After the post was made, Steven's reputation was tarnished once again. Not only Charlotte but the entire school suspected that he was the one behind it, and that it was an attempt to absolve himself of any responsibility for what he had said.
It was the manipulator… Surely, it was him orchestrating all of this against Steven to thwart his plan, but what would my friend do? How could he navigate this extremely complicated situation?
"Are you okay, Bonnie?" Charlotte had noticed my distant thoughts and seemed concerned.
"I'm fine, Charlotte. Thank you. You know… I just… I don't think Steven was the one who made that post," I said with a tired but determined look. Surely, with Charlotte, I could clear up some of this.
"Bonnie… I know you got a bit close to Steven on the first day, and it seems like he saved you from a dangerous situation, but in this school, you can't trust someone so easily…"
"But I do trust him, Charlotte! I trust him, I trust Carol, and I trust you…!"
Charlotte seemed a bit surprised by what I said, as if she hadn't expected it, but she soon gave me a gentle smile and said, "Thank you, Bonnie. Alright, tell me why you think Steven isn't the one who posted that text."
I prepared myself a little and then responded, "Well… Don't you think it's likely that the author of the text is actually the person who drove Steven's friend to commit suicide? I mean, for Steven to expose him, like he said he would, he probably needs people to listen to him, and that's why he asked me to help him communicate with you all."
Charlotte seemed to understand.
"So, what you're saying is that this person is trying to silence Steven so his plan to expose them doesn't go forward?"
I was glad she understood what I was saying. "Exactly, Charlotte!"
"I see… Well, I think that's possible, but Steven being the author still sounds more plausible to me. Sorry, Bonnie."
"Oh… I understand…"
I tried to say something else, but then the bell rang, and all the students organized themselves and slowly headed to their classrooms. Charlotte looked down and said, "I'll only help Steven with you if you tell me why you transferred to this school in the middle of the semester, Bonnie! I'm still curious about that!" She said this and entered the classroom, leaving me behind. I started to follow, but then I felt like I was being watched. When I looked back, I saw William, the school coordinator. Why was he watching me…?
When I entered the classroom, I saw Steven, who, like the day before, was sitting behind Jack. Jack seemed a bit uncomfortable with his presence, but it probably wasn't because of the rumors—it was likely because he didn't like drawing attention. The students were constantly looking at my friend with disdain, but surprisingly, Andrew seemed calmer today. Maybe that was what Steven wanted when he defended him last night.
I sat behind Charlotte and looked into her eyes. They sparkled with curiosity about why I had transferred to this school mid-semester.
"You know, Charlotte… I…"
Suddenly, Professor Sandra started teaching. Maybe she was doing it quickly to stop the rumors about Steven, even if only for a short while. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish talking to my friend.
The class was about biology. It's not a subject I hate, but it's definitely not my favorite. I looked at Charlotte, and she seemed extremely confused by Sandra's explanations, as if she were dealing with something incomprehensible. In fact, she was like this in yesterday's classes too, so I wonder if her future grades will hurt her… Maybe I should help her study sometime.
After the biology, chemistry, and history classes ended, Professor Sandra began teaching literature. I'm always surprised by how many subjects she teaches…
"Hehe! Literature!" Carol seemed very excited. She had told me before that this was her favorite subject, so her enthusiasm was understandable.
"Very well, dear vessels of power. For your first literature class of the semester, you'll do a paired project on poems. Each group will write a poem about a topic of their choice. Do your best!"
This wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It almost felt like a writing class, but I was happy. I could finally continue the conversation I was having with Charlotte and clear things up.
"And I'll be the one choosing the pairs!"
That disappointed me tremendously. I wouldn't have a choice but to pair up with whoever Professor Sandra picked… After learning about the bizarre side of this school, I can't help but fear being paired with the manipulator in the class. That would be a horrible scenario for me. Judging by the looks of everyone in the class, I wasn't the only one upset.
"Peter and Andrew."
"Larry and Carol."
"Tina and Sam."
"Bonnie and Jack."
What? Jack… he's the student Charlotte said was cold and weird. It's not like I have anything against him—after all, he might just be shy or unfairly judged like Steven—but still…
After Sandra assigned the pairs, the students started moving to their partners' desks. I did the same since Jack stayed in his seat without moving a muscle.
"H-Hi. Everything okay, Jack?" I tried my best to sound as friendly as possible.
