sounds of the kitchen. Anastasia found it both satisfying and unsettling to hear everything from the chopping to the sounds of people eating.

Anastasia ended up creating a playlist of the videos she liked. She finally went to sleep around twelve, which was much later than usual. By then, she felt the weight of exhaustion on her body like a heavy blanket.

The next day, Anastasia woke up around seven. Again, it was later than she was used to and her body was still tired. It took her a while to wake up, thankful that she didn’t have to start classes just yet. Soon, but today was another free day. She wasn’t sure what she would do yet, but she supposed it would work out.

She quickly showered, putting on a knee-long pastel purple dress and makeup, and went to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. She was going to try making dalgona coffee, which she had seen on one of the videos, and some french toast. It took her some time to locate all of the ingredients and utensils, also spotting the ramen in the walk-in pantry. Thankfully, Anastasia did know how to use the kitchen, at least the basics so that she didn’t have to burn herself every time. It wasn’t her favorite thing ever, but she supposed it would be best if she did and learned how to do different things. Following the online recipes carefully, she was flipping a banana pancake over when her phone rang.

“Hello, mother,” she said into the phone. “I’m doing well. Yes, I really like the apartment, thank you. так, the building is wonderful.”

Anastasia, of course, wasn’t going to mention anything about a roommate. She also wasn’t enjoying the long list of questions and realized she hadn't called Leo yesterday.

“Yes, I will be going to the university later to ensure all of the paperwork has been correctly processed. Yes, I’m signed up as a Literature major.”

There was, also, the thing about her having changed her major last-minute during her online orientation. Since her mother didn't have access to her college account, after applications, she hadn't really been looking into it. “Can I speak to you later? I'm preparing breakfast. Of course, I am being careful. Wonderful, goodbye, mother.”

Anastasia groaned after closing off the call. As she placed the cooked pancake on top of a small stack she had already finished, Anastasia added the last of the batter. She wondered if Jisun might want some pancakes… Anastasia knew that she should be acting better around her roommate but it was hard. She was stuck between trying to understand what this new freedom to be whomever she wished to be was and the way she was raised to be. It seemed like Jisun wasn't the kind to particularly like either but she had also tried. It wasn't her fault that Anastasia was so... oblivious to things. Anastasia also wanted a space to grow without feeling like every learning opportunity was something she should feel ashamed about. It was hard for her to communicate these things, however. She had never been allowed to express her feelings.

As she flipped the pancake, she did it with too much force and the raw batter splattered all over the stove and her dress. Anastasia sighed. Perhaps she should've waited until after she cooked to shower.

Hearing her name, Bernadette's dark eyes moved from the paintings to the source of the sound.

Bernadette had not planned on being seen. Had she moved along to another exhibit in the meantime, upon having seen Yael, would have ensured insivibility for some time but she had wanted to see the star of the exhibit and being approached by a peer was not going to make her shy away.

Her headache was getting stronger and she did not plan on staying much longer. Perhaps just another hour. Make the trip worth it. There was good art displayed, after all.

"You were not," she replied, shaking her head in the slightest manner. Had Yael been in the way, Bernadette would have made sure the issue was fixed. By stepping aside, of course. There was a seriousness in her tone that was everpresent but her English accent was mixed with the faint remains of her native tongue. "Yes, Bernadette."

Her fingers were tapping against her black purse, which hung from a long strap on her right shoulder. She knew smoking would make the headache worse, but she could not help but think about the silver case she kept them in, which had been placed in the interior zipperless pocket.

Bernadette wanted to step away, find a low-lit place outside where she could lean against a cool wall and close her eyes. On a more normal night, she would have been interacting more openly with others. Even a long day of training left her feeling energized. However, it was one of those rare days were she felt her energy plumeting.

"What do you think?" she asked, nonetheless, her chin motioning towards the paintings. It was not that she wanted to converse at the particularly moment but that perhaps it would help her momentarily forget the pounding against her skull.

Anastasia saw Jisun and Dal enter the common area. She was surprised to see her roommate waking up so early; Jisun struck her as the kind to stay late. She supposed they did have some things in common.

