Ashley drummed her fingers on the table’s surface, trying so hard to focus on the book she was reading. She’d been stuck on the same paragraph for the past seven minutes since her mind was having trouble processing each and every word. Frustrated, she shook her head and slammed the book shut. She pushed it away from her before dropping her forehead on the table, letting her arms hang loosely at her sides. She was tired, and angry, and so very hungry. She’d skipped breakfast in favor of sleeping in due to yet another restless night. She couldn’t not attend her first subject, lest she worried all of her friends, and homework had been given so she didn’t have time to slip into the kitchens. So now there she was, sitting in a secluded part of the library, all miserable and alone (not counting Moko who was wrapped around her neck). Well, she thought she was alone. She was not in the right mind to sense the approaching presence from behind. For this reason, she nearly fell off her chair when a hand landed on her shoulder.