December 2011.
Another day passes, where Joseph highlights his eyes with black crayon. This puts him in a new light. His image is a role model. Guys try to resemble him in this way, but Scott has a unique beauty, through which emphasized eyes add to his charisma.
Since he is in a relationship with Halsey, people think he has become more confident. They whisper that the soda goes to his head, but no one says it out loud. Nevertheless, the students adore him. Together with Jin and the other roommates, they are called the hot commodity Horace Mann. Their popularity grows every day, and the students want to follow their example.
Halsey can't control her trembling hand when she brings the black crayon closer to Joseph's eye. She bursts out laughing every time, repeating that she feels like a person in rehab.
— Another moment and you'll gouge out my eye.
— Stop looking at me like that. I can't concentrate.
— Your vocation is definitely not to become a beautician. — He embraces her at the waist and pulls her close. The girl rests her cheek on his chest. — Are you sure your roommate won't be back soon?
— She sneaked out to meet her older boyfriend.
Joseph crinkles his eyebrows, looking at the ceiling for a moment.
— I can see that she's just playing the good girl.
— I think so too.... She supposedly has a boyfriend from outside the school, and she keeps saying that a younger student has caught her eye....
— She's just playing the virtue....
— Joseph! — The girl slaps him on the chest, pretending to be indignant as she can't help but laugh. — Don't express yourself like that about my roommate.
— What? She acts like an angel sent from heaven, showing what a perfect person she is, and her thoughts are full of filth.
The girl sticks her chin up and looks at her boyfriend with amusement in her eyes. It seems to her that she and his friends are the only people at school that he tolerates.
— You better tell me, what happened that you suddenly started highlighting your eyes with black eyeliner? Is this some new trend?
— I'm trying to be original and look sexy at the same time. — He runs his tongue over his lips. — I can feel your heart beating hard.
— That's because you're worrying me. I'm afraid for your mental health. — He embraces her with his legs and squeezes so tightly that Halsey is pressed against his chest. She can't move in any way. — I'll kill you, shithead.
Solar enters the room, who is surprised by the presence of the younger boy, and especially by the fact that he has turned to her:
— Weren't you supposed to be with your older boyfriend?
Halsey glares at him, letting him know to bite his tongue. Unfortunately, Joseph is direct and thinks he said nothing wrong.
— I'm sorry if I disturbed you.
— This is also your room, so what are you apologizing for? It is this individual who has to leave it at this time. — She helps the boy up from the bed and pushes him towards the door. — See you later, sweetheart.
He squints as he grabs the crayon she threw. His gaze shifts to Solar.
— Do you like my friend? — Halsey looks puzzled, even more so than her roommate. — This is no news to me. The larger half of the schoolgirl sighs at his pretty face and broad shoulders.
— Joe. — His girlfriend tells him to leave the room, but he's not about to move. — Get lost, or the babysitter will catch you.
— When you led me here, you didn't feel that fear. — He always manages to shut her mouth. — And you... — turns to Solar, pointing a finger at her. — Make a deal with me. — He walks closer to the girl. — Thanks to me, you can become special to Jin. — Her eyes begin to shine. — I will arrange it for you, and you will occasionally escape from the room and let me spend some time here without telling anyone.
— Really? — Solar looks like an excited child. — Will you do that for me?
— Maybe I won't quite do it for you because I'm only thinking of my benefits. Halsey is afraid to sneak into my room, so I'm trying to find a solution for us.
— Isn't Jin in a relationship? — His girlfriend looks confused.
— He and this chick are about to become siblings, so I'd bet more on friends who like to have fun from time to time. — He shrugs his shoulders. — So how about it? Do you want to rub the other girls' noses in it and show them that you're better? — He turns to Solar, who shyly nods her head.
Halsey doesn't like this idea, so she interferes:
— What about Johnny? After all, you've been together for almost two months. You said it was the best decision you made, that you were in love with him.
The short-haired girl looks confused.
— I don't know myself. Our relationship is just developing, so I can change something in my life at any time.
Joseph raises an eyebrow, surprised that Solar has matured so much in the past two months.
— From your stories, it appears that he cares a lot about you. That's not like you, Solar. Are you really going to hurt him? — Halsey doesn't recognize her roommate. She is changing more and more every day. She no longer resembles that gray mouse.
— I just want to see if this is it — she replies, smiling slightly.
Since Solar has been in a relationship, she has become more confident. When the Santa Claus party was held a few days ago, Halsey made such a deity of her that she caught the attention of several boys. It may not have been Jin, but if there's a chance that Joseph will help her, why can't she pursue a crush?
Maybe she'll feel more comfortable with him than with Johnny? It would be great if she managed to screw into the school elite, and Joseph would still be her friend....
The interest of the popular students would undoubtedly strip her of the scapegoat patch.
*
Jin looks from under the bull's-eye at his buddy as he sits down next to him on the bed and hands him a glass of water. There is no doubt that Scott is up to something. He always acts like this when he needs something from him.
