Ch- 10 : HOW ARE YOU...?

Here's an elaboration of the scene at Allen's house:

PRESENT: Allen's house

When Allen opened the door, he was immediately met with Dolly's intense presence. She practically barged in, shoving the door open with a loud slam.

"Move away, you sucker!" Dolly exclaimed, pushing past Allen without waiting for a response. "Where's Amy? I need to see her now!"

Allen pointed toward the hall, trying to maintain his composure in the face of Dolly's aggressive demeanor. "She's in the hall," he managed to say before Dolly brushed past him.

As Dolly walked down the hall, she shot Allen a stern glare. "You better stay away from her," she muttered. Allen stayed silent; he was used to her confrontational attitude from their childhood.

He left Dolly to find Amy and went to fetch some water for her, his usual gesture of hospitality despite the tension.

Dolly's animosity toward Allen stemmed from the fact that he was close to Amy, a friendship she had always been protective of. She was wary of any male influence around her best friend.

Dolly rushed into the hall and found Amy resting there. Her expression softened as she saw Amy, though concern quickly replaced her irritation.

"Amy! Why are you here? What happened to you?" Dolly bombarded her with questions, trying to assess the situation. "How are you now? Are you fine?"

Amy tried to reassure her friend. "Dolly, I'm fine."

Seeing Amy's injuries and distress, Dolly's emotions took over, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Dolly, don't cry," Amy said, offering a comforting smile. "It's fine. This guy helped me out. He really saved my life. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him."

Dolly's gaze darted toward Allen, her suspicion and protective instincts flaring. "Amy? I told you not to trust boys so easily."

Amy tried to diffuse the tension, playfully changing the subject. "Oh, come on! Where's my hug?"

Dolly sighed, still hesitant. "Alright, fine. You win. But remember, this is a one-time exception—only because he saved you."

With that, Dolly embraced Amy in a tight hug, but there was a hint of reluctance in her demeanor. "But only this once," she huffed, trying to hold on to her skepticism.

As the hug ended, Amy prompted Dolly to move on. "Okay, okay, now let go. Tell me what happened."

Amy began recounting the events of the previous night, explaining the harrowing encounter and how Allen had come to her rescue.

Dolly listened with increasing anger and disbelief. "What the—? Those bastards! If I find them, I would—"

"Come on, Dolly," Amy interrupted, trying to calm her friend's anger. "Let's not dwell on that."

Dolly sighed, still frowning. "I don't know why you keep protecting everyone," she muttered, not fully understanding Amy's forgiving nature.

As the conversation continued, Allen returned to the hall, serving them snacks and water. Dolly's frown deepened as she shot him a sidelong glance, her disapproval evident.

Amy noticed her friend's childish behavior and felt a touch of embarrassment. "Dolly, seriously?" she thought to herself. "Behaving like this in front of the person who saved my life?"

Before the tension could escalate further, a knock at the door interrupted the scene.