Their clothing style, however, were not one of those things. Jisun had opted out for an all-black look, the same color scheme as the night before. It was much more revealing than Anastasia would have worn save for a day at a beach or a yacht. Nonetheless, it looked great on Jisun. Anastasia tried to imagine her in a dress like hers and almost laughed at the thought. Could you imagine?

Anastasia also could not help but wonder how Jisun's bedroom was decorated. Was it all black like its inhabitant? She doubted the designers gotten a hold of it; she hoped not as they would have probably had to face a very fierce Jisun. Of course, it would have been with reason. At that thought, Anastasia briefly looked around the apartment which had been decorated for her. Not one item of Jisun's was in sight. Anastasia supposed that couldn't be too welcoming for Jisun and decided that it would be something to bring up in a conversation soon. After all, this was a shared space, Jisun deserved to have some say in the decorations if it was something she cared about.

She greeted Jisun and Dal, who moved beside his food bowl in order to eat. Anastasia was tempted to offer the dog some of her food but it wasn't her dog and she didn't know if Jisun was cool with that. Another thing she would have to ask, although she figured perhaps not, not wanting to step outside of the boundary.

"I found a bunch of food videos last night," Anastasia replied, taking a papertowel and damping it with some water in order to clean up the batter from her dress and the counter as best as she could. "I rarely drink coffee, but I wanted to give it a try. It looked really cute, but left my arm hurting after all the whisking. There's also banana pancakes. I made some extra in case you wanted to try."

Anastasia placed the last pancake on the big plate. Taking a smaller plate, she served herself a couple. As Jisun mentioned overhearing, Anastasia drizzled some maple syrup on top of the pancakes. Of course, it couldn't bother her.

You did answer the call in an open space, Anastasia told herself. What did you expect?

The only thing was she had told Jisun about her major earlier and she had probably overheard that part. Did she need to explain herself? Perhaps not. After all, she had to wait for the first week to pass without her mother somehow finding out about her curriculum for the semester.

Jisun's offer made Anastasia smile. Okay, another go at going out to the city together. Hopefully, Anastasia didn't mess this one up. "I would love that," she said with a nod. "Thank you."

She took her plate and cup and walked over to the dining room table. "I don't think the errand will take long. I hope. My mother just wants to ensure I've been properly enrolled and all paperwork is progressed. I just have to stop by the Admissions office."

Bernadette listened to Yael’s take on the collection. It was short and to the point, thankfully. As the question was directed back at her, Bernadette regretted asking in the first place. While she enjoyed conversing about such topics, she felt a flash of pain behind her eyes.

Pourquoi aujourd'hui? she asked herself, stopping her hand from reaching up to her temple.

As she saw a young man in a suit pass with a tray of empty glasses, Bernadette motioned for him to come over.

"May I please get a glass of water?" Bernadette turned briefly to Yael, "For her- what would you like?"

She gave Yael some time to speak before thanking the young man and allowing him to go on his way.

Her attention returned to the paintings around her. Bernadette was interested in reading what the journals would be publishing about the collection in the upcoming days. Like Yael had mentioned, there was a string of commonality that connected the paintings despite a disjunction in the tecniques and compositions. It showed strategy, which provided for a harmonious flow between the clashing colors and varying techniques.

She was trying to figure out all of the elements the master painter had seen in the artist behind the collection.

"I wonder why the artist remained anonymous," she simply said after a moment of silence. There was much more to be said about the whole collection, of course, but Bernadette was sure it would all be said in the articles tomorrow. Why waste the words? "I do not expect the collection to be particularly controversial in terms of subject matter or message. I personally don't see what would warrant a need for anonymity."

Of course, there were many whose situation or art needed the autonomy for their own safety. However, the paintings did not have any

The server returned. Bernadette took out a painkiller from her bag and thanked the server, taking the glass and quickly passing the pill down. Hopefully, it would kick in well before she left so that she didn't have to drive in this state.

Anastasia smiled when Jisun commented on the pancakes; she figured that was a lot coming from her. There had been very few opportunities for her to cook before, so Anastasia did not have a lot of experience cooking different things but she was excited to do it now that there was the chance. There was already a list she had written down of recipes to try, both sweet and savory, and last night she had added more than a few items to the already-long list.

