On Monday morning, the whole school is alive with new gossip. Beauty girl Horace Mann is in a relationship, and her chosen one is a handsome first-grader. No one is surprised that Halsey is interested in Joseph, since they both belong to the school's elite.
Only Jin is confused at the news of their relationship. He may have noticed that at the homecoming party his roommate found common ground with the school beauty rather quickly, but his behavior was strange, as if he wasn't himself. Joseph isn't the kind of guy who likes to flirt, and at the time it seemed as if he had simply fallen for a crush.
Jin has no doubt that the sweet powder they were given is no ordinary orangeade.
In the cafeteria, he sits in the company of his buddies, watching Joseph eat breakfast alongside his girlfriend.
— Traitor. He pretended not to be interested in her, and over the weekend he laid his snare for her. — Jimmy makes no secret of the fact that he envies his roommate.
— Rather, it was she who cast her snares on him. — Jin snorts under his breath. — Anyway... he's big enough to know what he's doing. This is his life.
— He's not bad, since after attending Horace Mann for a month, he snatched the best chick. — Tom watches them with big eyes, smiling the whole time. — He is so mature.
Jimmy slaps his knee under the table.
— I, too, can snatch a nice chick at any time. — He looks around the cafeteria and his attention is caught by a tall girl who just sat down at a table. She throws her hair over one shoulder and, smiling at her friends, says something about the sleepless night. — Our peer is adorable. — Mariah feels she is being watched, so she looks toward Jimmy, surprised when he unexpectedly smiles at her. — I'll be the doo-doo too — she drags out the last word.
Jin rests his cheek on his hand, watching his colleague with a raised eyebrow.
— Acting like this, I don't know if one can be mature — he mutters.
Tapping his fingers against the table-top, he looks with bored eyes at the short-haired girl, who stands behind Jimmy in her hand holding a tray of food. Her sad gaze is pointed at Joseph and Halsey. She looks as if she wants to cry.
— Would you like to sit here? — He turns to her, pointing to a vacant seat next to him. His colleagues looked over their shoulders, wanting to know to whom Jin offered it.
She turns red up to her ears and, shaking her head, turns on her heel. She puts the tray down, then leaves the cafeteria.
— I think you intimidated the gnome. — Jimmy sounds insolent, expressing himself this way about the short-haired girl.
— Since she's not your type, next time bite your tongue before coming up with a hopeless nickname. You look like the Little Prince, but no one has made you realize that so far.
Jimmy is outraged by his roommate's words and like a "Prima donna" snorts under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest.
*
Solar bursts into tears as she rushes into the room. She sits down on her bed and covers her face with her hands, unable to calm down.
The news, and worse, the sight of her only friend at her roommate's side, has caused her to burst.
She can't fathom how it's possible that within a month Joseph has changed beyond recognition. Since he joined Horace Mann one day, he started ignoring her and so far, pretends not to know her, yet they have been friends since childhood!
— Now I am completely alone. I have no one — she says into space, with weeping eyes looking at a single point on the wall. — Why was I born so hopeless?
Her phone notifies her of a new message. She takes it in her hand, and a faint smile appears on her face as she reads the message from Johnny.
The boy wishes her a good day.
Seemingly nothing out of the ordinary, but these words make her heart grow warmer. He is the only man who respects her, even though they have never met yet, yet they have been writing to each other every day for the past few months. He knows everything about everything. He knows her problems and helps her get through them.
A man she doesn't know realistically is her best support in life. He is the only one she can count on.
The 17-year-old pulls her nose when she replies to his message.
"I have so much to tell you that I can't express in a message. Let's meet this weekend, please. I want to finally meet you in person."
She doesn't have to wait long for his response.
"I was hoping you would finally write it. Let's meet."
Maybe this is a chance for her to finally have a man by her side who will actually care about her?
*
It took several days for Jin to become convinced of Halsey. Now he can confidently say that this girl is entirely different from Lana. It is possible to talk to her normally, she also hates violence and, like them, she joined an elite group last year, not knowing that there is no escape from it anymore.
