1.26

Joseph energetically rises from the bed and looks around the room, to which his roommates still have not returned. Certain thoughts do not give him peace. First, the fact that he left Hannah alone. After all, he said painful words directly to her face, with which he could have hurt her, and being in such a state of leaving, he didn't think about the fact that she might do something stupid. Or maybe he had such a realization only at that moment he entirely ignored it?

The boy gets off the mattress and with a quick step walks to the door. He bites his lip as he places his hand on the doorknob. Is it a good idea for him to go back there? Should he humble himself in front of her and see if she's okay?

Eventually, he dismisses all these thoughts from himself and walks out into the corridor. He runs down to the second floor and approaches the door, behind which is Hannah. A passing girl glances at him with apparent interest, but the gaze she directs at this schoolgirl is enough for her to let go of further observation.

She rushes into the room and opens her eyes wider when she notices a seventeen-year-old girl sitting on the floor. Hannah is holding up a hand from which blood is flowing. The girl looks on calmly, although her face is very pale.

This sight makes the boy close his eyelids. Memories come back to him, when he was five years old and saw his bloody mother in the bathtub. She found a way and took her life there. All it took was a moment of caregiver inattention. She took advantage of it. Apart from him and her father, she had no family, so no one else could take care of her.

Unappreciated by her husband, carried away, she found a man and got into an affair with him.

Should he finally stop blaming the twins for her death and direct his anger at his father? After all, he was the one who never had time for her. He chased her away and treated her like trash because he put her out of her misery.

Her mother lost her parents when she was eighteen, so her husband and son were her only family.

Her father was madly in love with her. His mother was strikingly beautiful, and looking at Hannah one could say he was her reflection.

— Holy shit! — slips out of his mouth, and the girl only then raises her eyes and looks at him with sad eyes.

— Joseph... she did this to me. She is here and claims that you want to hurt me. She is lying, isn't she? Shouldn't I trust her?

The boy walks up to her and helps her up from the floor. Hannah gets to her feet, but her knees buckle under her.

— Can you walk to the parking lot? My car is standing there. We need to go to the hospital.

The girl only looks at him and nods slightly.

His attention is caught by his mother's scarf, which lies on the edge of the bag. He reaches for it and without thinking puts it on Hannah's hand.

— It's the twentieth, so we still have some time to make sure no one finds out about it. We'll avoid people, so don't show after yourself what state you're in, understand?

The teenager nods. He puts his arm around her and leads her out into the corridor.

*

Joseph takes the girl to a small hospital that belongs to a friend of his family. He manages to arrange everything in secret, so Hannah's mother is not notified. The boy, as a person already of age, claims to be her guardian and signs all the documents and pays the bill.

Hannah is grateful to him because she would not want to add to her mother's worries. She prefers to deal with the problem herself. The girl is now old enough to start making decisions. She would be ashamed if her mother found out she needed the help of a psychiatrist. After all, she's not her biological daughter, so what if that made her think badly of her? She would rather not let her down.

Sitting in the car, the girl looks at the bandage she has wrapped around her wrist. Only now is she beginning to understand the gravity of the situation. What if she had hurt herself worse?

— You and Jin are right. I require help. — The boy looks at her out of the corner of his eye while driving. — I would rather not become a crazy person, although people already look at me that way. I realize that my condition is getting worse since I can see something that others can't. I even hurt myself by thinking that an entity did it.

— The most important thing is that you want this help. You have to fight it yourself, otherwise meetings with a psychiatrist won't help you at all. I know this because my mother was forcibly forced into treatment. Because of this, her condition worsened.

— You've known for a long time that I was sick, right?

— Yes, I began to suspect you some time ago. You had the same crazy look as my mother. That's something you can't forget, even if I was a child — he announces. He stops at a red light and then looks at her closely. — This disease is genetic, and usually painful events make it manifest over time. Not everyone can fight it.

— So one of my parents was sick.... — he says in a low voice, looking ahead. She doesn't pay attention to the intense gaze of the boy, who knows the truth regarding her family. — I think it makes sense. It all started happening after Danielle's death.

A green light appears, so Joseph takes his eyes off the girl and focuses them on the road.

— Now I understand why you suddenly began to express interest in me, even though you didn't like me from the very beginning.

— Until now I don't like you — he hastily points out, and yet she smiles under her breath.

— Then why do you care about me? When you saw me.... you looked worried. You know... sometimes, you act like an older brother. You chastise me, but you can also be caring. — Her words make Joseph choke on his saliva. He nervously breathes out and clasps his hands tighter on the steering wheel. — I always wanted to have an older brother, but when my sister found me.... I was happy to have her. It's nice to have a sibling who always supports you. How about you? Do you have a sister or brother?

