"I totally flunked that test."

Claire sighed this as she sat on the bleachers of the pool room, knees hugged to her chest. Engel sat next to her left, Bubble on her right. Engel frowned.

"I'm sure you did fine. It's not like you're completely clueless on this stuff. You seem smart enough to get a passing grade."

"Well, I've never had a teacher who hates my guts before," Claire pointed out. "Usually I'm a good kid, but she didn't like that I spoke up, it seems."

"Hey, we warned you not to," Engel objected. "But... you're right, there. Don't worry. The only ones she doesn't hate are her favorites. It really sucks."

"Maybe the last few classes after this will be better," Bubble brought up. Who are your next two classes with?"

Claire brought out her schedule. "I have Miss Emily next. Then... Miss Thavel."

She recalled what Abbie and Lana had claimed about Miss Thavel, as well as her short encounter with her in the hallway, and her hopes dimmed.

Engel, seeing the disappointment on her face, gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. Enjoy the free period at least. Here, want me to take you to meet some people? Most of them are a lot more friendly than some of the teachers."

Claire nodded with a sigh. "Sure. Probably better to get to know people a little, at least."

Engel brought her around, introducing her to everyone and introducing them to her. Most of them were, as Engel had said, pretty nice. Some are a little odd, but everyone has their quirks, and Claire didn't mind that so long as they weren't a jerk.

"Hey, you're that new girl from last period's math class, right?" A shorter girl named Riley said. She seemed to always have this unsettlingly hyperactive expression that sort of gave the energy of her being over caffeinated.

Claire hesitated, then nodded. She recalled seeing Riley at a separate table. "Uh, yeah. That's me."

"Ooooh, I'd watch your back," Riley said, her smile unfaltering. "Miss Circle will go after you whenever she can now!"

Claire sighed, that having been the last thing she'd wanted to hear. "Okay. Thanks."

Riley grinned and ran off, her job apparently completed as she then began to bother another boy with glasses and a propeller hat - Robby, Engel told me.

Two boys reading on the bleachers, one seeming to have an upside down book on his head and the other with a very feline appearance and a pencil sharpener for a body, were introduced as Kevin and Cubbie, respectively. Two girls by the side of the pool got splashed as Zip cannonball into the pool, and now seemed very ticked off. One had a fox or rabbitlike appearance and a crown, the other with black hair and horns topped with a crown as well. Petunia and Lizzy. A robot-like girl with a television for a head and a pastel pink bow in her light blonde hair was introduced as Ruby. She was sitting with and attempting to talk to a tired looking boy with a skull clip in his hair and bat wings. The boy looked like he was trying to enjoy the conversation, but it was obvious Ruby was doing most of the talking, and he didn't seem to try and stop her. Maybe he was just antisocial. He was Skell.

Claire noticed the girl that was walking with Miss Thavel earlier in the room as well. She was sitting on the other side of the area on the bleachers, seemingly doodling with the pencil that made up her left hand in a sketchbook. She wore a dark blazer and had a wolf tail to match the ears that stuck out of her hair. The ears swiveled every now and then, like she was keeping attention to everything else going on in the room. Engel claimed her to be Addie.

"Careful around her," Engel warned. "She's not quite dangerous, per se, but she'll tell the teachers about anything she catches you doing that's against the rules."

Even as he said that, Addie's ears perked towards them a little bit, and her eyes flickered to the two for just a moment before returning to her sketchbook.

Claire saw some familiar faces as well. Lana and Abbie seemed to be talking near the doors, Lana with her silly grin and goofy sock puppets and Abbie still with a paranoid demeanor. He seemed to be enjoying hanging out with a friend, but always kept glancing at the door as if he expected someone to come through. Bubble, of course, was still where they'd left her, and Oliver, Zip, and Edward were roughhousing in the pool. Zip had left the still-wet Petunia and Lizzy for a little kid with a fish headpiece on the back of his head. One of the younger children, Claire guessed. He seemed to be playing with Zip, Zip swinging around a cardboard sword with a pirate hat on her head and the kid just standing there with a blank expression. Was he enjoying it? Claire couldn't tell. When she asked, Engel simply said that he was Zip's younger brother. He didn't seem to know much about him, besides the fact that he and Zip played "pirates" here in the pool often.

"Of course, there's more people, but those are the people I know," Engel shrugged once they were back to where Bubble was still hanging out. Ruby had apparently left Skell and was now chatting with Bubble. Skell seemed alright with this, and was now laying on the bleachers, attempting to take a nap, most likely.

"You know a lot of people," Claire remarked, looking around the room.

"Well, I know their names," Engel said. "I don't particularly know them very well."

"Understandable."

The two sat back down where Bubble and Ruby were talking. The two said hello as they rejoined the group, and Ruby said to Claire,

"You're Claire, right? I've heard about you."