She was taking a bite of the pancake when Jisun mentioned the Fates sisters. Anastasia froze, the fork stopping between the place and her mouth.

The Fates were the only reason that Anastasia had even been allowed to move here in the first place. Leo’s family was closely acquainted with theirs and the three had always been a threatening presence at the Academy. The very few times that she had been around the Fates, they were not particularly awful since they knew who she was and her connection to the Ainsworth’s, especially after the engagement, but Anastasia knew what they were capable of doing and had never dared to do anything that would test the waters. Even the Academy, who tolerated little from their students regardless of their familial background, had swept some incidents under the rug for them.

Obviously, Anastasia planned to interact with the triplets as little as possible. She only needed to stay out of their way for a year since they were incoming graduating seniors.

As Jisun finished speaking about them, Anastasia took the bite of pancake. Her throat now felt dry and she had to take a sip of the coffee in order to pass it down. Should she tell Jisun?

Anastasia wondered if the young woman would hate her or even completely avoid her if she did. However, it would be inevitable that she’d find out. As much as Anastasia hoped to not interact with the Fates, they knew that she was attending Olympus this semester and it would be best to give Jisun the heads up.

“I know the Fates, actually,” she said a moment after Jisun finished her explanation. “They attended my Academy and their family is close to my fiance's family, so I’m… unfortunately aware of their reputation, but I have no affection for them. I’ve had very little interaction with them over the years, thankfully.”

Anastasia poked at the small piece that was left of her pancake. “They were actually the reason I was able to attend Olympus. My mother wanted familiar faces nearby. I suppose in case I needed help, even though they are the last people that I would go to if I did have any issue.”

A small laugh left her lips and she looked down at her food. Imagine actually approaching the Fates to tell them about your personal issues.

Or in case she needed to check in on me, she couldn't help but think. Anastasia sighed.

“I was basically going to get married after the Academy but I wasn’t ready. I managed to convince my mother to let me study in the United States but it was Olympus or nothing and she wouldn’t budge,” Anastasia said, putting her fork down and looking back up at Jisun. She supposed it was better to explain it than have Jisun suppose things. “I… hope that me knowing them doesn’t make you hate me.”

Finishing her drink, Anastasia stood up. She put on the pink kitchen gloves and quickly rinsed the plates and everything she had used to make the breakfast in order to put it in the dishwasher. She supposed it would be easier to just wash it all at once; Anastasia never had to worry about those things before but now it seemed like such a waste of water to rinse and not wash everything right away.

Jisun's question caught her off guard. Even though it was arranged, she had necessarily not thought about it that way since it was something that Anastasia had always expected to happen. She had just thought of it as... marriage. Of course, it had been different when it actually happened; she had been left with emotions she couldn't quite understand but that was a long time ago and Leo was a whole ocean away.

Which reminded Anastasia that she still had to call Leo. Now would be the right time but Anastasia wanted to get out into the city. The weather app had said it would be sunny and she looked forward to a beautiful day. Surely, he would understand.

Taking off the gloves, Anastasia turned to Jisun. "Leonard Ainsworth," she replied simply. The family was old British money so she didn't think Jisun was likely to know them, not when compared to other families.

"I'll be back," she said, walking to her room and quickly changing into a set of clothes that wasn't splattered with pancake batter.

Leo wasn't a bad person; he was caring and had always made her enjoy their time together. Still, he wasn't someone Anastasia actively thought about. Having seen Jisun in shorts, Anastasia decided to pick out her own set. The look was wildly different, clearly, and Anastasia wasn't used to wearing shorts for daily basis. Mostly skirts and dresses. Jisun's style was... nothing like Anastasia had seen before. She wondered what she would look like with a style like Jisun's. Certainly out of place if not outright silly she figured.

"Ready?" She asked, coming back out. The sun shone brightly through the windows and Anastasia was excited; it had been rainy since she had arrived. She was used to cold and rainy weather but had always loved the heat and the sun.

Anastasia smiled as she saw Dal's energy go up and felt her own energy brighten, evaporating away any of the heaviness she felt on her weight after speaking with her mother or the mentioning of the Fates sisters. She wanted to pet him but felt like perhaps it wasn't the right time just yet.