The nineteen-year-old looks ahead, unable to croak a word. His mouth is drying up.

— I don't have one — he answers after a long moment, frowning his eyebrows. — Siblings are just a nuisance.

Hannah laughs at these words.

— You're just saying that. You may be cold as ice, but I think you would be a good brother.

— End this topic — he says hastily, turning too hard into the left street.

The 17-year-old throws him an offended look as he bangs his shoulder against the door.

*

They are late. When they appear in front of the building's door it's after twenty-one, so the boarding school has closed. Hannah senses that they are going to have trouble, but Joseph looks relaxed.

She watches him as he takes his phone out of his jacket pocket and dials one of the numbers. She's sure he's calling one of his friends, so she's surprised to hear the sitter's name.

— Ashley, this is Joseph. Last time we spoke, you mentioned that I could turn to you with any request. Currently, I need your help because I'm going to freeze in front of the school, and I'm afraid that Hannah, who is accompanying me, will as well. If you let us inside, I will explain everything to you.

He hangs up and watches Hannah shake like a jelly under the cold, or maybe more like fear.

— I guess I should breathe a sigh of relief that you have a good relationship with another boarding school supervisor. Acquaintances help — she announces, paying no attention to his piercing gaze.

— Be glad I have such acquaintances because you would have slept in the trunk of my car on that cold night. — The girl tightens her lips into a narrow line and remains silent. — You should also owe your acquaintances at the hospital to me; otherwise Mommy would have found out about your problem.

— I could always bleed. You didn't have to help me.

— Probably would have, if something hadn't tempted me and I hadn't gone back to your room — he replies, snorting under his breath.

They both look at the woman, who runs to the door and, making sure no one is around, opens it and lets the teenagers in.

— Can you explain this to me quickly? Where were you guys at this hour? — she attacks them, with her gaze particularly focused on Hannah's face. — You don't even know how scared I was when I looked into your room, and instead of you I saw a broken frame on the floor. What happened there?

— Didn't you see blood? — A slight smile appears on the boy's face. Hannah pierces him with her eyes.

He was supposed to keep it a secret.

— What blood?

— I broke a frame and cut myself. It's nothing serious, but Joseph took me to the hospital — the girl explains, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as he feigns interest in the ceiling.

— And you didn't report it to me? I'm the one who should help you, since I'm your caregiver.

— I was there, so we would rather not make a fuss and just drove her to the doctor. Dying, she wasn't dying yet....

— Joseph! — admonishes the woman, but he just shrugs his shoulders. — Go back to your rooms, and quickly. Today I'll turn a blind eye, but next time it won't happen again. Even if you ask me to do something like this — she turns to the boy.

— I have not yet exhausted the limit of the helpful card....

The two walk at each other's side, silently. The girl unexpectedly stops in front of the stairs. Joseph looks over his shoulder and crinkles his eyebrows, noticing the concern on her face.

— What is it again?

— I won't be able to... I won't go back there. I can't be alone because she appears then.

— After all, you already realize that this is an illusion. Can't you somehow get it out of your head? — Joseph notices that Ashley is also heading toward the stairs to return to her room.

— If it were that easy then I don't think I would need treatment, do you?

The caregiver stops beside them and crosses her arms over her chest.

— What are you still doing here?

— You treat me like a child, come on. — Joseph is offended. — We've known each other a while, so you can turn a blind eye to some things.

— This is my job. It's long past twenty-one, so be glad you didn't get a punishment. I have to perform the duties that are mine.

They both return to their rooms. Hannah opens the door and hesitantly steps inside. She is afraid of what she might find inside.

The girl looks around the interior, but sees nothing. She crouches on the floor and picks up shards of glass. From her pocket, she takes out the blood-dirty handkerchief that Joseph used to wrap her wound. She is angry with him for using the most precious thing to her; he destroyed the only memento of her biological mother.

She takes off the jacket she didn't leave in the locker room and throws it on the bed.

— You are a traitor. You believed this bastard, even though I showed you that I am not an illusion. — As if electrocuted, she looks over her shoulder and sticks her frightened eyes into the entity that is moving towards her.

You are not real, she repeats in her mind, closing her eyes. She hopes this will help her get rid of the false image she is seeing more and more often.

When she opens her eyelids, the room is alone. She breathes a sigh of relief.

Someone opens the door, and she fearfully puts her hand to her left breast. Joseph, accompanied by Jin, enters the room. She is surprised by their visit at such a late hour.

— What are you guys doing here? — she asks in a stifled voice, as she still hasn't recovered.

— You said you would rather not be alone that night. You're afraid you'll hurt yourself. So that there would be no suspicion, we both came — answers Joseph, locking the door.

