November has arrived. It's getting colder and colder outside. Students spend their spare time in their rooms, using this time to study. Everyone is diligently preparing for the December midterms, which are supposed to determine the best among each year group.
There are some people who are unable to focus on their studies during this period.
Mariah, who is being stalked by an ex-boyfriend. He has no intention of leaving her alone, persistently convincing the girl to return to him. She is confused and can't cope. Although she insists that she will never forgive him and that it's impossible for something to happen between them again, she is thinking more and more about checking him out and seeing if he has changed even a little. Jimmy applies to her and the teenager sees that he really cares, but is afraid to take the next step. She would rather not suffer again. She's afraid to let Jimmy in again because her biggest fear is his friend, who might once again interfere in their relationship.
Joseph does not allow himself to think that the person he trusts most could turn out to be the perpetrator. If this is true, then no doubt this same man hurt his ex-girlfriend two years earlier. He remembers to this day the day Mariah ran to him and revealed to him what she had seen with her own eyes. She tugged at him and repeated to him profoundly that she had witnessed Halsey being bullied. She told him only after the girl left the school, and he trusted that person enough to keep the truth from him. He was emotionally unstable, and that was the day he finally hated Mariah.
She explained that she didn't do it earlier because she was afraid. He didn't believe her and concluded that she had made the whole thing up.
Finding the mask among this person's belongings indicates a lot, but he still can't let go of the idea that if it's true, he trusted the man who cruelly destroyed his ex-girlfriend. But... how could this turn out to be true when this person was with him when he was going through the most difficult time? She supported him and, thanks to her, he quickly recovered from Halsey's departure.
In the worst situation, however, is Hannah. The girl told herself that since she met Jin, something started haunting her room. The phantom tells her that she should get closer to him...
The teenager is convinced of someone's presence and it's not an illusion.
Besides, she still feels insecure in the company of the 18-year-old after she kissed him. Even though many days have passed since then she has noticed that something has changed. She is not sure what it is, but she has noticed many times that Jin looks at her suspiciously, as if he is trying to decipher her.
She gets the impression that he hasn't seen Hannah in her for a long time, but an entirely different person...
*
Jin stares at the photo in which he is posing for the lens, embracing a laughing blonde. He is confused. He can't explain what's going on with Hannah and why she's acting so strangely. Is it all a game, and she remembers all the past and him perfectly? He is unable to explain it otherwise. Every explanation sounds absurd, so he is more and more sure that the initial thesis was correct and Hannah really planned the game to get revenge.
— Don't think so intensely or your brain will start to evaporate. — Laughing, Joseph sits down on the bed, out of the corner of his eye, glancing at his friend.
— Did you notice something strange about Hannah?
At these words, his eyes begin to glow. He leans with his hands on the mattress, ready to give him his opinion about his younger colleague.
— Are you sure you want to hear it from me? — He pulls down his eyebrows, waiting for his roommate's answer. — Many uncensored words will come from my mouth.
— Just tell me what you mean, but in a gentle way.
The brunet smiles half-heartedly, then takes in air through his teeth to begin his argument.
— You know perfectly well that I am good at deciphering a person at a glance, which is why Hannah seemed strange to me from the beginning. — Seeing the look on his friend's face, he immediately corrects himself. — Well, okay, specific.
— How should I understand it?
— Am I the only one who noticed it...? — Joseph purposely teases him, having a laugh about it, however, seeing the stern look of his roommate, he continues his statement. — You spend more time with her than I do, and you can't see that there is something wrong with her? — With his finger, he makes circles near his forehead, showing Jin that the younger student has something wrong with her head.
The boy rolls his eyes, seeing the silly smile on his face.
— Please let me know what you noticed.
— Well, I'm telling you after all! — He stomps on him indignantly. — Hasn't anyone noticed that she has been acting strangely from the very beginning? Once she is like a frightened mouse: polite and running away from problems, and a moment later, brave and eager to fight. These are smooth transitions, so she doesn't draw attention to herself with this, but I'm surprised that you didn't notice it.
I noticed it a long time ago, but I tried to ignore it, Jin thinks.
— Maybe it depends on her humor...
— Ass, not humor — mutters Joseph, crossing his arms over his chest. This time, she isn't concerned about his face. — This ninny is haunted. — Jin pulls down his eyebrow, not taking his eyes off him. — I don't mean that by a ghost. I don't believe this nonsense — he explains, wrinkling his nose. — Hannah's got with the roof, that's about it.
— Sure because his own will know his own. — Joseph opens his eyes wider, surprised at what he has been called. The boy accompanying him reaches for a black crayon and throws it at his friend. - Highlight your charismatic eyes because chicks will fall to a heart attack if they don't see your dark appearance.
