Hannah takes three steps back as the tall girl approaches Joseph and greets him with a beautiful smile. She sees that he is so fascinated by her presence that instantly the demonic personality escapes from him, and he acts like an entirely different person.
— Halsey — he says her name too softly, at which the 19-year-old opens her mouth in astonishment.
— Good to see you, Joe. It's been a while, huh?
They are facing each other, and the brunette is carefully measuring the older girl with her eyes when it reaches her what her colleague was called a moment ago.
— I must confess that I didn't recognize you at the first moment. You look entirely different. You've grown more handsome.
— I have simply grown up. My previous appearance was appropriate for a teenager — he replies, and Hannah pulls back her brow and leans with her back against the wall. She crosses her arms over her chest, thinking that watching an older student currently is quite interesting.
Why doesn't he act so mildly in front of her? He only speaks respectfully to Halsey because she is his first love? Does he feel something for her, even though several years have passed since their breakup?
— Should we sit down and talk? — asks the twenty-two-year-old, and then he turns his attention to his younger colleague. He looks at her for a long moment, then nods in agreement.
He walks away, accompanied by Halsey.
She says something to him, then starts laughing. He also looks happy at this point. In her company, he is entirely different, even if he hasn't seen her in so many years.
Is this precisely the magic of love?
The nineteen-year-old returns to the table and sits down on the couch with the face of an agitated child.
— What is it? — puzzles Jin to her, taking a drink in his hand.
— Don't pretend to care because you yourself lie to me all the time. You are all worthy of each other! — she replies with a shout, not controlling her anger. She herself does not know why she is so angry.
The boy blinks his eyelids, surprised by her outburst, but decides to keep quiet so as not to start an unnecessary fire. He realizes that Hannah no longer trusts him and has been cut off at him ever since she started suspecting something.
The teenager finds Joseph and Halsey, who are at the bar, with her eyes. The girl sits sideways, her elbow resting on the countertop. She listens attentively to what the younger boy says to her and occasionally replies to something. The smile doesn't leave her face, and when she puts her foot on her leg, she looks like a tippler who specifically seduces men.
Hannah sips water from her glass and stares sharply at Jin.
— Your friend is sitting at the bar with his first love — she turns to him, with her head pointing at the chatty couple. — He looks happy.
Jin looks over his shoulder, and his eyes get much bigger when he spots a girl with long, lush hair.
— Is that Halsey?
He rises from the couch and walks in that direction to greet her, to which the teenager smiles nervously.
— Clearly, everyone loves her.
She looks around the club, and her attention is caught by the couple who are the center of attention. It wouldn't be surprising if it weren't for the fact that Tom and Bella are doing an obscene dance in the middle of the dance floor. People like it so much that they whistle in appreciation.
— Could the night get any crazier? — She is sad because at this point she is alone. Her roommate is having the best time with her friend, and Joseph and Jin are busy talking to a high school beauty.
She crosses her arms over her chest and slides down the couch, keeping her head on the leather backrest. She makes a peck and looks at all the boys who pass by her table, looking at her with apparent interest.
Finally, she begins to attract someone's attention.
— What is such a beautiful girl doing here alone? — A boy with light blond hair, styled like a disco pick-up artist, sits down across from her, sending her a practiced smile.
— Are you asking because you're curious or because you can't let go of any single girl that night? — She pulls back an eyebrow when she sees his confused expression. Probably not the answer he expected.
— I'm curious about what such a beauty is doing here alone, and I can't hide the fact that I'd like to cheer you up a bit because you look tense.
— Uptight? — She repeats, smiling under her breath. — I was put up by my friends. They took up with a school beauty they hadn't known for years. She made such an electrifying impression on them that they forgot about me.
— Not pretty on their part.
Hannah looks in the direction of the dance floor, realizing that Tom and Bella are having so much fun in each other's company that so far they have no intention of returning to the table.
