The long lunch break is every student's salvation to at least take a breather from hard study and fill their bellies with delicious food.
Young people head to the cafeteria with friends or alone, while Mariah decides to use the bathroom. The girl can't bring herself to eat when she hasn't washed her hands beforehand. She finds it unhygienic and prefers to get rid of any bacteria from her hands.
As she walks inside, she takes a look at two girls who are standing against the wall and giggling into the phone. They act like typical, excited teenagers who see their beloved idol in new photos. They are so fascinated by something that they don't even control their silly behavior.
Standing at the sink, the girl looks at them in the reflection of the mirror. She smiles under her breath as she sees them ruminate and put their hands to their faces, enchanted by someone's pictures. When they finally say his name, Mariah rolls her eyes.
She could have guessed that these dolls were enthralled by Joseph's profile.
— Just look at this new photo.... how can you be so handsome? His eyes are fantastic, I would die if he looked at me up close.
The 18-year-old raises an eyebrow, not taking her eyes off them. She reaches for a paper towel and wipes her wet hands in it.
— How much I would give to have him pay attention to me. Not only handsome but also charismatic and intelligent. He's my ideal type.
Mariah throws the used towel paper into the trashcan and snorts under her breath. She draws the attention of her peers with her behavior.
— Do you have a problem? — asks one of them, throwing Mariah a disdainful look.
— You have a concern, since you are in your senior year and delight in Joseph as if he were a prince — she claims with derision in her voice, clearly laughing at them. — Ah, forgive me. I forgot, this is a prince. A dark ruler — he accents the last words, mercifully shaking his head.
A girl, with bleached — even gray — hair, boldly approaches her classmate.
— Listen to me... — starts, measuring her with a threatening gaze — all this time you were untouchable because of your relationship with Jimmy. You pissed us off with your behavior because we saw that you thought you were better. Then you thought you were above us because you were friends with the best boys in school? — The gray-haired girl laughed artificially, and her pearly laughter echoed against the tiled walls. — You may shine with a pretty face, but when it comes to learning, you are far behind. If I were you, I would burn with shame.
— Somehow, I don't give a damn. — She shrugs her shoulders dismissively. — I have never paid attention to my studies, so the very fact that I found myself in this school is fascinating. Clearly, I'm an intelligent girl.
The brunette, who has remained silent until now, steps forward and grabs Mariah by the shirt. She tightens her lips in anger, clearly agitated by her statement.
— Jimmy hates you now, bitch. We can take advantage of that, right?
The eighteen-year-old girl lets out a quiet snort. She is amused by their stupidity.
— So what? Are you going to beat me up in the bathroom? If so, just confess to me why you want to do it. The argument that my ex-boyfriend hates me is weak and out of his ass — she declares warily, smiling under her breath.
The brunette squints, and her accompanying friend, with a kick of her leg, closes the door.
— You bark too much, bitch. — She pulls up her shirt sleeves. — Don't you know that during the lunch break, it's practically empty in the corridor?
— Well, I don't know... I believe that it is empty only in your heads. — These words are wrong because the brunette can't stand it and slaps her sulfurous. The girl with gray hair catches her from behind so that her friend can hit her, but Mariah takes advantage of this and jumps up, aggressively pushing the brunette away with her legs.
The person who looks into the bathroom does not react in any way. Seeing Mariah get slapped in the face by her peers, she smiles sultrily and closes the door without a word. She thinks the 18-year-old hag deserved it as much as possible. She's been snooping around too much lately and sticking her nose into things that aren't her own.
*
Hannah scoops another portion with her fork and puts it in her mouth, impatiently looking around the cafeteria. Joseph looks for his chosen person, but doesn't see her anywhere. Instead, his gaze stops on Hannah, who, accompanied by Tom, is laughing uproariously, spilling food around. The boy is not happy that his friend is sitting right next to this girl, but Tom has his world, so he can ignore it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glances at Jin, who does not take his eyes off her. At this point, he looks like a mongrel in love. Joseph croaks at the thought. He doesn't even want to look at Jimmy because he understands he is visually wandering around the cafeteria, looking for his ex-girlfriend. Although he broke up with her and insists that she no longer means anything to him, Joseph is not stupid. He notices everything and nothing can hide from him.
Hannah crinkles her eyebrows as Tom once again asks her a strange question:
— What do you think: is the sparrow on the branch sitting or ponying up? — The 16-year-old puts a piece of meat in her mouth, chewing it well and not taking her eyes off her strange friend. — He crouches because if he were sitting, his legs would be dangling.
She remains silent for a long moment. She puts a portion of rice in her mouth and unexpectedly bursts out laughing. Everyone in the cafeteria pokes a puzzled look at her.
— You know how to make me feel better. You are irreplaceable. Say something else! — she asks him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
Both Jin and Joseph do not take their eyes off her.
Tom rests his cheek on his hand and puffs out his lips. He ponders for a long moment what his next question should be to her.