"Yeah. Let's get this over with."
"Uh… Sure. So, what should our poem be about?"
"Doesn't matter to me. You choose."
"How about a poem about… trusting others?"
Jack looked at me with his red eyes and neutral expression. He took a moment to respond but then answered in a slightly louder tone than usual, "Trusting others?!"
I blushed a little because Jack said it loudly enough for the other students to hear our conversation.
"Y-Yeah… Trusting others," I wondered if he did it on purpose to embarrass me… If that was the case, what Charlotte said about him was probably true.
"I see. I'll do half, and you do the other half."
"Wouldn't it be better if we worked on it together…?"
"No. Trust me."
After saying that ironic phrase, he quickly wrote his part of the poem.
The folly born from the fear of confronting the truth,
the weak refuge of the ignorant about what rules the world,
but which, at the same time, will lead them to ruin and destruction.
The naivety of the young and the influence of the elders,
the cries of suffering and bitterness of those who believed and were fools,
but which, to the opportunists, will bring joy and satisfaction.
This poem was more negative than I expected… Was this how Jack viewed trust…? More importantly, now I had to write the rest…!
"W-Wow, Jack. Haha… You write well, but are you sure you didn't mix up the theme?"
"The theme is trust."
"Oh… And why did you write something so negative…?"
"Tch! Don't bother me."
After saying those cold words, Jack got up and went to the bathroom, leaving me alone to finish the other part of the assignment. I stared at the paper and tried to think of something good to write.
This is much harder than I thought, especially because of what Jack wrote.
I started writing. I'm not very good at writing, so my part of the poem was a bit below average, just like Jack's. The difference was that I was giving it my all, while he didn't seem to care about the assignment. While working on it, I kept hearing malicious rumors about Steven throughout the classroom. He was doing the assignment with Dave, who wouldn't even look at him. I was a bit worried about him, as I didn't know how he would carry out his plan to unmask the manipulator. His gaze turned to me, as if he had read my mind, and he gave me a quick, gentle smile. I smiled back, feeling a little more at ease.
Suddenly, Larry, who was sitting behind me, said, "Sorry, Bonnie, I accidentally overheard Jack. You're doing a poem about trust, right?"
"Oh… Yeah…"
"You've got that word on your mind, don't you, Bonnie? From the first time I saw you, I could tell trust was something that suited you, and it's something really hard to have, especially in this school. I admire you for that!" He said with an encouraging look.
"Thanks… It's true, it's not easy…" Even though Larry's intention was probably to motivate me, his words had the opposite effect. In fact, they just reminded me of the desperate situation I was in, in a place with rules completely different from the real world, with a manipulator ready to even kill…
He smiled at me and went back to writing his poem with Carol, who seemed very excited about the activity. Jack returned from the bathroom and sat down slowly.
"I did my part of the poem… Do you think it's okay like this?"
"Whatever."
Jack took a phone from his backpack and put earbuds in his ears. It seemed like he really wanted to pretend I wasn't there.
I sighed and slowly walked to Sandra to hand in the assignment. She nodded at me and took the paper I gave her, and then I walked back to my desk, looking at the other students.
Who could the manipulator be…? Who should I trust…?
After sitting down, Jack looked at me with a strange expression, still wearing his earbuds. He kept staring at me and finally said, "That look. Are you scared?"
What…? How…? Jack read my mind, just like Steven had done a few times, but with a cold and frightening expression. It felt like he was testing me, and any wrong move could cost me dearly.
"W-Well… Honestly, yes. I'm worried about what Steven said about the 'manipulator' who drove Craig to suicide. How will Steven find out who it was? And who was it…?"
Jack kept staring at me for a bit longer. I felt uneasy and slowly moved away a little… Could Jack be the manipulator?
Suddenly, he put his hand on his face, as if disappointed, and said, "You're terribly stupid."
Stupid…? I wasn't expecting that, as I thought Jack might say something scary, like admitting he was the manipulator behind everything, but it seemed all he was doing was thinking Steven had made up the whole story, just like everyone else did after the manipulator apparently posted that text online.
"Why do you think I'm stupid, Jack…? Do you think it was all a story made up by Steven?"
He looked at me with a disappointed expression again. "No. That's not it."
This time, I was clearly confused. Jack seemed to believe in the manipulator but also thought I was stupid… What could that mean?
