Practically Strangers

Clara continued to sob against Celine’s chest, her fragile frame shaking with the sheer force of her distress. The harsh, wet sounds of her weeping filled the tense, suffocating silence of the principal's office. She buried her face deeper into Celine’s protective embrace, her tiny fists gripping the fabric of Celine's blouse like a lifeline in a storm. Celine rested her chin gently on the top of