Stel looked across after making what she hoped was a great final statement for why she should be hired as a librarian at Rising Shards. There was a silehat sted a bit too long from her interviewers, who had been generally chatty so far. Principal Peam had offered up plenty of curveball questions that were so bizarre they seemed almost poio ask, his brother/co-principal Berin asked more typical questions.

  “Well, Miss Faleur, I’m very impressed!” Pedam said. “In fact, I’d say you’re pretty nifty! I’ll defiake ygestion on what substance would be best to a highway on ramp, good thing I asked that one, right?”

  “It was great speaking with you.” Berin said. “We have a few more interviews scheduled, but we’ll be in touch.”

  “Great!” Stel said, standing to shake their hands.

  Normally, she dreaded the feeling of crushing an interview, because there were enough times she thought she killed it then found out ter she totally ta. But this felt different. Maybe it wasn’t riding an arrogant high of answering a few questiht or making the people interviewing her ugh, more so that she erfectly qualified for the job, which made her feel more fortable talking.

  She had to check her phoo make sure she had the right room number as she wandered around the girls’ dorms, making sure to check out the smaller library she’d be told she’d have plenty of time having shifts ia’s room was on the sed floor, and Stel promised her she’d che after her interview. Plus, Stel had a few tactical reasons for wanting to che with Zeta.

  Stel gave the knock she gave Zeta back at home whea had her door closed and he mild intimidation only a big sister guardian could give.

  “You don’t look mad, or sad,” Zeta said after opening the door. “I’ve seen you leave some interviews pretty sad or mad, so that’s a good sign right?”

  “I hope so!” Stel said. “Now you let me in?”

  “ht!” Zeta said.

  Stel quickly made her way to the bathroom, grabbing the garment bag hanging on the door. While she made sure to get the most professional looking clothes possible for this interview, that look did not trao fort. After log the door aing the much more fortable aer for outdoors set of clothes from the garment bag, she finally felt the pressure of the interview leave her. She practically wheezed as she got her skirt off and sighed in relief once she was in her fier clothes.

  “Remember, no judging the state of the bathroom,” Zeta called from outside. “You promised, remember?”

  “I know, cuz I couldn’t bme it on just you if the three of you messed it up in here,” Stel said, taking a quick peek around the sink area. She had holy expected a lot worse, outside of some clothes on the floor it wasn’t terribly messy. “It doesn’t look too bad though.”

  “That’s kinda judging, Stel,” Zeta said.

  “Good judging!” Stel said. She packed her interview clothes away ahe bathroom. She paused at the sight of Oka and Kalei suddenly also in the room.

  “Why the hell are they here?” Stel asked.

  “Well, Oka’s my girlfriend,” Zeta said. “Oh, and they’re both my roommates.”

  Stel rolled her eyes.

  “How did your interview go, Stel?” Oka asked. “I may have already told Berin that you’re the reliable sort, I’m sorry if that’s overstepping my bounds or anything.”

  “No, I really appreciate it! That’s so sweet!” Stel turo Zeta. “You be extra o her today.”

  “Make her be extra o me too,” Kalei said, pying on her handheld game sole oop bunk.

  “Zeta, be extra o Kalei too,” Stel said.

  “Yeah, yeah…” Zeta said. She was staring out the window now, as the blizzard outside was starting to kito full gear. “Hey, Stel…this storm’s looking bad.”

  “I’ll be alright,” Stel said.

  “Are you going to drive home in this?” Zeta asked.

  “Your sister’s an adult, she ha,” Kalei said. “Like, if it’s really bad, she just walk!”

  “I’m not going to walk.” Stel said. She hated to admit it, but the storm was looking pretty bad. Her friend Pippi was the type to always frequently warn about the severity of blizzards whether anyone wao hear it or not, but Stel had put her warnings in the back of her mind to focus entirely on nding the Rising Shards librarian job.

  “You know…” Zeta pondered. “You could spend the night here with us! You could sleep on the floor!”

  “I’m…good.” Stel said.

  “How about sleeping at the library?” Oka suggested. “You’d give off the impression of a real go getter.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’d get thrown out.” Stel said. “And I took a Stuba here, so I was just gonna take one back.”

  The winds outside got louder for a sed, bringing a burst of snow across the window as they howled.

  “Zeta, if it’s really bad, I’ll just get a hotel for the night.” Stel said, answering her little sister’s anxious pout. “And no, your room would not be the same thing as a hotel. I won’t have to sleep on the floor at a hotel.”

  “It could be like a mock Safe Silver though…” Zeta said. “It is the first big blizzard this season, doesn’t it make you feel all festive?”

  “A bit, but not festive enough to spend the night sleeping on your floor.” Stel said. “I should really go, though.”

  Zeta rushed over to hug her, her trademark anxious hug when she assumed the worst about a situation. Stel had felt this brand of hug plenty from Zeta.

  “I’ll text you when I’m wherever I’m gonna be for the night.” Stel said, rubbia’s back. “Fair?”

  “Fair…” Zeta said.

  “Alright, love you, thanks for letting me ge here and keeping my clothes safely guarded.”

  “Yeah…” Zeta said, still ging to the hug. She mumbled a “Love you too…” before retreating back to her bed.

  “Bye, Stel!” Oka said. “I hope to see you w ime! Or, w here ime. I hope you get the job, I mean!”

  "Later." Kalei said, still mostly focused on her game.

  Stel waved as she left. She figured she’d earned a fancy coffee from the school’s cafeteria shop, so she made her way there to pn her move. After getting a fancy gingerbread tte (which took a bit because of a strange girl in front of her that bought at least twelve coffees), Stel stood at the big window wall in the cafeteria, watg the snow as she sipped her drink.

  Do I really want to call a cab to get home in this? What else could I do?

  “What a mess,” a familiar voice said near her. Stel looked over to see Dr. Evy Diast also staring out at the snow, muttering to herself. She hadn’t seemed to have noticed Stel’s prese. Stel knew if she wao py it safe she could just slip away and avoid any potential awkwardness. But she just crushed a job interview and was already feeling the caffeine high of the gingerbread tte. So she approached Dr. Diast.