1.2

New York, September 2013.

It's a warm, sunny day. A pleasant breeze muscles the face of a sixteen-year-old girl as she stops in front of a private boarding school. Measuring one meter sixty-three, with long black hair and brown eyes, Hannah smiles happily, unable to believe that her dream has come true, and she will finally start studying at the best high school in the city.

She was struck by tragedy three months ago and couldn't recover for a long time, but the help of a friend got her back on her feet and allowed her to start a new chapter in her life. Now she intends to be an entirely different person and leave behind all the pain she experienced in recent times.

With beaming eyes, she looks at the modern building, which is the kind of place every teenager in the city dreams of. It is not a school that anyone can get into. The restrictions are so high that in addition to money, good academic performance counts. Only intelligent people who come from rich families have a chance to attend this institution.

— I can't believe I'm here…

No one pays any attention to the happy teenager, people's eyes are focused on the perfect couple who inspire admiration in them. A brown-haired, slender boy with an arrogant expression embraces a tall girl whose beauty is so captivating that she could easily run for Miss World.

— They are perfect. — Standing schoolgirls admire the handsome couple to the point that someone would think they are their gods.

— And we can only admire them from afar — mutters a brunette under her breath, her face covered with acne. — Did you hear how they treated the boy who wanted to get close to Mariah?

Accompanying her friend, she stares with puzzled eyes and shakes her head.

— You'll get chills when I tell you about it. Apparently, this boy has locked himself in and leaves the room only for classes.

Ignoring everyone around her, the new student grabs her suitcase and heads inside to take care of the last formalities that will allow her to officially start at her dream school.

***

She opens the door and hesitantly steps inside as the room is in impenetrable, frightening darkness. She can't see anything, and shivers run through her as she hears the creak of a mattress and someone's breathing.

Furthermore, she learns from the principal that the room has been empty so far, and she is the first student to live in it. She has no idea what secret this entails, she doesn't even care, considering that she got into the school of her dreams.

She touches the wall with her hand and macs it for a long moment to find the switch. Likewise, she opens her eyes wider when she notices a moving shadow. Someone is standing by her, so she drops her suitcase and swallows her saliva harder as she feels a firm grip on her shoulders.

— How many times have I told you that I don't like to wait so long for you? — he whispers in her ear, and his hands slide lower and embrace her around the waist. — With me, you are safe, so our secret will not be discovered by anyone. What are you so afraid of?

— The fact that I don't know you and I don't know who you are — she says in a trembling voice, and then she is violently pushed and her back lands on the bed.

Someone sits on top of her and painfully grabs her chin. He shines his phone in the girl's face.

— What right did you have to come in here? — His tone of voice is rude, and when she doesn't answer for too long, he pokes his fingers into her cheeks. — I think you want to die, little girl.

— This is my room.

The boy smiles under his breath.

— Your room? — he mocks. — Admit it, she sent you here, didn't she?

— What are you talking about? It was the director's decree — she says, increasingly concerned about his behavior. — Now this place is mine.

— I hate people who spoil my mood. It would be better if you just kept quiet.

He hides the cell phone in the back pocket of his pants and steps away from the girl, allowing her to normalize her breathing. He heads for the door, and an unfriendly laugh comes out of his mouth.

— Welcome to hell, girl — he accents the last words, then grabs the handle and walks outside.

The brunette rises from the bed and runs out after the boy, but sees no one in the corridor.

It is empty.

How is it possible that currently she feels a chill permeating her body?

***

She pulls open the maroon curtains, letting some daylight into the room. She turns around and mirrors the entire interior with her eyes. Hannah had previously feared that the place would need a lot of touch-ups before finally settling in, yet the room appeared clean, as if someone had been keeping it tidy all this time.

She starts coughing when she looks inside the closet, invaded by excess dust.

— Maybe not everything has been cleaned — she mutters under her breath, waving her hand in front of her face to chase away the pollen.

She opens the window and looks over her shoulder when someone enters the room without prior notice.

He is about to give this person a lecture on good manners, but bites his tongue when he spots a young woman on the doorstep. She guesses it's the boarding school's caretaker, since she holds a uniform in her hand for her.

