1.9

On Saturday morning, Jin goes to the cafeteria in the company of his roommates. Tom has been fooling around since morning by jumping around Jimmy and stabbing him with a plastic sword. The boy gets fed up with him, on his way to breakfast he pushes through the hall with him, and this inadvertently causes an accident.

The 16-year-old bumps into the short-haired girl, causing her to bang her head against the wall. With frightened eyes, he watches her, seeing that for a moment, she is frazzled.

Joseph approaches his friend, looking thoughtfully at her face.

— Are you okay, Solar? — He asks as the 17-year-old puts her hand to her head, then forces a smile.

— I'm fine — she says.

The boys look at their roommate, who is helping the older girl. They have had time to get to know Joseph, and it seemed to them that he is not a caring type of guy.

— I'm sorry I ran into you. If that aggressive idiot hadn't pushed me.... — speaks up, Tom, with his finger pointing at Jimmy. — It wouldn't have happened.

— Well, what don't you say? — jumps on him Joseph, which causes his roommate to humbly lower his head, feeling guilty.

— I'm like a rock, nothing can hurt me. — Her sympathetic nature prevents her from shouting in the boys' faces how childish and unintentional they are, but a friend does it for her.

— Wrap up, freaks, or you'll kill all the people in the school! You act like you were let out of the wilderness!

Jin snorts with laughter, with which he catches Solar's attention. The girl feels intimidated in his company.

And literally, it is a brief moment when Joseph's attitude changes one hundred and eighty degrees. He breathes a nervous breath and moves away from his friend, putting his hands in his pants pockets. Jin follows his gaze and squints when he spots a blonde woman with a mean expression on her face, whose skirt is pulled up so high at the waist that it barely covers her ass.

His roommate starts acting strangely, is nervous and completely loses interest in the short-haired girl.

— Since you're fine, I should go get something to eat — he says hurriedly to dispose of her, then quickly heads for the cafeteria. Jimmy follows him, and Tom takes one last glance at the wronged girl and runs after his colleagues. Only Jin doesn't move from his seat, guessing that something is wrong.

He crosses his arms over his chest and looks at the frightened face of the short-haired girl, who completely panics when Queen Horace Mann approaches her.

— You walk through these corridors like a ghost, so it's normal for people to bump into you. There is no life in you, hopeless girl. — Lana snorts under her breath, looking at Solar with superiority. — Look at me when I'm talking to you. Have respect, rag head.

Solar uncertainly raises her head and looks at the blonde with broken eyes.

Again she is humiliated, treated like trash in front of the whole school and can't defend herself. She has no one by her side to help her.

She is lonely. Even Joseph has left her to be eaten by a tigress.

— I'm sorry — she says quietly, feeling the students' mocking glances on her. They have a laugh that Queen Horace Mann is teasing her goat again.

— Are you apologizing to me for being a shadow? — The blonde drowns in loud laughter, feeling great in the spotlight. — But you are hopeless.

Jin can't look at it. And it's no longer a matter of feeling sorry for the humiliated girl. He never showed compassion towards people who could not defend themselves, he did not give a damn, he ignored it. But currently he's going to take pity on the victim because he sees that she's feeling badly because of the blow to the head.

She's pale and looks like she's about to faint.

— Go have breakfast, oxygenated head — he turns to Lana, who at these words turned to face him. — And eat a Snickers because you're starting to get awfully starry-eyed.

The 18-year-old puts one leg forward and smiles half-heartedly.

— Don't charm me like that if you would rather not become King Horace Mann.

The 16-year-old snorts under his breath.

— You're trying to be cool, but I don't think anyone has yet made you realize how tacky you are.... — He measures her with his eyes, looking for another excuse for derision. — And pull your skirt down because your pubic hair is coming out.

Jin's words amuse people so much that they burst out laughing, forgetting that they have just humiliated Queen Horace Mann.

The blonde unzips and throws her skirt down, standing in the middle of the corridor in black, tight shorts.

— Nothing bottomed out for me. — The guys whistle in appreciation, marveling at her shapely legs.

— But with the top, they do. Your stupidity — he replies to her as he walks past and helps the girl, who until now has been squatting with her head down. — You should go to the doctor. I don't want my roommates to have you on their conscience — he says to her, helping her to her feet.

