*Lick. Lick. Lick.

The light peaked through the thin blinds, causing her to distressfully open her eyes. She parts the bed blanket away from her body, got up slowly, and then sign with a heavy yawn. Her eyes then came into contact with her black cat, who was licking at her bruises from yesterday. The scratches where the cat licked had hurt and still stings. She pat her black cat and remove him from herself.

“Sorry, Luci. I have to prepare for school,” She explained, smiling gently. She walk over to her door and went to the family restroom right across from her bedroom. After finishing up her usual morning routine in the restroom, she went back into her bedroom and dress for school.

Her academy requires all student to wear their school uniform. For the freshmen girls; they are to wear brown loafers, knee-length socks, a white tie, a navy skirt, and white blouse. Which isn’t that terrible, in her opinion. She doesn’t have to worried about buying new trendy clothes to fit in with the latest fashion at her school. She carefully hide and tuck her bruises inside the long sleeve shirt. Luckily, it wasn’t short-sleeved. And lastly, to put on top of her blouse, is her name badge for identification.

“Molly Miller.” She reads silently. “Matches with my employee of the month badge from work.”

How fitting for a small farm girl living in a tiny little town with her farmer folks.

Molly looked over herself in the mirror opposite of her bed. Light brown hair and eyes, thin frail frame, medium tan skin color, not too tall, but not too short either.

Just typical physical appearance for someone who name Molly.

Average Molly.

Molly grab her backpack, swing it over her shoulders, and head for the bedroom door. She stop for a second and then goes toward her drawer. Molly had forgotten that she’d borrowed a new horror story from the local library yesterday. She pick up the book, and watches in fascination at the cover picture of the masked killer. The story follow around this masked killer and how he would mutilate all of his victims because he was obsessed with human body parts. She puts the book inside her backpack.

Molly walk down the long stairways, ignoring all of her surrounding as if nothing happened. Molly’s mother greeted her with a smile and a lunch box for her to eat in school. Molly smile back. Dad is still sleeping in the living room. Next to him is an casket full of emptied shattered beer bottles. She bid her mother the usual goodbye and out the door she goes. She grabs her bike nearby the walls and ride herself to school.

Another long day head.

Molly was not a genius at heart, really, but she study materials well enough to land herself in one of the most prestigious school in the city. Thanks to her book-smart intelligence, Molly was able to received a full ride scholarship to this private academy reserved only for the best students in nearby elementary schools. In fact, the academy was so difficult and strict with their rules, only the top 10 graduates are able to even be considered for an interview with the staffs there. However, it is ultimately up to the staffs to decide and pick the students they want. Molly was fortunate enough for an interview and was offered a full-scholarship because of her family’s background. Her old friend, who was one of the other chosen students, wasn’t as fortunate because her family finance could afford to pay for school.

Molly look up and turn pass a huge sign that reads, “Scarlet Zimmerman Academy, the School for Excellence and Excel Education.”

As Molly approach the academy, lines and lines of rich, shiny cars emerges. Parents would say good byes to their spoiled kids, and hired-drivers would open doors for bored children. It was almost time for school to start for the students. Molly pick up her speed and head for the open parking in the back of the academy for to park her bike. The bell rings loudly in the background as Molly lock her bike in place next to a rail. 15 minute before classes start for the day. There were mud puddles everywhere in the school’s backyard from yesterday’s storm. Molly carefully dodge a huge puddle as she rush to the short-cut door into the school’s hallway.

There is something odd going on in the hallway. Usually, the students are much quieter and chit-chat within their group, but today is different from the rest of the other days. Cliques and cliques of students would chat to each other as if they are the same person. Something new and exciting is happening, and all seem to be too happy and delighted. Molly tense as a a girl with bright blonde hair approach her. Around her are three different girls who all looked the same as her.

“Hi Molly! You look tired, you should -at least- wash your face.” The girl smiled mockingly as Molly walk by. “Poor you. I’m beginning to think that your family couldn’t even afford water.” The three other girls copied her smile and wear the exact sameexpression.

“Sorry, Brie.” Molly whispered, avoiding eye-contact. She doesn’t really know what to say back because of old guilt between them. “I got to go, excuse me.”

