[Kitsumi]

Diane was perceptive enough to notice that Cory was starting to put up her walls and shut everyone out. "Oh, but you probably need some time on your own," she said with a gentle smile. "Why don't you take the cookies up to your room? Lola can show you where it is, right, hon?"

Nodding happily, the other woman grinned. "Yup! Come right this way, Cory. Sorry there isn't much furniture yet, we thought you would want to pick some stuff out yourself. We can check the goodwill for some stuff later this week..."

(16)

[Kitsumi]

Cory managed to tune out the woman's voice as she led her up a wide flight of stairs to the second floor. By this point, she was too exhausted to even bother looking around. All she cared about was locking herself away to decompress from the stress of the day.

"Here you go," Lola said, opening one of the doors. "This one is yours."

As she walked inside, Cory mumbled a quiet, "Thank you." Once the door was closed behind her, she flopped down on the bed.

(17)

[Kitsumi]

Her legs hung over the edge of the bed, one arm slung over her face in an attempt to block out the light that she was currently too lazy to turn off. The sigh that escaped her lips was tired. It wasn't that she needed sleep, no, she had even managed to take a nap during the car ride over here.

But Cory wasn't a people person. Meeting new people was exhausting for her. And so far, she had already met seven new people. And it was only two in the afternoon.

(18)

[Kitsumi]

Eventually, Cory remembered the cookies that she had set down on the floor, since there was no bedside table. She groaned as she sat up in order to bend over, straining to reach her snack.

As much as she hated to admit it, the cookies were fantastic. They were the perfect texture, with just enough chocolate chips to be delicious without being too sweet. She practically inhaled them, chugging the milk afterwards to help wash down the last bite.

(19)

[Kitsumi]

Just as she was finishing her snack and wiping the milk mustache from her upper lip, Cory heard a knock at the door. She froze instinctively, her heart hammering in her chest. Please, she thought. Please don't make me talk to everyone again.

"Hey, I'm just letting you know that I brought your stuff upstairs," Sarah's voice spoke to her from the other side of the heavy wooden door. "I'll just leave it out here for you, okay?"

(20)

[Kitsumi]

For a long moment, there was silence. Cory was hoping that Sarah had left, but she hadn't heard the other girls' footsteps retreating from the door. If she had to make a guess, she would assume that she was waiting. But for what?

"Hey, so um, I know how hard and overwhelming this can be." Sarah's voice finally returned, confirming Cory's suspicion that she was still there. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it now. But when you're ready, I just want you to know that I'm here."

(21)

[Kitsumi]

If Sarah was waiting for a response, she was going to be sorely disappointed. Cory barely dared to breath, not wanting to do anything that might make the other girl think that it was okay to come into her room and talk. She just wasn't ready for that.

After a few minutes, the girl on the other side of the door spoke again. "Okay well, I'll leave you alone now. I'll see you at dinner, I guess."

(22)

[Kitsumi]

This time, Cory was relieved to hear the sounds of Sarah walking away. She let out the breath that she had been holding, placing a hand on her chest as her eyes dropped closed for a moment. It wasn't as if she was scared... not in the conventional sense, at least. But she felt anxious at the thought of having to communicate with anyone.

Once she was sure it was safe, she opened the door and grabbed the black trash bag that held her items.

(23)

[Kitsumi]

Lola hadn't been exaggerating when she had said that the room was practically empty of furniture. Aside from the bed, there really wasn't much. Luckily there was a closet, and Cory really didn't have much to bring with her anyways.

Wanting something to do to occupy her mind, she began hanging up her clothes. There weren't many items of course, but she took her time doing it. And even once everything was on a hanger, she lingered for a while longer, deciding how to organize her small wardrobe.

(24)

[Kitsumi]

But Cory could only waste so much time organizing her clothes. Eventually she got bored, and needed something else to do. So she walked over to the pile of items that she had left in the middle of her room.

Aside from the clothes that she had brought, she only had three books and an old stuffed animal that she had received when she was much younger. She set the stuffed elephant on the bed, right in the middle of the pillows. Then she turned to the books.

(25)

[Kitsumi]

Each of them were worn, practically falling apart from having been read so many times. Cory nearly had them memorized by this point, but there was nothing else she could do aside from reading one of them again. She hesitated, hand hovering over the novels as she tried to decide which one to read.

Finally, she grabbed one of them at random. Sitting on the floor, with her back leaning against the bed, she started to read from the beginning.

(26)

[Kitsumi]

Time passed much more quickly for Cory when her nose was stuck in a book. With her mind captivated by the story held within the words on the pages, a few hours managed to pass. It was nice for her to escape the stress of her situation, but of course it couldn't last forever.

"Cory, time for dinner!" Lola's voice was accompanied by an enthusiastic rap upon the door. "Make sure to wash your hands first, and then come on down to the dining room."

(27)

[Kitsumi]

Cory moved sluggishly, slowly exiting her room. After watching a few of the other kids washing their hands in the bathroom, she entered once the room was empty. She took her time with the lightly floral scented soap, not quite ready to be around everyone else again.

Once she had rinsed the suds away and dried her hands on the soft beige towel hanging nearby, she knew that it had to be done. She was out of excuses. It was time to socialize.

(28)

[Kitsumi]

The dining room was crowded by the time Cory made it downstairs. The table was long, with spaces for ten seats. Lola sat at the head of the table, with the other kids spread out among the rest of the seats. Diane seemed to still be in the kitchen, adding the final touches to the meal.

With as many people as there were, it was impossible for her to find a place to sit by herself. Hesitating, she wondered where she should sit.

(29)

[Kitsumi]

Sarah had been talking and laughing with Minnie, who was seated on her left. But when she looked up and noticed Cory standing awkwardly in the entrance of the dining room, she smiled and waved her over. "Come sit by me, Cory!" she said.

Cory didn't have the mental strength to deny the request. Her body was practically moving on autopilot as she trudged towards the seat that Sarah had indicated. The chair seemed to squeal loudly as she pulled it away from the table in order to sit down.

(30)