He can't swallow anything. He nervously moves his foot and taps his fingers on the table-top, looking around the cafeteria. She gets the impression that everyone is eyeing her suspiciously. Although it's been a while since she unexpectedly kissed Jin, she's still a source of gossip. This makes the girl nervous because she feels like everyone is judging her.
She has had enough. It's her business that she did it, and only she or Jin can make statements about it.
*
Since she arrived here, she's getting more and more nervous every day. Everything irritates her, and moreover, there are sleepless nights, unexplained student jokes and an entity that haunts her in her sleep.
She sees the smiles of the students and the way they look at her. She is not stupid. They are giving her insults. No one can tell her to her face what they think of her. Everyone whispers among themselves, clearly making fun of her.
She has had enough of it.
Breathing hard, she feels a cold sweat pour down her face. She gets weak, so she clasps her hands tighter on the edge of the table. A trembling heart appears, and her eyes turn to tears.
These symptoms appeared in her back in June, but lately, she has been having them more and more often.
She closes her eyelids as the whispers of students intensify in her head. They scowl at her, wondering what's wrong with her. Some giggle under their breath, others say she's acting like she's haunted.
— Hannah, are you okay? — She hears Mariah's voice behind her. The girl puts her hand on her shoulder. Next to her stands Nick.
The 16-year-old doesn't answer. She leans with her hands on the countertop and rises to her feet. With a semi-conscious look, she looks around the room. She sees the eyes of other students focused on her. She slumps back in her chair. The strands of hair that come out of her loose ponytail stick to her face.
Jin, accompanied by his roommates, enters the cafeteria. All four are interested in Hannah when they realize what the commotion has caused. Joseph raises an eyebrow when he notices how bad the 16-year-old looks. It reminds him of the time Halsey sat in the cafeteria as pale as she was.
Only that the teenager stares at a single point in front of her and no words reach her.
Joseph squints furiously when he notices that a boy from his class sitting nearby is laughing at the younger student. He repeats to his classmate that she is crazy just like the previous occupant.
He moves towards him but stops in mid-step when Hannah unexpectedly throws a plate on the floor. Cutlery and a carton of strawberry milk fly right behind him.
— Shut up! — she yells, throwing everything she has at hand. Her eyes sparkle with anger, and even though she looks like she's about to faint, she has strength in her. — Get on with your lives, you nasty parasites!
Jin is worried, seeing how strange Hannah's behavior is. He runs up to her and grabs her by the shoulders, looking at Mariah with concern in his eyes.
— Hannah, calm down! — He notices how sad her eyes are. — What's the matter with you?
— They are all laughing at me... I would rather not be here anymore — she says in a weak voice. All the anger drains out of her, and then she weakens in his arms. The boy takes her in his arms and heads for the exit. He passes the dormitory supervisor, who glances at one of the students when he unexpectedly yells at the entire room for everyone to quiet down.
Silence falls in the cafeteria. Some even hold their breath so as not to anger Joseph. The attendant crosses her arms on her chest and crinkles her eyebrows, wondering what the student has to say. He is the son of an influential man and the principal's best friend. He is the terror of the school and the other kids listen to him as if he is the one in charge here. Every teacher knows this, so Joseph is liked by them and does what he openly likes. No one interferes.
He walks up to the boy who moments earlier was making fun of Hannah. He grabs him by his shirt and forcibly lifts him out of his chair.
— Are you amused by this? — she asks him a question, looking directly into his small eyes. With her other hand, she grabs a plate of food and sprinkles it right in the boy's face. He pushes the 18-year-old to the floor. — Do you think humiliation is pleasant? I will present it to you in the simplest way. Lick the food off the floor.
The boy crouches at his feet, watching the rice that has detached from his face with horror in his eyes.
— Joseph Scott! — yells the caretaker, unable to allow such behavior. Although the boy has more freedom than other students and no one pays attention to his misbehavior, nothing like this can happen in front of her eyes.
— Lick it up! — She orders the peer again, piercing him with a sharp look.
The young woman walks up to him and jerks him by the arm.
— I'm saying something to you! — The boy ignores her presence. — I will take care of Hannah's case myself and talk to the students. Do you think I'll let you behave like this!
— Back off! — shouts at the woman, pushing her away. — And if you like, you can go complain to the principal.
The attendant retreats a few steps back, clearly agitated by his behavior. She presses her lips together in anger and leaves the cafeteria.
Joseph only smiles under his breath.
— If you don't do it, I'll destroy you. Do you want this? — he turns to the kneeling boy. The student shakes, cowering, while the others look at him in silence. — Lick it off! Right now! — he yells, fiercely waving his hand.
