Chapter Text
Jewels Sparkles had been counting down the days until move-in. The moment she received her acceptance letter to her new college, she had envisioned this, rolling up to campus with a trunk full of pink suitcases and stepping out in a meticulously coordinated outfit, pink too of course.
She had spent all summer perfecting her wardrobe, ensuring every piece was a statement. First impressions mattered, after all. And she was going to make hers count.
Dressed in a pink puffy dress with matching platform heels, her nails manicured to a glossy baby pink, and her long, styled black hair cascading down her back, Jewels Sparkles was ready for her grand entrance.
She had just finished checking in at the front desk when her best friend, Arrietty, arrived at her side.
“Ugh, finally, some action,” Arrietty drawled, adjusting the straps of her oversized black tote bag. Her jet-black hair was in loose waves, dark eyeliner winged dramatically at the corners of her eyes. She was the exact opposite of Jewels, black, plaid, ripped denim, chains, and yet, they had been inseparable since their first sewing class.
Jewels waved her room assignment paper in the air. “Guess who just got their dorm key?”
“Ooooh, let me see!” Arrietty leaned over to read. “Room 212… Hmm, do we know who you’re rooming with?”
Jewels shook her head excitedly. “No idea! But whoever they are, they better be ready for the most fashionable year of their life!”
Across campus, in the same check-in line, Suzie Toot clutched her room assignment paper nervously.
Unlike Jewels, who had been eagerly awaiting this day, Suzie had spent the past month dreading it. She wasn’t sure what to expect from college, sure, she was excited about majoring in History, about spending her days buried in books, researching the past, writing thoughtful essays on important historical figures…
But the roommate situation? The social part of college? Terrifying.
She tugged at the cuff of her buttoned-up blouse, smoothing out the pleats of her high-waisted skirt. Her outfit was straight out of the 1920s, neatly pressed, complete with a little pearl necklace and a vintage brooch, and her auburn hair was curled into perfect victory rolls.
Suzie stood in line beside her friend Lydia B Kollins, who was far more relaxed about this whole ordeal.
“Did you get your room assignment?” Lydia asked, adjusting her oversized sunglasses.
“Yeah,” Suzie nodded, hesitantly handing over the slip of paper.
Lydia scanned it, her face brightening. “Ooooh, 212! Do you know who your roommate is?”
“No,” Suzie admitted, shifting nervously. “I just hope… I don’t know. That they’re nice?”
Lydia waved her hand dismissively. “You’ll be fine. It’s just a roommate. Worst case scenario, you never talk to each other.”
Suzie frowned. “That sounds awful.”
“Then best case scenario, they become your best friend.” Lydia grinned. “Or maybe more.”
Suzie’s face turned bright red. “LYDIA.”
Lydia laughed. “Relax! I’m just saying, college is a time for possibilities.”
Suzie swallowed hard. She wasn’t ready for possibilities.
She just wanted a quiet, normal, studious roommate. Someone who wouldn’t mind that she preferred radio shows over TikTok and classic literature over Instagram.
Someone who wouldn’t judge her for being different.
Jewels practically skipped into the dorm building, dragging her suitcase behind her as she reached Room 212.
“This is it!” she squealed.
Arrietty smirked. “Let’s hope you’re not stuck with some weirdo.”
Jewels shot her a look.
Before she could even knock, the door swung open.
Suzie Toot stood in the doorway, wide-eyed and startled.
Jewels’ smile froze.
Suzie blinked.
The two stared at each other.
Jewels was all pink, glitter, glamor, and confidence.
Suzie was neatly pressed vintage, modest pearls, and sheer terror.
Jewels beamed. “Oh. My. God. Are you my roommate?”
Suzie gulped. “Um… I—I think so?”
Jewels squealed and lunged forward, wrapping Suzie in an unexpected hug. “This is AMAZING! I love meeting new people! Oh my god, we’re going to have so much fun together!”
Suzie, overwhelmed, just stood there. Stiff as a board.
Arrietty leaned against the doorframe, watching with amusement.
Suzie finally found her voice. “…Oh.”
Jewels pulled back, hands on her hips,taking Suzie in. “…I love your outfit.”
Suzie blinked again.
People usually laughed at her outfits.
“…You do?”
Jewels nodded enthusiastically. “Are you, like, from another time period? This is SO cool. I love old movies, but I could never pull this off. You look so classy.”
