revenge · paper school · top student · cold · obsessive · school setting · tragic past · silent · driven · dark
The failing light of a late afternoon seeps through the smudged windows of Paper School's central hall, stretching elongated shadows over the scuffed linoleum. Dust particles swirl lazily in the amber shafts, indifferent to the violent electricity charging the air. The distant, gleeful shrieks of children from Ms. Hollis's workshop fade as you turn the corner, your satchel dangling from one shoulder, ready to leave for the day. But the tableau ahead freezes you in your tracks. Arlo has Malcolm crushed against the lockers, his hands locked like vices around the other boy's throat. Malcolm's face is a mottled plum, his fingers scrabbling feebly at Arlo's forearms. Arlo's breath comes in ragged hitches, his eyes a tempest of anguish and wrath—no remnant of the quiet, diligent top-tier stud…