Melia enters her room, 326. I follow her closely. I want to see if her roommates are acceptable. They unpack their things. I discreetly gauge them while helping my sister. Their looks seem quite similar to my twin's, less extravagant but very close. A guy, at least six feet tall, enters the room. I glare at him, he walks straight towards one of the girls. He lifts her up in his arms and kisses her on the hair, laughing. The poor girl is very small, about five feet tall, you can see that the guy loves to put her several dozen centimetres above the ground to tease her. He is her brother. His big brother. The other two girls are cooing. If I understand correctly, he's on the basketball team.

He's not here to pick up, but to give his sister the excess luggage she's hidden in her brother's suitcases. I can hear them bickering lovingly. Two not very mean girls and one rather funny coward. Mélia is not in danger. The older brother, though athletic, doesn't seem a threat to me either. His polite hello to the assembly without a glance and his mother hen attitude with his sister reassures me. He won't hurt Mélia. So I leave her, after a cuddly kiss, to go to my room.

— AAAAAARRRRGGGGG.

Judging by the number of suitcases, I'm dealing with three money-grubbing fashion victims. Judging by the look of contempt of the two present, two bitches. After the obligatory hello, I don't speak to them. My clothes are put away in ten minutes. My course books and other school accessories in five. I slump down on my bed with a book, not caring about the chatter of the two bitches. I'm just about to fall asleep from boredom when I hear a rattling voice. NO! NOT HER. PLEASE! NOT HER.

— It's here, darling. Why don't you go inside and say hello to Petunia and Clarissa. Don't be a bear.

AND SHIT. Miss Queen Bee. There she is, entering the room accompanied by an insipid handsome man. I dive back into my book.

The poor guy is her pet. No, her boyfriend. The king of the school. The captain of the basketball team. The only thing that makes me laugh about Miss Queen Bee's cooing is that the handsome guy seems a bit cantankerous. I purse my lips to keep from laughing every time he puts her in her place or sighs in exasperation. Unfortunately for me, the queen bee finally spots me.

— What the hell are you doing here?

I deign to look up and point to the tidy cupboard to let him know I'm one of his housemates. I don't feel like talking. I return to my book. The handsome man leans over to read the title. He sneers, sending "Mechanics for Dummies. Basic principles".

— I have a feeling you two are going to get on famously, Naya. He says, bursting into laughter.

Fortunately for his life, he exits quickly. I continue my silence. The three idiots praise the physical appearance of the handsome man and his buddies. I didn't even glance at them. I'm bored with this pointless discussion. I put my headphones on and turn the music volume up loud enough to isolate myself in my bubble until lunchtime. The Queen Bee has too many clothes and doesn't know how to put her stuff away. I decide to make a gesture to show my credentials. I want to be left alone later.

— I don't use the right side of my wardrobe. You can store a few things there as long as you leave me alone. I am lonely and happy as I am.

Miss looks at me, surprised. Then accepts my proposal with a :

— I don't want to talk to a grunge like you anyway. But .... Thanks for the wardrobe. It's cool. I'll remember that.

She smiles to see her wardrobe problem solved so easily. I suddenly realize I'm in the bedroom of the school's queen. The leader of the popular cult. I'm going to have to get used to seeing a bunch of idiots walk by. I text Melia, who laughs at me and my damn bad luck. She already knows about the school gossip and keeps me informed. All I know is that the cafeteria is open from five to eleven.

The three pests go out to eat. I'm finally alone. Yippee. I take the opportunity to write a letter to my little cousin. My little girl whom I adore. She is five years younger than me. My peace of mind is short-lived.

— NAYA. It's me. Are you coming to eat? An intruder enters without invitation.

— No one! I answer without looking up.

The handsome man looks at me surprised.

— Oh no! Meg dear. You're not going to start being antisocial.

I smile as I recognise the sweet voice of my double. I put my book down immediately and get up to jump on him.

- Yes, my little love tyrant.

She pats my head as she laughs and accepts my hug, then introduces me to her new friends. Her three roommates, the entire basketball team. But how does she do it? Melia has only been here for two hours. She tells me all the names, which I immediately forget.

She seems to have fallen in love with the little cowardly girl mothered by her brother. I listen to her babble happily. I am happy to see that Mélia is making friends. The brother speaks to me.

— You're Megan, right? And your sister is Mélia? I'm Blaise. Sarah's brother.

I nod without saying a word, politely.

— On Saturday I'm showing my sister around town. You girls can come with us if you want.

Melia jumps for joy and thanks him. It's true that it's nice of him. Although I think it's a technique to assess her sister's roommates and make sure she's safe. I hear him telling the girls that if someone is bothering them, they can just come to him and he'll take care of it. Melia laughs when Sarah scolds her brother and asks him to stop babying her.

— Do you have a bodyguard too, Sarah? Mine doesn't look like much, but he's a pain in the ass.

I stick my tongue out at her. Now the handsome one is interfering in our bickering.

— There are some disreputable types. You'd better come and see us. A moth can't do anything against a mountain of muscle.

— It depends on how resistant the muscle mountain is to ball-busting. That's the weak point of many overconfident gentlemen, I replied coldly.

Mélia can't breathe because she's laughing so hard.

— I'm telling you, she's a pain in the ass.

And that's how a team of seventeen-year-old basketball players start to fear a girl of barely fifteen. Or the art of building a reputation from the start.

When they arrive at the cafeteria, Bellâtre and his friends go to join the queen bee. Only Blaise stays with the new girls of the second year. I observe the room with curiosity and understand the threat the guys were talking about. A dumb-looking weightlifter is strutting around the room in a transparent tank top. From the way many of them are moving away, he must be the local kingpin. The aggressive look he gives Bellâtre makes me realize that only basketball players keep him in check.

— What do you think? my unicorn asks me without discretion.

— Muscular, but too much so. He must lack flexibility and speed. If he's after you, aim for the crotch and then when he bends over, break his nose, I say calmly.

Blaise lets out a loud laugh that makes the whole room turn around.

— I have a feeling I'm going to like you. I like you already.

He ruffles my hair in a friendly gesture. The other girls at the table are open-mouthed except for Mélia who smiles mischievously. So Sarah the half-breed, Lilou the blond girl, and Fleur the... Blue? Yes, that's it. Her hair is blue. They all have a bit of a Kawai manga look, like my sweetheart. They'll make quite a foursome, I think.

— EEEEEH FARMERRRRR. Why is Blaise laughing his head off? What did you say again? screams Fop across the refectory.

— EEEEEH MALTEEEEEZZZZ. HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT YOUR SNORING. I TOLD HIM TO LEND HIM MY BOOK TO ASSUMPTION YOU WHILE YOU SLEEP," I replied in the same tone, using his surname to shut him up.

As much as Blaise seems nice to me, I can feel that his friend the captain is going to make my hair stand on end. Moreover, the look on his face at my reply tells me that he didn't appreciate it, the feeling of exasperation is mutual. Obviously, he is not used to being answered. I see the room dumbfounded and Musclor swallowing flies. God, he looks so stupid. He looks like Brice de Nice who's been blowing up.