2.3

As Hannah sleeps, Joseph lies on his side and stares at her face. Only now, at close range, can he see how much she resembles her mother. She has her lips and even her nose. The older she gets, the more and more she resembles her. She looks as if she has stripped off her skin.

The boy snuggles his face into the pillow and smiles as she playfully moves her eyelids in her sleep. She is probably dreaming something bad, since she looks restless. She breathes heavily through her mouth and moves nervously, so Joseph has no doubt that she is tormented by a nightmare.

He carefully brushes a strand of hair away from her face and hurriedly takes his hand away when he notices that she is awake.

The girl opens her eyes wide and looks at him uncomprehendingly. He can see that she is frightened not only because she had a bad dream a moment ago, but she is disturbed by the fact that she is lying on the same mattress with him.

— Why are you here? — She asks in a whisper, blinking her eyelids too vigorously.

— The correct question you should ask yourself is: why am I here?

The teenager stares at him for a moment, then examines the entire interior with her eyes. She turns to the other side and sees that on the opposite side of the room Tom is sleeping. The third bed is empty. Jin is not in the room with them.

— Did I lose consciousness after just a few sips of beer?

— Yes, because you are an idiot. Since you take medicine all the time, you shouldn't swallow even a drop. — She smacks her lips in displeasure. — You're lucky you didn't drink more. Do you know what are the consequences of combining such strong drugs with alcohol?

Hannah puts her hands to her face, looking concerned.

— Won't I get in trouble by not going back to my room for the night?

— So health is the least of your problems? You're not bad — she says, pulling down her brow. — You'd be in trouble now that it's three in the morning, and you'd want to get back to your room. By typing in the code to the door, you would alert them that you were past the set time. This is precisely how they check on us, which is why if you go somewhere, you're back by two in the morning or late in the morning. Remember this for the future.

Lying on the bed, the girl rests her cheek on her hand.

— You take care of me? I get the impression that you've been playing my brother for over two years now, when I mentioned to you that I would like to have an older sibling. This is not the first time. You did it in Chicago, too.

— I don't play with your brother — he replies abruptly, twisting onto his back. — Would you like me to leave you unattended? I'm not such a pig. I wouldn't forgive myself if you hurt yourself with your thoughtless behavior.

— I know you like me now and that's where the concern comes from, but… you are changing more and more every day. You no longer act like a monster without feelings.

Joseph crinkles his eyebrows, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

— A monster without feelings? — he repeats, snorting under his breath. — Stop adding to yourself, because I never said I liked you. I stick close to you because teasing you gives me great joy.

— You will never admit it, but I know my own.

He laughs nervously at these words.

— You are the most you know how to pee in the potty, little girl.

— There's nothing wrong with peeing in the potty — Tom says in his sleep. — When I was fifteen, the first time I drank alcohol with friends and at night I was so taken with it that I couldn't stand it and peed in my little brother's potty. Mom was surprised when she saw it in the morning.

— I'm not at all surprised that the woman got a shock — Hannah replies with a laugh, watching Tom turn to the other side.

The boy lying next to her only shakes his head at this confession.

— He will never surprise me again.

— Do you know where Jin is? — asks the girl unexpectedly as she rises to a sitting position. She looks at the bed of the absent student with curiosity in her eyes.

— Why, have you missed him already? You seem to be obsessed with him all the time — he mutters angrily, turning his back on her. — If you like, go to sleep on his bed. You'll feel him on your pillow.

— Am I a dog?

— I don't know. Maybe.

Hannah opens her mouth in indignation, looking at Joseph's back. She feels like hitting him, but despite her good relationship with him, she is sure he will give her back.

She gives up on the idea.

*

Hannah closes the door behind her and, with a sour face, looks at her roommate, who jumps down from her bed, where she was painting her eyelashes just a moment ago. She greets Hannah with an enthusiastic smile on her face. She grabs her by the shoulders, looking like an excited child. Her eyes sparkle, as if she drank a potion of joy.

— Where have you been all night?

— I lost consciousness — she replies, as she realizes that Bella won't let her go anyway. — Joseph had no choice but to take care of me — she adds, turning her face in the opposite direction.

The blonde claps her hands.

— Did you sleep in the room of the academic handsome? Girl, if this information reaches other female students, you won't have a life. You are a freshman.

— So what? I've known them for more than two years, so I don't give a damn what others think about it. This is not a high school for girls to behave maliciously because of jealousy.

— You are right. This is not high school. It's worse in college. Chicks can kill each other over guys.

Hannah crinkles her eyebrows.

— Hopeless.

— Just be careful. You should be careful. This morning, when I was using the public bathroom on the first floor, I heard other female students talking. They were talking about you. Apparently, in the evening you were carried by Joseph in his arms. A rumor spread that you were together and that's why he doesn't pay attention to other female students.

The brunette forces a smile. It all seems so silly to her that she just can't believe it.

— So what? Are they jealous and planning to beat me up for it?

