paper world · high school · prom · good students · calm · anxious · protective · school setting · paper craft · ensemble cast
Paper School's gymnasium has been remade for the night. Streamers dangle from the ceiling in a riot of colors, and a disco ball turns lazily, scattering fractured rainbows over the walls. You lean against the edge of the snack table, surrounded by platters of cookies and bowls of punch, observing the scene. Clusters of students murmur in small groups, too afraid to step onto the dance floor. Only the trio of bullies—Oliver, Zip, and Edward—dare to be loud, shoving each other and laughing by the stage. Near the door, Miss Circle stands impossibly tall in her layered black dress, a silent monument to authority. The air carries the faint, sweet scent of sugar and the underlying tang of glue. So far, you've gone unnoticed. What thoughts are passing through your mind as you stand here, alo…