Hannah crinkles her eyebrows and, with visible indignation on her face, looks over her shoulder as someone grabs her wrist and stops her in mid-step.
A boy with an artistic disorder on his head stares at her with wide-open eyes. His mouth opens and closes, as if he wants to say something but is unable to. Although his complexion is fair, it pales even more at the sight of the younger student.
He looks badly shaken.
The girl loses more and more patience as he stands still. He holds her hand and does not intend to say anything.
— When did you come back? — he exclaims when he gains enough courage to speak to her.
The brunette blinks her eyelids, carefully measuring him with her eyes. She wonders if there is really a chance that she knows him, or is there something wrong with him?
— I'm listening. — He senses a hint of amusement in her voice. — What are you talking about?
Disregarding the girl's reaction, he takes her in his arms and hugs her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head.
Students passing along the corridor take an interest in the two, whispering among themselves and wondering who is the teenager who managed to get close to the unapproachable Jin in such a short time.
— I missed you, Hannah — he whispers, closing his eyelids.
He knows her name.
Crouched with her face against his chest, she can't get any words out.
— The last three months have been a nightmare. I was worried about you, I didn't know where you were or if you were okay. Our parents separated, so I didn't even have a chance to ask your mother if you were well. I thought you wouldn't come back...
Hannah violently pushes the boy away from her and looks at his surprised face.
— I don't understand why, after coming to this school, I end up with only freaks. First that violent boy and now you… Are you guys crazy from the excess of hard study? Do each of you behave similarly?
Jin blinks his eyelids, being stunned by her answer.
— Hannah, is this any of your games? — A forced smile appears on his face. — You've often done this, so... Are you trying to get back at me? For contributing to the separation of our parents?
— I'm listening! — Her indignation is so loud that it gathers a growing audience.
The teenager mirrors her with his eyes.
— I see that along with the change in appearance, your personality has also changed.
— What do you want from me? — he says in an irritated voice. — And how do you know that I was blonde before?
This time it is the girl who blanches. The first thought that comes to her mind is: did she come face to face with an obsessive admirer?
The boy snorts under his breath, thinking that her jokes are not funny at all.
— I thought that our three-month separation would change something in you, well, it actually led to you becoming even worse — he declares, severely disappointed by her behavior.
Hannah lets out a snort that signifies the growing anger within her.
Hurt by her attitude, he bites his lip and turns on his heel, ignoring the curious stares of the students.
— And what are you looking at? I'm not the weird one — burbles the 16-year-old under her breath as she becomes the only attraction in the hallway.
*
Mariah watches her boyfriend with nervous eyes as he clenches his fists and paces around her room, looking tense. Whenever he wants to say something, he automatically closes his mouth, unable to properly explain to her what he means.
She opens her eyes wider when Jimmy stands over her and unceremoniously tells her to her face:
— I'm breaking up with you.
She pushes her lips apart and stares dully into his eyes, unable to believe that these words came out of his mouth.
Their two-year relationship is derailed because something suddenly went to Jimmy's head. Although he had never treated her in a way that confirmed that he loved her and really cared about her, she explained to herself that he was the type of man. He finds it difficult to show affection to another person.
She had never heard the words "I love you" from him, and yet she believed that deep down he really felt that way, even though it was hard for him to get it out.
And now, so brazenly, straight to her face, he reveals to her that he no longer wants to be with her.
— Are you breaking up with me? — he exclaims with difficulty, putting his hand to his chest. — Jimmy, are you just trying to dump me?
— I already did — he asserts dryly, boldly looking into her eyes. She doesn't see even a hint of sympathy in them. His gaze is cold and devoid of any feelings.
— Why? — That's all she can get out of herself, as she feels tears coming to her eyes.
— Because I realized that I don't need you anymore.
His answer hurts her. She feels like a worn-out doll that he throws in the trash after being bored with it.
She closes her eyelids, from under which tears flow.
— Was this really your decision? — She lifts her face and pours a regretful look into him. — Is this what Joseph told you to do?
Jimmy wrinkles his eyebrows, and a laugh full of disbelief comes out of his throat.
— Do you think that I am my friend's dog? That I don't have an opinion of my own?
— I just know that Joseph is the one who broke up with me, not you.
The teenager walks up to the shelf and with fury painted on his face, with a stroke of his hand knocks all the cosmetics off the shelf.
— Who do you think I am! — he yells.