Before I could ask, the bell rang, and Jack quickly grabbed his backpack and left, leaving me alone to tidy up the desks. It seemed I'd have to figure out what he meant on my own…
I started arranging my desk carefully so it wouldn't scrape the floor and make noise. I used all my strength to lift it.
Uuurgh…!
Even though I managed to lift it for a few seconds, I started to lose balance and had to put it back down quickly. Larry soon came to help me.
"Thanks, Larry…"
"No problem, Bonnie. Want to come eat with us again tonight?"
Honestly, I didn't feel like going. Being in a place full of people would be exhausting for me, especially with my thoughts about the "manipulator" and the rumors about Steven. Still, if my friend was going and needed my help, I would definitely go.
"I'm not sure if I'll go…"
"I get it. Don't feel pressured—you'll go if you want to, okay?"
"Oh, yeah, thanks."
"Bonnie! So you might not come tonight? That's a shame," Carol had joined the conversation.
"Yeah…"
"So, Bonnie… I've been thinking about something since this morning… Can I give you some advice?"
Advice…? What could it be? I had a slight idea because of what Jack had said earlier, but I was still hoping Carol wouldn't confirm it.
"Of course, Carol…"
"You know, I'd recommend you not get too close to Steven. You know… he's the most likely to be the manipulator he's talking about, right?"
That kind of thinking was inevitable. The way Steven seemed to plan everything meticulously, combined with his mysterious aura, could definitely give the impression that he was the manipulator he spoke of. But I couldn't believe that. Steven was my friend, after all.
"I-I think…"
It wasn't like I had known him for long, but I really didn't want to believe that possibility. Trust would win!
"I'm sure… he's not the manipulator. I'm certain of it."
Carol seemed like she wanted to say something else, but Charlotte appeared suddenly.
"Bonnie! Let's continue the conversation we were having earlier! I'm super curious!"
She quickly grabbed my hand and headed outside to the school courtyard with me.
"Charlotte… Won't this upset Carol?"
"She knows I have to go to the music club soon, so I'm sure she'll understand!" She laughed as she looked at me. She definitely wanted to know why I had joined the "Power Makers" boarding school mid-semester, but my thoughts were already too far away to say anything.
"So, Charlotte… You still want to know why, don't you…?"
"Yes! Absolutely!"
I sighed deeply and remembered everything that had happened. For some reason, my empathy and complete understanding of Steven returned. Somehow, his situation was very similar to mine from two months ago.
"It all started at my old school. I studied at a girls-only school, and I had the best grades in my class…"
Bonnie's School Year Beginnings:
Another day at Agniuny's girls-only school. I sat in my chair as usual and started talking to my friend.
"Good morning, Emily!"
Emily smiled kindly and said in a controlled voice, "Good morning, Bonnie. How are you?"
"I'm good, and you?"
"Haha, I'm even better!"
"Even better…? What happened?"
"I got this amulet from my boyfriend! Look!" She showed me a red amulet, looking very proud.
"Wow… That's great… It's really pretty."
"Hey, Emily! Who's this boyfriend of yours? You always talk about him, but I've never seen him!" It was Jessica, joining the conversation.
"Of course you haven't seen him! We only meet at school, and there are no boys here."
Emily was a beautiful person with black eyes and red hair, energetic and popular, but also a bit rude. I wasn't entirely sure why I got along with her, and it was probably the same for the rest of our class.
The teacher entered the classroom and quietly taught at the board while the other girls chatted. Bailey and I were the only ones who noticed and copied the material being presented.
"Hey, Bonnie! Copy this for us, as always. I promise I'll reward you later," Emily asked me to copy the material for her and the other girls, offering me a reward. It wasn't the first time she'd done this.
"Okay…"
After a while, classes ended. We were dismissed, and slowly, I and the other girls packed up our things and prepared to leave.
"Thank you so much, Emily!" The girls were thanking Emily for passing on the material I had copied from the board. I didn't mind not getting the credit, so it was fine by me. I started walking out of the classroom.
"Hey, Bonnie! Where are you going?!"
"Emily…? I… I'm going home…"
"No way! You're coming out with us, Bonnie!" Emily came closer and said in a low voice, "So I can give you the reward I promised, remember?"
"Oh… You don't have to, Emily…"
"No, I insist! Let's go!"
Emily grabbed my hand, and we, along with the other girls from the class, walked out of the school.