The hallway was empty and Anastasia wondered who else lived in this building, whether they were young or old. Something told her that Jisun would do everything possible to be away from people her age but she would have to wait until she could meet a neighbor. Perhaps she'd get some treats and go greet them herself; she had seen it being done in American suburban movies but wasn't sure if it was actually a thing one did. Maybe she would ask Jisun-- so many things to ask Jisun.

Unfortunately, Jisun also seemed to have a lot of questions for her. She didn't really mind but these touched on subjects she preferred not to speak about. Anastasia figured Jisun heard the last of her conversation with her mother.

"International Studies," she replied, pressing the "down" elevator button. Should she elaborate? Best not. Jisun would probably give her another speech on how it's ridiculous for her to hide it from her mother. Plus, the conversation would only put her off.

Anastasia wanted the doors to open immediately, as if she could step into a new space and forget the conversation but it was taking its time. "But I mostly have electives this first semester," she added after a moment.

Finally, the steel doors opened and she stepped inside. Her perfume, although a soft floral scent, seemed to fill the space.

"What kind of treats does Dal like? I was hoping to get him some, if you didn't mind," Anastasia asked, leaning over slightly to push the button to the first floor. Her shoulder brushed against Jisun's and she quickly took a small step to the side, murmuring an apology.

“It’s best we leave now, then,” Bernadette said. “Although I would’ve enjoyed staying longer.”

With that, she turned and began to walk. The room had filled much more since they first began talking. However, people quickly moved out of the way when they saw Bernadette walking. Her expression wasn’t one to be considered cold but there was always a seriousness in the way she looked that made people step aside.

A few people said goodbye to her on the way out.

“Going so soon, Bernadette?” A man in his fifties asked. He was the manager of an independent art gallery who had known his father for a couple of years.

“I’m afraid so, Mr. Trent.”

”Say hello to your father, will you?” he said. “I have some wonderful pieces at the gallery, I can give a personal tour to the both of you. Give me a call.”

“We’ll be in touch,” Bernadette said with a smile and shook his hand firmly.

Thankfully, no one motioned for her in the main lobby. Outside, she motioned for the valet and gave the young woman her ticket who quickly walked to get the car. A large part of her regretted accepting and her headache wasn’t easing; perhaps it would be better off to offer an Uber after all.

It didn’t take much for her car to be driven to the drop-off area. The black matte R8 had been a gift from her parents when she came back home for university.

“Do you live on campus?” Bernadette asked as she tipped the valet and took her keys. She supposed that Yael was one of the students that lived in the dorms. Apartments in New York were not cheap to come by. Money, of course, wasn’t an issue Bernadette had ever been affected by but she knew the numbers; living in New York City was not affordable for most of its population.

At the question of electives, Anastasia briefly thought back to her schedule. Given that she was an incoming student, there was a lot of freedom for her to choose electives, aside from the required International Studies classes, and she had chosen the ones that most interested, according to the categories she had to fill.

"I have Sex, Gender, and Sexuality," she said after a moment. The words felt almost foreign in her mouth; Anastasia knew very little about either of the three but the course had interested her. "And Basic German. The other classes right now are for my major."

Anastasia nodded with a smile at Dal’s inclusive palette. The canine hadn’t very affectionate but she respected that; not every dog immediately opened to strangers. "I haven’t lived with a pet since I was very young," Anastasia confessed. "I’m sure it’s nice to have a companion you can trust with your life."

As they exited the elevator, Anastasia followed Jisun. She laughed at her comment about getting lost. "I have a map on my phone just in case," Anastasia said. She had marked all of her classes in the mobile image and mapped out where she had to go. She was sure it wouldn’t take her more than a day or two to get used to moving between classes but the campus looked huge from the map and she supposed it would take her much longer. She had been so familiar with the Academy’s grounds that she could move with ease between halls and lawns even blindfolded.

As they walked down the street, Anastasia took a moment to take in the area around her. With a clear sky, the city looked very different than yesterday. It was also much warmer and the sunlight felt nice on her pale skin.

"Did you live in New York before univeristy?" Anastasia asked.

