The Butterfly Effect (Books 1, 2 & 3 - The Butterfly Effect Series) #wattys2023

Chapter 105: "Take her name one more time and I will fucking kill you."

"So, Allison was back," Detective Richardson said.

"Yeah," I followed. "We finally had the missing puzzle piece."

"And how were things at school after she returned? Did everyone accept her perfectly?"

"Oh, it was a Civil War!" I laughed, shaking my head. "If there was one thing that could unite the whole of Beacon Heights, it was our mutual hate for Allison."

"Did you ever confront her about what really happened to her the night of September first?"

"It wasn't as easy as you think it was, detective."

"How so?"

I breathed out and leaned into the table. "Because Allison was back with her own motives."

******

ＡＰＲＩＬ １， ２０２０

Allison's boots clinked against the marble flooring as she walked towards us, warm caramel eyes hiding her viciousness as they did the first day I met her. A sly smirk played on her lips, her face devoid of any worry. Perhaps a hundred students staring at you as you return to their lives was the kind of audience she was expecting.

She stopped mere feet from me, looking into my eyes like a challenge. Her head tilted a little to the side as she glanced at the gawking faces with pity in her eyes. She was thinner now, her skin dry and from under her gray sleeves, I noticed the scratches and cuts on her arms. They however, made me feel absolutely nothing.

Detective Gonzalez who had been accompanying her, finally broke the thick silence. "Before any of you ask, we have no evidence linking Allison to any of the crimes that have occured in the past six months. She is eager to be back at school, so I hope nothing but kindness from your end," he said, looking over to every student, coming to a stop on me.

I noticed Principal Hawthorne heading our way from down the hallway.

"Question!" A student shot up his hand.