— Do you know what it will be if the sitter catches you? You came to my house for the night! — The girl feels uncomfortable in their company. After all, it's a late hour, and they want to stay with her until morning.

— We will not leave you, Hannah. I heard what happened. It's lucky that Joseph is back in your room. Tomorrow afternoon we will sneak out of school and go to visit my aunt, you hear? — The girl pouts a contrite look at Jin and nods her head in agreement. — We can't wait any longer. I'm angry that Joseph told you so directly, but he did the right thing after all. He is not the bastard he pretends to be.

The icy gaze that Joseph pushes into his friend looks terrible.

— I told him everything on the phone while I was waiting for you at the hospital. He called his aunt and asked her for a discreet visit. — The brunet squats in his favorite seat, and Jin picks up the glass from the floor that Hannah didn't manage to take care of.

— I decided to do it. Even if nothing is wrong with me and this thing actually appears in the room, I prefer to make sure I'm healthy.

— You're not — he interjects hastily, and Jin glances at him and shakes his head. Joseph is sometimes too direct and doesn't pay attention to the words he says. He doesn't care that they may be hurtful to the other person. — So what? I tell her the truth. It's better for her to get over it right away than to be surprised during tomorrow's visit.

— Let it go already. Don't bring up the subject. She realizes she may need help.

Hannah smiles at Jin. He is the opposite of a friend, and the girl still can't understand how Danielle could treat him so meanly. Clearly, he was too good for her.

— Do you think you will be able to hide your treatment from your mother for a long time if you actually require it?

She puts a concerned look on Joseph's face and shrugs her shoulders.

— Don't worry about the money. My aunt knows the situation and has decided that she won't take a penny from you after knowing you. She puts her heart into her work and wants to help the sick at all costs — Jin announces, smiling comfortingly at her. — I understand that you are afraid, but I think in time you should tell your mother the truth. She loves you and cares about you. You would also want to know if something bad was happening to her, right?

The 17-year-old shifts her gaze to Jin and nods.

She is right, but why is she so frighteningly afraid to confess the truth to her?

— I will do so in time, but for now, I want to keep it a secret. If there is actually something wrong with me, then.... I'll have to deal with it myself first.

*

Hannah doesn't know when she's unexpectedly bored. The last image she remembers is when she was playing a board game on the bed with the boys, which she found some time ago in the closet.

Despite long whining, Joseph eventually joined them out of boredom. In time, the game drew him in so much that Hannah saw his sincere smile for the first time. At that moment, he looked so gentle and friendly that she could tell that an entirely different person was sitting with them.

When the girl opens her eyes, she realizes that dawn has already come. Everything hurts her. She is lying in an uncomfortable position. Although her head is laid on Jin's lap, her legs are raised. She holds them on Joseph's stomach.

All three of them lie uncomfortably on the mattress.

— Why are they sleeping here? — she asks herself as she lifts herself to a sitting position. Massaging her head, she looks at them with curiosity in her eyes.

— You were the first to fall off, right into Jin's lap. And get those duck legs off me — Joseph speaks as he opens his eyes and crouches down, massaging his sore back.

— So why didn't you sleep on the floor? — she turns to him with a raised eyebrow. The brunet forces a smile and slaps her thigh with the palm of his hand. He does it too hard because the girl clenches her teeth in pain and massages the sore spot.

— Now you are suffering with me. The pain in your spine is unbearable.

— You would sleep better on the floor — interjects Jin, who stretches his arms as he awakens. Joseph sits on his stomach and starts smothering him with a pillow.

Hannah blinks her eyelids at this sight. In her eyes, they look like a pair of lovers teasing each other. They twist, beat and strangle each other at the same time, and she just ignores it and, confused by this sight, runs away from the bed. She would rather not participate.

She walks to the door intending to leave the room and use the bathroom, but her hand freezes on the doorknob when Joseph, with amusement in his voice, speaks to her:

— Where are you going, little sister?

The 17-year-old crinkles her eyebrows and looks over her shoulder in surprise. Joseph sits still, and the smile disappears from his face. He looks as if he had said something that shouldn't have slipped out of his mouth. He did it inadvertently, and now he's confused.

— Sis? — repeats Hannah.

— Someone got together to play. Joseph wants to act as big brother? Are you so concerned about Hannah's condition? — Jin says this jokingly, but his roommate does not smile at these words.

— I'm sleepy and talking out of turn. I overslept — he says hurriedly, getting down from the mattress. He heads for the door and when he stops next to Hannah, he lowers his face and looks into her surprised eyes. — You just said yesterday that you always dreamed of having an older brother. I fulfilled your wish to cheer you up before today's visit — he finishes, then confusedly leaves the room.

Hannah looks at Jin and merely shrugs her shoulders. He does the same.