3.10

Hannah picks up the two coffees she ordered and walks away from the cash register, falling right into the arms of an old friend. She lifts her head and looks surprised at his face, which shows a smile. The boy is pleased that fate has made them bump into each other again by chance.

— Since you never have time to meet me, apparently fate wants to bring us together — he says in an amused voice.

The brunet tousles her hair in greeting. As a child, he always did this, which made the girl furious.

— Taylor.

— I look at you and wonder if you are happy to see me, or are you cursing in your mind this unfortunate meeting?

The girl twists her lips in a slight smile.

— You'll have to forgive me because every time I want to write to you, something falls out. Joseph unfortunately has a big part in this.

— So I should meet him? — He notices the confusion on her face. — Shouldn't I?

— I just have to choose a day when his mood will be bearable — she says, nervously glancing at Lana, who is waiting at the table. — If you like, you can join me. You will meet my boss's daughter.

— Pretty? — Taylor tilts his head, carefully measuring the young woman with his eyes. — Give me a moment and I'll join you.

Hannah returns to the table. She serves Lana coffee, all the while following her childhood friend with her eyes.

— Who is this boy? — The brunette shifts her gaze to the boss's daughter. — It will be my pleasure if you invite him to our table.

— He will join us shortly.

At first, Hannah didn't trust Lana and was prejudiced against her, but the more often she started showing up at the company, puzzling her and even taking her out for coffee after work. She stopped thinking of her negatively.

Lana is an open person, uninhibitedly telling the younger girl about her problems and even asking for advice, thinking that Hannah is the only employee in the company who does not gossip. All the rest have such long tongues that they've been run over before.

Taylor joins their table and nods to Lana in greeting.

— Isn't your guy jealous that you have a handsome colleague? — The young woman looks at Hannah with amusement in her eyes.

— He doesn't like it, that's why I haven't introduced them to each other until now.

— It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Lana — she turns to the boy, sending him a friendly smile.

— Hello.

The boy squints his eyes and looks at her for a long moment, noticing at a glance how artificial and forced her smile is. Perhaps he exaggerates because he is prejudiced against people he doesn't know. He has felt it too many times on his own.

— I see that as an intern, you are being pampered by the company. — Taylor turns to his childhood friend, surreptitiously watching Lana, who inspires distrust in him with her behavior. Her smile is so fake that it even rings a bell. He can't understand how Hannah can fail to see this.

— Just because I take her out for coffee doesn't mean she's my pet peeve. It's just that she's the only person in the company who doesn't talk down to me behind my back, and I value that.

Hannah smiles, hearing these words.

— With this I will agree. Hannah is trustworthy. I don't know another person who can hold his tongue even as a child and not reveal the darkest secret of another person, even after an argument. — Taylor praises the brunette, raising her thumb in the air. — But... if someone takes advantage of her trust and hurts her in some way, then she transforms into a real demon of revenge. I witnessed it once, and I would never want to see her in such a terrifying fashion again.

The girl feels like scolding him for saying stupid things, but refrains from doing so when she realizes that it would be better for Lana to hear about it. Let him not think to take advantage of her trust in the future. Hannah, for now, is getting convinced. A warning light burns in her head, however, telling her to keep her sanity and not let herself be led in any way.

— So by nature you are not exactly a nice, friendly girl.

— Mostly I am. Until someone takes me out of balance — she replies jokingly, sipping her coffee.

Lana raises an eyebrow, but still tries to maintain a friendly expression.

— You have to have a little claw in you because, however, there are wicked people on everyone's way.

— It's true. I have a problem with the bossy twin, but to some extent her wiles make me stronger.

She could have sworn that on the older girl's face she saw confusion for a moment.

— Do you have a twin? — Taylor looks surprised.

— A long and complicated story. One day, I'll tell you — she turns to the boy, taking another sip of coffee. Her gaze is aimed at Lana, who is checking something on her phone. Although Hannah has been enjoying spending time with her lately, she is constantly tormented by this premonition that the boss's daughter is behaving strangely. Besides, she also has no peace of mind about the phone issue. She is sure that that evening she definitely did not leave it on the bathroom sink.

So why did Lana have it with her?

*

— Don't trust her. — Taylor points with her head to Lana, who is walking to her car. They stand in front of the entrance to the café, watching the woman walking away. — You know me and you know that even as a child I was able to see through another person. She is not worth trusting. She is preparing something towards you, that's why she pretends to be friendly.

Hannah crosses her arms on her chest, feeling the chill permeating her body. October is usually associated by everyone with golden autumn and an unexpected decline in temperature.

— I know, although I prefer not to let that thought come to me. I thoroughly enjoy talking to her. It's fine, but nevertheless, something keeps bothering me all the time.

— I'm not saying that you should immediately break contact with her, but you'd better keep an eye on her. — The girl nods her head. — Then when will you give me a chance to spend more time with you and meet your guy in the process?

— I promise that I will eventually devote an entire evening to you. Forgive me for taking so long. You should hate me by now, but lately the twin has been giving me a hard time. I'll tell you all about it at the earliest opportunity.

— So we are in touch?

— Of course.

She smiles at him and nods goodbye, wishing him a safe journey. She gets behind the wheel and pulls out into the street, and that's when her attention is caught by a person crossing the lanes. It's Johnny, who seven years ago tried to kill her sister — the boyfriend of Solar, the student who committed suicide in the room where Hannah spent six months.

