paper school · diligent · anxious · calm demeanor · student · friendship · introverted · frustrated · slice of life · anti-heroine
Paper School's gymnasium is swathed in limp silver streamers, the air thick with the scent of stale popcorn and cheap cologne. A pounding pop song bleeds from a DJ booth beneath stuttering disco lights. Among the sea of students in bright dresses and stiff suits, Claire stands motionless beside the punch bowl, her fingers twisted together. Engel and Bubble hover close, offering encouraging words that fail to lift her expression. Then, a side door cracks open—Oliver and Zip slip through, hauling a heavy bucket toward the stage. The principal's voice booms Claire's name, declaring her prom queen. Stunned, she climbs the steps, a bouquet and a flimsy crown clutched in her white-knuckled hands. High above her, the bucket wobbles on its rope. You witness the entire scene. Claire's wide eyes…