"You need to stop being so naive, Bonnie. Emily is always using you!" It was Bailey, who seemed bothered by Emily's attitude.
"Don't worry… I don't mind not getting the credit, so it's okay with me…"
"Hey, Bonnie! Where are we going to eat?" Emily leaned on my shoulder.
"Uh… I don't know…" Unconsciously, I started walking the usual path I take home, passing behind the school.
"Eat? No, we're just going to grab some drinks!" Jessica seemed a bit impatient.
"Tch… Okay, okay…" Emily, strangely, just agreed.
We sat on the benches in the courtyard behind the school, and the other girls talked for a long time. I'm not good at socializing, so I felt a bit out of place.
"Hey, Bonnie! Your reward!" It was Emily, offering me a juice. I happily accepted the juice and, after drinking it, went to throw the bottle in the trash bin behind the school. Usually, the school's waste and recyclables are thrown into it through the school's piping system, so I decided to use it to dispose of the juice bottle.
After returning to the courtyard, I found the girls saying goodbye. I decided to say goodbye too and started walking home.
Wow… They were going to leave without me… But I guess they didn't mean any harm…
"Welcome back, honey!" It was my dad, greeting me at home with a smile on his face.
"Hi, Dad! Thank you!"
"Everything okay with you, sweetie? Want your dad to pick you up with the car tomorrow?"
"No need, Mom… I like walking…"
After greeting my parents more properly, I went up to my room and did my homework. Even though I felt a bit out of place at school, I felt great at home. My family was amazing, and I would always remember my parents' words of kindness and trust.
"You should be good to others, no matter the situation."
…The next school day…
I entered the classroom and found Emily and the other girls, as always. I sat in my seat and greeted her.
"Good morning, Emily!"
"Hey, Bonnie! Everything good with you?"
"Everything… And you?"
"All good too."
Emily continued talking with the other girls while I stared at the classroom ceiling. Most of my days were like this, so I was used to spending most of my time lost in my thoughts.
"Let's start the class, girls!" The teacher had arrived, but my classmates didn't seem to care much.
"You'll take notes, right, Bonnie? As always!"
Strangely, Emily's voice sounded much louder than usual, which allowed the teacher to hear her easily.
"So that's why none of you bother to take notes, is it?"
Emily and the others made genuinely scared expressions, as if they'd been caught red-handed.
"W-Wait… It's not exactly like that…"
"My patience has run out. Behavior like this will not be tolerated in this school. Go to the coordinator's office. Now."
I was surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere. Everything was happening so fast that I couldn't process it well.
"W-Wait… But in that case, only Bonnie and Bailey will stay in the classroom…!"
"Nothing fairer. Rules are important in this school, so just because most of the class broke them doesn't make them invalid."
Emily and the other girls seemed a bit incredulous but went to the coordinator's office without complaining. I wonder what happened there…
While taking notes, I noticed Bailey moving strangely behind me, as if she wanted to touch something. When I realized, she was reaching for Emily's belongings.
"H-Hey…! What are you doing…?" I tried to understand what exactly she was planning.
"Tch…! Stay out of this, stupid!"
The teacher was facing the board, writing, so she didn't notice. Suddenly, Bailey raised her hand.
"Teacher, can we take a break so we don't get too far ahead of the other girls? At the pace Bonnie and I are going, we'll finish the whole year's content in just this class, haha."
The teacher smiled and nodded.
"I think you're right. Since you two have been so well-behaved all year, I'll allow a two-minute break to go to the bathroom or refill your bottles."
The teacher had always been very empathetic with Bailey, apparently because she was the daughter of old friends.
"Thank you so much. Your bottle is always empty, teacher… Can I refill it too?"
"Of course. I appreciate it, Bailey."
Bailey slowly left the classroom with both bottles in hand. While she was gone, I kept thinking about what had happened.
Did she try to steal from Emily…? No… She'd never do that… I must have misunderstood…
After a while, Bailey returned, gave the teacher her bottle back, and sat behind me again.
The teacher continued lecturing for a while until she suddenly started feeling unwell.
"Girls… Excuse me for a moment… I need to go to the bathroom…"
The teacher left the classroom, and now only Bailey and I were there.
"Bailey… Why were you…?"
"Shut up. This is none of your business."
Bailey quickly tried to grab Emily's materials again, but I managed to stop her by holding onto them.
