Campus Café - 12:30 PM
Lunch was chaos. Word had spread about Emily's CERN invitation, and suddenly everyone wanted to talk to her.
Students she barely knew congratulated her. Professors stopped by to express pride. Even the café staff gave her free lunch..."For our famous student going to Switzerland!"
Emily played her role perfectly: gracious, humble, excited but nervous about the opportunity. The perfect response of a student who'd earned something incredible.
Stephanie appeared halfway through lunch, her expression a careful mask of pleasant surprise.
"Emily!" Stephanie said, approaching the table where Emily sat with Chai and Ming Li. "I heard the news! CERN! That's amazing! Congratulations!"
Her voice was warm. Her smile was genuine. But her eyes her eyes were calculating.
"Thank you, Stephanie," Emily said politely. "I'm very excited about the opportunity."