— I'm not talking about having them babysit me. It's just that parties are not for me. It's hard for me to find my way around when I'm left unaccompanied. — The teenager feels someone's gaze on her, so she lifts her face and looks toward the bar. Joseph scowls at her with his eyes and, with a flick of his finger, tells her to approach them. — You're not going to order me around — she mutters under her breath.
With her gaze, she finds Tom, who circles with Bella clinging to his back. The two are made for playing together. Equally adventurous and crazy. That's why they can't tear themselves away from each other that night.
Hannah finally starts laughing at this sight.
— I see your friend has improved your mood since you're finally smiling? — She wrinkles her eyebrows when she notices Joseph in front of her.
— At least someone was willing to accompany me.
He grabs her hand and forcibly pulls her up from the couch. The girl looks at him with indignation in her eyes as he sets her down next to him.
— Didn't anyone teach you not to trust disco goons? You can see at a glance that he's some kind of whack-job. — He sends a diabolical smile in the blonde's direction as he faces him. — It's a good thing you're not so stupid as to take a drink from him yet.
— What did you call me? — The stranger's expression shows that he is ready for a fight.
Jin sees that a storm is coming, so he stands between them to settle the dispute.
— She's our friend, so get out of here — he turns to him, with a motion of her hand ordering him to leave. — Believe you would rather not start this.
Hannah watches this in silence, out of the corner of her eye glancing toward the bar. She sees that the older girl is mirroring her with eyes that are unlikely to express sympathy.
— Why should I forgive him? He insulted me! Who is he to address me like that?
— You would rather not do that. He's David Scott's son, you'll have problems.
Joseph tilts his head to the side and moves his eyebrows accusingly, thereby letting him know that in front of him he is a mere trash.
The boy retreats a few steps back and finally gives up.
He walks away.
— What happened? — Halsey asks as she stands next to them. Her gaze finds the hand with which Joseph embraces Hannah's wrist.
— It's time for the little girl to return to the dormitory. Apparently, she hasn't grown up enough to go to clubs.
— So, are you going to go already? — He hears the disappointment in Halsey's voice.
— I'll see Hannah off. You can stay and talk, since you haven't seen each other for a long time. I'll take care of her — says Jin, glancing at the nineteen-year-old from the corner of his eye. — I'm not too fond of clubs, and I need to talk to Hannah about something anyway.
The girl crinkles her eyebrows, wondering what he means. What does he want to talk to her about?
— It's okay — Joseph replies, letting go of her hand. — Take care of her, and I'll tip her roommate back to the dorm with you.
*
Hannah is angry as a wasp as she walks down the street alongside Jin. Perhaps it's because they both treated her like a child. At that moment, she had nothing to say.
— You! — Suddenly, she stops and points her finger at the older student. — I've had enough of this. Finally, tell me what you are hiding from me.
— Hannah… I really want to do it, but I can't. I told you that I am a person who keeps his word. I promised it to someone, and until you remember everything yourself, you can only judge me for the worst crimes.
— And you think I don't do that? — She mirrors him with her eyes. — Last time, you didn't deny it when I asked if we killed anyone. Tell me… what are we involved in? I get chills just thinking about it.
The boy massages his forehead and looks at her with a gaze with which he asks her to understand.
— Give me some more time. Maybe soon everything will work itself out, and I won't have to lie to you anymore.
— Lie with what? — She crosses her arms on her chest. She leans with her back against the lamppost, not intending to go any further until he starts talking. — I don't understand, Jin. What's going on? Can't you see that these secrets are driving us further apart? In high school we were close. You supported me many times and were always friendly towards me, so why this change? You are acting differently since you know that the memories of that day are coming back to me.
— Do you know why I am behaving this way? Because I am stupid in front of you. I guess what you think of me, and it hurts me that I can't confess the truth to you. If I did… everything could get complicated.
— So at least calm me down a little. You don't even know how frightening it is to think about what my lost memories hide — she says with pain in her voice.
