But Ms Chan’s face softened into a smile as she looked around. ‘I think,’ she said, ‘we’re gonna need a bigger room.’

23

In two hours, we would be gone.

Our dorm room was unnaturally clean – the beds made (both by Mary Kate), the floor swept (also by Mary Kate). We were ready to go home for Christmas break. I had stuffed all my crap into my old army duffel, which was now covered in Pussy Riot pins, and tossed it in the corner of the room. My room-mate, on the other hand, had meticulously rolled and tissue-papered her clothes, studiously following the commandments of that North Korean Closet Dictator who swears the universe doles out good karma based on how you color-code your underwear. Her floral-print suitcase stood neatly to attention beside the door, with Sir Shackleton, wearing his Christmas sweater, perched on top.

Now we were working together on the checklist Sister Hellda had slid under our door that morning.

‘Okay,’ Mary Kate said, sitting on my desk, swinging her legs as she read off the list. ‘Have we … turned off the radiator?’

I checked. ‘Check.’

‘Unplugged all our electronics? Swept the floor? Thrown out or tightly packaged all food?’

‘Check. Check. Check.’

She looked up from the list and her face darkened suspiciously. ‘What about those joints you were keeping in your laptop case?’

‘Don’t worry.’ I yawned casually. ‘I dumped them in the rhododendrons. They’re looking super-duper chill this morning.’

That was a lie. Actually, I’d split the last one on the roof of the science building with the Hairy Exclamation Mark. We had run into each other buying candy at the student center and kinda bonded. Funnily enough, his actual name was Mark.

There was a knock at the window and I went over to answer it. Pat, in ski parka and jeans, was standing in his Chucks in two feet of snow.

‘Hey! I wanted to say goodbye. When are you guys heading out?’ he asked.

‘My dad’s flight just landed and he rented a car,’ I said. ‘He’s gonna drive us to Minneapolis to meet Mary Kate’s family and go ice skating. It’s gonna be disgustingly sweet and adorable.’

‘Disgustingly sweet sounds pretty good to me,’ Pat said. ‘Hey, Mary Kate! I’ve got a Christmas present for you!’

He pulled out of his jacket … a bright neon box of tampons, with a red bow on it.

‘They’re very useful,’ he explained. ‘And you can decorate your tree with them, too. Or they look great in your hair – Alex taught me that the night I met you guys.’

Mary Kate snatched the box, shaking her head and trying to hide a smile. ‘I’m taking them so they don’t go to waste,’ she told him loftily, and went back to her dusting.

Next Pat pulled out a present in reindeer wrapping paper. ‘And this one’s for you.’