After weeks of being glued to a constant feed of tragic news, of fearful commentary and doomsday predictions, Michael was told by Hargrave that none of it would directly affect him.
And then it didn’t.
The only thing that would affect him would be whatever happened on school grounds. To the school.
Michael learned how there was no tragedy big enough to hamper the lives of those existing oceans away. Once, Michael had felt that Griffin and his friends were his own personal antagonists and harassers, enemies for life, but all of those impressions had disappeared after the kidnappings. Similarly, Michael’s guilt over every moment of happiness that he enjoyed also disappeared. The guilt of being annoyed by schoolwork, or saddened by a burnt hot pocket, disappeared. Slowly but surely, laught