"You have?" Claire asked. She wasn't that surprised, news seemed to go around fast here, as it did in most clustered groups of people.

"Yup. You're the first new student we've had in years, so everyone's talking about you."

Claire wasn't sure whether that was good or bad, and decided not to ask for clarification.

"Is it true you've survived outside your entire life, even with the virus and all?" Ruby asked curiously. Her pastel pink, pixelated eyes were bright and inquisitive.

Claire nodded. "Yup. It's really not as dangerous as you might think. I mean, yeah, it's really dangerous, but you can walk around without being in danger of dying all the time."

"Have you ever gotten the virus?"

Claire laughed. "No, no. If I did, I'd be dead by now."

"What's it like out there?" Ruby asked.

This simple question happened to lead down a rabbit hole, in which Claire began to tell stories of her time outside the walls of Paper School. Ruby listened to everything, and other people, curious as to what Claire had to say, began to come closer to hear what she had to say as well. Soon enough there was a small group of most people in the pool room gathered by Claire like a class of kindergarteners at story time. Only then did it ever dawn on Claire how long the students had been locked inside of this school. They'd had a life before, but it was so long ago that they hardly remembered anything about it, even the sensation of fresh air in their lungs and the breeze sweeping through the air. Paper School was all they knew, and that... made Claire quite sad.

Would she join them? Would she lose all memories of her precious years outside of the campus bounds and live this life? Forget about everything before? She couldn't do that, right? How could she forget her life, her home, everything that's happened since the pandemic began?

She thought of her parents, her mother. Would she ever see her again? Or would she fade away, gone with the winds of age and memory?

These thoughts bubbled in her mind past the wondrous facade she put on for her fellow classmates, and no one could truly see how troubled she was.

Addie hadn't joined the group. She had no need to. She could hear every word from her place on the bleachers, and every word felt like a danger. This can't be allowed. Leaving this school is strictly prohibited, so romanticized talk of it must be a crime as well.

Who would she tell? Addie thought for a moment, closing her sketchbook and tucking it under her arm. She stood up, walking to the door. Well, someone must do something about this. And if she knew her math teacher, Miss Circle would certainly do something about it.

She pushed open the doors of the pool room and took a right down the hall, quickly walking (not running, no running in the halls!) to the door where she knew Miss Circle would be.

In her classroom, Miss Circle was alone with the tests from the day on her desk. Often she was accompanied by Miss Thavel and Miss Bloomie, the two closest allies of hers, but today she must've decided to prioritize grading the tests. Her legs were crossed under her desk, and her black clawed hand held one of the tests. A moment of looking at it more, and she marked it with a red pen. Addie could see an F written onto the paper. There also seemed to be a small stack of oreos next to her, a couple crumbs where some had once been sitting. Sweets were quite rare these days, and Addie always wondered where she got them.

"Miss Circle?" Addie said politely to get her attention.

Circle looked up from the failed test as she set it aside, on the empty desk space next to a few tests already graded. The top one had a B+ - passing grades.

"Yes?"

She couldn't hide the hint of irritation behind her tone.

"Is talking about breaking the rules against the rules in any way?"

Circle raised an eyebrow. "Depends on the severity of the rule. What's this about, Addie?"

"It's about that new girl, Claire."

Circle wasn't the least bit surprised, though her interest was now piqued. "And?"

"She's been talking to the other students about going outside."

The simple statement caused Circle a sort of anger she hadn't expected. Outside? Did they not care about the school enforced to protect them?

Of course, really, she didn't care about the whole "protecting the children" bit. However, it infuriated her how ungrateful those little worms could be.

Circle made a sound that sounded a bit like a growl, eyes narrowed as she pushed her chair out from beneath the desk and stood up. Suddenly she towered many feet over Addie, though unlike most kids she didn't fear the math teacher much. Why would she, when she's always been at least somewhere on her good side?

"I'll take care of it," Circle declared with a snarl. She unsheathed the needle of her compass with a shing and made her way out the door, combat boots making a heavy clunk sound as she stepped onto the hard tile floor of the corridor outside. Addie calmly followed, a smug grin on her face and a slight wag to her tail, oscillating like a pendulum as it trailed behind her.

Soon she slammed open the door of the pool room, her voice booming across the wide, open space as she called,

"Claire!"

Her accent gave the word more the sound of "Kudair" with the slightest "u" sound at the end, but everyone knew what she'd said. Claire shut her mouth, words silenced as she snapped her head to Circle standing in the door. Everyone's eyes followed hers as well, varying degrees of surprise or silent fear rising as Circle's presence was made known. Abbie let out a quiet squeak, tensing up and ducking slightly behind Lana to keep out of her sight. But her gaze was buried into Claire and Claire alone.

"Meet me in the hall. Now."