— You and Joseph, expect special invitations tonight. — Lana looks amused. Apparently, the boy has not offended her in any way.

— Your sweet eighteenth birthday? We will definitely not show up.

Solar lifts her face and looks with gratitude in her eyes at the boy who helps her. He is the only man who stood up to Lana.

*

This is the first Saturday that students are spending at Horace Mann since the school year began. Most of the youngsters are spending time on the field, taking advantage of the beautiful weather. It's twenty-six degrees, and the warmed-up and empty dressed second-graders are playing soccer, attracting more and more excited boys to the stands.

Joseph stands to the side, accompanied by Jimmy and Tom. He folds his arms over his chest and looks with curiosity in his eyes at the beautiful brunette, who sometimes combed her long, thick hair with her hand, looking sexy in the process.

— Can't you guys take your eyes off this tall girl, either? She is wonderful — Jimmy speaks up, all the while following Halsey with his eyes.

Scott smiles slightly. He, too, is enthralled with her, admiring how well she is doing on the field. Only Tom is not interested in the beauty of Horace Mann, as his gaze is focused on the pretty bird chirping above his head.

— Cuuuute — he drags, smiling broadly.

Halsey turns toward them, and her eyes begin to sparkle when she spots Joseph. A radiant smile appears on her face. She knows that this is the perfect chance to meet Scott and, according to Lana's plan, get him into the elite group.

— In a moment you'll be mine, sweetie — she mutters under her breath, and her attention is caught by a ball that flies toward her.

She has been playing for ten years. She's a player who never misses, so targeting the boy who is supposed to be her goal is no mean feat.

She deflects the ball and smiles broadly as it lands directly on the freshman's face.

— I'll compensate for the pain. — With feigned concern, she runs over to Scott when she notices he has a nosebleed. — I'm so sorry, it wasn't intentional.

Jimmy smiles unequivocally.

— I think he pulled the ball down on himself with some kind of spell.

Halsey captures Joseph's face, seeing his surprised eyes.

— Are you alive? Can you feel all your facial muscles? Don't you have nerve palsy? — She asks him, then snatches a handkerchief from one of the girls. She applies it to the boy's nose to stop the bleeding.

— I'm not a wimp — he replies, pushing her hand away. Although his face is sore, he intends to pretend at all costs that this has not hurt him in any way, even if his face is smeared with blood.

— And can you breathe through your nose? — She looks at him with a caring gaze. — Should I take you to a doctor?

— I think I can manage. I wouldn't faint even if my guts were coming out.

He throws the bloody handkerchief on the grass and walks away in the direction of the school. Halsey runs after him, intending to keep him company.

— I have to take care of you. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you on the way to the doctor.

Jimmy moves his eyebrows to Tom, trying to communicate to him that something is getting ready; however, his roommate does not know what he means.

*

Jin stays in the school doctor's office, sitting by the bedside of the sleeping Solar. He does so only at the request of the woman, who had to leave the room and asked him to keep an eye on his older colleague. It's been forty minutes since she hasn't returned, so the boy begins to regret agreeing to keep an eye on the seventeen-year-old.

He answers a call from Danielle, who has been calling him for several minutes, not intending to let go.

— You lost — Jin says at the outset, smiling under his breath. — You were the first to miss me.

— I can't help but feel that the lack of response from you gives me a headache. I create terrible scenarios in my mind, fearing that you are accompanied by a girl.

— Currently I am the one accompanying a girl — he says, glancing at Solar's sleeping face. — For forty minutes I have been watching over her in the doctor's office.

— What! — her scream is so loud that it's surprising that the seventeen-year-old is still asleep. — Why are you guarding a sick girl?

— I don't know... I'm not the kind of caring guy towards people I don't know.

Danielle mutters something under her breath, which amuses Jin. The boy realizes that at this point she is morbidly jealous.

— Should I visit you?

— Give me a break. Your visit yesterday was quite short, but terribly tiring.

The blonde snorts under her breath.

— So you say I'm tiring you with my presence? Great. In that case, you won't see me until Christmas. You'll have people from my school on your conscience, on whom I'll take it out on for the way you treat me.

— I never feel sorry for people I don't know. No worries, I'll be fine.

— Are you playing with me?

