Project Mage

Roselle found herself walking along the beach. The sound of crashing waves and the gentle breeze provided a soothing sound to try and clear her thoughts. She had replayed the conversation with Sarah and her family in her mind over and over again. The anger she felt still stinged her knowing someone possibly imitated her. Tomorrow was her first day back at school after the incident, and yet she was unable to clear her mind of that single thought. She had to figure out who was behind this and why.

She soon noticed a young man not too far away. He seemed to be watching her with a friendly looking demeanor. Roselle asked herself why he was paying so much attention to her but she didn't feel threatened by his presence.

Curiosity got the better of her and Roselle decided to approach the strange boy. As she drew nearer she wondered about the Sarah incident and how it had affected her reputation. When she finally reached the boy she decided to strike up a conversation.

"Hi there," she began by offering a friendly smile. "I couldn't help but notice you watching me. Is there something on your mind?"

The boy grinned in response, " Oh, hey there! You must be Roselle, right? I've heard a lot about you, especially after that whole Sarah incident. I'm Harty, by the way. Nice to meet you!”

Roselle listened as the boy introduced himself. He mentioned the Sarah incident which made her curious. She replied, "Nice to meet you too, Harty. Yeah, that Sarah incident... It's been quite a shock for me as well. Attacking Sarah like that... that's not something I would ever do and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. How do you know me though? We haven't really talked before."

Harty’s smile remained as he responded, "Well, we're actually in the same class, Roselle. I've seen you around and you're known for being a kind and friendly person. That's why it surprised me when I heard about the incident. It just didn't sound like the Roselle I've heard about."

Roselle gave a somewhat relieved smile at Harty's kind words. Harty’s cheeks flushed slightly.

"Oh, uh, I hope I didn't come off as too nosy or anything," Harty stammered with his eyes briefly darting away. "I just...err... I wanted to say that I believe in giving people a chance and not jumping to conclusions. If you ever need someone to talk to or just hang out with i'm here but, uh, no pressure of course! Is that cool?"

He fidgeted with his hands as he awaited Roselle's response.

As Harty spoke, Roselle found his earnestness endearing. His kindness warmed her heart. She also couldn't deny that he had a certain charm about him.

Inwardly, she thought, "He's so cute," with a small, amused smile.

"Harty, I appreciate that a lot. It's been a tough time and having someone like you offer support means a great deal to me. I'd love to hang out sometime, maybe get to know you better."

Harty's face lit up with a bright smile, his eyes shining with genuine happiness.

"That sounds awesome, Roselle! I'm really looking forward to it. We can do whatever you fancy, whether it's a beach stroll like this or something else entirely. Just let me know when you're free!"

Roselle chuckled at Harty's suggestion. "Harty, are you some kind of detective in disguise or something?"

Harty let out a soft laugh, his cheeks still flushed. "Well, not quite a detective yet, but I'm definitely into mysteries and solving puzzles. I mean, someday, I hope to become a detective. But for now, I guess I can play detective-in-training."

Roselle nodded, intrigued by Harty's enthusiasm. "That's pretty cool, Harty, and I like the idea of getting to the bottom of things and finding the truth. Maybe together, we can figure out what really happened with Sarah and put this whole mess behind us."

Harty's face lit up with excitement, and he nodded eagerly. "I'd love that, Roselle! Let's team up and crack this case wide open!"

Roselle was transported back to that fateful day when she returned to school after the incident with Sarah, she found herself standing in front of the imposing school building. The memories of that moment flooded back, and sh felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach.

After a sigh, she entered the school building. Roselle was met with an eerie sight. Students, both girls and boys, were going about their business, opening their lockers and chatting with friends. However, as soon as Roselle stepped inside, a hushed tension filled the air. Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and turned to glare at her.

The hostile gazes bore into her, making Roselle feel like an unwelcome intruder in her own school. It was as if a dark cloud hung over her, casting a shadow on every face she encountered.

With each step she took, the atmosphere grew more oppressive. Teachers passing by wore the same disapproving glare, and the sense of isolation and judgment was felt by her. Roselle's heart sank as she walked past those accusing eyes. She tried to quickly move to reach her own locker despite the uncomfortable scrutiny.

Roselle's friends approached her as she stood at her locker, and she mustered a faint smile, eager to reconnect with them after what felt like an eternity. However, their icy reception caught her off guard. They didn't return her greeting, and instead, they simply looked at her with stern and judgmental faces.

Confusion and nervousness welled up inside Roselle as she tried to break the uncomfortable silence. "Hey, guys, is everything okay? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Her friends exchanged glances but continued to maintain their unsettling silence. Slowly, they began to close in around her, forming a tight circle that made Roselle feel trapped. Roselle's nerves were on edge while she was surrounded by the closest people to her. Why was Roselle being cornered?

She repeated her question, "Seriously, what's going on? Why are you all acting like this?"

