Molly -Ashtray O'Neil-

six.

A few weeks had passed since Amelié was picked up by the police. Life had returned to normal to some extent, but the event had left its mark. The students had stopped whispering, but the uncertainty still weighed on Amelié. She and Ashtray had continued to try to find out what had happened, but without success.

One morning, when Amelié entered the school, she immediately noticed that something was different. The students seemed to be excited and whispering in groups. She felt a certain tension in the air and wondered what was going on.

As she walked through the hallway, she noticed a new face in the crowd. A girl with long, blonde hair and a confident smile stood with a group of students. She was surrounded by prying eyes and seemed to quickly find her way around her new environment.

Amelié knew immediately that this had to be Molly Hughes, the new student everyone was talking about. She had heard that Molly came from another city and that she had a reputation that preceded her someone who knew how to prevail in every situation and was not afraid to cross borders.

When the lessons began, the teacher introduced Molly to the class. „This is Molly Hughes, your new classmate. She will join us and I hope you will warmly welcome her."

Molly smiled charmingly and nodded to the students before sitting down in a free seat. During the lesson, Amelié noticed that Molly looked at her several times as if she wanted to assess her. It was a penetrating look that gave Amelié a slight discomfort.

During the lunch break, Amelié saw Molly coming towards her purposefully. „You are Amelié, aren't you?" Molly asked with a smile that seemed both friendly and challenging.

„Yes, that's me," Amelié replied cautiously.

„I've heard a lot about you," said Molly. „It seems like you're pretty well known here."

Amelié didn't know what to make of it and decided to remain cautious. „It's a small school. News spreads quickly."

Molly's smile grew wider. „Well, I hope we get along well. I have the feeling that we can still learn a lot from each other."

Amelié nodded, unsure what she should think of Molly. But deep inside she felt that the presence of the new girl would bring more changes than she could imagine.

Molly stayed with her for the rest of the break, and although she was friendly, Amelié couldn't help but wonder what Molly's true intentions were. Something about her felt unfathomable and maybe even dangerous.

When the bell rang and the students flocked back into their classes, Amelié couldn't shake off the feeling that Molly's presence would bring more change than she had imagined. But she decided to stay vigilant and be prepared for everything.

୨⎯⎯⎯ time skip ⎯⎯⎯୧

In the following days, Molly's presence at school became more and more noticeable. She was charismatic, knew how to win people over, and it didn't take long for her to gather a group of supporters around her. Nevertheless, she kept in touch with Amelié and Ashtray again and again, as if she were deliberately trying to get into their narrow circle.

One morning, during a break, Molly sat back with Amelié and Ashtray. Her conversations were friendly, but Amelié still felt this subliminal tension.

„So, Amelié," Molly suddenly began, „I heard that you were picked up from school by the police a few weeks ago. What was going on?"

The question hit Amelié unprepared, and she felt how all eyes were on her. She tried to stay calm. „It was a misunderstanding," she answered succinctly. „Everything has been clarified."