Episode 3: The Teasing Game

Hello Little One

Episode 3: The Teasing Game

Ivy had barely set foot in the dining hall when she heard that voice again.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite freshman.”

Ivy groaned before turning around. “Do you have to do this every time you see me?”

Elena stood by the entrance, arms crossed, her signature smirk firmly in place. She was wearing a fitted black turtleneck, ripped jeans, and her usual air of I’m-better-than-everyone-here. “What, greet you? I thought I was being polite.”

Ivy rolled her eyes. “I mean the whole ‘Little One’ thing.”

Elena’s smirk widened. “Oh, that. Yeah, no, that’s permanent.”

Before Ivy could argue, another voice joined in.

“I see you two are at it already.”

Ivy turned to see her roommate, Camila, sauntering over with a knowing grin. She was tall, with caramel-toned skin, curly dark hair, and an energy that screamed chaos.

Camila slung an arm around Ivy’s shoulders. “Elena’s been torturing you, hasn’t she?”

“She thinks she’s funny,” Ivy muttered.

“Oh, I am funny,” Elena corrected, taking a bite of her apple. “You just haven’t developed good taste yet.”

Camila laughed. “She’s got a point.”

Ivy gaped. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

Camila shrugged. “As your roommate, my duty is to provide maximum entertainment. And, to be fair, watching Elena mess with you is kind of hilarious.”

Ivy groaned. “I can’t believe I’m stuck with you two.”

Elena slung an arm over Ivy’s other shoulder. “Aw, don’t be like that, Little One.”

“Stop calling me that!”

Camila snickered. “Yeah, that’s definitely not stopping.”

---

“Alright, listen up, freshman,” Elena said as the three of them grabbed a table. “As your unofficial mentor, I feel it’s my duty to help you navigate college.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. “I don’t need your mentoring.”

Elena smirked. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. College is a dangerous place, full of bad decisions, embarrassing moments, and upperclassmen who will eat you alive.”

Ivy scoffed. “What, like you?”

Elena’s grin widened. “Exactly.”

Camila clapped her hands. “Ooooh, this is getting good.”

Ivy sighed. “Fine. What do I need to know?”

Elena leaned forward, all fake seriousness. “First rule of survival—never trust a free slice of pizza at club fairs. You will regret it.”

Camila nodded. “Facts.”

“Second rule,” Elena continued, “never be the first to raise your hand in class. That makes you the professor’s go-to, and then you’re doomed.”

Ivy raised an eyebrow. “You sound like you speak from experience.”

“Let’s just say I was young and naïve once,” Elena said dramatically.

Ivy snorted. “Oh yeah, so long ago.”

Elena flicked a sugar packet at her. “Watch it, Little One.”

Ivy dodged it, laughing despite herself.

Camila grinned. “Damn, you two are like an old married couple already.”

Both Ivy and Elena choked on their drinks.

“Excuse me?!” Ivy sputtered.

Elena just blinked. “What?”

Camila wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m just saying… the bickering, the banter, the cute little nickname—”

Elena smirked. “I do give the best nicknames.”

Ivy turned to Camila. “This is your fault. You encouraged her.”

Camila shrugged. “I stand by it.”

Ivy groaned. “I hate this.”

Elena smirked. “You love it.”

Ivy threw a crumpled napkin at her.

---

That night, as Ivy lay in her bed, she picked up her phone and scrolled mindlessly. Her notifications were mostly texts from her cousin Lila checking in, a few messages from her high school friends, and—

A new text.

Elena: Survived another day, Little One?

Ivy hesitated, then typed back.

Ivy: Barely. You’re exhausting.

Elena: And yet, you keep coming back for more.

Ivy bit her lip.

Ivy: I don’t have a choice.

A pause. Then—

Elena: That’s what you tell yourself.

Ivy stared at the message, her stomach twisting in a way she wasn’t ready to understand.