"Thank you," Berndatte replied, taking a seat on the driver's side. Her right hand took hold of the wheel as she drove out of the roundabout. She nodded when Yael confirmed where she lived and took a left once they hit the street. It wasn't extremely close, but it would only be thirty minutes to get there, mostly due to the heavy city traffic. Berndatte was glad she had a car but it was only because she lived far from the city. Otherwise, taking public transportation was so much easier than struggling to find parking spots in most places. Even though Bernadette was not short-tempered, wasting time to find parking could send her into a frustrated episode.

"Yes I live with my father," Yael replied. "Right on the city limits, so about an hour drive without traffic."

While her family could have chosen a place within the city, her father loved their French estate with rolling hills in the back and plenty of fresh air. The first year had been rough on Bernadette since she spent a lot of time driving back and forth every day during peak hours but, thankfully, she had been able to plan her schedule since then so that she generally only had to drive back two or three times a week for classes. During the summer, she had stayed at an apartment during the weekdays for her internship but had returned home as soon as she was able.

Beyond the car being one made to not feel the road, so that it seemed almost like they were driving in a capsule, her driving was smooth even in the busy streets. A ring broke through the silence.

The car's touch screen read, Incoming call from Ivette.

Bernadette had placed her bag in the back seat so that it didn't bother Yael. Bernadette didn't necessarily want for Yael to listen but there was really no option, Ivette rarely called unless there was something she needed to tell her right away, so she clicked it so that it connected over Bluetooth.

"Hi Ivette," she greeted the maid, "Is everything alright?"

"Miss Bee," her tone was one of worry, "I'm sorry to interrupt your night, but I think it's best if you return immediately. Your father is not feeling well."

Bernadette brought the car to a stop at a red light.

"Thank you, Ivette. I will see you soon," Bernadette said before hanging up. She glanced over at Yael; she could feel her heart pounding. Bernadette rarely got worried this way but everything with her dad left her on the edge.

"I'm sorry," Bernadette said. Her voice was leveled but there was clear worry in her eyes. "But I have to get home as soon as I can, I can't take you. I can wait for an Uber to pick you up? Otherwise, you would have to drive with me."

Anastasia had heard a lot about Califarnia. It would be wonderful if she had the opportunity to visit. However, she knew that it was on the other side of the country, even a couple of hours away on plane. She wondered what had prompted Jisun so move all the way to the other coast.

Anastasia had been too busy looking at the beautiful campus they had walked into, it was much more beautiful in person than in online photos and mailed brochures, that Jisun's sudden change of direction took her back surprise. Without thinking, she changed direction since she had been following Jisun without question in order to learn the way.

When she heard her name called out, Anastasia paused. A small frown appeared on her face, since she didn't immediately recognize the voice and wasn't really expecting to hear her name anywhere, but it didn't last more than a brief moment because she quickly spotted the Fates. Her expression immediately changed, first her eyes widened in surprise, and a moment after she was smiling. It wasn't a smile like the one when she looked at Dal or the campus around them, but it was prudent and rehearsed enough to come out friendly enough. The Fates took her by surprise; although something told her it wouldn't have been long until she bumped across one of them, Anastasia had not expected to see them this soon or all the three of them at once, although they did tend to travel in a pack.

"Clara, Lacey, Tristan," Anastasia greeted them as they walked up. The three were dressed impeccably and Anastasia felt the air around her change as she air kissed each of them. "What a surprise, I didn't expect to see you here,"

Anastasia glanced over at Jisun. The young woman didn't seem too happy; she had been clear about her stance with the Fates. It was clear that the Fates knew Jisun, especially in their tone had changed with pronouncing her name. Either Jisun was well-known around campus, which surprised Anastasia since Jisun didn't seem like one to be too sociable, or there was some interaction that had happened between them.

She wondered what the best way to answer was; Anastasia didn't want to tell the Fates that they were roommates. Not because she cared about other people knowing but she feared that somehow word would get to her mother. She needed to get through the first week. After add-drop, it would be harder for her mother to justify taking her out over smaller details.

"I met Jisun yesterday," Her smile changed briefly when she looked at Jisun, "She's showing me around the campus."

"You could've asked us to show you around," Lacey commented with a raised eyebrow, "You must've known we study here."

"Of course. I didn't want to bother you with these things," Anastasia could feel her heart pounding. "I'm sure the three of you are very busy."

