"Betrothed?" Sarra asked, her voice hardly audible.

"Well, he asked her, and she said yes." Rikash took a plate as they neared the front of the line. "But there is a rumor her father has arranged a marriage with a knight, and that she will have to leave soon. That's why they are getting married in the summer."

"Without their parents' consent?" Sarra took a plate as well, but only filled it with a roll and a bit of butter. She wasn't very hungry anymore.

"I guess so."

Sarra sighed, and followed Rikash to the end of the line, where he paid for both their meals. "Where are we going to sit?" she asked, eyeing Colton's back.

"With Colt, I guess. That's where I always sit." They walked up to the table, and Rikash sat across from Colton. Sarra sat on the other side of him, across from Davon.

"Oh," Colton said, reaching to take Davon's hand. "Let me introduce you to my favorite childhood companion, Sarralyn Salmalin."

Davon smiled, buttering her roll, then dropped it. Then she put her head on Colton's shoulder and sighed audibly. "I am so tired, Colton, and already full. Will you walk me to my room?"

"Of course." Colton rose, and helped her to her feet. She gave him a kiss, and sent Sarra a look of warning as they left.

"Whoa," Rikash said. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing!" Sarra almost yelled, completely innocent. She pushed away her food. "I'm not very hungry, and I think I need to get a good night's sleep before classes in the morning."

Rikash shrugged and took her food. She sighed and pushed away from the table, then walked into the hall. Sarra had a good sense of direction, but got turned around in the halls once, and ended up at the end of a hallway on the bottom floor. All the doors were shut except the one on the end, which had a little light peeking through the crack of the door. Sarra looked around the empty hall and decided to venture to the open door, which she knocked on softly. There was a creak of a bed, then the door swung open to reveal a girl in a white wool gown with black hair, tanned skin, and black eyes.

"Hello," Sarra said, almost apologetically. "I'm new and I think I lost my way to my room."

The girl smiled, and came out of her room. "What is your room number?"

Sarra bit her lip. "Five – something."

The girl nodded, and then said, "Hold on one second." She disappeared into her room, and then returned with a blue velvet cloak, which she tied with a sash around her waist. "I'll show you. I need to get out of my room."

She led Sarra down the hall and to the right, then up a staircase. Sarra wondered why the girl, who looked about her age, was alone in her room during mealtime, but was too shy to ask.

"So when did you come here?" the girl asked as they walked. Sarra was jarred from her thoughts.

"Today, actually. This is my first semester here." Sarra paused awkwardly, then asked the girl's name.

"Moriah," she said, smiling over at Daine with white teeth. "What is yours?"

"I'm Sarralyn, but most everyone just calls me Sarra."

"Oh. Then it's nice to meet you, Sarra. Are you from Carthak?"

"No, from Chorus."

"Oh." Moriah shook her head. "Sorry, you just look like it."

Sarra remembered her dark hair and easily tanned skin. "My father is from the south," she explained. "Is that where you are from?"

Moriah looked a bit panicked, but answered, "Yes," very politely.

"I went once, when I was a baby," Sarra continued, trying to keep a conversation going. "All I remember were the crocodiles and the heat. Oh, and my brother crying from colic the whole time." Sarra rolled her eyes.

"You have a brother?" Moriah asked hopefully. "I have brothers too!"

Sarra smiled. "Don't you just despise them? All my brother does is torment me!"

Moriah laughed. "Yes! Well, not all my brothers, but most of them. I am happy to be away for a while, but I miss them."

Sarra shook her head. "I could never miss my brother very much. And coming here only means I have to see him every day!"

"Oh? Who is your brother?"

"Rikash Salmalin. Have you heard of him?" Sarra asked. They had reached the top of a staircase, and were now on the hall Sarra recognized as her own.

Moriah's eyes bugged. "You are Sarra Salmalin?" she asked in awe. Sarra inwardly sighed. She didn't want to lose the only friend she had made all day.

"Yes, that would be me."

Moriah bit her lip a little, and then smiled. "I'm sorry. I just never expected you to look so, so – normal."

"What would you think I would look like?" Sarra asked, not unpleasantly. She was interested in what the people in the university thought of her.

"Oh, I don't know. Like some wild beast, or maybe with skin that turned different colors."

Sarra laughed. "Well, I can do all that, but not subconsciously. Except for my eyes, that is." She pointed to them – one brown, one blue. "They change shades, sometimes, according to my mood."

"Really?" the girl asked, fascinated. Sarra nodded, and Moriah sighed. "I wish I had your power."

Sarra shook her head as they neared her room. "You really don't. It's not all it seems."

Moriah shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll see you later. Maybe we will have some classes together."

Sarra smiled. "Hopefully so!"

Rikash was busy eating when someone sat down across from him. He sighed and looked into the very blue eyes of a girl. "Hello, Rikash. Remember me?"

"Miriam?" he asked, and smiled. "You certainly look beautiful this evening. Did you have a good break?"

She shrugged and nodded. Rikash took in her perfect nose and red lips and pushed his leg up against hers under the table. "What about you, Rikash? How was Chorus?"

"Oh, Chorus is Chorus, as always. But there isn't a girl that would rival your beauty, sweet."

She laughed, and pushed his leg away. "Oh, stop it! I'll bet you have told that to a hundred other girls!"

He shook his curly head. "Nonsense, my dear. You're absolutely beautiful."

She laughed, and waved her hand at him. Rikash smiled and took her slender hand in his. "Would you like to join me somewhere a little more private?" he asked her with a smile. Miriam smiled and nodded.

Sarra collapsed onto her bed and curled into a ball. She had held herself together the entire walk back from the cafeteria, but now she couldn't contain herself. She heaved a sob, and buried her head in her arm. She could only imagine his hand on her back, on her body – oh, Goddess, what were they doing now?

She had never felt so low in her life. She wanted to be in Chorus, at the tower, with familiar people and surrounds. She didn't want to be with new people – new people were breaking her heart.

She sat up, and looked at her room. It meant nothing to her, and even though it was filled with her most cherished possessions, it felt empty. So, so empty.

"Sarra," she told herself sternly. "No. No, no, no!" She couldn't let this happen. She wasn't going back home. She was a big girl – she didn't need her father or mother or even her brother. She took in a deep, shaky breath and looked into the mirror across from her bed.

She would stay. And she would do everything to get Colton back.

Thank you, Jay-Z. You helped me write this chapter

And thank you, reviews. I read your reviews again and was like . . . aww : ) I love yall.

Oh and Merry Christmas! John 3:16 : )