Sugar - Charlie Dalton

The air in the Perry household was thick with an argument, a familiar tension that Clara knew all too well.

"But Mother, why!" Clara Perry whined, her voice barely concealing a rising frustration. Her mother, Mrs. Perry, looked utterly exhausted, her usual composed demeanor frayed at the edges.

"Because, your brother already attends," Mrs. Perry stated, her voice flat. "And Mr. Nolan wants you to be a part of their new program. They're testing the waters on having girls join Welton full time."

Clara couldn't believe it. Just because her 'Einstein' brother, Neil, was forced into the dreaded "Hell-ton," now she had to endure it too? The injustice burned within her.

"Mother, please, don't make me go."

"No! The answer is no!" Her mother's voice cracked, a rare display of emotion that effectively ended the conversation.

"And that's final," Mr. Perry added from behind his newspaper, his tone chillingly calm. His voice, even from a distance, carried an undeniable finality.

With a sigh that carried the weight of her defeat, the youngest Perry sibling trudged up the grand staircase, her steps heavy, until she reached the sanctuary of her room. She collapsed onto her bed, the soft mattress doing little to cushion the blow of her impending fate. A moment later, a tentative knock echoed at her door.

"Clara?" Neil's voice, muffled by the wood, called out. All he received in response was an inarticulate grunt.

"I'll take it as a 'come in'," he chuckled, pushing the door open gently. He peered at her, a sympathetic glint in his eyes. "So... found out about Welton, huh?"