The Outcasts *COMPLETED*

Chapter 19 - Mollie's Story

Age 11

Mollie stood on the stage in her middle school's performing arts center. Other students sat behind her on bleachers while parents, faculty, and other students sat in the crowd. Mollie had her hands behind her back, smiling innocently as a woman who sat behind a table flipped through a book lying on the table in front of her.

"Now Miss Gryphon, with Miss Ford misspelling the last word, you have the chance to win the Spelling Bee right here." the woman said into a microphone, looking up at the young girl. Mollie turned her head, looking at Sophie who stared out into the crowd with disgust. Taking a step forward, Mollie walked up to the microphone on stage and smiled again at the woman.

"Your word is extravagant." the woman said.

"Extravagant..." Mollie repeated, taking a moment to think about the word. "E-x-t-r-a-v-a-g-a-n-t. Extravagant."

There was a long pause as the woman stared at the book in front of her, causing Mollie's palms to become sweaty due to the nerves of waiting to hear if she was wrong or right. Mollie took a deep breath, looking down at the ground as the woman closed the book in front of her. With a grin on her face, she spoke into the microphone, "Congratulations Miss Gryphon, you've won the 2013 spelling bee!"

All the students, faculty, and parents stood up in the crowd, applauding the young girl whose mouth hung open in pure shock from winning. The students on stage behind her made the effort to come up to her and congratulate her, all except for one. Sophie had got up from her seat and stormed out of the auditorium. Mollie hadn't noticed, too transfixed with thanking all the other kids who were around and looking out at the crowd. She scanned all the faces, looking for two in particular but not finding them. The one person who stood out was the babysitter who constantly watched over her when her parents were away on business.

* * *

Age 15

Mollie stood in front of the high school cafeteria, wearing a formal looking dress with a pin on it that read "Vote Mollie for Class President". She handed flyers to each freshmen that walked by her, a big smile on her face as she repeated the phrase on the pin to them over and over. A pair of students were approaching her, one was a boy wearing a black leather jacket and baggy jeans. He had bleached blonde hair and was staring at the ground as he approached the lunch room. The student next to him was a girl with parts of her hair dyed green. She wore black tights, which was mostly covered by an equally black skirt along with a black hoodie.

"You guys should definitely vote me for Class President." Mollie said, stepping in front of them before they could enter the cafeteria.

"We're good, thanks." the girl said, giving Mollie a dirty look. She attempted to move around Mollie who didn't budge. Her upbeat expression was quickly replaced with a frown as she held the flyer in her hand still.

"Please. You just have to check the box and that's all." Mollie said. The girl sighed while the boy looked at her, then at Mollie.

"Hand it over." the girl said. Mollie's frown was turned upside down in an instint as she handed two flyers to the two outcasts of her class.

"Thank you!" Mollie shouted after the two as they entered the cafeteria. The boy looked down at the flyer, seeing Mollie's name with another name, "Sophie Ford", right underneath it. He looked over at his friend who had already crumpled up the flyer. She tossed it into a nearby trash can as the two took a seat.

"Jade, was that necessary?" the boy asked. Jade shrugged her shoulders, looking around the cafeteria as the boy took out a pen and put a checkmark next to Mollie's name. Meanwhile, back at the cafeteria entrance, Mollie was still handing out flyers. She remained smiling and continued to advertise herself to every freshmen that was trying to go to lunch.