-Another excuse to be away from Brie.-

“I thought we are friends, Molly.” Brie proclaimed, pretending hurt. “Why don’t you talk to me? Why don’t you ask me ‘how are you?’” Why don’t show that you even care?... Well, you are always too busy for me anyways.” The other three girls snickered around Brie and they went off to gossip about something else not involving Molly.

“Later Molly. Don’t let the cat bite your tongue.” Brie bit her a farewell in the far distant.

Molly nodded in acknowledgement, still stayed silent, and head for her first class: Literature. The dead silence have always get her out of problems. As she approach her class, the noises got louder and louder, almost akin to a crowds in a football stadium. It was hard for Molly to squeeze herself through the front door because it was flocked by students from other classes. She bit her lips. Ouch. Someone stepped on her right foot. With a grunt, her face shown complete distaste being trapped by so many people. Molly manage to push herself through the crowds, but ends up bumping into a tall figure ahead of her.

“Sorry.” Molly absentmindedly admitted, her vision still blurry from being under the dark. She look up as a hand rests on her shoulder to calm her disrupted state. Blink. Blink. It was an unfamiliar face. It was an unrecognizable sight. It was an a dark shadow.

It was a... boy.

“Hello.” His smile was wide and long, like a crawling centipede. A silent smirk one could kill for. There was an aura of gloomy ominous around him. He was horrifyingly tall, hair too dark for the night, and eyes like a blackened voided abyss. Needless to say, he was frighteningly handsome; to say the least. Something about this boy is really... frighteningly fascinating. He look like a dead prince crawling out from a grave. In fact, for a second; the boy had looked hauntingly statuesque, like that one beautiful masked killer in one of the horror story Molly read.

“Are you alright?” He asked, his voice was melancholy and calm like black silk ink.

Molly nod her head.

The Literature teacher, Mr. William walks into his class. All of the sudden, the crowds disappear. The students at the academy knows very well that Mr. William is a strict man and had zero tolerance for loud noises. The bell rings again; it is the official start of class.

“Everybody, sit down.” Mr. William commanded the class. All of the students hurried to sit into their designated seat. Molly quickly seated herself in her seat by the window. As she step closer, she notice someone had written ‘LOSER’ in permanent marker on her seat. Molly doesn’t say anything and kept herself compose. “We have a new student to the academy, class. I would like for you all to treat him well and show him around campus if you have some free time. Introduce yourself to the class, Mister Dunn.” Mr. William looked over to the new student.

“Hi, class.” The student announced, his devilish grin arise one again. “My name is Colvin Dunn. I don’t have anything special about myself to share, but nice to meet you all though. I’m quite the shy one; maybe you should come and talk to me to get to know me better. I hope we can get along. Thank you for the welcome. I appreciate it.”

The class laugh and claps their hands to welcome him. Molly look down at her desk the entire time, and hope that nobody pay any attention to her.

“Alright, Mister Dunn. Nice to meet you as well. Come take a seat behind Molly. Molly, raise your hand.” Mr. William absentmindedly said, as if he doesn’t really care for anything at all. He turns to his table and begin to unpack his materials for the lessons for today.

Molly raise her hand. Colvin just smile and head for the seat that was assigned to him by Mr. William. There were some quiet whispers as Colvin sat himself down.

“Molly. What a lovely name.” The boy claimed.

“Hello.” Molly replied back and nodded.

Except for that one extravagantly elaborated morning, the rest of the day went as usual for Molly. She did her work, attend all of her classes, had lunch, went to the library to study, some more classes. The bell ring.

The end.

It’s time to go to work for Molly.

Tired and stressed out, Molly walk tirelessly through the long hallway; ignoring all the teasing and the looks from her classmates. She’s too tired to care. She need to work now. She doesn’t have time to care.

Without any attention payed ahead of her because she was so lost in her world, Molly accidentally stepped into the mud puddle from earlier this morning and had dirt spattered all over her school uniform. Some students walk passed Molly and sneakily laughed at her, but none offered to help her get up her feet. It’s just seemed that all the back luck are attracted to her.

Well, at least Molly still has her trusty work uniform. She just need to wear her dirty uniform for maybe 30 minute.

With a dejected frown, Molly grab her bike and drove herself to work silently.

To be continue.