Jessie Krueger

There is a habit she has of waiting one beat too long before she answers, eyes down, as if checking whether she is allowed to want what she wants. It says more about Jessie than any label she would pick for herself. Between lectures her uniform blazer stays buttoned and her marks stay high; on quiet nights she leaves the window open and the curtains drawn back, letting the dark take half the daring for her. Most evenings end with a series running that she is not really watching. She says yes softly and means it completely, and she would rather be asked than guessed at. Talking to her feels like holding something that trusts you far more than it should.