Danielle tightens her lips in anger as she sits in a tree and notices a girl who has come to see Jin. She is a tall blonde whose hair is bleached to the point that it looks white in the sunlight.
The 14-year-old leans on a branch and watches the two carefully, wanting to know what kind of relationship they have.
— I'm sorry to bother you unannounced. I was just tidying up my room and found something that is yours. — She handed him a gold pen, smiling radiantly at the same time. — I also wanted to thank you for helping me study. Maybe this pen brought me luck in the exam to some extent, but it was thanks to you that I got such a high score.
The boy takes the item from her, looking confused.
— Chloe, it was more than a month ago and at the reception of the certificate you managed to thank me.
The blonde is confused, nevertheless she does not give up.
— But this pen...
— He doesn't belong to me.
Danielle suppresses her laughter, having an incredible laugh at this silly maiden who wants to hit on her foster brother at all costs.
— Okay, I admit, this pen doesn't belong to you. This is an excuse to thank you again.
— It was enough when you did it once. Why drag it out?
— I didn't do it well enough. — The 16-year-old throws her hands on his shoulders and intends to kiss him, but Jin puts his hand to her face, defending himself from the attack.
Danielle is so agitated by the stranger's behavior that she wriggles on a branch in anger, causing her to fall from the tree.
Jin eventually pushes the intrusive friend away from her.
— Go away, please.
He turns his back on her and with a quick step approaches Danielle, who is lying — on the mowed grass.
— Young one, stop climbing that tree, or you'll end up breaking your bones. — He crouches by her side, checking to make sure she hasn't damaged anything. — Are you alive?
Danielle bursts out laughing when she notices his face above her.
— Don't look at me like that. I'm a fallen angel, so I wanted to see if they really cut off my wings.
The boy shakes his head.
— Sometimes I'm not at all surprised that your mother would most like to keep you on a string. — With his help, Danielle rises from the ground, massaging her sore bottom. — Are you okay?
— Rest assured, only my ass has suffered. I'm afraid I won't sit on it for the next few days. — She looks curiously at the blonde, who still hasn't left. She looks nailed down. — Who is her mother?
Jin looks back and shrugs his shoulders.
— I barely know her, I don't know anything about her family. — He looks at the 14-year-old suspiciously. — And why are you interested in this?
— I just wonder if her mother swallowed Agama's sperm when she was pregnant because the chick has a lizard face.
The 16-year-old covers his mouth with his hand, stifling a laugh.
Danielle watches him for a long moment, wondering what he really thinks of her. They've been living together for a few weeks, haven't had an opportunity to get to know each other well yet, and yet he's proposed that they learn to live as siblings since their parents are planning to get married.
The girl doesn't understand what's on his mind, however, in such a short time he has helped her many times with her mother, so she agrees to everything he says.
It doesn't make her any problem because she wants to get closer to him. Jin is the only person who understands her and, more importantly, does not irritate her in any way.
This is wonderful because Danielle doesn't like to make friends, she rather prefers power to others.
— Let's go from here. I'm going crazy from sitting at home.
The boy smiles slightly.
— At the most because I made arrangements with my buddies. — He slaps his hand on the girl's cap, making the visor fall over her eyes.
She corrects the baseball cap, looking at him with compassionate eyes.
— I can stand the presence of people, just take me with you. It seems to me that my mother's eyes are everywhere. She watches me every step of the way.
Jin sighs loudly and extends his hand to her.
— In that case, come with me because when I hear the word "mother," I become protective of you.
A happy smile appears on her face. She grabs his hand and lets him lead her.
She is seemingly just beginning to get to know him, and yet she trusts him implicitly.
She shouldn't, it's far too soon.
*
This day the sun is steaming mercilessly, so the fourteen-year-old hides in the shade, watching Jin's friends showing off the alcohol fixed by their older friends.
One of them jumps around the blanket like a monkey, spilling beer from a can.
Danielle is annoyed by his behavior, but perseveres, sitting on her sore butt, already preferring to watch this imbecile than listen to her mother's lament.
— Why do you hang around with them? You don't fit into this company at all. You are more mature — the girl speaks up as Jin sits down next to her and hands her a cold orangeade. — They act like orangutans.
— I often wonder about that too. I think it's out of sentiment. It seems to me that when I meet new people in high school, I will break contact with them.
The brunette wrinkles her eyebrows.
— Rude... — She drags, then unexpectedly parries with laughter. — But they do not deserve your friendship. In front of them, you are like a grandfather.
