The dorm hallway was unusually quiet when I pushed open the door to our room. Midafternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, cutting the air into golden stripes. I’d expected to find the place empty—my roommate always stayed out late on Tuesdays, tucked away in the library with her endless stack of philosophy books.

But she was there.

Or rather, she was on her bed, sheets tangled around her legs, her back pressed against the headboard. Big headphones swallowed her ears, and her laptop balanced on her knees. Her face was flushed, lips parted in a way that made her look… different. Soft. Not the usual cool, aloof roommate I’d gotten...