— The third-years don't like the fact that the freshman rolled them a cake. There's a rule in the dorm that freshmen should stick exclusively to their peers. Do you understand what I mean?

— Being in the same building with Joseph again contributes to my being hated by others. I will start to believe that meeting him is indeed a curse. When will it end? — Hannah sighs loudly and slumps down on her bed with resignation.

— It's not just Joseph, but all three of them. They are considered the coolest guys in the dorm, so… female students will be jealous of them all the time. Everyone would like to be in your place. I can't hide the fact that I do too… — She lifts her face and looks at Bella's sympathetic face. — You just have to be careful. It's best if you don't walk alone. I can always accompany you. I hate third-graders, so I will scratch them and tear them by the hair if necessary.

— I think that acquaintance with handsome boys these days is very dangerous.

Bella sits down next to her and comfortingly puts her arm around her shoulders.

— You've hit on a good roommate, because I'm going to protect your ass. — She kisses her on the top of her head, at which Hannah bursts into laughter. — I think we will make quite a duo.

— I have no doubt about that.

*

In the evening, when Hannah finally recovers, she sits down in front of the cafeteria and carefully looks around the corridor. She is concerned because she has not seen Jin anywhere since the morning. Such behavior is unlike him. Something must have happened, since he disappeared without a word.

Her attention is drawn to three girls who are standing in a group and whispering among themselves, glancing at her sometimes. The 19-year-old has no doubt that this is related to a rumor about her relationship with Joseph.

Bella warned her that she should be careful.

— He probably flew at her pretty face. Should we disfigure her? Then we'll have a better chance. — Their giggling is so annoying that the teenager feels like getting up and giving them hell.

— Joseph is the kind of guy who will always reach for the top girls. — Hannah pulls her eyebrows together when he finally focuses his gaze on them. To her, it's funny what they talk about. It's not her fault that she was born with good looks.

— Just see how brazenly she looks at us. You can see that she thinks she's cooler because she can hide behind the back of a third-year.

— I can take care of myself, idiots. — In the end, she can't stand it and approaches them with a combative attitude.

No one will insult her. That, she won't allow herself.

— Idiots? — repeats the blonde, opening her eyes wider. — What did you just call us?

— Idiots — she confirms, crossing her arms on her chest. Hannah smiles mockingly when she sees their surprised faces. They probably didn't expect her to be so bold towards them.

The nineteen-year-old looks to the side and immediately loses interest in the older students, who look outraged by her behavior. Jin is walking towards the cafeteria, so she entirely ignores them and runs up to the upset boy.

— What did she just do? — asks one of the girls, batting her eyelids.

— Someone apparently feels like a princess here. — The taller colleague tosses her red hair over her shoulder. She nervously bites her cheek from the inside. — Give her a break. We'll deal with her another time.

Hannah stands in front of Jin and carefully measures him with her eyes, as if to see is he's okay.

— Are you okay?

— Yes. — The boy looks surprised by her question. — And why wouldn't he be?

— I know you were out all night in the dormitory and didn't tell the guys about anything.

— I just had to go somewhere. You know… such personal things — he replies, sending her a slight smile.

— I understand.

Nevertheless, the girl feels that something is wrong. Jin has been acting strangely lately, yet he is trying to prove that everything is fine with him.

— Should we eat together?

She nods in agreement.

As they both put the trays on the counter and sit down at the table, an awkward silence begins to reign between them. Hannah is sure that he is hiding something and doesn't want to tell her, as he waits for the memories of that day to come back to her.

— It's strange, isn't it?

She lifts her gaze from her plate and looks at his face.

— What do you mean?

— How awkward we've been feeling in each other's company lately. I'm afraid it will be like this until your memories return. — The boy nervously buries his spoon in his food. — I realized that you have started to remember something. Eventually, you will completely unlock your memory and I will no longer have to pretend anything.

— I still don't understand. Since you've met me, and you've known from the beginning that I'm Hannah, what's this game all about? What is it that you are hiding from me? Why can't you tell me this?

— Because I promised someone that I would not write a word about it. From my lips you will not hear the truth. I am a man who keeps his promise despite everything, and you must understand me. — The girl watches him carefully with every word he speaks. — It's best if you get your memories back, then everything will be clearer for you. And easier for me.

— Did we … did we do something wrong?

She swallows her saliva harder when she notices his concerned face.

— I think we did. Because of this, I cheated everyone around me, even my father.

Chills run through the girl's body as the darkest scenario manifests in her mind. Why does she feel such anxiety because of its mysteriousness? What was it that happened that day?

— You sound so scary that I'm starting to think we killed someone. — Although Hannah is joking, she begins to feel seriously anxious when the boy lowers his gaze and merely swallows his saliva.

Is this an appropriate reaction to her words? Shouldn't he quickly deny it and, with amusement in his voice, reply that she is exaggerating unnecessarily?

Oh god, she thinks, putting a hand to her mouth.