"Not a bother at all," Clay said with a smile. There was something about the smile that unsettled Anastasia; it seemed almost like a frown.

"Well, we must be on our way," the third one said, flashing a look at Jisun. There was always something about them carrying a conversation as if they were one person. "Keep in touch, Ana."

The last sentence seemed less like an invitation and more like a command. Anastasia nodded and kissed the three of them on the cheek.

"Tell Leo we miss him," Clara said with a wink before they left.

Anastasia looked over her shoulder to make sure they had really gone. The air around them still seemed heavy and we wanted to get going. She had never been sure how Leo could've genuinely enjoyed spending time with the three of them; she had never liked it herself, even if they were close due to their families. Sure, they could be fun but they were as equally dangerous, in more than one way.

"I’m sorry I didn’t tell them about us being roommates. I figured it was best they didn't know," Anastasia said when she felt safe enough to speak freely again. She figured there was no need to explain but she didn't want Jisun thinking it was because she was embarrassed in front of the Fates. "My mother wouldn't be too happy finding out I have a roommate, it must have been a mistake when she chose the place. Knowing the Fates, it could reach her through them; they’re one to cause trouble when possible. You know. Anyways, should we keep going? I think the faster I get this errand done with the better."

Anastasia watched Dal's demeanor change and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, "I know how you feel, Dal."

"Since they were children," Anastasia nodded at Jisun's question. The Fates had known Leo for much longer than her. Summer vacations or social gatherings were made long whenever the Fates were around because Anastasia had to be on guard even more than usual. "Unfortunately, their families are quite close so they grew up together. I don't think Leo is anything like them so it has always struck me that he seems to genuinely enjoy spending time with them."

There was an edge to her words; it bothered her whenever the Fates got too close. The Fates had the power to destroy many things. The engagement could be one of those things. Even her mother warned her of them from the beginning.

"I think everyone was surprised when the two of us became engaged," Anastasia said after a moment, twisting the engagement ring around her finger. To think that one could have all the money in the world and still have someone above them, looking down with disdain. "We're not royal blood or an old name like the Fates or Leo's family."

Sometimes, Anastasia didn't know if she just preferred to mess things up, let something slip and ruin the engagement. The reprecussions from her mother terrified her too much though.

Anastasia enjoyed that Jisun had asked questions, trying to spark a conversation, but the topic she had chosen wasn't one Anastasia wanted to spend too long in, but it at least gave her hope that Jisun would be open to talking about other things. The Fates were gone for now and all she could do was live as much of her life as possible whenever they weren't around.

"Do you want to go out for dinner together, tonight?" Anastasia asked, her tone light again as she began to walk down. She paused as they came upon a flower tree on the side of the sidewalk. A small cluster of white flowers had fallen on the lush gras. Anastasia picked it up and put it on her hair. "I don't mind where we go, so you can choose if you prefer."

Bernadette pulled her car over into a parking space along the street. A large part of her deeply regretted having answered the phone call on Bluetooth, it made her feel as if she had made a big mistake.

"It is nice," she agreed. Bernadette didn't mind an apartment, although her and Yae'ls definitions of what a small apartment in the heart of New York City were very different.

Hearing Yael mention that she didn't have money for the ride, Bernadette reached to the back of the car to get her purse. She should have just pulled aside to answer. However, with her father having just left a chemotherapy session, her impulses had taken over. Not much to be done now, she supposed. She just had to make sure it didn't happen again anywhere else.

Taking out her phone, she opened the Taxi application since she didn't have the Uber application downloaded. She had used it many times when abroad and hen she couldn't get a taxi but, since she never took it here, the application was only re-downloaded when needed.

"Here," she said, knowing that if she were to put the general university address, Yael might be left crossing the huge campus just to get to her door. "There's no need to me pay back. I'll wait for your ride to pick you up."

Bernadette let Yael input the information into her phone. She quickly switched over to the contacts list and opened a new contact. "You can add your number to let me know when you've gotten home, if it makes you feel safer."

Bernadette was not exactly the warmest or most open of characters so Bernadette didn't consider this an invitation to be friendly but rather knowing that an extra layer of safety was appreciated even by her when going on public transportation alone.