— When are you home without a head? — The girl opens her eyes wider and blinks her eyelids. He completely fails to understand the question. — When you look out the window.
Hannah laughs out loud again, from all this forgetting the rules of politeness, and pats her older colleague on the thigh.
— Don't you think the two of them get along well with each other? — Joseph leans toward his friend, seeing that the latter has stopped eating. He is amused by Jin's behavior, who is starting to get jealous of the childish Tom.
He puts the cutlery down too hard on the table. Joseph raises an eyebrow.
— Tom is friendly towards everyone. It's normal that he managed to get close to Hannah. There is not a person who does not like him — he replies, but at some point his voice trembles.
— She is happy. Don't you think I should spoil her mood? — Jin's warning look makes his friend raise his hands, letting him know that he will let go after all.
*
When the class is over, he plops down on the bed and breathes a sigh of relief. She reaches out and macerates the spot under her pillow with her hand to find her phone. Her mother chooses the perfect moment to call. Just now, when the girl has returned to the room.
— Hannah, honey, how are you feeling?
— Mom, everything is fine with me. You're home, so why haven't you visited me yet? You know very well that in the first semester I have to sit here all weekends. It's awful, especially when I watch the older classes go out on Friday night for freedom.
— The first semester will pass you by fairly quickly, you'll see. There's not much left, so you need to apply yourself to your studies to prove to everyone that you're the best.
The woman's words make Hannah smile. She needs to do this first and foremost to prove that she can push her way into first place and surpass Joseph.
— Mom? Are you sure I haven't lost my memory?
Mrs. Anderson laughs into the receiver.
— Why are you asking me this again? I assure you that you are perfectly healthy.
— It's just that... I have some doubts about my health, but it doesn't matter — she says, and quickly changes the subject. — Which weekend will you visit me, mom?
— I've had so many things on my mind lately... so many responsibilities at the company. And I'm truly sorry that so far I haven't been able to visit you, but I promise I'll do it in the near future, okay, Hannah?
The teenager clouds over.
— I understand. I know you have your duties, so I'll wait.
— Honey, don't be angry with me, please.
— I'm not mad at you, mom. I understand you perfectly, it's just that I miss you very much — she says shyly.
— I miss you too. I promise I'll see you soon — she says.
Hannah says goodbye to her mother and puts the phone under her pillow. She sighs deeply and looks at the white clock. She is supposed to meet Mariah in two hours because the older student has something significant to tell her.
*
With a cut lip and numerous bruises on her face, she sits in front of the door of her room, not paying attention to the many attentions. Students whisper among themselves, wondering who brought her to such a state. She doesn't look her best, but the same can be said of the girls who attacked her.
She lifts her face when she recognizes by her feet the person who stood by her. Nick closes his eyelids when he notices the state his friend is in.
— Don't survive. I'll be fine — she mutters, picking herself up from the floor. She faces him and puts her hand on his shoulder. — Idiots attacked me, but I provoked them myself. I will not blame anyone — she asserts, shrugging her shoulders.
The boy shakes his head.
— Don't you experience enough problems? It's not enough that Jimmy makes your life miserable, Joseph hates you, and yet you mess with some girls? I beg you. Hold out until the end of the year and ignore all these taunts.
— I won't hide from anyone. I may look like this, but I won't allow myself to be insulted. These latecomers will still get their heads bashed in by me.
He puts his hand to her face, looking at the wounds with pain in his eyes.
— I won't go to the nurse — she warns him, placing her hand on his arm. — I have a first aid kit in my room, so if you'd like, you can play with my doctor. — She struggles to force a smile as everything hurts her.
Nick nods his head. He doesn't intend to argue with her because he won't win anyway.
She goes inside with her friend. Her roommates are gone, so they are free to talk to each other.
— I have to meet Hannah soon to warn her. I'm going to tell the girl the truth because she is in danger — she announces, while Nick applies ointment to her wounds.
— Are you sure this is the right decision? The person who is oppressing her and scaring her at night is not someone you can take lightly. I don't want you to suffer from it, either.
— Nick, after all, you know that I am not afraid of anything. I'm going to tell the truth to this poor girl. I can no longer watch her being wronged. The measure has crossed the line.
— And you are sure that this is the work of the same person?
— I have no doubt.
They are silent when Mariah's roommate enters the room. She looks at her friend's face with concern.
— Rumors have already spread throughout the school.
— Never mind. — She shrugs her shoulders. — I'm used to it. It's rare that I'm not the center of attention. It's all because of the popularity of the ex-boyfriend.
The girl takes something out of the closet and, smiling at them, leaves the room.
— She seems fake — mutters Nick, carefully watching his friend's face. He wants to make sure that he put ointment on all the wounds.
— Because that's what she is. Towards me, she pretends to be nice and collegial, while behind my back she chops my ass with other girls.
— She's a piece of bitch. — At these words, Mariah laughs out loud, however, she just as quickly lets out a groan as pain sears the area around her cheeks.