As Roselle's friends maintained their ominous silence, the school principal, approached the group. Her authoritative presence was enough to make the tension in the air even more deadly. She spoke with an unwavering tone, her eyes fixed on the group.

"Break it up, all of you," the principal commanded,"You have classes to attend, and loitering around lockers won't get you there."

Roselle breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the principal's intervention would disperse the eerie atmosphere. However, her relief was short-lived when the principal's gaze shifted towards her.

"Roselle, I mean you too," the principal added, her stern gaze unchanging. "Get to class immediately."

Roselle's heart sank as she realized that she was not exempt from the principal's order. She nodded in acknowledgment, speaking above a whisper. "Yes, Ma’am."

With a final, searching look at her friends, Roselle reluctantly turned and headed towards her first class.

Roselle settled into class.The homeroom teacher, a man with yellow spiky hair who appeared somewhat out of shape and had a not-so-caring attitude, shuffled into the classroom afterwards with a stack of papers in hand. He let out a loud, exaggerated yawn and stretched his arms as he made his way to the front of the class, which was in loud conversations amoung themselves.

"Alright, alright, settle down, everyone," he mumbled, his tone lacking enthusiasm. "Uh, let's see... I forget what chapter we were on last time. It doesn't really matter, right?"

Some of the students exchanged glances among themselves while others opened their textbook. The teacher attempted to muster some excitement, he suddenly remembered the reason for his supposed enthusiasm.

"Oh, right!" he exclaimed with forced enthusiasm. "We have a special guest today! Sarah is back in class, everyone! Let's all give her a warm welcome!"

The students, however, responded with a small applause at best.

The teacher began his lesson. Roselle glanced over at Sarah, who appeared visibly saddened by the lackluster welcome. The classroom felt tense and she didn’t seem to see any other friends among them.

However, when she looked around, she spotted Harty, who raised one hand briefly to wave at her. His friendly gesture brought a smile to Roselle's face, providing a small glimmer of positivity amid the otherwise grim atmosphere.

The lunch break bell rang, signaling the much-awaited respite from classes, students began to gather their belongings and stream out of the classroom. Amid the group of students exiting, the teacher cleared his throat loudly to get the students' attention.

"Attention, everyone," he announced in a tone that lacked enthusiasm. "Just a quick reminder, there's going to be a test on Friday. Pass or fail, I don't really care. But if you have any interest in passing, you should have been listening to my lesson. So, yeah, good luck with that."

The teacher's words were met with a collective groan from the students as they filed out of the classroom, the weight of impending tests hanging over their heads.

Roselle made her way towards the classroom door. Once she reached outside, she heard Sarah's calling out to her. She turned to see Sarah approaching.

"Roselle, wait up," Sarah said. “Hey Roselle! Do you want to join me for lunch? We can catch up and it's been so long since we hung out together. You know? How about it?"

Roselle hesitated for a moment. She knew that things had changed since the incident and she wasn't sure how Sarah would react.

"Well, Sarah...Actually, I kind of have some plans for lunch today. They're a bit... unusual, but I promise I'll tell you all about it later. You're still my best friend and I'll always be here for you. Just not right now."

Sarah's curiosity was piqued leading her to lean in closer to Roselle with a playful look in her eyes. "Unusual plans, huh?" she teased, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Now you've got me really curious, Roselle. Come on, spill the beans! What's this mysterious lunch plan of yours?"

"All right, all right," Roselle replied with a grin. "I'll give you a hint. It involves a new friend I made yesterday, someone named Harty. We're planning to do a little detective work together during lunch."

Sarah's curiosity grew as she heard about Roselle's lunch plans with Harty."A new friend named Harty and detective work?" Sarah said with a grin. "Roselle, you've got to let me in on this! It sounds like a blast. Can't I join you? Pretty please?"

Roselle chuckled at Sarah's enthusiasm.

"Well," Roselle began pretending to think it over, "I suppose we could use an extra pair of eyes and brains. You're in, but be warned, Sarah, Detective work is not as easy as it sounds, you know? Are you really up for it?"

Sarah's eyes sparkled as she said, "Oh, Roselle, I'm in and I've got a feeling that with Harty around this detective work might just turn into a thrilling adventure. Plus, I didn't ask you before but...Is Harty as much of a looker as he sounds?"

Roselle was unable to do anything but laugh "Sarah, you and your curiosity! Well, I guess you'll have to meet him and judge for yourself. But remember, we're here to solve a mystery, not go on a dating show."

Sarah responded with a playful wink. "Let's see if Harty can handle the combined investigative powers of Team Roselle and Team Sarah!"

Roselle nodded in agreement and added, "That's right, Sarah. It's going to be my second meeting with Harty, and he's already been quite the interesting character. Let's see how he fits into our little detective adventure."

Sarah and Roselle walked away, their laughter and chatter filled the hallway. They were oblivious to the watchful gaze of the girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to Roselle. Hidden in the shadows, she observed them with a mysterious intensity.