Hannah exhaled deeply as she stepped out of the car, releasing the breath she had been holding with a sense of fragile relief. For the first time in what felt like years, she allowed herself to believe that a chapter of her life had finally closed.
Today had been the decisive appointment with her psychiatrist. At last, it was confirmed: her condition had improved, and for now, she could stop taking the pills. She had waited so long for this moment—the day when she would feel normal again, no longer haunted by the thought that she was nothing more than a broken girl who saw the ghost of her dead sister.
Finally, she could hope for an ordinary life like that of the other students. No more whispers, no more wary glances that marked her as unstable, as if the mere fact she took psychotropic medication made her irreparably damaged.
"It's time to forget about it," she whispered under her breath. But her steps faltered when her eyes caught sight of someone lingering by the cars.
The boy from yesterday.
The one who had stopped her near the parking lot and thrown cryptic words in her direction. Now he leaned against another vehicle as though he had been waiting for her. He studied her for a moment, then raised his hand in a brazen, mocking greeting before slipping into the passenger seat of a woman's car.
When the vehicle rolled past her, his smirk remained plastered across his face, insolent and sharp as a knife. Hannah narrowed her eyes, watching him until the car disappeared from view.
"You're hiding something from me too, you bastard," she muttered under her breath.
"Yesterday you bragged that you were going to get proof of how healthy you are," a voice suddenly drawled behind her. "And now you're talking to yourself? I'm not sure the doctor should've let you stop the pills."
Hannah stiffened and turned. Joseph was approaching slowly, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"And yet," she shot back, her tone sharp but trembling slightly, "my condition has improved. That's why I can throw the pills away—for now."
He stopped directly in front of her, his gaze traveling deliberately from her head to her toes.
"Since when does one go to a doctor's appointment in such a defiant outfit?" he asked, arching a brow as his eyes lingered on the tight leather pants that clung to her legs.
"When it comes to men's fashion, you seem up to date," she retorted, stepping closer and brushing a hand against his rumpled coat collar to straighten it. "But clearly, you don't know what's in style for women. And I'd say you were waiting for me here, dressed like this, not her. You even put on something warmer—almost like you expected me."
"Don't flatter yourself, girl." His mouth twisted into a thin line. "I'm waiting for Halsey. You just happened to catch my attention accidentally."
The mention of Halsey's name made Hannah's stomach tighten. Even though she had never officially met the girl, she already disliked her. There was something in the very thought of her that gnawed at her insides.
"Have you started seeing her every day since that night at the club?" Hannah asked, her voice laced with irony.
"I'm simply the only one who can help her right now," Joseph said flatly. "She's been struggling, and she doesn't have anyone she can really trust."
Hannah bit back a bitter laugh. Intelligent as he was, Joseph's judgment shriveled whenever Halsey was involved. Everyone used to say he had been hopelessly in love with her back in high school, and it showed even now.
"It's a shame," Hannah pressed, her eyes locking with his. "When she had problems before, she didn't turn to you. She ran away, cut you off completely. Is that how a loving girl behaves? Probably not. I didn't run away—even though we weren't close back then. I didn't drop out of school because of jealousy or gossip. If I cared about someone, I wouldn't abandon him."
His expression darkened, a storm cloud gathering over his features.
"You don't know what you're talking about," he warned, his voice low and cutting. "So bite your tongue before you spit out nonsense. I tolerate your gruff little remarks, but don't push me. Don't think that just because we've grown closer you can talk like that about Halsey—or any of my friends."
The harshness of his tone struck her like a slap. Hannah's lips parted, and her face paled.
"I thought we were close enough that I could trust you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I've told you everything—even things I'm ashamed of, like my treatment. And yet you forbid me to speak about your first love? I can smell when someone's being deceitful. And she… she just happens to reappear when she 'needs help'? Nonsense. It's a ploy to win you back. But if you're so enamored, then fine. Do whatever you want."
She tried to walk away, but his hand shot out and closed firmly around her elbow, freezing her mid-step.
"Do you really think you've told me everything?" Joseph's eyes bore into hers. "What about the secrets you and Jin have been hiding for more than three years?"
Her breath caught. She lifted her face slowly, her heart hammering in her chest.
"How… how do you know about that?"
"Don't talk to me about honesty," he hissed. "We're not close enough for that. Not yet. So let's just keep our secrets to ourselves. And next time—watch what you say to me."
When he finally let her go, she felt a sting behind her eyes, a pressure in her throat that made her want to cry. She couldn't explain why his words cut her so deeply—but they did.
"Fine," she muttered, her voice raw. "Take care of Halsey. She's waiting for you. Though I can't tell if her expression means she's in trouble—or if she just despises seeing me here. Either way, don't worry. I won't say a word again. About her. About you. About anything."
