By the next morning, I had convinced myself that everything from last night had been… well, weird, but explainable. Maybe Mira just liked midnight swims. Maybe she wasn't as mysterious as my brain wanted to believe.
Still, when I walked into class, I caught myself glancing at her. She looked perfect calm, focused, her dark hair braided neatly over one shoulder, her blue bracelet catching the light every time she wrote something down.
I took my seat next to Naomi who was smiling at me. She had curly hair, big brown eyes, and the kind of friendly energy that immediately put me at ease.
"Morning" I said, moving my bag aside.
"Hey Lina" she said, sliding into her properly. "l didn't know you were rooming with Mira?"
I blinked. "Yeah"
Naomi grinned. "Wow tts awesome. She's kind of… well, famous around here."
After some classes it was lunch time, we sat under a tree by the courtyard. The ocean breeze carried the faint smell of salt through the air, and students' laughter echoed across the school grounds.
"So," I said between bites, "what's the deal with her? My roommate, I mean. Mira."
Naomi's smile softened. "Oh, Mira's amazing. She's the sweetest person you'll ever meet. She is kind helps people, tutors half the class, and she's been here since freshman year. Everyone loves her."
That wasn't exactly the Mira I knew.
Naomi stirred her juice box straw thoughtfully. "But… she's kind of private. Sometimes she disappears for hours. Says she needs alone time. She sneaks around going to the ocean which isn't allowed but her doing it it's kinda cool. I think she likes the ocean more than people."
I frowned. "The ocean?"
Naomi laughed lightly. "She practically lives by it. Always out there after classes. Some say she even swims at night, no matter how cold it gets."
My stomach twisted. Swims at night.
"Anyway," Naoni added with a shrug, "she's harmless. Just mysterious."
But the word stuck in my head long after lunch ended. Mysterious. That was one way to put it.