He looks at her for a long moment and closes his eyelids.
— We did something wrong, it's true, but I swear it wasn't intentional.
— It is related to Danielle's death, isn't it? An accident? — She says in a panicked voice. — I got rid of those memories from my head for a reason.
— Yes, but never think about the fact that you killed your sister. You have nothing to do with it.
— So you have?
Her question is too harsh, but currently she is so upset that she does not control what comes on her tongue.
— Neither you nor I are murderers. Don't ever think like that.
*
It's a few minutes before 2 a.m. when Bella returns to her room. She throws herself on the bed and starts giggling under her breath, with which she wakes the sleeping Hannah. The brunette turns on her side and looks at her with sleepy eyes.
— What about you?
The blonde turns on the lamp, unable to stop smiling.
— Your friend came back to the dorm with me. You can't even imagine how much fun we had at the club. I couldn't leave his side for a second. He is wonderful. Handsome, with a sense of humor well and caring because he pointed out that he was the one who had to take care of me, since you left the party early.
The joy Hannah sees in her eyes is indescribable.
— I can't believe I spent this time in the company of an academically handsome man. Hannah, you are an angel because thanks to you, I was able to meet him.
The brunette is starting to get jealous of her friend, so she wrinkles her nose to express her displeasure. Until now, she was the only girl Tom cared about.
— He's a good boy, but be careful what he says because he's been calling me his wife since the beginning of high school, and I know he's only joking about it.
The smile goes out of her face.
— Really?
— I just want to make you aware that most of the words he says are a form of joke, but I'm sure he has already taken a liking to you. Tom isn't concerned about people who are indifferent to him.
The blonde nods her head. He falls back on his pillow and sighs loudly as he looks up at the ceiling.
— You know what? — She glances at her roommate. — I feel like I'm going to be unconscious in class tomorrow.
Hannah starts laughing at these words, but just as quickly gets serious when she remembers Halsey, who accompanied Joseph to the club.
— Before we go to bed… I have to ask you one question.
— Hm?
Bella looks at her carefully.
— Was Joseph in the company of this pretty, tall brunette until the very end? — She nervously tightens her lips as her roommate leans on her elbow and thinks for a moment, trying to recall the last hours.
— Yes. She accompanied him the whole time. Who is she? I was surprised when Tom ran up to her to say hello.
— She is his first love. It seems to me that she still means a lot to him.
The blonde crooked at these words.
— Poorly.
— Why? — Hannah is curious about what Bella has to say about this.
— Because out of nowhere, his first love appears, and here he has his eye on another girl. There could be quite a turmoil in his heart.
The brunette wrinkles her eyebrows.
— You are talking silly. Admit it, how much did you drink?
— After all, I told you before that you can see with the naked eye how he looks at you. Did you even once notice his gaze when we were sitting at the table? And the one when he covered your legs with his jacket…. — She puts her hands to her mouth and lets out a strange squeal of delight. — You don't even know how jealous I was of you then.
— You add too much from yourself, Bella. He has simply been playing my big brother for a long time. Apparently, he liked this role. — Her roommate grins at her in anger. — What's wrong with you? You look like an aggressive hamster.
— And how am I supposed to look if I have to listen to such foolishness? Where are your eyes? Probably from the ass side.
— What! — Hannah can't stand it and parries with laughter. — What kind of vocabulary is this?
— My vocabulary is the least interesting thing right now. More important is the fact that you don't allow yourself to think that the biggest academic wuss has eyes filled with love when he looks at you.
— Bella, stop watching telenovelas because in a moment you will add that he is my lost brother, and soon we will be united by passionate love, and despite the odds we will fight for it. — Hannah laughs throatily, even though it's a late hour on the clock and might wake up the people who are sleeping in the next room.
The blonde is combing her fingers through her hair because she doesn't want to go to the bathroom to use a brush for that.
— I like this kind of wild, forbidden romance. — She shrugs her shoulders.