Claire swept a glance over at Engel. Engel looked nervous, but just as confused as Claire was. Slowly Claire stood up and made her way over to the math teacher, right hand holding her left forearm behind her back. She stepped through the door, and Circle glared at the group of kids that were staring at her.

"What are you staring at? Go back to your free time!"

Everyone scrambled off to resume their normal activities. Circle scoffed, closing the door and turning around to look down at Claire. While Claire wasn't quite short, she was dwarfed in comparison to Circle, who gazed down at the girl with a contemptuous expression.

"I don't know if you realize the danger you're posing to your fellow classmates right now."

Claire, nervous, queried,

"W-what do you mean?"

There was a stammer to her voice, knowing inside that Circle was definitely not pleased with whatever she'd done.

"The outside world... is not your home anymore," Circle claimed. "And I don't want to catch you speaking of it and romanticizing it in the way you are ever again."

"What? A-all I was doing was sharing some stories!" Claire argued. "Nothing more!"

"And by sharing these 'stories,' you're putting an image of what the others have never seen before in their heads." Circle was fairly calm, but the fury inside of her was evident in her eyes and the way she clenched her razor-sharp teeth as she spoke. "They don't know what it's really like out there. And with you sharing only the good side of the terror that reigns over the world just beyond the exit doors, you're planting a fantasy that will never be reestablished. It's a wicked seed that will grow into a tree of lies and fiction, which will lead them to want to leave this place."

Her eyes narrowed. "And if they want to leave this sanctuary, the only place where they are safe, they. Will. Die."

"Y-you know," Claire braved, "I-it's really not as bad out there as it used to b-"

"Do you really think you can just talk back to me about this? Talk your way out of trouble?!" Circle suddenly snapped. "While you never left this building, speaking of leaving is just the equivalent! You will never leave this place, Claire! And you will never talk of leaving this place again, do you understand?!"

"Circle?"

Circle found her needle pressed harshly against Claire's chest, just above where her heart would be. Claire was trembling, a tear formed and rolling down her left cheek as she stared up at Circle in terror. Circle took a deep breath in, deep breath out, and glanced at where the voice came from.

Miss Grace. The principal was standing a few feet away from the scene, hands behind her back and eyes glued harshly to Circle. Grace's eyes flickered to the end of the compass needle, where she met the eyes of a terrified Claire against the wall. Her emotions were hidden, if not nonexistent.

"Let the girl go, Circle."

Circle took a moment to test the demand. When it was certain Grace wouldn't leave, she hesitantly retracted the needle, Claire breathing a slight sigh of relief. Grace nodded at Claire, and quickly the girl got up and darted back into the pool room. Circle watched her, contempt still ripe in her gaze.

Grace was silent for a moment, eyes lingering on the doors where Claire disappeared before she spoke.

"How many times must I tell you that you cannot murder our students for poor conduct?"

"Grace, you don't understand," Circle hissed. "She was planting those ideas of leaving into the other students' heads, if something isn't done, we'll have a goddamn revolt on our hands!"

"If you're so worried about it, then you should've brought the matter to me," Grace said, keeping her calm composure. Even staring right into the violent eyes of Circle, she never flinched - she knew she wouldn't be harmed. Circle was brave, but she would never attack Grace.

"And what would you have done?" Circle demanded. "Given her detention? If that was the correct way to deal with this problem, I would've done it myself."

"Actually, I would've explained to her the importance of keeping any talk of escaping the school out of her mouth."

"Hence exactly what I did."

"Had I not stepped in, she would've died hours into her first day of school at your hands. I know you, Circle. If you cannot keep your violent tendencies to yourself I will-"

"What?" Circle snapped. "You'll what? Fire me?"

She laughed.

"You and I both know you won't do that. And you, yourself, said so. I'm too valuable to replace in the middle of an apocalypse."

Grace inhaled, then exhaled to contain herself. "I don't want another student to die, Circle. Especially because of you. You're already feared among the student body, why must you make a point to terrify them?"

Circle, truly, didn't have an explanation. She just enjoyed it. Seeing them cower before her like they did brought her a pleasure she didn't quite know the reality behind. All she knew was that she didn't care if she had to hurt anyone - she just had to keep them afraid. Without torment, she felt nothing, was nothing.

The math teacher kept herself silent. Just turned away with a frustrated sigh.

Grace remained behind her a moment more before she spoke.

"If you find her talking about leaving again... tell me. Don't take care of the issue yourself. And don't hurt anyone unnecessarily. Understood?"

Circle wanted to punch the principal in the face, her needle unsheathing just for a moment. Then it returned to the inside of the compass, and Circle unclenched her hand, which had balled into a fist.

"Understood."

-

3003 words

Circle angy real
Meant to post this before going to church but I didn't so here it is now sorry lol