Summary

In Chapter 1, Bitter was a 17-year-old queer girl living in Lucille. Ever since the revolution broke out, Bitter had no interest in getting involved. She thought "it was ridiculous that adults wanted young people" to save the world (1). Their efforts only seemed to cause more violence.

Bitter lived at her "private boarding school," Eucalyptus (5). Because Bitter had lived in foster care for years, Eucalyptus was the first safe home she had known. However, her room overlooked the protests, making her anxious. She wore headphones and painted, trying to drown out the sound from the streets.

Bitter's best friend, Blessing, barged in. Blessing similarly loved Eucalyptus. Like Bitter, it was a safe place where she could practice her art. All of the students had been specially selected, none had to pay, and none of them graduated (5). The headmistress, Miss Virtue, made them feel welcome...