Hannah is sitting on a bench in front of the university. Out of the corner of her eye, she glances at Jin and meanwhile writes back a message. She doesn't pay attention to the mass of errors and sends her mom a reply, then leans on her elbows against her knees and looks intently at her older colleague.
At this point, the boy behaves normally. He jokes with Tom and laughs loudly when his friend presents him with some unintelligible gestures. His expression changes dramatically when he casually glances at the girl, and the smile goes out of his face.
The nineteen-year-old crinkles her eyebrows as he looks at her for a long moment, then just like that, he returns to the dorky conversation with Tom.
— What are you hiding from me, Jin? — she says in a whisper, and at the same moment freezes as Bella creeps up to her with a mug of hot coffee. — You have to change this habit because one day you'll really kill me — she turns to her roommate.
She takes the warm caffeinated drink from her and takes a small sip, still not taking her eyes off the older boy.
— OMG, there's Tom. — Bella too vigorously hands her friend a second mug, causing a small amount of coffee to spill into the girl's hand. She pokes the blonde with an electrifying stare, but she pays no attention as she corrects her hair on the phone screen.
— Tom doesn't remember many things after drinking alcohol, so I won't be surprised at all if he doesn't know who you are — Hannah says grimly, still jealous of her friend.
— I'm the kind of person no one forgets, even if he breaks off a movie — Bella replies enthusiastically, and opens her eyes wider as she notices the boys heading in their direction.
— Are you taking advantage of the last sunny days? Well… October is treacherous, so the weather could turn bad at any moment — Tom speaks up, trying to be serious in Bella's presence, which is immediately noticed by Hannah.
Jin makes an uncomprehending face, wondering why exactly he is making a statement about the weather.
— Why did you get so serious all of a sudden? A moment ago, you recited to me a story from your childhood, when the Teletubbies played an important role in it. Tell the girls how in love you were with Lala.
Tom measures his friend with a thunderstruck look, letting him know that he has just ridiculed him in front of a newly met girl.
— Jin is right. Just be yourself, Tom — Hannah speaks up, realizing that Bella has actually caught his eye. — Everyone loves your crazy personality.
He licks his lips and combs his bangs with his hand, then sighs loudly.
— My trying to pretend to be someone I'm not is pointless, isn't it? — He makes a disappointed face, and Hannah bursts into loud laughter as his mouth takes on a sad shape.
Bella glances at him sometimes, as if hoping he will be the first to speak to her.
— Hannah, should we talk again? — Jin gestures, clearly letting her know what he means.
The girl gets up from the bench and then notices Tom's perplexed face. She gets the impression that he is terrified at the thought of being left alone with her roommate.
— Where are you going? What will you talk about in private? — he asks reproachfully, then points his finger at the brunette. — Are you cheating on me, wife?
— In my eyes, you are the only handsome guy. — She can't stop laughing as she winks at him and walks away.
They stop not far from the entrance to the building and watch with curiosity in their eyes the friends they left specifically to make a closer connection.
— Apparently, he has become infatuated with Bella. Ever since he returned from the party, he has been talking about her all the time. This is the first time. No girl has ever caught his eye before, if we omit you.
Hannah at this point looks confused.
— Tom has been looking at me as a friend since the beginning. It's something entirely different.
— Now he's looking, but I think that in high school he really was in love with you. He acted like a cute kid then, so maybe that's why you didn't pay attention.
The 19-year-old is surprised by Jin's confession.
— So he was serious when he said I would become his wife in the future?
— I believe he was. Now you have to get around the taste because your roommate has caught his eye. I think he finally understood that you treat him only as a friend.
Hannah looks at them for a long moment and sees that Tom is talking about something jokingly, and Bella can't stop laughing. It appears that the atmosphere between them has relaxed, and they have found common ground again.
— I think it's quite a combination. Bella is quite a crazy person, and Tom is the biggest nut I know. A nice explosive mix could come out of this.
Jin looks at Hannah while she stares at one point. His gaze is full of sympathy and eventually leaves his face when he feels remorse because he still can't tell her the truth.
What he hates most about himself is his loyalty to one person.
*
It's late in the evening when Hannah leaves the dormitory and heads to the parking lot to go to a nearby store.
Unexpectedly, she gets a craving for caloric snacks, which Bella jokingly comments that she'll be fat after an evening of snacking.
