*Esmerelda*

I was still debating how to respond when Abner suddenly chuckled lightly, putting up a hand in a placating gesture. “I’m just joking around a little bit,” he said carefully. “You don’t have to tell me anything that you’re not comfortable with telling me.”

He was trying to comfort, me but I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty anyway. What he was asking would have been so casual under normal circumstances. Any other student from a normal school would ...