The teen swallows her saliva harder as Jin's intense gaze is disturbing. You can see confusion in those eyes, as well as anger. He clenches in his fist the phone he picked up moments earlier in the cafeteria.
Hannah doesn't know what's going on, but after that call, Jin has gone heavily pale, and for a good five minutes he sits motionless, looking only at her.
— You're starting to scare me — she says quietly, nervously playing with her toes. — What has happened?
— Who are you? — She shudders when he asks her the same question, but then his voice becomes sharper. — Explain to me who you are! And what are you playing at?
She remains silent. He takes her speechless. She doesn't know what he means.
— What do you mean, who am I? You know me well, it's me, Hannah — she whispers, and the corners of her mouth twist in a slight smile. — What about you?
— What about me! — she screams, unable to control her emotions. Jin has had enough of her games. He wants to know the truth at all costs. He is increasingly convinced that Hannah is playing some kind of incomprehensible game with him, trying to get revenge. — This question I should rather ask you, since you claim to be Danielle, but in reality she is dead. Did you know this and try to take advantage of it?
She gets weak. With her back against the wall, she puts her hand to her forehead. She closes her eyelids. The cruel events of June, come back to her with redoubled force.
— Hannah, answer me! I am devastated and completely do not understand what is happening. I need your explanations, so I don't go crazy...
— I would rather not return my memory to that day, Jin — said. Tears are gathering in her eyes.
— Just tell me the truth! — He jerks her arm to force her to speak. — Why do you call yourself Danielle? What's with the memory loss? Is this some kind of game on your part? — At this point, his voice breaks down. — What do you mean?
These words make her shiver.
— It's just... I'm alive, Jin.
He shakes his head, looking at her uncomprehendingly.
— Then I think I'm crazy — he says quietly, even in a whisper. He slowly steps back, not taking his gaze off her. — I don't know what's going on.
He walks away, paying no attention to Joseph, who has been watching them for a long time. The brunet plunges his auger gaze into the girl and notices the smile on her face. Although he saw the demon in her from the beginning, he can't explain what's hidden in that petite, innocent body.
One thing is certain: something disturbing is happening to her, and he fears that Jin is in danger. She has cast a net over him, from which she has no intention of freeing him.
With her arms crossed over her chest, she comes closer and squints her eyes as she once again takes on the mask of a frightened, lost girl. Her gaze is different. It's the gaze of a person who needs help and yet won't admit it. Joseph has seen this before. He stayed aside a person who looked at him in the same way...
Her gaze brings back to him sad memories that make him have to close his eyelids, as tears gather in the corners of his eyes.
He turns his back to her.
The tough, striking and fear-inducing boy feels like blubbering for the first time in a long time.
He nervously looks around to make sure no one can see any tears from him. As he tries to hide his face, he takes a quick step toward the stairs to escape to his room as quickly as possible.
Hannah raises an eyebrow and watches him until he disappears from her sight. His behavior is strange.
She looks toward the open door to the cafeteria, where most of the curious eyes are looking in her direction. She doesn't like this. To show them her anger, with her lips clenched, she walks to the door and slams it so hard that a girl passing by puts her hand to her left breast.
— You scared me to death. What went through your head? — The older student is agitated by her behavior.
Hannah ignores him.
— Why are you turning into a bad girl? — asks Tom, who leaves the cafeteria a moment later. — You banged that door so hard that all the food flew out of my mouth. Good thing I didn't choke. You would have had to give me artificial respiration.
She rolls her eyes.
— I'm just sick of people watching my every move. Am I the only attraction in this school?
— Yes, because you are close with the divine four — she announces boldly, showing her teeth in a wide smile. — Well, okay, I exaggerated. With Jimmy, you are not close, but Joseph you will not disown! — He sticks his finger out in front of him, being sure that they share a more in-depth relationship. — I get the impression that you've been secretly spending more time with each other lately because you're starting to act like him. It makes me shudder to think of how you're becoming like him. — Tom is shaking with fear. — Jin is worried about you because he sees that something is wrong.
— Everything is fine. He's the one who's figuring things out. — A quiet laugh comes out of her mouth. — Do you know what he made up? That I'm supposedly dead.
The boy freezes. He opens his eyes wider and takes three steps back for his safety.
— In Jin's words, I always believe. He didn't say it for any reason. He's a smart boy — he says, looking at his younger colleague. At one point, he squints his eyes. — Admit it... who are you? A ghost, a vampire, a zombie.... — At this point he breaks off and measures her carefully from bottom to top. — You have a body, so a ghost you are not. A vampire? Show your teeth! — The girl crinkles her eyebrows and opens her mouth to present her jaw to him. — That's out, too. For a zombie, you are too pretty.... — He scratches his head with resignation. His eyes begin to sparkle as he remembers something. — Gumiho! — he yells, pointing his finger at her. — A vixen with nine tails!
He grabs her by the shoulders and forcefully turns her back to himself.
— Where did you get those tails? — Hannah looks confused. — That's why you win the hearts of all the guys so easily.... you vixen. Why wasn't I immune to your charm? You want to eat our livers, don't you? Admit it!