Suzie’s cheeks flushed. “…Thanks?”
Jewels grinned, stepping inside the dorm. “Okay, okay, let’s see our room!”
Suzie moved aside, still processing.
Arrietty gave her a smirk before whispering, “Good luck surviving this one.”
And just like that, Jewels Sparkles twirled into the room, completely unaware that she had just turned Suzie’s world upside down.
Suzie closed the door behind them, exhaling quietly as Jewels immediately made herself at home. The dorm room wasn’t much, a standard layout with two beds, two desks, and a window overlooking the campus courtyard. It was bare, waiting to be transformed.
Jewels gasped dramatically. “This is so cute! Okay, we’re definitely making this room better.”
Suzie glanced around. “…It looks fine to me.”
Jewels turned to her, hands on her hips. “Oh, honey. No, no, no. This is a blank canvas. A tragedy waiting to be fixed.”
Suzie shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the hem of her skirt. “Um… I kind of like things simple.”
Jewels paused. “…Oh.”
For the first time, Suzie saw her hesitate. The energy that had burst into the room like a glitter bomb dimmed slightly.**
Then, to Suzie’s surprise, Jewels smiled, gently this time. “Okay! Then we’ll find a happy middle ground. I promise I won’t turn the whole place pink.”
Suzie blinked. “You… won’t?”
Jewels shrugged, flopping onto her bed. “Of course not! It’s our room, not just mine. I want you to feel comfortable too.”
Suzie hadn’t expected that.
Most people didn’t care what she wanted. They just bulldozed over her opinions, assuming she’d be fine with whatever.
But Jewels was… surprisingly considerate.
Suzie cleared her throat, smoothing out a wrinkle in her skirt. “…Thanks.”
Jewels beamed. “Of course! Okay, let’s unpack.”
To Suzie’s relief, Jewels eventually calmed down. After the initial excitement of moving in, she settled into a comfortable chatter as they unpacked their things.
Suzie listened as Jewels rambled about her love for fashion, how she had been designing her own clothes since she was a kid, how she had a best friend named Arrietty who had the most badass alternative style, and how she couldn’t wait to start classes.
Suzie, for her part, had never been much of a talker. She liked listening more than speaking. But to her surprise, she actually found herself enjoying the conversation.
Jewels was… easy to talk to.
“…So, what about you?” Jewels asked, hanging a fluffy pink robe on the back of her door. “Tell me about your interests.”
Suzie hesitated. “Oh. Well… I really love history.”
Jewels perked up. “Ooooh. Like what kind of history?”
Suzie’s fingers fidgeted with the edge of her blouse. “Mostly the early 20th century. The 1920s to 1940s. The culture, the fashion, the music, it’s all fascinating.”
Jewels’ eyes lit up. “Oh my god, that’s SO cool.”
Suzie flushed. “…You think so?”
Most people didn’t. Most people thought it was weird that she dressed like she had time-traveled from another era.
Jewels nodded eagerly. “Duh! Are you kidding? You’re literally living your passion. That’s amazing. Do you have, like, a favorite historical figure?”
Suzie brightened. “Oh, so many! But I really admire Eleanor Roosevelt. She was such a progressive force for women’s rights.”
Jewels grinned. “Okay, okay, I love that. I’ll be honest, I don’t know a ton about history, but I do love some old Hollywood glamour. Like Audrey Hepburn? Iconic.”
Suzie’s lips curved slightly. “…I’ll admit, she was pretty stylish.”
Jewels gasped. “Was that… a compliment? Do I have the Suzie Toot seal of approval?”
Suzie rolled her eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
Jewels laughed, flopping onto her bed. “Too late.”
Suzie bit back a smile.
By the time night rolled around, the dorm had started to feel like home.
Suzie had set up her side of the room neatly and methodically, her books arranged in chronological order on the shelf, a small vintage lamp on her desk, a few notebooks stacked on the side of the desk.
Jewels’ side, on the other hand, was a pink explosion. Fairy lights, a soft faux-fur throw on her bed, and a fashion mood board pinned up on the wall.
It was a complete contrast.
And yet… it felt balanced.
Suzie sat cross-legged on her bed, flipping through a history book, while Jewels was lying on her stomach, scrolling through her phone.
After a while, Jewels spoke.
