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 **** 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 **** 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."