— Grandpa? — He is offended by her statement. — I just think with my head, not my ass.
The girl leans back and looks down his back.
— And it would be helpful if that ass would finally become active. I miss the madness from the day I moved into your house. The way you treated the maid there was.... ah, amazing.
Jin once again today, pulls her hat down.
— I'm trying to control my behavior. I would rather not be rude to people.
— It's impossible to be like that. It comes out on its own. You can't control your personality.
— I, however, try to do it.
One of the guys pours beer on himself, cursing loudly, as if at least some tragedy had occurred.
— Shut up, hog! — shouts Danielle when she notices how much his belly stands out in his tight T-shirt. — Put down the beer, at least you'll lose weight.
The muscular 16-year-old throws the can on the grass and points his finger at the girl.
— Don't think to yourself that you will shield yourself with Jin's back. I'll knock you down in a minute, shithead!
— Watch your mouth, John. Shortly, you're the one who might get a punch in the mouth from me to sober up. — Jin's voice sounds warning. — She's my little sister, so a little respect.
Danielle lifts the corners of her mouth slightly upward as his words reach her.
— Younger sister? — John bursts into a fake laugh. — The chick has been living with you for less than a month, you don't even know her well, you could sleep together, and you call her a younger sister?
This is already an exaggeration.
Jin is not going to ignore this, so he hastily gets up from the grass and punches his friend in the face with his fist.
Danielle is delighted.
— And this is what I like. This is the way to treat all people. — The fourteen-year-old claps her hands. — She gives him some more, handsomely. — He walks up to her and grabs her hand, forcibly lifting her off the grass. — What is it? Don't you want to hit him?
— Right here and now, I am ending my acquaintance with them. I don't need them anymore. They can drink themselves to death. — His colleagues looked shocked. — Let's go from here — he turns to the younger girl.
— What's wrong with you? Did that chick brainwash you? — The dyed blonde goes after his friend, but Jin entirely ignores him.
Danielle looks over her shoulder and shows him her tongue.
She winces.
*
With joy in her eyes, the girl looks at the hand that embraces her wrist. She doesn't know what the feeling is, it's the first time she's experienced it, and she gets the impression that a flock of butterflies is appearing in her stomach, tickling her pleasantly, making her happy.
It seems to her that there is a pink aura around them, and everything around her is unusually colorful and beautiful.
Is it possible that a person who can't make friends with others, who hates people, could fall in love so quickly? To fall in love with a boy she has known for more than a month, who is expected to become her brother in the future?
One thing is certain. She certainly lost her head for him the day she first saw him by the railroad tracks. Perhaps it's because he's her ideal in appearance, but more importantly, he's able to protect her from her mother.
She adores him.
— Why are you looking at me like that?
Danielle stops in front of him and lifts her face to look into his eyes.
— What is your biggest dream for this moment?
— Hm — the boy looks surprised at first. — Why are you asking me this just now?
— Because I want to reveal to you my.... — He raises his eyebrows in curiosity. — You know very well that I don't get along with my mother. She is slowly destroying every particle of soul in me, she would like to create a monster out of me.
— Your mother is nuts, but you are exaggerating, Danielle — he interjects, to which she shakes her head.
— I'm not exaggerating anything. I feel it, Jin. Every day I hate her more and more, and I have only one dream related to her....
— Should I help you murder her? — He asks jokingly, but seeing her sorrowful expression, he gets serious. — I don't suppose you're thinking about that?
— I want you to help me ruin her life. First, we can't let our parents get married, and second, when we succeed, I want to escape and be free of her once and for all.
Jin looks at her closely, realizing that she is saying this quite seriously.
— Danielle, you are only fourteen years old. How can you think about this? You need your mother.
— I don't need her. Without her, I'll grow up to be a better person, I'll manage. The sooner I get away from her, the better chance I have of not becoming a monster.
— Don't even say that. — Jin tries to reason with her that running away at such a young age is not the best solution. — You have a beautiful personality, it's impossible for you to become a monster in the future.
She smiles slightly.
— How is it possible that only you can see this? — Her eyes begin to shine. — You don't know me well, and yet you believe in me.... how could I not fall in love with you?
He looks amazed as Danielle climbs on her toes and embraces his face with her hands. Her lips innocently brush his lips.
He doesn't push her away. He doesn't treat her in the same way as the girl who came to see him this afternoon.
— What are you doing? — He asks in a whisper.
— I give the beginning of our story.