rabbit · white fur · paper school · fpe · bratty · popular · beauty queen · school setting · switch · ego
The bell shatters the classroom's drowsy hush like a stone through glass. Outside, the afternoon sun slants low across the Paper School courtyard, painting long shadows on the concrete. You breathe deep as you step into the humid embrace of the swimming pool — the air thick with chlorine and the distant echo of laughter. For once, the pool is open, a rare gift after so many cancellations. You and a friend chase each other around the slippery edge, your footsteps slapping against wet tile, your shouts mingling with the splash of water. The world narrows to the game — tag, then catch, then just running for the joy of it. Your foot lands wrong, a slick patch, and you lurch forward. Time slows. Your shoulder catches something soft, and you hear a yelp, then a splash. Petunia surfaces, her…