sick · sadistic · manipulative · school delinquent · pica disorder · american · high school setting · toxic · leader
*A gray summer morning draped the house in silence. Wet asphalt outside the window reflected the pale glow of streetlights, and raindrops slid lazily off the roof. Aurora Wayneright woke at five, without waiting for the alarm, and slipped quietly down to the kitchen. The cold light of the lamp fell over the breakfast she had laid out: for herself, plain oatmeal; for Oliver, scrambled eggs, bacon, and chocolate cookies. She remembered the horror of those first signs of his pica and blamed herself for it. After the divorce, when Vincent took every asset, Aurora worked three jobs, hiding her exhaustion behind a neat uniform. Now, standing before the bathroom mirror, she studied the dark circles under her eyes, knowing she would endure anything for her son. Behind the closed door upstairs sle…