— What is it this time? — he asks in a bored voice, ignoring the messages that pop up every few seconds. The possessive Danielle does not let him live, which at times begins to tire him. He likes her, he can do anything for her, but she exaggerates when it comes to controlling his life. Ideally, she would like to control him, to know what he is doing twenty-four hours a day.
— Let's make a deal, lovely.
The sixteen-year-old crinkles his eyebrows, feeling uncomfortable when Joseph addresses him this way.
— What kind of deal? — He sips water from his glass, looking ahead.
— Lately, you've been telling me that you're tired of playing with your half-sister. You rub her nose in it, and help me in the process.
He is intrigued by his roommate's words.
— Your ideas are satanic. What have you come up with this time?
— It's about Halsey's roommate. I don't know if you've noticed, but she's got the hots for you.
— So?
— She has agreed to share a room with me so that I can spend intimate time with Halsey, on the condition that I help her seduce you.
Jin sighed loudly. He might have expected Scott to come up with such an idea.
— Why should I agree to this? I have no desire to seduce this girl. — The teenager snorts under his breath. — And as for Danielle..., why should I rub her nose in it?
— Check this way if you both are having fun or taking it seriously. You said yourself that you're in a muddle. You like her, but her behavior is driving you crazy. Maybe this girl will finally see through it when she realizes that because of this, she might lose the chance to have a relationship with you?
— Wasn't Solar a friend of yours? Do you just let me take advantage of her like that?
— She'll be fine. — Joseph pats his roommate on the shoulder. — We will both benefit from this.
Jin puts his hand in his hair, thinking for quite a while about the answer.
— I need to sleep on it. I'll let you know tomorrow what I've decided.
*
In the morning, Solar sits in the cafeteria, poking at his food with a fork. She smiles slightly as she recalls last night, when Joseph planted his foot on her, and she fell into Jin's arms.
She turned red up to her ears, but the pleasant current that coursed through her body made her realize how much she desired him.
Now she was watching her roommate sitting a few tables away, accompanied by a new friend. Since Mariah is in a relationship with Jimmy, the girls are inseparable. They look like dolls, so visually they match.
The 17-year-old opens her eyes wider in surprise when Jin squats down at her table, taking a seat across from her. She sees people's stares, hears whispers, it even bounces in her ears that Jin is dating a cold-hearted bitch, so why is she interested in a scapegoat?
Solar hopes it's mere gossip.
Her heart beats faster as the 16-year-old stares into her face. She feels as if she has found herself in heaven. She can't focus on eating when she sees the crush's face in front of her.
She is intimidated.
— Popularity is great, but it carries a shadow of darkness, so since you have made up your mind, I will give you what you want at my friend's request. — His words make a shiver of excitement run through her body.
Jin rises from his chair, then leans over the table and kisses her on the lips. Solar gets the impression that he is in amok, especially as the whole room goes quiet, as if someone has cast a spell of silence on the students.
Joseph puts his hand to his mouth, having a laugh at the scene. Lana, who is sitting next to him, looks at the scene with indignation in her eyes.
— Can you explain to me what the hell he is putting down!
— Your powder is starting to work. It's a matter of time how Jin will show his claw. — Scott is amused. — Without the drug, it would be harder to persuade him.
— How did you give it to him?
— An open bottle of water solved everything — he whispers, to which Lana high-fives him. — He likes to hydrate himself, so I just help him. — He shrugs his shoulders. — After all, this drug is a priority in the elite group. Since Jin is stubborn, you have to force him to rule differently.
— You have scored, Scott. And a solid one at that.
Lana watches Jin as the boy heads for the exit. As he walks past their table, he casts them a stealthy glance, and his lips twist in a slight smile. He leaves the cafeteria, and an interested Halsey joins her boyfriend and older friend, wanting to know what's going on.
— Why is Jin acting so strangely? It's not like him.
— He drank too much water in the morning — replies an amused Joseph, munching a carrot.
Halsey wrinkles his eyebrows.
— He agreed to your plan, am I right? — turns to the boy, crossing his arms on his chest. — How did you manage to convince him to do it?
— He just wants to make your roommate happy. This way, he intends to forget his feelings for his foster sister. I'm helping him heal.
The 17-year-old looks meaningfully at Lana.
— Don't make them take this pork — she says in a whisper. — I understand that this is the norm for first-timers, but what will you do if it reflects on their health? Everybody is different. Don't you remember what happened to me last year?
— You were fantastic. Now you're whining and pissing me off more and more — Lana replies to her, piercing her with her eyes. — Joseph is taking his third month and he is fine. Thanks to me, he is gaining great charisma.
The brunette shakes her head.
— I know you could stop it.
— I can't! — shouts Lana in a whisper, being more and more angry. — I'm not the one who decides this. I have to conform to the rules!
— Every day I regret more and more that I joined Horace Mann — says Halsey as she gets up from her chair and walks away towards the exit.
She hopes that one day the elite group will cease to exist, and the members will be able to escape from this quagmire.