The history classroom was drowning in monotony. Despite the potentially dramatic topic of WWII, Professor Kastle somehow delivered every sentence with the enthusiasm of a drying cement. Students slumped in their chairs, staring dead-eyed at the board. Professor Kastle, trying to make the lecture at least a bit more exciting, started to talk about the weapons used back then.

“…They used rifles, not submachine guns,” Kastle droned.

“Actually,” Aya said without looking up from her notebook, “they used a PPSh-41. Nine hundred rounds per minute. Very effective at close range.”

The whole class burst into laughter—some amused, others confused. Kastle blinked, caught off guard, then offered a polite smile. Michelle, however, quietly wrote down the details.

How can a teenager know that…  And with that level of precision…

The lecture dragged on. Michelle glanced sideways at Trella’s impeccably structured notes—clean blocks, sharply outlined bullet points.

“You write like you’re filing intelligence reports,” she whispered.

Trella didn’t look up. A faint smirk tugged at her lips. “Maybe I am.”

“You’re new,” Michelle said softly. “And not just to this school. You don’t look lost enough to be a transfer, but you also don’t blend in.”

“That’s because you notice things others don’t,” Trella replied. “Interesting.”

“Or useful. Depends who you ask.”

“Ladies,” Kastle interrupted, raising a brow, “am I interrupting something? Miss Williams, quiet please.”

Both girls leaned back in their seats. Michelle resumed writing with her neat, flowing handwriting. Trella watched her for a moment longer before returning to her notes.

Williams? Coincidence? No… This town is too small for that.

After the lecture Trella and Aya stepped into the corridor.

“Did I hear correctly?” Aya asked. “Her name is Williams?”

A small Japanese girl approached them.

“Williams? You mean like…” Aiko began.

“Yes,” Trella confirmed.

Aiko frowned. “Does she know?”

“Doesn’t look like it. But we need to be careful around her. She is very observant. By the way, how is your classmate doing?”

Aiko sighed dramatically. “Loud, unpredictable, arrogant, annoying snotty little princess.”

Aya chuckled. “Sounds like a handful. But once she parks her tight little ass in the car seat, she’s out of our hair.”

“Yeah, till the next day,” Aiko muttered. “I seem to be the center of her attention now. She thinks I’m cute.”

“That will make it easier,” Aya said with a grin—then her face shifted to a serious tone. “Now… what do we do with Williams?”

Trella’s eyes narrowed. “Leave that to me.” She turned toward her classroom—silent, tense.

Later… Michelle and Trella walked side by side.

“You know…” Michelle began. “You feel different from the other girls.”

“Oh? How so?”

“They’re loud, unpredictable, Aya looks like she’d snap someone’s neck for fun. But you… you’re calm. You feel… kinda normal.”

Trella let out a quiet breath. “Normal? I haven’t heard that in a while.”

“So where do you live? Somewhere around here?”

“On the edge of town,” Trella replied. “Big house. Lots of roommates. We call it the orphanage.”

A flash of memory flickered in Michelle’s mind—cars, vans, suspicious traffic around that house.

“An orphanage? You don’t sound like someone who grew up in one.”

“Let’s just say ours is… different.”

“Well, that would explain something…” Michelle said. “You’re the only one from your group who seems interested in blending in.”

“Maybe. But someone has to keep the circus in line.”

Michelle laughed—a small, genuine sound. Trella’s expression softened—only for a moment.

“I think I like you,” Michelle admitted.

“Careful,” Trella murmured. “That could be dangerous.”

“Or interesting.”

Trella’s mouth twitched upward—not quite a smile, but close.

Michelle leaned in slightly, whispering as she glanced at Aya across the hall.
“Okay, don’t take this the wrong way… but does your friend bleach her hair every morning? I’ve never seen white that sharp.”

“No,” Trella replied deadpan. “That’s just Aya.”

“…That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’ll get.”

They passed Amelie, who stood beside a locker—pale, silent, dressed in black, chains hanging loosely, staring into nothing like an extra from The Exorcist. Students skirted around her uneasily.

