Emily stood outside the classroom, her heart pounding in her chest. She had rehearsed this moment in her head over and over, but now that it was here, the reality of it was almost overwhelming. She took a deep breath, adjusting the strap of her backpack and tucking a strand of her newly blonde hair behind her ear.

This was it. She was no longer Emily Carter. Today, she was Emma Clarke.

The door opened, and a teacher with a warm smile motioned for her to come in. "Class, this is Emma Clarke. She just transferred here, so make her feel welcome."

As Emily walked into the room, she felt dozens of eyes on her. She kept her head high, projecting confidence even though she felt anything but. This was the most crucial part of her plan—blending in, becoming one of them. With her blonde hair and blue eyes, she now fit the profile of the missing girls. The thought made her stomach churn, but she pushed it aside. She had to do this, for Ashley.

"Emma, why don't you take that empty seat over there?" the teacher suggested, pointing to a desk in the middle of the room.

Emily nodded, quickly moving to the seat. As she settled in, she noticed a few curious glances from her new classmates. She offered a small, polite smile, trying to appear friendly yet unassuming.

The class went on, but Emily's mind was elsewhere. She knew her next step was to get close to Ashley's friends, the ones who might know more about what had happened before she went missing. She needed to understand who her sister had been hanging out with and if any of them could have clues about the disappearances.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Emily made her move. She spotted a group of girls gathering their things, chatting as they headed for the door. Recognizing a couple of them from the pictures in Ashley's room, Emily followed them out, keeping a casual distance.

As they walked down the hallway, Emily quickened her pace to catch up. "Hey, excuse me," she called out, and the girls turned to look at her.

"You're the new girl, right? Emma?" one of them asked, eyeing her with mild curiosity.

"Yeah," Emily replied, offering a smile. "I was just wondering if you could show me around. I’m still getting used to the layout of the school."

The girl who spoke, a brunette with a friendly smile, nodded. "Sure, I'm Hailey. This is Brooke and Madison."

"Nice to meet you," Emily said, noting the names. These were some of the girls Ashley had mentioned before. It was a start.

As they walked together, Hailey pointed out different areas of the school, while Brooke and Madison chimed in with their own commentary. Emily made sure to pay attention, asking questions and engaging in the conversation. She wanted to make a good impression, to seem like she was genuinely interested in getting to know them.

"So, Emma," Brooke asked after a while, "why did you transfer here? Was it for the cheer team? We could always use more girls."

Emily hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I heard the cheer team here is really good. I used to cheer at my old school, so I thought I’d give it a shot."

"That’s awesome!" Madison exclaimed. "Tryouts are tomorrow after school. You should totally come."

"I will," Emily promised, making a mental note. This was perfect. Getting on the cheer team would give her even more access to Ashley’s friends and hopefully some answers.

As they continued to chat, Emily couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. These girls were so welcoming, so normal. They had no idea that she was here under false pretenses, or that she was secretly investigating the disappearance of her own sister. But she pushed the guilt aside. She had to stay focused on her mission.

When they finally parted ways, Emily felt a mix of relief and anticipation. She had successfully made her first connections at the school, and now it was time to dig deeper. Tomorrow, she would try out for the cheer team and hopefully get closer to the truth about Ashley and the other missing girls.