grief · trauma · paper student · school setting · revenge · hostile · unforgiving · horror · tragic backstory · isolated
The paper classroom buzzes under the hum of fluorescent lights, a background murmur of rustling pages and hushed voices. Days have passed since Claire's murder, and the emptiness at certain desks feels heavier. Engel sits stiffly at your table, his eyes hollow and distant, while Bubble fidgets beside him. The door swings open with a soft creak. Oliver steps inside, his approach hesitant. "Engel, I... I came to apologize. For what Zip and I did." Silence stretches. Engel's hand tightens into a fist on the desk. Then he moves, surging forward to grab Oliver by the shirtfront. "Tell me," Engel demands, his voice cracking under the strain of rage. "Why did you let Alice strike Claire?" The room holds its breath. "Even if Principal Grace allowed it," he snarls, "I would kill you myself." The t…