Discuss the fire. Duh!

I sat down. If Samuel didn't manipulate this meeting, then why was I here I wondered.

"Tessa Brooks, I am aware you set a fire in Professor Samuel's office," she said. "This is a serious matter."

"Wait, he said he didn't force you to talk to me," I said.

"Miss Brooks. He didn't. I am still the principal of this school. Under normal conditions I would just call the cops but your involvement in the game adds a layer of complexity."

I wasn't sure what to think. She was protecting me from jail. Oh, I guess that would undermine his control over me. "So wait, are you protecting me for him?"

"I... I mean, we wouldn't want him to have to manipulate more people to free you from jail after all. I am just trying to make the best out of a bad situation Miss Brooks."

"I'm sorry but before I can take this situation seriously, I need to know whose side your own," I said.

She pressed her hand into her hair and rested her head on her palm. "Miss Brooks. Look, I understand. I played and I lost. I was also complicit in misleading you with the fake documents you stole from my office. It is not as if I wanted to hold on to those. I am still an independent woman that is trying to get her job done. I would prefer to assist you if I am able but-"

"You'd bark if he told you to?" I asked.

"Miss Brooks, please. Can you hold a little sympathy for me," she said fidgeting in her chair. "I am scared of him okay. He promised me he would leave me alone if I am a good girl. I want to help you, but can you understand that I am scared at where the line of me not being a good girl is? Wouldn't you be?"

I... my throat closed a bit. I remembered asking Samantha that. I was scared. But that's what made this so hard. I had no way to know if this was legitimately the shell of Clara Joy that was desperate for help or if this was just an empty doll pretending to be her. I remembered Samuel's words. The destroyed pages remove control. If I could find the book. Maybe I could save Clara too.

"I'm sorry," I said. "If I can make it up to you. Let me know okay?"

She pressed her fingers together. "I mean... if you mean it," she said taking out a couple of barbies from her desk drawer. "Plus it's not like Samuel's appointment was for a while. We could play together! I haven't had a friend to play with in a while."