She looks around the interior, and a slight smile appears on her face.

— This room hasn't been occupied for many months, so it's wonderful that you agreed to stay in it.

— What is the secret behind it? — asks the student openly, taking the school uniform from her.

— Rumors spread pretty quickly, so the principal won't hide anything from you — she declares, pulling back her brown hair. — Rumor has it that two years ago a student lived here, she suffered from mental illness. Her parents took her out of school, and since then, everyone believes that something is hiding in the darkness of this room. Of course, these are the stories of the students here, and they like to add something from themselves and create stretched stories.

— So, this is the reason no one wants to live here?

— There you go — the woman replies in an amused voice. — I hope that at least you will turn out to be a reasonable person who does not believe this, and you will have this room exclusively. Think of the other schoolgirls nesting three to a room, and you will live here like a princess.

This woman is very nice and can find common ground with the youngsters. She is definitely different from most of the teachers the teenager has dealt with so far.

— So I'll be the first student to show everyone that these rumors are tales pulled out of a finger.

And there's someone else who doesn't believe in this nonsense, she thinks, recalling the mysterious boy she met here earlier.

***

She watches her reflection in the mirror, though her attention is also drawn to the other schoolgirls in the bathroom. They whisper among themselves, discreetly glancing at the girl standing next to her.

— You can still see the cursed blond. It will be difficult for me to cover it — Hannah says quietly, combing her long hair.

— I had the same problem, and it was only the first time that the dark color stayed, so I told myself that I would never bleach my hair again.

The teenager once again turns her attention to the girl standing next to her, who is rinsing the soap from her hands. She looks at her reflection in the mirror for quite a long time; however, she is not looking at herself, but watching the schoolgirls, who are whispering among themselves behind her back.

— Do you have something to tell me? — she asks openly, turning to face them. The girls immediately shut their mouths, fearing confrontation with Mariah, since she is friends with the most popular students in the school. Among them is her boyfriend: handsome yet fierce Jimmy, who is the leader's right-hand man. The two have similar characters, so their friendship is most noticeable.

— You ruined the life of an innocent boy. — The lowly gray-haired girl steps forward, boldly enunciating words that could harm her. — He only suffered because he decided to get close to you.

Mariah folds her hands on her chest and raises an eyebrow, waiting for the student to finish her speech.

—And what about?

— You are a pathetic a**hole.

The tall girl laughs loudly and from the corner of her eye glances at the astonished face of the sixteen-year-old.

— You're new here, aren't you? — Hannah nods in response. — So I'll give you a piece of advice. It's with people like this that you don't keep in touch, or you'll get it too. Joseph is vindictive, and when he gets on someone, it's over. He will not rest until he properly poisons a peer's life — he declares, shrugging his shoulders. — He is such a strange type of person.

— Are you threatening me? — The lowly girl woman squints her eyes.

— I'm not threatening you, just assure you that I'm not the person who reports everything to them. There is always a student around who wants to score with the king of the school, so I want to communicate to you that it was not me who destroyed that boy's life.

The girls begin to panic and with their hands try to hide their faces when a boy enters the bathroom. A tall, black-haired student with an icy gaze.

His ears are covered with earrings, his long fringe falls over his forehead, and his pale complexion adds to his mysterious darkness. Dressed in black clothes; a plain t-shirt, tattered pants and a denim jacket, he is different from his other peers.

Mariah tightens her lips as Joseph approaches the burly teenager and, with a mocking smile on his face, pulls up the sleeves of his denim jacket.

The boy is unpredictable. He has repeatedly committed forbidden acts, but nothing can stop him. He is the heir to a powerful company, and his father rubs all the dirt behind him because he has a good relationship with the school principal. Many people whisper among themselves that they often drink coffee in the office, making the teenager untouchable.

Despite how he behaves, people respect him and want to get close to him at all costs, but he only accepts handsome people with high academic results into his circle.

For the past two years, he has continually been among the top three students and is every teacher's favorite.