“And her?” Michelle whispered. “She looks like she’s about to start reciting poetry at a funeral.”

“That’s Amelie. Don’t mind her. She prefers spirits to people.”

They stopped at Michelle’s locker. Suddenly—without a sound—Katya appeared beside them. Michelle nearly jumped out of her skin.

 “Holy sh—! Where did you come from?!”

“From the other side of the hallway,” Katya answered calmly.

Then she faded away just as silently. Michelle stared after her.  

“Okay… ghost girl. Got it.”

Trella let out a subtle laugh. “You’ll get used to it. Maybe. Gotta go. See you.”

Trella walked off. Michelle exhaled slowly, trying to recover her heartbeat.

“Yo, Williams!”

Michelle flinched again, almost dropping her books. Brenda and her gang approached, clearly irritated.

“Any news?” Brenda snapped. “I’m losing my patience!”

“T-They said they’ll look at it when they have time…”

“That means after I graduate, right?!”

“Give me a break! I have other things to investigate—”

“You mean the new girls?” Brenda scoffed. “Which circus did they escape from?”

You’re the one to talk…

“Any of them in your class?” Michelle asked.

“No, but one’s in Ramona’s. Total tech geek. Might even steal your nerd crown.”

“Maybe she can fix the locker…”

“Don’t screw with me! I said Friday!”

Brenda stormed off to her locker. She slammed it, punched it, tried to force it shut. Metal clanged loudly. From the shadows, a pair of eyes observed everything.

***

Days have passed. Michelle walked down the hallway, lost in thought.

I just can’t figure them out! The more questions I have, the fewer answers I get! Instead I end up with even more questions! Aya looks like a musclehead, but she’s really smart. Trella talks to me, but she’s the most evasive person I’ve ever met…

She heard two girls speaking Russian around the corner. Not slow, textbook Russian—fast, sharp, native. When she turned the corner, she almost bumped straight into Katya and Anya. They fell silent immediately.

“Just practice for class, право?” Anya said quickly.

Katya nodded. Michelle blinked, confused, and walked past them. After a few steps, she froze.

Wait a minute… We don’t have a Russian class at this school!

She ran back—but the girls were gone. Not a trace. She went to her locker, mind spinning. Then she hears an unpleasant familiar voice.

Damn, I completely forgot about her! Oh no…

At the end of the hallway, Brenda and her gang were cornering three of the new girls—Mei-Ling, Samira, and Liza.

“Well, well,” Brenda said. “The new girls. Nobody told you? These lockers are taken.”

“Oh, really?” Mei-Ling grinned like a shark. “Cute. By the way, do we get a welcome basket too, or just your bad breath?”

Samira gasped theatrically.
“Be nice, Mei! They’re just trying to impress. You know… like baboons.”

“What did you just say?!” Brenda snapped.

“Baboons,” Liza said calmly. “It’s a type of monkey. Fits, doesn’t it?”

“You better learn your place!” Brenda shouted. “This is our school! We make the rules!”

Mei-Ling’s eyes lit up. “Ooooh, threats! My favorite game. Come closer, I wanna see how serious you look when you cry.”

The bullies faltered. The girls’ smiles were far too devilish.

Talia stepped in from the side, arms crossed. “Careful. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

Brenda hesitated. They didn’t expect back up.  Aya appeared behind them, strolling casually.

“Hey, you!” Aya called out. “Heard you can’t open your locker. This one’s yours, right?”

Before anyone could react, Aya drove her fist into the locker door. A deafening BANG! The metal crumpled like aluminum foil. The lock disintegrated. The door hung loose on a single hinge.

Aya dusted off her knuckles. “Fixed it. You’re welcome.”

She walked off—completely unfazed—and passed Michelle with a faint, friendly smile.

Brenda stared at the wrecked locker. “…Oh, shit.”

Mei-Ling snapped her own locker shut and smirked. “Class dismissed.”

Everyone stood frozen, staring at the mangled metal.