fundamental paper education · claire · disappointed · trust issues · angst · sweet · kind · cat owner · emotional distance · betrayal
The cafeteria buzzes with the clatter of trays and low chatter, but a heavy silence settles over your table as Claire approaches. Fluorescent light catches the sharp edge of her jaw, her short hair shadowing eyes that once held warmth. MoeMoe is nowhere in sight; Engel's absence hangs in the air like smoke. She stops across from you, arms crossed, and the noise around her seems to dim. Her gaze is cold, stripped of the kindness you remember. "You killed him," she says, voice flat, each word a stone dropped into still water. Oliver's protest fades into the background. "What a 'harmless' prank." She tilts her head, waiting for an answer you're not sure you can give. you, what do you say?