— Tom, you're joking, right?
— You won't sway — he threatens her, retreating backwards. — Don't think to yourself that if I like you very much, I'll give you my liver so easily.... never in my life!
He runs away from her, and Hannah shakes her head. She still can't understand how he gets such high scores in the exams.
*
The 16-year-old lies on her bed, watching the white ceiling with sadness in her eyes. Tears flow from the outer corners of her eyes, soaking into the pink pillow. She is heartbroken. This is not how things were supposed to go. She doesn't know what she can do to fix it.
Jin has begun to lose confidence in her.
— I'm an idiot. I'm sorry — she says into the space. She rises to a sitting position and looks at her reflection in the mirror with broken eyes. — I messed everything up. This is not how it was supposed to be.... I really wanted to make him happy — she whispers to herself, clenching her fist on the pillow. — I failed, didn't I? — A sob breaks out of her mouth. — Will you come to me again? Express your dissatisfaction that I failed to meet your expectations? Don't hurt me, please. I am afraid when you are so close to me.
Hannah stares at her reflection for a long moment. She reaches for the photo frame that stands on the cabinet. She runs her finger over the face of the boy who poses at the girl's side in the photograph. Her blond hair gleams in the sunlight.
— I desire nothing more than to be by your side again... We were so happy together. I will do everything to make you forgive me, Jin — she speaks into the photo.
A scream escapes from the girl's throat as the frame spontaneously falls out of her hand and flies across the room, eventually hitting the door. The glass shatters into a fine poppy, and Hannah goes limp on the mattress, looking at her reflection in the mirror with terror in her eyes. Once again, she is not alone.
The light in the room goes out, and she shudders.
*
Mariah leaves the room as the perpetrator, who has been harassing Hannah from the beginning, puts a note under her door. The girl leans with her back against the wall and bravely looks at the person. A cynical smile appears on her face.
— Don't you think this is already boring? How long can you harass this innocent girl?
The person who was caught in the act turns to face her.
— And what do you want to do? You know that it was because of me that Halsey left school, and yet you remain silent. Two years have passed. You're afraid because you know you won't win against me.
— You are right — replies Mariah. — I've been quiet all this time, but do you know why? Because I gave up when I told Joseph about it, and he didn't believe me. I concluded that since he's an idiot, I'm not going to get involved, but I can no longer watch you poison Hannah's life. The girl is not guilty of anything, and that you have some sick reasoning is your business.
— What do you want to do? Are you going to complain? Do you think anyone will believe you?
— Okay... you have the right back, I must admit. — He shrugs his shoulders and takes out his phone from under his pajamas. — But proof is always helpful. — He unexpectedly snaps a picture of her.
Mariah moves toward the stairs when she sees that the perpetrator is about to take her phone. She wants to go down to the first floor, but on the stairs she is grabbed by her hair. She tries to pull herself out, causing her to lose her balance and fall.
Semi-consciously, she watches the person crouching beside her and takes her phone.
— Just try to say something, bitch.
Hannah, who stops at the top of the stairs, covers her mouth with her hand.
— Mariah! — She goes lower and crouches down next to the girl. — Mariah! — She repeats, seeing that the 18-year-old is still conscious.
She looks over her shoulder as she senses the presence of the person who pushed her older friend down the stairs.
She is terrified.
Darkness shields the perpetrator's face, as a baseball cap is worn on his head.
— Your days are numbered — she speaks, and although her voice is not clear, it undoubtedly belongs to the girl. — I indulged you all the time because you were not close to Joseph, but recently, he has noticed someone in you. I don't like it.
— What do I have in common with Joseph? We are not fond of each other!
— Stay away from him, or you'll end up like the previous tenant. — She knows the voice, but can't remember who it belongs to.
He wants to run after her and find out who it is, but he can't do it. She focuses all her attention on her injured friend.
— You need help — she says, seeing Mariah trying to sit up. Hannah insists all the time not to do it, but the 18-year-old is fierce.
— I just couldn't move for a while because of the headache, but I'm slowly getting there — she mutters, putting her hand to her forehead.
— Are you crazy! You could be seriously injured. You fell down the stairs! — With horror in her eyes, she watches the girl leaning with her back against the wall. A loud sigh escapes from her lips. — Now you don't feel it, but I have to go for help. Let me run for our sitter. You need to go to the hospital.
— Keep your voice down or my head will explode. — Mariah closes her eyelids. — Just help me get to my room, and I'll go to bed. I'm fine.
— You are not serious!
— But before we do that, I have to tell you something... I know who the person who is harassing you is, Hannah.
The sixteen-year-old plunges her eyes wide open. Mariah knows the truth. She knows who the girl is who has been making her life miserable from the very beginning.
— That's why she pushed you down the stairs...
— She took my phone. I managed to take a picture of her. You have to destroy this bitch — she whispers. She feels dizzy. Her knees buckle under her, and everything spins in front of her eyes. She wants to reveal to her who the perpetrator is, but unexpectedly loses consciousness.