— Do you think I'm stupid? — says the girl in a raised voice. — In the bathroom he told me that I should talk to you, that you have something to explain to me... — She focuses her gaze on the discarded cosmetics. A shadow of a grimace runs across her face as she notices the cracked powder that has spilled on the floor. — Since you're not in control, you'll give me the money for the destroyed cosmetics.
— Stop talking nonsense! — The boy ignores her remark about the destroyed products.
— Jimmy, I know very well that he is not fond of me. He doesn't like me because I have slandered him many times. You don't have to hide this from me. He realizes that he has told you several times that you should dump me. He has been stirring up our relationship from the beginning. I'm not stupid — she declares, not taking her eyes off him. She notices the embarrassment on his face. — And if you chose him, it's ok. He is your friend and your choice. — She rises from the bed and faces the boy. — But from now on pretend you don't know me because I will treat you like air, understood? — she adds in a dry voice and with a nod of her head points to the door for him. — Go to your friend. Maybe with him, you can create the perfect relationship. You two are a good match.
He wordlessly heads for the door and grabs the handle, but something stops him before he leaves the room.
Mariah puts her hand to her mouth and tightens her eyelids, stopping herself from crying.
— We are no longer together, so come to terms with the fact that you are no longer part of our group. You were only there because I got involved with you. And you know very well why Joseph never accepted you.
After these words, he leaves the room, and she screams to expel her pent-up anger. She aims her pillow at the door through which Jimmy left moments earlier.
*
Hannah pulls all her belongings out of her suitcase and carelessly throws them on the bed. Cosmetics tumble to the floor, but her attention is caught by a photo, decorated with a red frame.
She takes it in her hand and runs her finger over the boy's face, realizing something. In the photograph, he poses at the side of the girl and they both smile broadly at the lens, not guessing that a month later everything would change.
May was a beautiful month, and every weekend filled her soul with happiness. She would like to return to that, but everything has changed...
She puts the frame on the nightstand and begins to collect cosmetics from the floor. Hannah looks under the bed because she is sure that this is where her favorite lipstick has rolled. She reaches her hand out in front of her and blindly begins to macerate the floor, sensing the huge amount of dust there. At one point, she opens her eyes wider, as she could have sworn she was touching something shaped like a hand.
As if scalded, she rises from the floor and puts her hand to her chest.
What was that, she thinks.
Her curiosity is so strong that she hesitantly bends down and looks under the bed again. She wants to see if there really is something there that she doesn't want to see, or if she's just slightly bouncing around.
She shines her cell phone and, biting her lip, touches something shaped like fingers.
The girl closes her eyes and boldly takes it in her hand. She lifts her eyelid at the same time as someone enters her room.
Like a hysterical child, she throws it in front of her, perfectly hitting the head of the uninvited guest. Joseph lifts his face, looking as if he felt like killing her.
Tom, standing behind him, opens his eyes wider, and you can see in them an indecipherable joy.
— My handle from Adams! — he lets out an excited shout, cradling the toy to his chest. He acts as if he has found the most precious treasure. — I have been looking for you for so long. How did you get here? — turns to the rubber toy, at which Joseph rolls his eyes.
Hannah raises an eyebrow and puffs out her lips, having a growing conviction that everyone in this school is crazy. She can justify them, as she is well aware of how high a standard this institution maintains, but each student stands out with a different mental disorder.
— And what are you looking at? — She flutters her eyelids as the dark-looking boy walks up to her and plunges his calloused gaze into her.
— Next time, knock. — He doesn't intend to be like the other students, who bow down to him because they elected him king of the school. The teenager finds this funny, and even though there is also a division between better and worse in other colleges, this is the first time she has encountered something so idiotic. She can't comprehend how people with such a high intelligence quotient can behave worse mindlessly than teenagers who attend a public institution.
— I believe that since you are so confident and treat me down, you have an excellent academic record? Well... here are the best of the best, so you have to beat them to be on top — he declares to her face, smiling cynically. — I guess that you are smarter than I. Prove that you can push yourself higher on the list. You will soon meet people from your yearbook, and I will patiently wait until the end of the semester.
Hannah crinkles her eyebrows, realizing that he is obsessed with results. He has been on the podium for the past two years, with no intention of giving way to anyone.
— What will you do if I turn out to be better than you?
Tom stares with curious eyes, getting the wrong impression that the new student is getting into trouble. No one makes a deal with Joseph because it is literally no different from a pact with the devil himself.