*
The clock indicates five minutes past 8 pm as Hannah makes her way down to the first floor. She stops at the window and leans against the sill, looking ahead in the bathroom door. A classmate walks out of the room, entirely ignoring her presence. Hannah is used to this, as the rumor of her arrangement with Joseph has spread through the school. Everyone is afraid to approach her because the dark prince is keeping an eye on her.
Now and then, she glances toward the stairs, expecting an older student to come down. They scheduled an appointment ten minutes after 8pm, but Hannah preferred to come earlier.
Hearing someone's footsteps, she walks away from the windowsill. She turns her back on that person when she perceives that it is Joseph. She's sure he won't pay any attention to her, but his eyes are like radars. He won't let go and, as usual, starts poisoning her with malicious remarks.
— Girl, what a pleasant surprise. I get the impression that you specifically choose such places to meet me... — Hannah rolls her eyes in response. — Don't pretend that's not the case.
She pokes a disgusted look at him, which brings a smile to his face. Sporadically, she can't understand him. Once he acts like an accomplished buffoon who feels like killing everyone, and a moment later he throws around some silly texts, clearly having a good time.
— I'm waiting for someone... I have an appointment — she announces, suggesting him to give her a break and leave.
Joseph raises an eyebrow.
— With Jin? — He squints, as if trying to read from her face whether he got it right. The girl ignores it.
The brunet looks around the corridor and when she doesn't respond, he wraps his arms around her stomach and lifts her up. Hannah is unable to get a word out as he covers her mouth with his hand and rushes straight to the men's bathroom.
He sets her down in the room and closes the door behind her. He holds the handle to prevent her from escaping.
— What do you want from me! I need to talk to someone! — she yells. The boy puts his finger to his lips and stares threateningly at her, with which he warns her to calm down.
— You won't leave here until you answer some questions for me.
— You are doing this on purpose! You are malicious and trying to separate me from all the students. Because of you, no one likes me anymore anyway. You are a monster!
He has had enough of her screaming, so he puts his hand to her mouth and leads her to the cabin. He locks the girl in the room and with her back against the wall. With his foot, he holds the door so that she doesn't escape from there.
— Why are you doing this to me! — he yells once again.
— Shut up, or you'll sit here all night. Scream, but no one will get you out of here anyway. The teachers are no longer in school at this hour, and the guardians are in their rooms.
— You sick bastard... — says in a resigned voice, sitting down on the toilet bowl.
— What did you say? — His voice sounds sharper.
— That it smells bad in here — she excuses herself, putting her hand to her mouth, when she realizes how she turned to the older student. Joseph could kill her, since he's recalcitrant.
The 18-year-old crosses his arms over his chest and smiles cynically.
— Are you going to be a good girl, or should I water your face in the sink? — Although he is joking, the sixteen-year-old takes his words as a warning. She guesses that he is capable of this, since the other students are afraid of him. She can't ignore his threats.
— I will answer your questions — he declares calmly.
A student of the last class enters the bathroom, but immediately backs off when he notices his classmate's gaze.
— Did you see who did this to you? — The girl blinks her eyelids, surprised by the question he asked her. — I doubt you could see the face, but did anything catch your eye? Maybe some detail? I mean the situation with the dead bird — he hastily explains.
Hannah puffs out her lips and puts a finger to them.
— Why are you asking me this?
— Just answer.
— I didn't notice any detail. From the silhouette, I can't guess who the perpetrator is, but I'm sure it's a tall person. He is of similar height to you. To the eye, he is one meter eighty, so I am sure it is a boy. Not many girls at school are that tall.
A thought runs through his head, but he quickly dismisses it.
— Did you see something else? Any detail that stuck in your mind?
— He wears a red devil mask. I know this because I was attacked in the corridor at night.
The boy blanches. He knows what that mask looks like because it is his.
Unexpectedly, he breaks from his seat and runs out of the bathroom, and Hannah uncertainly exits the cabin. She looks around the interior, clearly surprised by his reaction.
Why is he so interested in this? Does he have something to do with this, is the first thought that comes to her mind? He must be involved and probably wants to find out how much Hannah knows about it.
The 16-year-old comes out of the bathroom, recalling her meeting with Mariah.
The girl is nowhere to be found.
— She was likely upset that I didn't come — she says in a whisper and runs up the stairs to the second floor. If only she knew which room was hers...
Hannah is angry with Joseph because he is the reason she lost her chance.
Resigned, she is already about to return to her room, when at the last moment she sees an older student heading to the bathroom with a towel.
— Wait! — she shouts. The 18-year-old stops in mid-step. — I was stopped by Joseph, so I apologize for not showing up at the appointed time. What is so important that you want to tell me?
Mariah intends to pull the teenager aside and explain everything to her in detail, but at the end of the corridor, she notices a person watching her intently.
At that moment, something inside her snaps and she feels fear.
She gives up.