chapter 6

"Hi, Amelie, I'm Viona," said the cute girl sitting next to her. Amelie smiled and shook Viona's hand. 

"Nice to meet you," Viona said.

"You too," Amelie replied. 

Suddenly, Julie, Lucy, and Carla approached them. Julie deliberately sat on Amelie's table with a sardonic smile. Her disrespectful behavior disturbed her comfort. 

Viona didn't seem to mind, but she could do nothing but stand still as her body was shoved by Lucy. Amelie, stunned. She was angry at Lucy for having the audacity to push Viona, but Lucy the girl felt no guilt.

"Hey, you!" Amelie snapped at Lucy. 

"Ow... sorry," Lucy said in a flippant tone. 

Amelie got up from her seat and went to help Viona, only to have Julie grab her shoulder. "Shut up," Julie snapped. Amelie grimaced, then looked at Julie, who smiled wickedly at her. From the first time she met Julie, she always annoyed her.

"What do you want?" asked Amelie after pushing Julie.

Julie was wide-eyed. She stared at Amelie in annoyance.

"How dare you push me?" Julie looked angry.

"You started it," Amelie retorted, no less.

Not accepting that Amelie had fought her. Julie approached and pushed Amelie so hard that Amelie fell, her chin hitting the corner of the table and bleeding.

Viona, gaping. Her eyes widened as she saw the red liquid dripping down Amelie's chin. Julie and her two friends just smiled as the woman approached again and grabbed Amelie's hair. 

"Don't you dare fight me if you don't want to get hurt," Julie whispered, releasing her grip on Amelie's hair. 

"Ahh!" Amelie winced as she felt the pain in her face. Julie scratched Amelie's face with her long nails. 

She smiled with satisfaction and left the classroom with her friend.

"Let's go," Julie said to Lucy and Carla. 

"Amelie, are you hurt?" asked Viona frantically. She saw that Amelie's face was bleeding. 

"It's okay," Amelie replied, trying to hold back the pain.

Amelie stood up with Viona's help. She sat back down in the chair. Curious as to how bad the wound on her face was, Amelie took a mirror out of her bag. Immediately Amelie was surprised, her eyes widening as she saw her wounds gradually improving. Even the scratches were gone, and her face was smooth again.

"Oh, what's that? My wound is healed." Amelie was surprised.

Amelie still touched her right cheek in disbelief. She clearly saw the blood and the pain, but the wound was gone and so was the pain. Not only was Amelie surprised, but Viona was surprised as well. 

Viona was stunned by the rapid healing process. Without any medicine, let alone the help of a doctor.

"Viona, did you see it?" asked Amelie, staring at Viona.

"Yes," Viona replied, nodding. 

"I didn't do it. I don't know why the wound healed so quickly either." Amelie explained so that Viona wouldn't misunderstand. Amelie was afraid that Viona would think that she was an alien or a strange creature. She didn't know how such a miracle could happen. 

After school, Amelie took the bus to get around. On the way, Amelie kept dreaming about the miracle that had happened to her face earlier. 

This is very strange, she thought. 

Still curious, Amelie opened the mirror again and held it up to her face. Amelie wanted to see if the wound had returned. But no. Her face was still the same as it had been before the wound.

"Is the school strange?" she wondered. "Is this town weird?" added Amelie. 

"How did my wounds just heal like that? And I saw a monster last night, too. I think this town is really strange. I have to tell Mommy." 

The bus arrived quickly and Amelie got off. She had to walk for a while to get to Reid's house. The street looked deserted, but suddenly a motorcycle passed by, deliberately stepping on the muddy water that splashed on Amelie's body. 

Amelie gaped at her mud-covered uniform. She looked up and stared at the motorcycle that had stopped in front of her.

A helmeted man dismounted and turned toward Amelie. Instantly shocked, Amelie's eyes rounded at the same time as the helmet's visor opened. The satisfied smile behind the helmet was visible as if Raymond was deliberately playing a joke on Amelie. 

"Uhh ... smell." Raymond scoffed, waving his hand. Amelie's gaze became unfriendly, staring sharply at Raymond. Her hands were clenched tightly as if she wanted to hit Raymond.

Raymond's mocking laughter was so annoying. It annoyed Amelie.

"Bye!" Amelie said as Raymond, who was still laughing at her, walked away. 

"Just watch out, I'll get back at you," Amelie vowed.

Arriving home, Amelie took the back way out. Suddenly, Amelie was startled by Lauren's screams. Lauren was shocked at Amelie's muddy appearance. 

"Mommy, it's me," Amelie exclaimed, her face pale. 

"Amelie," Lauren called with round eyes. Her mouth wide open, Lauren approached Amelie as she cleaned the mud from her clothes and face.

"Amelie, what are you doing? Did you dirty your uniform?" 

"Mommy, this is not my doing," Amelie denied. 

"Liar!" shouted Raymond, who had suddenly appeared.

Amelie and Lauren turned to Raymond, who was standing in the doorway with his hands clasped under his chest. Raymond made a dull face and stepped closer to Amelie. 

"Do you know what your daughter did at school?" asked Raymond, who looked at Lauren, then at Amelie and said, "She dared to fight with her classmates.

"Shut up!" Amelie snapped at Raymond. However, her behavior got Amelie reprimanded by Lauren. During the rebuke, Lauren hit Amelie on the head.

"Mommy!" Amelie cried in disgust.

"Don't ever yell at her." 

"But she's the wrong one, Mommy. He threw the mud at me. Raymond did it on purpose." Amelie tried to explain, hoping that Lauren would believe her. 

"Would I do that, Auntie?" Raymond spoke as if he couldn't possibly. Looking at Amelie, Raymond smiled, satisfied that he had played a prank on Amelie. Raymond left, leaving Amelie and Lauren behind.

Although Lauren couldn't blame Raymond.

Just take care of yourself, Amelie threatened in her heart. 

"Hurry up, clean your body," Lauren's rebuke surprised Amelie. "And wash your uniform. You can't eat today until you wash it." 

"But..."

"No buts."

Amelie stamped her feet as she looked at Lauren indignantly. She thought it was outrageous of Lauren not to give her lunch because it was full of mud.

"She loves Raymond more than me. I'm like a stepchild," Amelie swore.

***

"Amelie!" shouted Raymond as he walked up to Amelie.

Amelie, who was drying her clothes, immediately turned to Raymond. 

"Where's my futsal suit?" 

Amelie was silent for a moment. "Your futsal shirt... I think I'm still ironing it. Look in my room, I think I ironed it." 

Raymond went straight to where Amelie pointed him. The futsal shirt he gave her this morning would be worn this afternoon. As for Amelie, she looked relaxed as she dried her uniform again. 

As for Raymond, he had gone to Amelie's room. He was looking for the futsal shirt he wanted. His eyes fell on the pile of clothes. Raymond's eyes were round, his gaze was very sharp. Raymond walked over to the shirt that had been crushed by the iron. He lifted the hot object, and Raymond stared back, seeing the dark circles on his soccer shirt.

"Amelie!" he shouted.

Behind him, Amelie laughed at the thought of Raymond's expression when he saw his favorite shirt burned.