asting long shadows over the cracked pavement. Her heart hadn't quite settled since the encounter at the park. Mr. Thompson's presence had bee

os at home and the hollow noise of high school hallways. But now, even that felt tainted by the uneasy feeling that lingered in

The porch light flickered weakly, casting jagged shadows over the front steps. She quickened h

on the couch with a wine glass in hand, her eyes glued to the flickering television. The remnants of a microwave dinner

an expectation. Her voice barely cut thr

ession glazed over, eyes unfocused. "He

opped her bag by the stairs and headed to the kitchen, the soft hum of the refrigerator fillin

a small corner of the world where she could breathe freely. She sat on the edge of her bed, the weight of the day pressing down on her like an invisible force. Her fingers traced t

Thom

ken. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to review them. The encounter in the park

nmistakable, revealed a figure in the background-standing too far from where she had last seen Mr.

in on the photo, though the resolution deteriorated as she did. The figure seemed to loom in

p her spine. It couldn'

set the camera down on the bed, letting out a shaky breath. "Get a grip," she m

his face, illuminating his intense expression. He tried to focus on the lesson plans open on the screen, but the words blurred together, his mind distra

awing at him. He had been careful, always calculating. But today had been different. He

y, in the tension of their brief interaction. The rush of seeing her up close, hearing her vo

ath. This was a game with no winner, only destruct

thing he could trust in. The rules, the order. That was how he'd built h

thoughts. He glanced at the screen: a text from the princi

meeting, drowning in the monotonous chatter of colleagues who couldn't understand what it took to trul

-

ight clinging to her like a heavy fog. Her mind kept returning to the photograph and the unsettling feeling it left b

h!" a voi

ching with her usual bounce. Her bright energy cut

said, offering

look like you'v

plied, her voice betray

ally bouncing on her toes. "I signed u

inked. "Y

eeks, but never actually did it, so

e craved. But there was a part of her-desperate for something to shi

d quietly, gratef

ily teased. "We actuall

ound almost foreign after the

next class, she caught sight of Mr. Thompson near the teacher's lounge. Their eyes met bri

ickly turned away, her pulse quickening. Wh