Beneath the Surface
It started as soon as I stepped into the hallway. I barely had time to register the whispers before something slammed into my shoulder. It wasn’t a hard shove—just enough to send my books tumbling to the floor. I stumbled, catching myself against the lockers as laughter rippled
Beneath the Surface
The following days felt different. It wasn’t like Elodie turned into a model student overnight, but something had shifted between us. She showed up for every session, and for the first time, she actually opened her notebook and started to write. She still grumbled and sighed now and then,
Beneath the Surface
That Thursday, the air felt thick as a storm rolled in, the sky dark and moody outside the library window. Elodie sat with her head down, her pen tapping absently against her notebook. I was halfway through reviewing a chapter when I noticed her shoulders trembling ever so slightly. “Elodie?
Beneath the Surface
The next day, I left all of my heavy materials back in the classroom, taking only a notepad and a pen to the library. It felt good, with all that burden gone. Today was Friday, the last day of the week, but somehow, it didn’t feel like a relief.
Beneath the Surface
My mistake was that I failed to relate that subtle crack in Elodie’s demeanor to her distain at her studies, her terrible scores and everyone else, but assumed it was simply because she didn’t find the correct way to do it. To make our sessions smoother, I researched
Beneath the Surface
That night, I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to find peace. My thoughts kept racing. I was terrified—what if Elodie tried something? What if she did beat me up, like she’d implied? I had no idea how to handle her; she was unpredictable, like a storm
Beneath the Surface
The sharp knock on the classroom door made us all look up. Mrs. Hall poked her head in, her usual calm expression fixed in place. “Serena and Elodie, can I see you in my office for a moment?” I glanced over at Elodie, who was sitting at the back of