As she passed the car where Halsey sat behind the wheel, Hannah cast her a sharp, ominous look—a silent declaration of dislike that needed no words.
*
Bella finally left the room, driven by hunger so sharp that her stomach growled in a noisy protest, as though playing a ridiculous marching tune. She refused to wait any longer for her roommate, who still had not returned from the doctor.
The moment she reached the cafeteria, the warm, savory fragrance of dinner embraced her, wrapping her in a wave of comfort. She inhaled it greedily, already imagining the first bite on her tongue. All she wanted now was to hurry toward the food counter and load her tray. Yet before she could take more than a few steps, Tom appeared in the aisle, halting her as if he had conjured himself out of thin air. Instantly, her stomach's desperate cry for food was forgotten.
Hunger, after all, could never compete with the sudden rush of his smile.
"Should we sit together?" he asked, his voice light, his expression glowing with such boyish charm that Bella felt a warm flutter in her chest, just beneath her left breast.
She could only nod.
They moved side by side, each scooping food onto trays, and then sat across from one another at a corner table. Bella, though famished, forced herself to take delicate bites. She tried to eat as if she were the kind of girl who nibbled at her meals like a bird, the kind whose appetite never grew larger than a nut. She could not imagine devouring food ravenously in front of Tom. Surely, that would ruin her chances with him.
Tom, however, noticed immediately.
"Why are you nibbling at that meal like a squirrel?" he asked with genuine surprise, his mouth still half-full. His wide eyes searched hers with amused disbelief. "Don't you have an appetite? Honestly, I think girls are most attractive when they can eat more than a man. Take Hannah, for example—you should see her sometime. She'd prove my point."
The blonde clenched her fork, forcing a bright smile onto her face.
"You know… I just developed an unimaginable appetite," she declared. Then, as if to prove herself, she shoveled a comical amount of food into her mouth. The sight made Tom laugh aloud, his shoulders shaking, his eyes shining with delight. He watched her with amusement as she choked slightly, coughing, and slapped her hand against her chest to keep herself from suffocating.
Quickly, he handed her a glass of water. Bella gulped it down in one breath.
"Careful," he teased. "Gluttony can kill us."
She burst into laughter, staggering to her feet in relief.
"And it's not very attractive either," she admitted, her face flushed.
Tom leaned closer with a mischievous spark in his gaze. "Want to know my way to a good mood?"
Bella nodded eagerly.
"I came up with new riddles for Hannah—she loves them. But I'll tell you first. How about it?"
Her eyes lit up. "I love riddles, especially funny ones."
Tom leaned back casually, lowering his voice as though sharing a scandalous secret. "What's the difference between a chicken and a student?"
She stared at him, wide-eyed, shaking her head quickly to indicate she had no clue.
"A chicken lays eggs, and a student has to put up with everything.," he finished.
For a moment, Bella was confused, her lips parted in stunned silence. Then, the absurdity of it struck her, and she exploded with laughter. The sound rose far too loud for the cafeteria, forcing her to clap her hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
"Do you have more?" she whispered breathlessly.
Tom's grin widened. "Do you know why dwarves laugh while walking through the forest?"
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Because moss tickles their balls."
Bella collapsed into another fit of laughter, pounding the tabletop with the flat of her palm, her cheeks aching.
"Could you shut up? You're too loud," a sharp voice suddenly cut across the cafeteria.
Bella turned, startled, and recognized an older student glaring at her with disdain. The same brunette who had once cornered Hannah in the bathroom, spewing venom about her relationship with Joseph.
"If you want silence," Tom shot back smoothly, "go to the cemetery."
Bella almost choked again, but this time on her laughter. She could not resist.
"Stuff your mouth with food, viper," she snapped, her voice laced with venomous sweetness, "so you'll never open that bitter mouth again. Keep wagging your tongue like that, and one day it will just fall out."
Tom leaned back in his chair, watching the scene with undisguised amusement, his lips curved in a half-smile.
The brunette stiffened. "What did you just say to me?"
She stood, her posture menacing, her finger jabbing against Bella's chest.
"Why do you keep flapping that foul mouth of yours?" Bella shot back, refusing to be cowed. "Careful—you might spray venom on me. You spit when you talk."
Tom muffled a laugh against his hand, clearly entertained by Bella's audacity.
"Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?" the brunette demanded, her voice rising.
"And who do you think you are, telling me to be quiet?" Bella retorted, her tone sharp as steel. "I can dance naked in the middle of the cafeteria if I please, and it still wouldn't be any of your business!"