She intends to sit behind the wheel, but someone grabs her by the shoulder and turns her to face him. Wide-eyed, she looks at the older student who had mistaken her for Danielle a few days earlier.
— What's the matter? — She asks, feeling slightly apprehensive in his company after being warned by Jin to stay away from him.
— I need a pretty companion. I wonder if you are as crazy and dangerous as your sister. — He smiles at her in such a way that the girl immediately notices that this man is one big, walking trouble.
— I'm not like Danielle.
— And that's lucky. At least you won't die young.
— What did you just say? — The boy can hear the indignation in her voice.
— I found out that your sister is dead. Apparently, a speeding truck drove into her? Ugh. — He shudders, but the smile doesn't leave his face. — It's a terrible death, and looking at the circumstances, I'm afraid it wasn't an ordinary accident.
Hannah slams the door, even though she wanted to sit behind the wheel just a moment ago.
— What are you talking about? How was it not an ordinary accident?
— Don't you watch movies? Usually, such trucks are hired to kill someone…
— You're crazy — she says, furrowing her eyebrows. — What right do you even come up to me and start a conversation about my sister! — She raises her voice at him.
Joseph, who has pulled into the parking lot and is just getting out of the car, looks in the direction from which the screams are coming. There is no doubt that the voice belongs to Hannah.
The girl is surprised when it appears out of nowhere and grabs the boy by the shoulders. She pushes him backwards with such force that the latter falls to the ground.
The student tightens his lips and is about to pounce on him, but gives up when he sees his face.
Everyone knows him. Joseph is the son of an influential man in the city.
— Today, you will only get a warning. I advise you to stay away from her — he threatens him, and when he does, his gaze is dangerous.
Hannah watches as the older student obediently walks away.
— Are you all right? — He asks, thoughtfully measuring her figure. — Can you explain to me what you were doing with that man between the cars and what he wanted from you?
— Earlier, he mistook me for his sister. This time he was just looking for a hitch — she replies, putting her hand on the door handle. — And I just wanted to go to the store.
At this point, the teenager sounds like an obedient child, as she is grateful to him for showing up in the parking lot at the right time.
— And what is your roommate doing that she can't go with you? I think I made it clear to her that she is supposed to take care of you.
— Come on. She's not my babysitter. Bella can't be at my every beck and call. She has her own business too. — She lowers her gaze.
— Should I go with you? — She blinks her eyelids as she lifts her face and looks at him for a long moment. — I can sacrifice this moment for you.
She nods and smiles slightly, letting him know she agrees. Joseph takes the passenger seat, and then his eyes find the hands the girl is holding on the steering wheel.
He trembles and can't control it.
— Are you sure you're okay? Can you drive?
— I'm a novice driver, but I'm going quite smoothly, so you don't have to worry about me killing us on the way — she replies as he starts the engine.
— In my company, you certainly won't die. Satan is afraid to let me into hell so as not to have competition.
His statement is so idiotic that it amuses Hannah and thanks to this, at least for a moment, she relaxes.
— This boy… He made fun of my sister's death. He stated that it was staged. The truck did not accidentally drive into the car she was in — Hannah speaks up when there has been silence between them for a long time. — It's impossible for him to know something since he mistook me for Danielle the first time, but...
— But he could have learned something — Joseph finishes for her.
The girl stops at a traffic light and clasps her hands on the steering wheel as she surreptitiously glances at the boy.
— That's precisely what I thought about at that moment, and that's why I'm so anxious.
— However, I think he's an idiot who's getting a beating. — Joseph shrugs his shoulders as the girl looks at him with amusement in her eyes. — I would love to do it, since it's been a long time since I nailed anyone.
— You've been very docile lately — she mocks him, looking at the street in front of her. — You were frighteningly polite the moment you met Halsey. Now I understand what others meant when they said that you become an entirely different person in her presence.
— Are you a girl laughing at me? — He stabs her with a warning look, which she can perfectly feel on herself. She doesn't dare to look at him, so she only tightens her lips to avoid saying a few words too many because Halsey's sudden appearance doesn't satisfy her at all.
She grunts to suppress a giggle inside her. The silence makes her feel like bursting into laughter, all the more so because Joseph continues to fulminate at her with his eyes.
And to think that at the beginning of high school, there were times when he actually scared her.
