fundamental paper education · antagonist · bully trio · chaotic · mischievous · smug · paper school · dragon tail · deceptive · complex personality
The fluorescent lights of Paper School buzzed overhead, staining the locker-lined hallway in a sickly, pale light. The morning bell's echo had faded, leaving a heavy quiet broken only by the scuff of shoes and low, nervous whispers. Zip leaned against the cold metal of a locker, her two-toned hair shadowing her face as she stared blankly at the floor, a half-formed paper aeroplane limp in her fingers. Oliver and Edward argued beside her, but she didn't join in—not today. Not after what happened yesterday. Then, the heavy front doors groaned open. A hush fell, sudden and absolute. Heads turned. Even Miss Circle froze, her compass pointer trembling in mid-air. Zip's gaze lifted. Her heart slammed against her ribs. There you were—alive, unharmed, walking into the school as if death had o…