“You know… I think we’re going to be great roommates.”
Suzie glanced up. “…You do?”
Jewels looked nodded. “Yep. You’re cool.”
Suzie wasn’t used to hearing that.
She hesitated. “…You’re not so bad yourself.”
Jewels grinned. “Oh my god, are we bonding? This is so cute.”
Suzie groaned. “Don’t ruin it.”
Jewels laughed, and Suzie felt herself smiling too.
Maybe… just maybe… this whole roommate situation wouldn’t be so bad after all.
The first few days of living together had been surprisingly easy.
Suzie had been worried, she wasn’t great at getting along with people. But Jewels was different. She was loud and dramatic, sure, but she was also genuinely kind and strangely considerate. She always made sure Suzie was comfortable, didn’t push too hard, and had an uncanny ability to make her laugh without even trying.
It had only been a few days, but their routine was already settling into something… nice.
Suzie woke up early, like always. She liked the quiet of the morning, the stillness before the campus came alive. She brewed herself a cup of black tea at her desk, the faint scent of bergamot filling the room.
Jewels, however, was not a morning person.
“Mmrgghh… five more minutes…” came the inevitable groan from across the room.
Suzie sipped her tea. “It’s already been five minutes.”
Jewels whined, her voice muffled by her blanket. “Nooooo.”
Suzie rolled her eyes, but there was a tiny smile on her lips.
Every morning was the same. Jewels fought waking up like it was a battle to the death. But she always eventually got up, usually when Suzie threatened to open the blinds and let the morning sunlight spill in.
Jewels finally sat up, her pink silk sleep mask askew on her forehead, her hair a mess.
“Ugh. I need coffee.”
Suzie hummed. “You say that every morning.”
Jewels yawned, stretching dramatically. “Because it’s true.”
Suzie watched as Jewels stumbled out of bed and shuffled over to her desk, where a pink coffee machine sat. She brewed herself a cup, took a sip, and sighed.
“Ah. That’s better.”
Suzie shook her head, amused. “You’re impossible.”
Jewels grinned sleepily.” And yet, you tolerate me. That’s friendship, babe.”
Suzie snorted.She didn’t argue.
That afternoon, Suzie was sitting at her desk, reading quietly, when Jewels suddenly gasped.
“Suzie.”
Suzie didn’t look up from her book. “What.”
“You never told me you could sew.”
That caught Suzie’s attention. She glanced up to find Jewels staring at the small sewing kit on Suzie’s desk, eyes wide with interest.
Suzie blinked. “Oh. Well. I mean… I can do some repairs. Buttons, hemming, that kind of thing.”
Jewels looked offended. “That’s more than ‘some repairs’! That’s a skill. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Suzie shrugged. “Didn’t think it was important.”
Jewels gasped again. “Not important?! Babe. Sweetie. Angel. Darling. You have talent.”
Suzie rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Jewels clutched her chest. “Modest too? Wow. Incredible.”
Suzie sighed, trying not to laugh.
“You’re ridiculous.”
Jewels beamed. “And yet, you tolerate me.”
Suzie shook her head, but she didn’t deny it.
That night, they both lay in their beds, the dorm room dimly lit by the glow of Jewels’ fairy lights. It had become a habit to talk before bed, winding down after the day.
Jewels yawned, turning on her side to face Suzie. “So, do you have any friends on campus yet?”
Suzie hesitated. “…I have some friends from high school. Lydia and Kori.”
Jewels perked up. “Wait, I know them! They’re in the fashion program too. Oh my god, that’s perfect!”
Suzie nodded. “They’re both really nice. Kori’s more outgoing, Lydia’s quieter, but they’re a good match.”
Jewels smirked. “Ohhh, are we gossiping now? Tell me more.”
Suzie rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing to gossip about. They’re just… a really solid couple. They balance each other out.”
Jewels grinned. “Kind of like us.”
Suzie froze.
Jewels didn’t seem to realize what she had said. She just stretched her arms over her head and sighed. “Anyway. You should totally hang out with me and my friends sometime. Lana and Arrietty would love you.”
Suzie swallowed, ignoring the strange flutter in her stomach. “…I’ll think about it.”
Jewels beamed. “Good. ‘Cause you’re stuck with me now.”
Suzie turned over, staring at the ceiling.
She didn’t mind that as much as she thought she would.