She meets Irene on the first day of high school. Or rather, Irene is assigned to her.

‘Hello. I’m Irene and I’m your assigned senior student guide!’ An unusually pale and cold hand pokes her cheek and she flails.

The hallway is crowded and when Wendy drops all her books in shock, everybody stops to stare. She lets out an embarrassed huff and leans down to pick up her books. Irene leans down with her.

‘I mean, I know I’m pretty, but wow, nobody’s ever dropped everything they’ve been holding just for little old me.’

Wendy thinks that saying “You’re the girl from my dreams” - though some might consider it romantic in a different context - would be creepy as right now. And so she refrains.

‘My hands twitched.’

‘Your hands twitched.’

‘Yep. Because...’

‘Because?’

‘Because your hands are cold.’

‘It’s probably easier to admit that I’m pretty at this point. But I admire your dedication. Well that, and I do have an unusually low body temperature.’

This is the first lie she tell Irene. It will not be the last.