Instantly, the brunette recalls all the words she heard from the illusion. She realizes that Solar appearing in front of her is an imaginary figure, which is a conglomeration of secrets hidden in her mind.

Hannah knows the truth. She knows that at the age of sixteen she discovered something terrible, but as a result of her advanced illness, she does not remember what she saw then and why she wrote that letter. She is sure that the truth hidden in her mind is also stored in the boarding school.

There is a place in that room that Hannah has unmasked. There is something there that causes her to create Solar in her imagination, trying at all costs to remember what she found and saw.

Is it possible that Joseph also has something to do with it?

She prefers that these are only her imaginings, exaggerated thoughts, as she indicated in the letter, however, that he is worth trusting.

So how could he have anything to do with Solar's suicide?

She stops the car at a traffic light, wondering if Johnny will let the whole revenge thing go and leave her sister alone, or will she be the first to provoke him, since she was already capable of it once? Danielle threatened him and clarified it that he should keep his eyes peeled because she won't rest until she punishes him. She wants him to regret the fact that he tried to kill her.

For a long time now, Hannah has felt that the day will come. When all the dirt from the past will see the light of day and fall on them at the speed of light, exploding and causing their lives to crumble.

This is what she fears most.

*

Since she has done all her chores at home, she sits in front of the TV, switching channels and looking for something that interests her. Eventually, she decides to watch a movie. She is not rather fond of teenage movies, but the plot intrigues her. The plot tells the story of a girl — a gray mouse, who decides to adapt to the lifestyle of popular peers, as long as she gains their sympathy. By force, she tries to gather courage, dresses more boldly and thus begins to attract the attention of the opposite sex.

She is fought over by two muscle men who only want to drag her to bed, and she blindly believes in their love.

One of them manages to deceive the girl, takes advantage of her, then spreads vile rumors about her. Everyone at school points fingers at her, laughs at her, calls her a worthless bitch. The girl can't stand it. She breaks down mentally and the finale is that she commits suicide.

— You don't like teenagers, so it's no coincidence that you decided to watch this movie.

She looks to the side and only now realizes that Solar is sitting next to her.

— Why are you appearing in front of me again? It's tiring.

— Doesn't this plot remind you of something? Think for a moment, Hannah — she says in a low voice. He squints, not taking his eyes off her face. — Recall what you learned in the past.

— If I remember it, will you disappear and give me a holy peace! — Hannah raises her voice at her, watching as the illusion merely shrugs her shoulders.

— Perhaps... after all, you tell yourself all the time that I am a figment of your imagination.

— Because you are.

Hannah takes a deep breath and closes her eyelids for a moment, but it doesn't help her because Solar is still by her side.

— At all costs, you want to remember what you learned at the boarding school. You won't resume treatment until you discover what you found in that room. I'm right, aren't I, Hannah? You're worried that your beloved has a connection to it.

— Stop it!

— Why did I commit suicide at Horace Mann? Why do you think the students claimed that this room was cursed? They avoided it by a wide margin, and you didn't believe them.... You, your lover and Jin were the only students who were not afraid to cross its threshold.

— If they were guilty of your death, they would have avoided him with a wide arc — he defends them, although he feels chills all over his body.

— What if they were tormented by remorse and came there, in their thoughts, begging me for forgiveness?

The girl looks at her with wide-open eyes.

— What are you talking about?

— Just... reach deep into your memories, Hannah. There's a reason I took the form of your twin in Horace Mann. You know that I hate her very much because she had the biggest part in my death.

— Joseph can't be involved in this. Since Danielle contributed to your death, it is impossible because they did not know each other before. Besides, I pointed out in the letter that Joseph is trustworthy!

— It's true... he is trustworthy, but you didn't write that accidentally. There is a reason why you did it.

Chills shake her body. It's been dusk outside for a long time, and she's sitting in the dark living room, where the only source of light is the TV on.

— Explain to me at last what Joseph has to do with your suicide! — she yells to the empty interior, as the sound of the door opening, causes Solar to disappear.

The boy goes inside and pulls his eyebrows together, not hiding his surprise that Hannah is sitting in the dark.

— Has something happened to the light? — He presses the switch, but sees that everything is fine. — Have you watched a horror movie in the dark?

The girl doesn't answer him. She just looks at him, and her face is frighteningly pale.

— Are you feeling well? — He wants to approach her, but she puts her hand out in front of her, looking at him with suspicious eyes. — Are you seeing something again? I told you to see a doctor as soon as possible. Do you want to go through the same thing you went through in high school?

— What do you have to do with Solar's death? — She asks directly, watching his face carefully. — I mean the girl who committed suicide at Horace Mann.

The brunet looks confused. He wrinkles his eyebrows, wondering what she is talking about.

— What?

— Don't play dumb, Joseph. Tell me, how much did you have to do with this girl's death? Do it before I remember everything I discovered seven years ago.

The boy twists his lips in a nervous smile.

— I think you dreamed something.... — he mutters.

— Why did you pretend not to know my sister? What kind of show was that?

He looks at her as if she had dropped off from another planet. He doesn't understand what has bitten her, and why is she asking him such strange questions?

— Go to the doctor and as soon as possible — he replies coolly, heading for the bathroom. He slams the door, and his behavior is a sign that he is definitely hiding something.

Hannah won't let him go until she knows the truth.