The five of them stay in the schoolyard, even though it's already mid-October. The air is getting colder, but that doesn't stop them from spending time outside.
— If you keep this up, you'll finish Lana off mentally. — Halsey turns to Jin, who shrugs his shoulders in response. — She has found a worthy opponent.
— In the end, she won't stand for it and will get rid of him. Jin will be the first to fly out of the elite group — interjects Joseph.
— If that happens, then she will have done me a favor, but I still won't let her live. I will torment this babe until she stops bullying the weak.
Tom runs around the courtyard, scaring the birds with the "Adams Handle." Jimmy writes messages to a classmate he is interested in, not participating in their conversation at all.
— Have a successful date! — shouts Halsey unexpectedly, turning to her roommate. The short-haired girl stops in front of the gate, keeping her eyes on Joseph a moment longer.
— Yy, thanks — she replies abashedly, then leaves the school yard.
Joseph watches her as she gets into a black car that waits above her in front of the gate.
— Is your roommate dating someone? — He asks, looking concerned.
— I had a hard time getting it out of her, but apparently she's already been to one meeting with this boy. Maybe something will come out of it. I'm hoping it will make her finally start being happy.
Scott crinkles his eyebrows.
Solar dating... according to him, that's weird.
— Quiet water tears the shores.... — he mutters under his breath.
Jin is walking away from them when his phone starts ringing. He is not at all surprised when the display shows the name of his foster sister.
— The New Year is still two months away, and his parents are already planning a trip. Get ready for what is sure to be a romantic New Year's Eve. — The 16-year-old rolls his eyes as Danielle starts winding down right after he takes the call from her. — For the rest of your life, you won't forget this period. I will have to enjoy you for this week since I see you so rarely.
— You'd better spend this week studying, since you have only ones. Keep doing that, and you won't pass to the next class, you little twerp.
He hears the girl grimace, grunting unequivocally.
— Cunning people are usually intelligent people, so I don't need school to get by in life.
— You don't need an education to clean the streets, so if this is the job of your dreams....
He loves to tease her and listen to the way she gets mad.
— All it takes is a husband with a good job and salary, and since you are a genius, I have nothing to worry about.
Jin sighs loudly.
— Your life plans bring me to my knees. You really are special, Danielle.
— I know, that's why it makes you adore me so much.
— And your self-esteem is special too.
— I was born special.
The teenager shakes her head.
— Have you already told me everything you had to say? Can I hang up?
— No! — she yells, until the boy moves the cell phone away from his ear. — Keep talking to me until I get bored.
— You are possessive, Danielle. It's tiring.
— It's true. I'm possessive, and it makes me sick to my stomach when you're not by my side. — He can't stand her talking any longer, so he disconnects her in the process, believing that she will eventually come to her senses.
— What an insufferable ninny — he mutters under his breath, tucking his cell phone into his pants pocket. The phone vibrates for a while, but he ignores it.
Someone knocks him on the shoulder, so he looks back and his face clouds over when he notices Lana's fake face.
— Is it true that you are in a relationship with your foster sister? — Jin threatens his roommate with his eyes, being sure that he's the one who talked her out. He wants to match him with Lana, since he recently stated in jest that the two have wonderful chemistry.
Joseph innocently shrugs his shoulders and returns to his conversation with Halsey.
— And what's your interest? — he turns in a cool tone to the blonde.
The 18-year-old hangs on his arm and smiles radiantly.
— Crazy people are the best candidates for my place. You are convincing me more and more every day, Jin. I see in you the perfect candidate for the chairman of the elite group.
The boy pushes her away, not wishing her to touch him.
— The elite group will cease to exist by the end of this school year. I'll make sure that this sick fun will finally end — he replies to the girl, boldly looking her in the eyes.
— But you are feisty. That's sweet. — She pats him on the shoulder, at which Jin tightens his lips. — You are impossible not to like.
The blonde walks away toward Halsey and Joseph to sit down.
— What do I have in me that I attract psychopaths alone? — The 16-year-old scratches his head, having no intention of going back there.
He walks toward the entrance of the school, wanting to relax while reading a book. Occasionally, you need a break from the tiresome creatures you see every day.