*
Hannah feels extremely proud as she strides alongside Joseph in the store. She sees the stares of passing girls and even much older women. The boy is the center of attention, but he completely pays attention. He browses the products on the shelves and throws all the caloric snacks he craves into his cart.
The nineteen-year-old leans her hands on the basket and doesn't take her eyes off it.
— And what are you grinning those teeth at? — he turns to her. She chooses different flavors of chips, with which she accurately hits the cart. — Weren't you by any chance the one who wanted to go to the store?
— We are loaded with junk food, so I think I'll pick something out of it.
— But it's all for me — he replies seriously, finally paying attention to her. — Since I'm here, I'm going to stock up because the two uneaten pigs who share a room with me are eating everything out.
— Then you are a good roommate, since you share with them.
— I don't share. — His facial expression clearly lets Hannah know that he is outraged by their behavior. — I even had two padlocks on my locker, but eventually gave them up because Tom was brazenly breaking in. He may be playing dumb, but he's a canny beast.
The brunette starts to giggle, but immediately the smile goes out of her face when she sees the lightning gaze of her older colleague.
— Do you think this is funny? Because for me, it is reprehensible behavior and I tolerate it with great difficulty.
— Joseph, you are getting sweeter and sweeter. — Before she bites her tongue, she understands what she just said. She freezes and looks at his surprised face with wide eyes. — That sounded bad. — She tries to squirm away, but he comes closer and squints his eyes, at which she only swallows her saliva harder.
— I think you're actually missing a decent dose of sugar because you're starting to icing too much, little girl. — Her cheeks begin to burn when, at one point, a roguish smile appears on his face.
Hannah looks at one point and blinks her eyelids, probably looking like an idiot. She looks over her shoulder and just runs after Joseph on the way grabbing random snacks when she sees him approach the cash register and beckons her with his finger.
What went through her mind to say something so idiotic?
*
This is the first time in a long time that Hannah feels uncomfortable in Joseph's company. Being in front of the dormitory, she reaches into a large shopping bag and takes out the first products that find her hands, then she wants to escape to her room, but the boy is not going to let her.
— Give it back! — he yells at her, pointing his finger at the bell pepper chips. — They are mine!
On the spur of the moment, she throws the package at him, but this is a bad idea because she accidentally hits him right in the face.
Danger, she thinks when she sees his angry face.
Hannah runs toward the door, feeling more or less like a child in elementary school, but his behavior is even more disturbing, as he throws the commercial on the sidewalk and prances after her to get her and punish her.
She narrowly misses running into the building, but Joseph is faster and grabs her from behind, preventing her from moving. The 19-year-old screams for him to let her go, with which he catches the students' attention.
— She is the only person he treats this way. You can see that there is something between them. Maybe we should call her a lucky girl? — One of the students turns to her friend when the two stop in front of the dormitory entrance.
Halsey, who stands there for a while longer, looks at her ex-boyfriend, who teases his younger colleague. Joseph only behaves this way toward people he cares about. There is no doubt that this girl has somehow uniquely stolen his heart.
— Joe? — speaks up as she walks closer and faces them.
The nineteen-year-old falls silent as the boy lets her go. His interest takes another target, and that is a beauty he still can't forget. His first love, who with her departure from school caused the boy to take revenge on innocent people.
— Halsey, what are you doing here?
Hannah crinkles her eyebrows. Earlier in the pictures, this girl seemed to her extremely nice and charming, but now that she is standing next to her again, she senses some kind of evil aura. Even the friendly smile on her face, can't hide the gaze she is aiming at her.
— I was going to call you to come down because I wanted to see you.
The teenager rolls her eyes when she realizes that they had managed to exchange phone numbers during the party.
Charming.
— You could have called me first. What if I hadn't returned to the dorm? You would have come in vain.
She innocently shrugs her shoulders.
— I needed to get out of the house anyway, so it made no difference.
— What's going on?
— I just… I need to talk to someone. For the moment, you seem the closest to me.
Hannah smiles at these words, but remains silent. She doesn't intend to interfere. This is none of her business.
— In that case, I'm going back to the room. Please keep in mind the commercial that lies in the middle of the sidewalk — she says to Joseph, pointing with her head to that spot. — And I'm going to go load up on calories because tomorrow I have an important doctor's appointment.
— What do you mean? — The boy wrinkles his eyebrows.
— If my condition has actually improved, there is a good chance that I will be able to function again without regular medication.