All the while, Jimmy does not take his gaze off Mariah, who is accompanied by his best friend. The girl puts her hand to her mouth as the boy leans over the floor and eats rice with tears in his eyes.
Scott raises an eyebrow and smiles wickedly.
— Do you see this? — He turns to the others. — If I find out that even one of you makes Hannah miserable or remembers Halsey badly, you will end up similarly.
The person who is watching everything through the ajar door angrily slaps his hand on the wall. She feels like tearing everything down, especially Hannah.
She will not rest until he destroys her. She will remove her from the school, just as he did with Halsey.
*
The nurse dismisses the 16-year-old from classes, so she spends the whole day in her room. By noon, she is visited by her guardian, who wants to know what happened in the cafeteria. She talks to the girl and convinces her not to worry about other students' opinions and disregard their vile behavior. He says that they are at a difficult age and puberty is very troublesome, and this leads to their reckless behavior. He explains to her that they don't realize that they are hurting the other person because for them the most important thing is the recognition of their peers.
After the class is over, Jin visits her. At first, she is confused by his sudden visit because she is ashamed after what she put down in the cafeteria.
— Now they won't give me a break at all... — she declares, sitting on the bed in a Turkish position. She nervously plays with her hands, glancing sometimes at the boy who accompanies her.
— You are guaranteed peace of mind because Tom told me what a show Joseph put on when I took you to the nurse. — Hannah opens her eyes wider in amazement. — I think your situation reminded him of someone from the past — he says, himself unsure if his words are really true. A voice telling him that Mariah was right then collides with his thoughts. — You can rest assured because everyone is afraid to stand up to him. You won't have to deal with people anymore.
— In my eyes, this school has always been wonderful. I wanted to get into it at all costs, that's why I studied so hard.... — Jin crinkles his eyebrows. — I've been lying to you from the very beginning.
The boy notices the confusion on her face. She scrapes the bedclothes with her nails, running away from him with her eyes.
— What do you mean? — Her statement strongly surprises him. He didn't expect her to finally start being honest with him. He intends to drag this out to finally find out the truth. — Did you come to this school because you wanted to for a very long time? — He looks at her face investigative as he notices a confused smile on it.
— I like to tease you.
He raises an eyebrow as his assumption slowly turns out to be true.
— Ever since we met, you've been teasing me, and you've been doing it ever since?
For a long moment, she doesn't answer. She looks around the room, and a mysterious smile appears on her face this time.
— I figured this would make our relationship more interesting. You have been mysterious from the very beginning, so I decided to be the same.
— I have always been honest with you. I never lied to you — he defends him, not taking his eyes off her.
— I have also been honest with you. It's just that sometimes my words were a game and I wanted you to decipher me correctly. Who do you think: who is more real? Danielle or Hannah?
Jin laughs feverishly.
— Wait a minute... — He lifts his finger to consider her words. — So you're saying you've been playing games with me all along? You played Danielle and Hannah so that in the end I would guess what you really were?
— Yes.
Her words chill him.
— What for?
— I told you that this makes our relationship more interesting. If you got to know me well, now you know what my character really is...
He puts his hand to his forehead, trying to understand her behavior, but whenever he thinks about it, he can't. He doesn't know anything himself anymore.
What is going on with her?
She is playing a game with him, and he can't understand: why? Is it actually about revenge?
— I don't understand why you think our relationship was more fascinating this way because it doesn't make any sense to me. I just think that from the very beginning you set up a game and mocked me, which made me completely lost.
Hannah hastily embraces his hand and looks into his eyes, shaking her head.
— That's not true. You are the most important thing to me — she protests quickly, squeezing his hand harder.
— You are messing with me. I don't even know who you really are anymore.
— I've been Danielle since I was born. It's me! — she says, slapping his hand on his chest. — I'm sorry I messed up your head with my stupidity. I know I sound like a crazy person, that's why I don't want to drag this out any longer. Forgive me, Jin.
The boy squints his eyes. He takes his hand from her grasp and rises from the bed.
He looks confused.
— I don't know what the show is, but Joseph was right when he said there's something wrong with you. I should have noticed a long time ago, but I would rather not let that thought sink in.
— I'm fine! — she defends herself, and tears glaze in her eyes. — I swear I'm fine. I acted like an idiot. It was a stupid and childish play on my part, but believe me, I've been taking you seriously from the very beginning. I apologize for all the foolishness, the lies I told you and making up that I don't know who you are, and that I don't remember the last months... I apologize for everything.
The boy heads for the door. He grabs the handle and is about to leave the room, but Hannah runs up to him and from behind embraces him around the waist, snuggling her face into his back.
— Let me be Danielle.... for you.