Esme had changed. During meals, she always sat in the far back at a round table with other young teachers. I thought it was unlike her character that she didn’t try to sit within view of Rielle; Esme was always looking for approval from authority and trying to show off her intelligence. But she was disinterested in the lively chatter around her and focused exclusively on her plate, leaving as soon as she was done and walking out alone.
After the fourth breakfast, I caught her at the laundry receptacle.
She was trying to toss in a napkin, but a hanging thread had caught on her uniform placket, stalling her exit as she tried to detach without losing a button. I caught a glimpse of the inside of her wrist where a cryptic mark had been emblazoned, a white s***h that symbolized her contributi