The older student narrowed her eyes, her expression darkening with the promise of violence. Bella braced herself, certain the girl was about to strike—when suddenly, a plastic spoon whizzed through the air and hit the brunette squarely in the face.
Everyone froze. Then Bella slowly turned, eyes wide, to see Tom grinning shamelessly, his hands pressed together in mock apology.
"Forgive me," he said, though his voice was thick with suppressed laughter. "I was just finishing my meal, and the spoon… slipped. Truly, it wasn't intentional."
The cafeteria erupted with laughter. The brunette's face burned crimson, and Bella felt her knees weaken, partly from amusement, partly from disbelief. Tom, after all, was well-liked. Few would side against him.
"You acted like Joseph just now," a calm voice remarked nearby. Jin had appeared, carrying two trays, and sat down beside them.
Tom only smirked. "Joseph inspires me sometimes. I couldn't let harm befall my soulmate." He gestured to Bella, whose cheeks flamed as she sat back down. Then, lowering his voice to a playful whisper, he asked, "Do you prefer that I call you soulmate… or mistress? You'll never be a wife, of course—that's Hannah's title. It has been for years."
Bella giggled nervously. "Soulmate sounds much nicer. And besides, mistresses are never liked. I'd rather not cross my roommate."
Jin shook his head with a knowing sigh. Hannah had been right, he thought. Bella and Tom were far too alike for their own good.
*
The nineteen-year-old lay face down on the pillow, her eyes fixed on a single point, heavy with sadness. Frustration simmered inside her. She was angry at herself for provoking Joseph unnecessarily, but even angrier at him for the cruel words he had hurled at her. She didn't fully realize it, but his rejection cut deep, leaving a bruise in her heart. After all, they had been getting along so well for a long time, without any serious quarrels. Over time, she had grown fond of him—too fond, perhaps—and had grown genuinely attached. So why had he treated her so heartlessly today?
"You will always be a bastard. That will never change," she muttered at a photo on her phone, one where she had managed to drape her arm around Joseph. She had taken it only once, back when he had been too distracted to notice he was posing with her for a selfie.
"What's wrong? Bad results at the doctor's? You didn't even show up for dinner," Bella asked as soon as she slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. Hannah shot up from the bed and eyed her carefully.
"I nearly got beaten up by a third-year, all thanks to Tom," Bella went on with exasperation, throwing her bag onto her chair. "But never mind that. I can see your face, and yours is a bigger problem. It betrays you completely."
"I had an argument with Joseph," Hannah admitted grimly, sliding her phone back into the cabinet. "My tongue was too sharp. I only wanted to make him aware of something."
"Ugh. An argument with Joseph. That sounds dreadful." Bella shuddered dramatically and rubbed her shoulders. "So what now? Is this the tragic end of your love story?"
"Come on, Bella. There is no love story. His heart belongs to Halsey. Today he proved it—he can't stand hearing a single bad word about her. She wrapped him around her finger in high school, and apparently she still does, despite his monstrous character."
"Well, to be fair, she's not bad," Bella mused. "Me? I can't even look him in the eye without flinching."
"I don't give a damn." Hannah twisted onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "We can't talk or act like we did in high school anymore. Maybe then people will stop gossiping about me, stop inventing nonsense about me having an affair with him."
Bella's expression softened with pity.
"And because of your fierce character, you're planning to pull away from everyone at the academy? You're insane."
"I am insane," Hannah muttered. Bella couldn't know that she had just weaned herself off antipsychotic medication, and Hannah had no intention of sharing that secret. "What was I thinking? How could I ever claim this moron as my friend? The devil I met in high school will always remain the same devil."
"Yeah," Bella said dryly, "and tomorrow he'll drape his jacket over you again, like always."
Hannah crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her body taut with frustration. At that moment, she could imagine killing Joseph with her bare hands for the way he had humiliated her. And Jin—he was second on her list for his lies and for hiding the truth.
"I need Tom," she declared. "He's the only one who can cheer me up."
"But he's still just your friend, right? You're not going to switch to him now, after what happened with Joseph?" Concern colored Bella's tone. "He calls you his wife. I know that you'll always come first with him."
"You could become his mistress," Hannah replied with a faint, bitter smile. "Remember, mistresses are often better off than wives. They're treated differently."
"You know," Bella said, lowering her voice, "at the cafeteria, he actually suggested that to me."
Hannah's eyes flew wide.
"Really? So Tom's going to betray me already?" she asked, her voice icy. "All three of them will pay. I'll make sure of it." She rubbed her hands together with exaggerated menace. "And Joseph Scott will be the first to die at my hands tonight. I'm in the perfect mood for murder."
"I guess I'll have to call Tom," Bella sighed, "so he can present you with his ridiculous new riddles before tragedy actually strikes."