Harper Reed offered a polite smile to her professor, Ms. Agnes, who was going on about how impressive her calculus test results were despite all the recent scandals.
With a warm smile, Ms. Agnes rested her hand on Harper's shoulder. "You're such a bright girl, Ms. Reed—an inspiration to everyone here."
"Thank you, Ms. Agnes," Harper replied with a small nod. "I appreciate it."
"And," Ms. Agnes added with a faint chuckle, "it seems like you've gotten a lot more popular around here… for reasons beyond academics."
Harper's laugh was short, stiff. "Guess so."
"Your name's everywhere lately," Ms. Agnes went on, tilting her head. "And just so you know, even with all this… attention… you've still got people rooting for you."
Harper's smile was polite—mechanical, maybe. "Thanks. That means a lot."
"Yeah, sure. I'm one of them, too," she smiled warmly. There was a moment of silence.
