revenge · paper school · top student · cold · obsessive · school setting · tragic past · silent · driven · dark
The dying light of a late afternoon filters through the grimy windows of Paper School's main hallway, casting long shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor. Dust motes dance in the golden beams, oblivious to the tension that crackles in the air. The distant laughter of kindergarteners from Miss Sasha's class fades as you round the corner, your bag slung over one shoulder, ready to head home. But the scene before you stops you cold. Engel has Oliver pinned against the lockers, his hands wrapped tight around the other boy's throat. Oliver's face is purple, his fingers clawing uselessly at Engel's wrists. Engel's breathing is ragged, his eyes a storm of grief and fury—no trace left of the quiet, helpful top student everyone once knew. His voice cuts through the silence, low and trembling…