The library was quiet this early in the morning, when most students were attending class or sleeping in. Kimberly flipped to the next page of her textbook, diligently taking notes on her assigned reading. It was dry, boring work, but she refused to let herself slack off in her first year of college.

Someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder, causing her to turn around. A young woman with lovely brown curls and clear blue eyes smiled at her. It was Ramona, one of the girls from Kim's old gymnastics team. Kim remembered watching her on television just a few weeks ago as she competed in the world championship. What could she possibly want with someone who'd quit years ago?

"Hey," Ramona smiled sweetly. "Kim, it's so nice to see you."

"What do you want?" Kim asked bluntly. Envy made her even less polite than usual.

"Well, I didn't realize that we went to the same college until a few days ago, so I wanted to say hi. Do you remember when we used to do gymnastics together?"

Kim nodded, wondering where Ramona was going with this topic.

"I felt so bad when you quit. I mean, you always worked so hard, harder than any of us. It's not your fault you couldn't make it," Ramona said in her saccharine, sickly sweet voice.

Kim stood up violently from her table, the scrape of the chair echoing through the library. "Are you here to gloat? Is that it? Do you want to rub your gold medals in my face?" she spat.

Ramona backed up as Kim spoke, flinching as though each sentence was a physical blow. Her perfect, smooth skin paled. "No!" she cried. "Kim, that's not what I meant at all!" She looked to the left and right, where other students were watching the spectacle they'd created. In a quieter voice, she approached Kim and said, "I'm sorry. It was unfair, and I really do feel bad about it. Please, take this." Ramona pressed a small, cube-shaped item into Kim's palm, and closed Kim's fingers around it. "Wait until you're somewhere private to use it," she whispered. Then she turned and fled out the doors of the library, leaving Kim standing there, confused and holding a bright blue die.

Her anger replaced by curiosity, Kim packed up her books and returned to her dorm, which she fortunately didn't have to share with a roommate. She sat at her desk, tossing the die idly up and down in one hand. What did Ramona mean by "use it"? Was she supposed to roll it? Kim didn't think it would hurt, so she dropped the die and let it bounce across her desk. The moment it landed, its color shifted from blue to red. She leaned over to read the number on it, and a moment later, the die disappated into thin air, causing Kim to gasp in shock. While Kim was still incredulously looking at the spot where the die had been, the phone in her pocket vibrated, prompting her to open it and read her new message.