"Please… Tell me…!"
Even though I trusted Bailey, I needed to hear the truth from her. I would never let her take Emily's things like that…
"Fine, idiot," Bailey said with a malicious smile as she explained, "I'm taking back my materials that I lent to Emily. She said I could take them today, so that's what I'm doing."
Was that… true…? What if she was lying…? No, Bailey would never do that.
"Okay… Sorry for interfering…"
Bailey looked at me with disdain as she returned to her desk. We stayed silent until the teacher returned and dismissed us, saying classes were over.
I slowly packed my things and went to the coordinator's office to look for Emily.
"Emily… I wanted to confirm something… Is it true that you allowed Bailey to take the materials she lent you…?"
Emily looked at me with a disapproving stare.
"Of course. Why? Were you doubting her?"
It wasn't that… I… I would never doubt a friend…
"No… It's just, to be safe, I…"
"Stop making excuses, Bonnie. Tch! Get out of here. Oh, and while you're at it, throw this in the trash for me."
Emily handed me a small, torn straw wrapper and left. I stared at the paper for a while, feeling a bit sad for doubting Bailey.
I walked home, passing by the trash bin behind the school, and threw the small torn paper into it. Thinking about it, maybe I wasn't much different from that trash. Small, torn, useless, and discarded. All I wanted was to help and trust others, and I couldn't even do that…
Suddenly, a huge amount of trash fell from the school's piping into the bin. I got a bit startled.
*What…?
I decided not to think too much about it and went home. Today had been a disaster for me…
"Welcome back, honey!"
"Thanks, Dad… Thanks, Mom…" I couldn't hide my disappointment.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"Nothing… I'm fine…"
I went up to my room and fell asleep.
…The next school day…
When morning came, I got ready slowly and had breakfast. My mom seemed a bit off, and for some reason, my dad hadn't gone to work yet.
"Dad… Mom… Is everything okay?"
"Sweetie, is there something you want to tell us?"
At that moment, I had no idea what was going on. I shook my head in denial.
"No… What happened?"
My dad stayed with his back to me. I could feel he was angry, though I didn't know why.
"Sweetie, we'll take you to school today."
"Huh…? O-Okay…"
The atmosphere in the car was scary. I wanted to know what was happening but, out of fear, decided not to ask.
After finally arriving at school, the scary atmosphere suddenly disappeared, and my parents waved at me. Yes… There was nothing to worry about. It must have just been my perception altered by sleep.
When I got to my classroom, Emily seemed upset. She looked at me with disgust while whispering to the other girls.
"G-Good morning, Emily… You seem a bit angry…"
"Yeah. Someone stole my amulet. I wonder who… Right, Bonnie?"
Huh…? Emily suspected me? No, that was impossible. I would never do such a thing.
Suddenly, I was called to the principal's office. All the girls looked at me with disdain as Emily walked with me there.
"Bonnie, you're really the worst kind of person!"
No… This couldn't be happening… No… No…
Wait… I didn't need to worry. I hadn't done anything wrong, so surely everything would turn out fine. Yes, that's how it would be…
I walked slowly to the principal's office while the people around me accused me with their eyes. The day had barely started, and it was already so intense… I wasn't processing the information properly…
When I arrived at the principal's office, my shock grew even more. My parents were sitting there, looking disappointed. It was the tensest moment of my life, but I knew everything would be okay in the end…
"Miss Bonnie, tell me. Did you steal Miss Emily's amulet?" The principal looked at me with a sharp gaze.
"H-Huh…? No… Of course not…"
My parents lowered their heads.
"Miss Bonnie, then how do you explain the situation caught on camera of Emily finding the amulet in the trash bin where you threw it?"
The trash bin…? I hadn't thrown any amulet in there… and the paper I threw in the bin was much smaller than the amulet…
"I didn't throw Emily's amulet in the trash bin, Principal… I only threw a small straw wrapper…"
The principal sighed.
"That's impossible. The school's trash bin is emptied near dismissal time to avoid overloading, and Emily was the second person to approach the bin after you threw something in it. The cameras caught her retrieving the amulet from there, which means someone threw it in before. Additionally, the amulet was very dirty, unlike when it was seen in the classroom on the cameras, where it was completely clean. Emily didn't have the opportunity to dirty the amulet at any point, which means it's impossible for her to have dirtied it herself."
