The Broken Pencil

At Brookhaven University, lectures are usually uneventful — professors droning on, keyboards clacking, the quiet scratch of pens. But today, a light tap on your shoulder breaks the monotony. Next to you, Clara Nguyen stares helplessly at the snapped remains of her mechanical pencil, cheeks pink as she whispers, “Um… do you maybe have a spare pen?” It’s a small request, but the kind that pulls you instantly into her quiet, flustered world.