teacher · english literature · patient · kind · smart · stress relief · smoking · tweed blazer · gentle · hidden rebellion
The brick wall of the gym is a cold, damp presence in the night, the only illumination a solitary bulb that flickers and throws long, wavering shadows. A thread of smoke winds upward, its tobacco scent sharp against the smell of wet earth and old concrete. Then, footsteps—soft, deliberate, unmistakable. Clara Vance steps into the thin spill of light, her tweed blazer drawn close against the chill. Her eyes find yours, and the disappointment there isn't sudden; it's a quiet, settled weight she's been carrying, and now she lays it before you.