I was shocked… Yes… That made sense, but why me…?
"But… I didn't do that…"
"Bonnie, apologize!" My dad snapped, demanding an apology with a furious look.
"I… I…!"
How was this possible? This situation… I knew I hadn't done it, but everything was against me…!
"Apologize, sweetie."
"I-I…"
There was nothing I could do. My mind was racing, and my heart was pounding. My parents…! They were witnessing all the shame I was going through, and there was only one thing I could do now…
"I-I'm sorry… Emily."
After those events, I was expelled from my old school, and my parents lost all the trust they had in me. Somehow, Emily's parents settled things with mine, and fortunately, the repercussions of these events weren't significant.
Even though my parents lost trust in me, I wouldn't lose trust in myself… I would remember to do good, no matter the situation, and I would do my best to keep helping others…! It didn't matter if I was just a small, torn piece of paper. It didn't matter if everyone discarded and distrusted me… I would help everyone!
After everything that happened, I managed to pass the admission test for the "Power Makers" boarding school and joined this school. My parents decided to put me in a more serious place because they thought they had been spoiling me too much. I had no idea what awaited me there…
I told Charlotte everything that had happened. I knew she wouldn't believe me, but I still needed to help Steven…
"Wow, Bonnie. That's really weird…"
"Yeah, but I definitely didn't do anything with Emily's amulet… I…"
"It's okay, Bonnie," Charlotte hugged me. "I believe you."
I was overjoyed to finally have someone supporting me after so long. I hugged her back, and a few tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Thank you…"
"Bonnie, I'll help you clear Steven's reputation! You told me why you came to this school mid-semester, so I'll keep my end of the deal too, haha!"
Charlotte was truly a good person, and I was so happy to have her as my friend.
"I really appreciate it, Charlotte… You've been so good to me… Thank you."
Charlotte smiled and checked the time.
"Oh…! I lost track of time talking to you, Bonnie! I need to get to the music club…!"
"L-Let me help you!"
I helped Charlotte organize her materials, and she rushed off to the music club.
I was truly happy to have someone to count on again. I would definitely help my new friends, and nothing would stop me from trusting them. No matter my situation, no matter who I had to face, or who the manipula…
"Miss Kindness, I need you to come with me."
I looked back and saw William, the boarding school coordinator, who had been watching me earlier. He still had his tired and serious expression. What could he want…? Maybe to instruct me about some school rules or something like that…
"Oh… Sure…"
I walked with William to the coordinator's office, located at the highest part of the boarding school. I climbed the stairs slowly, feeling watched the entire time. Even though I had decided to help my friends with full determination, the fear the "manipulator" instilled in me was still present.
We finally reached the office. William opened the door, letting me enter first.
"T-Thank you."
William sat in his chair and stared at me for a few seconds.
"So… Why did you call me here…?"
He sighed, put his hand on his head, and looked deep into my eyes.
"You're going to help me, Kindness."
Help…? William needed my help…?
"And what do you need, William…?"
He stayed silent for a while before looking at me seriously.
"Steven Honleast."
S-Steven…?
"A young man who craves power above all else. Who manipulates everyone behind the scenes all the time and possesses near-unmatched genius."
What…? What was the coordinator saying…?
"That boy… has been meddling in important school events, and I still don't know what his goal is. That's why I want you, Miss Kindness, to keep me informed about him."
That… What was William…?
"T-That's wrong, sir…! Steven is a good person…!"
William sighed and looked at me with a disappointed expression.
"Kindness, do you know who Steven was classmates with in elementary school?"
Huh…? Maybe…
"Well, Steven told me about him… The student who committed suicide, Craig, right…?"
"As I suspected. Kindness… Everything you went through at your old school… wasn't it a bit strange?"
William seemed to know about things that happened in my past. I was a bit surprised by all this.
"Y-Yes…"
"And what if I told you someone framed you on purpose?"
No, who would do that…? Bailey…?
"Emily Wickerson… Putting the amulet in a box in the cafeteria near dismissal time wouldn't be difficult for her. After that, the janitors just needed to do the rest…"
Emily…? She… Wait… That's possible, but… she wouldn't do that to me…!
"No… That's not possible…!"
"Do you know who Emily is?"
My thoughts were racing, and I could already sense what was coming next… No…
"Your arrival at this school was manipulated, Kindness. Emily Wickerson is Steven Honleast's former classmate."