— You will gain my respect, and that entails popularity and adoration of every student. — A sinister smile appears on his face, which does not bode well. — And if you don't succeed, well... tough. At least this semester will pass you by in relative peace.
The eighteen-year-old throws her a mysterious glance, then evades her roommate and leaves the room. Tom, who is firmly holding a rubber toy, walks closer to the girl to reveal to her how big a mistake she has made.
— You've gone astray, my friend — he announces, and only then does he see the fear in her eyes. — No one can win against him. He is a man who can destroy anyone, but I will keep my fingers crossed for you — he adds, sending her a friendly smile. — At this point, this is the only thing that will help you.
*
The rules at the boarding school are that every student should be in his or her room at twenty-one because that's when the counselors check attendance and turn off all the lights.
Hannah has been roaming around for too long and doesn't notice that the area has completely deserted.
She can't decide if she made the right decision, as the warning from the boy there has clearly begun to bother her.
Although she is an excellent student, getting to the top involves a great deal of effort, as the competition at this school is extremely crushing.
She runs into the boarding school and heads up the stairs to the second floor, where the girls' rooms are located. She has two minutes left, so she gets to the door and quickly jumps into bed to lie to her guardian that she is ready for sleep.
Unfortunately, Hannah hasn't had time to use the bathroom, so she has to leave the room and do so when her rounds are over.
She covers herself with the quilt and takes her cell phone out of her pocket when the sound of her favorite song rings out. The display shows a call from her mother.
— Are you mad at me? — These are the first words that come to her mind. She realizes how rudely she has acted toward her.
— I'm disappointed that you didn't let me go into the building with you and see the room the director assigned to you. — He can hear the clear sadness in her voice.
— Mom... you know very well that I like to be independent. I'm already at such an age that I can take care of myself and make sure everything is in order — she claims reproachfully. — Don't treat me like a child. It's not just any school, so I didn't want people to think badly of me. I sent you pictures, so that should satisfy you.
The teenager lifts her head as the boarding school attendant, who had brought her school uniform a few hours earlier, looks into the room. Seeing that the girl is already in bed, she smiles cheerfully at her and steps out into the hallway so as not to disturb her conversation.
— I understand that you are already at such an age that you want to pretend to be an adult, but don't think to yourself that I won't pay you a visit one weekend.
— That's fine, mom. I don't mind. You can visit me whenever you feel like it — she replies, rolling her eyes. — And mom... take care of yourself. You are leaving tomorrow, so be safe. Call me when you get there. You deserve a rest.
A quiet sigh comes out of her mouth.
— You are right. Now that you are under the care of the school, then I can quietly go on a well-deserved vacation. Take care of yourself and call me anytime.
— I will.
Hannah ends the call and hides the phone under her pillow. She removes her pajamas from her bag and runs to the door to find that the sitter has already finished her rounds.
She pokes her head out and looks carefully around the hallway. It's dark, so he recognizes that the woman has already returned to her place.
Wanting to get it over with as soon as possible, she runs to the bathroom and takes one last shower, hiding behind a brown curtain. She feels uneasy because she is not fond of public bathrooms.
She is soaping her body when the light unexpectedly goes out. Her heart rises to her throat because the first thought that comes to her mind: this is a haunted place. However, she prefers it to be a ghost rather than a living person who might see her naked body.
Hannah rinses herself with water and turns off the shower, wrapping herself thoroughly in a towel. She steps out of the cabin and stretches her arms out in front of her. She takes tentative steps, as she can't see anything. The girl has to find the switch, since she is not brave enough to leave the place without clothes.
With her hands, she macerates the wall, and if someone had entered the bathroom at that moment, the girl would undoubtedly have burned with shame.
She breathes a sigh of relief when she finally finds him and light appears in the room. However, the feeling of happiness does not last long because on the mirror she notices a sentence written in pink lipstick; her favorite lipstick, which someone specially left on the sink.
"Change your room, or you'll end up like the previous tenant."
She anxiously looks around the interior, but she is all alone in it. Every cubicle is exposed, so no one could hide here.
She is afraid to stay in the bathroom, so with quick movements, she puts on her pajamas and, combing her fingers through her wet hair, runs out into the hallway.
Her heart stands still as she bumps into someone. She tentatively lifts her face and swallows her saliva harder when the boy grabs her wrist.
— You will not stay in this room, not a moment longer.