— And you don't do that? It seemed to me that we were both playing a game.

The 14-year-old laughed artificially into the earpiece.

— I'm going to kill any dumpster that curls up next to you. I have current sources on Horace Mann School and I know what happens there every day.

Jin rolls his eyes.

— You sound like a crazy person. Are you possessive or obsessed with me?

— I'm possessive of the person I like, so watch yourself, Jin, because I'm already sharpening my kitchen knife.

After these words, he hangs up, and the boy sighs loudly while shaking his head. There is no doubt that he fell into the trap of an aggressive girl.

Apparently, her mother transferred a part of her psychopathic drive to her.

— Quite sweet.... — mutters under his breath.

His roommate enters the office, accompanied by an older girl. Jin raises an eyebrow, curious as to why Joseph's nose is smeared with blood.

— Who put you down? — asks him a question and only then does Scott notice him, sitting next to Solar's bed. — I guess you know this girl, since you addressed her by name earlier and then pounced on her? — He points to the sleeping 17-year-old with his hand. — Because of you, I've been dozing here for more than forty minutes, I have to keep an eye on her.

— Did she pass out? — Joseph walks over to the sink and washes his blood-stained face. — Does she have a concussion?

Jin squints, wondering why his roommate is acting so strangely.

Halsey runs over to the bed when she spots her roommate.

— What happened to her? — She asks the guys, clearly worried, judging by the look on her face.

— A colleague bumped into her while playing in the hallway. She hit her head on the wall — answers Joseph, wiping drops of water from her face with a paper towel.

Although he looks with caring eyes at the sleeping girl, he tries to keep an indifferent expression on his face.

— Is she alive? Why is she not responding to the conversation? Why isn't she waking up? — This question the brunette directs to Jin, who shrugs his shoulders in response.

— I don't know if she's alive, I'm just watching over her like the doctor told me to.

Halsey doesn't know him, but that doesn't stop her from attacking the boy. She punches him in the arm, chastising him for inadequate care.

— You should be more caring towards a sick person, where is your heart?

Joseph nods, fully agreeing with Halsey.

— And where is your heart? — Jin turns to Scott, intending to say a few words to him about how he behaved in the hallway. — You pounced on this girl as soon as Queen Horace Mann appeared on the horizon.

The seventeen-year-old looked at them with curiosity in her eyes.

— Are you talking about Lana? Has she talked to you yet?

The boys look at each other, as if they are uncertain of the answer.

— I was the one who talked to her. I made her realize how tacky she is.

The girl is amazed.

— Wow, you are the first person to make her aware of this.

— Aren't you her friend? — Joseph crinkles his eyebrows.

— I am. So what? At times, she's trashy, and in our group we need a person who will make her realize it more than once. — All three forget about the sleeping girl, focusing on each other. — Did you guys get the invitation yet?

— For Lana's sweet eighteenth birthday? — Jin looks at his phone, which sometimes vibrates, notifying him of messages from Danielle.

Halsey smiles mysteriously. She snatches the cell phone out of Jin's hand and, ignoring his indignant face, goes to the school's website then enters the code that gets her into the elite VIP group.

— It's a secret that only members know about.

Joseph swallows his saliva harder, realizing what Halsey is talking about. The school's chairwoman, who is the head of this elite group, has already managed to make him realize that since he was chosen before them, there is no way to escape.

— Lana introduced me to the rules and regulations — he announces.

Jin shifts his gaze to Joseph, being furious that he let himself be manipulated.

— Is that why you are afraid of the oxygenated one?

— She decided us, and I wouldn't have agreed if I had any other choice. I'm not a person to be ruled, but Lana has the power.

His roommate parries with laughter, thinking this is absurd.

— There is no escape from this group, my friend. — He shifts his gaze to Halsey, who shows him the invitation on her phone. — I wouldn't join there either if I had any other choice. The moment you join there, you are controlled like a puppet. You do what you're told or die.... — he finishes in a whisper.

The 16-year-old squints as he reads the invitation that appears on the elite group's website.

— In that case, I'll join there to change all the rules — Jin announces.

— Worse if it's the rules that change you. — From the corner of his eye, Halsey glances at Joseph. — Because Lana has the most power at Horace Mann, but there is someone outside the school who has power over her.