— I'm vindictive and if I pick on someone it's over — he declares with a mocking smile on his face. He grabs the girl by the ponytail and painfully pulls her hair. — Walls have ears, so you should know that sometimes it's better to bite your tongue than to say two words too many. Do you know why? — He shifts an ominous gaze to Mariah. — Because I'm such a strange type of person.

Hannah opens her mouth, being outraged by the nasty behavior of an older student. This is the first time she has witnessed violence between peers.

— Joseph, let's talk outside. — Mariah can no longer watch this. He is getting worse by the day, and she does not count on his behavior improving in the near future.

The girl knows his history, and knows that it was a situation from first grade that contributed to Joseph taking revenge on his peers. The once nice boy has shed his soul and is trying to destroy every student of this school at all costs because he trusts no one.

— I won't talk to you. It's Jimmy's duty, so I hope he'll explain a few things to you — he declares, violently pushing the gray-haired girl away from him, who falls on the tiles. He corrects the gold watch on his hand and stares at a confused Hannah, who looks as if she wants to give him her opinion on his inappropriate behavior at all costs. — Something wrong? Any complaints, child?

The brunette tightens her lips and takes a deep breath, but Mariah puts a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

— She's a new student who still has a lot to learn. She doesn't know the rules of the school, so you shouldn't consider her.

Joseph rubs his forehead and snorts under his breath.

— Is that so? Is that why I should let her go?

— And why should I treat you differently? We are all students of this school. — The sixteen-year-old with a combative attitude crosses her arms on her chest and boldly looks him in the eye. — What rules? The headmaster showed me the rules and regulations, but there was no point in them that said I was to particularly favor a certain student and bow to him. — His gaze of black eyes is as cold as ice, and even though a shiver runs through her, she doesn't look away.

— You're barked out, little girl. — He grabs her by the chin and painfully pokes his fingers into her cheeks.

She knows who he is. She recognizes him.

— Stop calling me a girl. My parents gave me a name. I am Hannah.

Mariah looks at the guys, who have been standing in the bathroom entrance watching their roommate for a long time.

Jimmy is angry with her.

He doesn't want another argument to break out between them, and it's becoming a daily occurrence, given Joseph's meddling in their relationship. He can manipulate his friend, and it is no secret that he is not fond of his girlfriend.

— Just don't hit her on my bed, or I'll be washing blood off the sheets again. — Tom demonstrates rabbit ears with his fingers, ensuring that he doesn't mean it.

The girl rolls her eyes because his jokes have long since stopped making her laugh.

Tom has his world, and sporadically, he can pretend to be such an idiot that many people wonder how he gets such good grades in exams. He is a pretty boy type. He has a very handsome face, which is accentuated by his blond hair and blue eyes.

The last person to join them is Jin. He is a boy with a mysterious aura who speaks the least. No one can reach him. He is closed in on himself, but it is precisely this inaccessibility that the schoolgirls find extremely appealing. In his appearance, girls like everything. His height, broad shoulders, handsome face with prominent cheekbones and short brown hair with bangs.

The 18-year-old's face pales when he notices Hannah. His heart rises to his throat, and he is initially unable to enter the bathroom. He is afraid that his assumptions will turn out to be true. He is not prepared to see her face.

— Jin, I'm starting to worry about you because this is the first time you've changed your perpetually grave face to... — Tom breaks off at this point and looks at him more closely. — On slightly confused?

When the new student turns to face him, his mouth goes dry, and he can barely mouth:

— Hannah?

He feels strange, as if he's watching her movements in slow motion. When she walks past him and doesn't even honor him with a glance, he opens his mouth and looks back at her, unable to believe what he's seeing with his own eyes.

— Is this an illusion?

Tom wrinkles his nose and follows with his eyes the first-grader, who has just shown unmistakable courage or is foolish enough not to know who she has messed with.

— You mean the little devil who spit on Joseph's shoes? I saw — he declares in an amused voice, and shifts his gaze to his friend, who, out of anger, is breathing fire. — And I see our buddy, too — he adds, watching the changes taking place on his face. — Would you like to hear the weather forecast for today? Although it's still hot outside, it will cool down inside the building. There may also be a penetrating wind. You don't have to be someone extraordinary to predict this. Just look at our roommate.