The Secrets Hidden In The Scars

      Great Britain. London. The time is getting closer to nine o'clock. Alicia and Amelia are spending time together at the homes of the last one. The woman came to visit the little Hailey, the daughter of her friend and her husband, and try to find out something about her niece, being worried about her more and more.       “Gosh, how sweet Hailey is!” Alicia pronounces, sitting on the sofa and watching Hailey sit on her laps and play with a toy. “And she’s so calm and not capricious.”       “She just likes you much – so she isn’t capricious,” Amelia replies with a smile, doing something in the kitchen but keeping talking to Alicia. “But when someone strange is at home, Hailey gets nervous and acts restless. She prefers being with me, Raphael, you, and our other relatives.”       “Maybe,” Alicia laughs shyly and softly caresses Hailey’s head. “It seems like she feels her future godmother is next to her.”       “It’s one of the reasons why my husband and I chose you. You love your girl like your own daughter and love babysitting her. And she likes you.”       “Ah, if I could, I’d babysit her much more.” Alicia fixes a cute dress, which Hailey is wearing, and her short, dark hair gathered into two tails. “I do really love her like my own girl.”       “But educating children is very hard and exhausting work. And it takes much energy and nerves… Your heart especially bleeds when your child feels pain in something, but can’t say it and only cries. It’s very hard morally.”       “But mothers do feel when something is not right with their children.”       “Yeah, but sometimes it might be very hard.”       Two seconds later, Amelia returns to the living room, sits on the sofa next to Alicia, and caresses Hailey’s head, looking at her with a smile and giving her a little toy that she takes with pleasure.       “Aw, how much we love Mommy!” Alicia smiles widely. “How you smile at her!”       “Oh, how happy she is when her dad plays with her,” Amelia notices, tenderly caressing Hailey’s cheek with a thumb. “When Raphael goes home and comes to her, Hailey starts making happy sounds and clapping her hands.”       “That’s good she doesn’t wean from Raphael because of not seeing him so often.”       “In our case, everything is otherwise! I think if she was able to speak, she’d always ask me where her dad is.”       “She’s gonna be speaking non-stop soon!” Alicia assumes confidently. “She’s getting into everywhere and examining everything, and she’s gonna pronounce some words and describe what she sees very soon.”       “Yeah… But I thought she’d start speaking somewhere at the age of one.”       “It’s okay, she will. Raquelle started speaking at roughly the same age as Hailey. And there are children that start speaking much later.”       “But my daughter understands much and can distinguish between some things. If you ask her to show a spoon, she will point at it. She just can’t say it aloud.”       “It’s gonna be okay. The girl will start speaking early or late.”       “I hope, darling.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Alicia and Amelia give some attention to Hailey playing with a bright toy while sitting on the laps of her soon-to-be godmother. And a little later, Raquelle’s aunt thinks and glances at her friend.       “Hey, Amelia, do you remember you asked me to give you a photo of the hands of Raquelle’s friend or Terrence’s friend?” Alicia asks.       “Yes, I do,” Amelia nods confidently. “Did you bring it?”       “Yes. I copied the photos Natalia sent me on a flash drive.”       “Great. I will bring Raphael’s laptop now.”       Amelia gets up from the sofa and goes to her room for a few seconds to take the laptop, while Alicia stays in the living room and gets pleasure playing with Hailey, who smiles widely at her and makes sounds.       “What, sweetie?” Alicia asks softly. “What do you wanna show?”       Hailey points her little finger at a simple silver necklace put around Alicia’s neck, takes a pedant in the form of a sparkling circle, and starts playing with it.       “So, you liked my necklace?” Alicia asks.       Hailey plays with the necklace on Alicia’s neck for a few seconds and wants to put the pedant in her mouth at some moment.       “No, no, don’t put it in your mouth!” Alicia exclaims softly, moving the pedant off Hailey’s mouth. “Don’t do it, I say. I don’t want you to swallow it. Hailey, don’t put it in your mouth!”       A few seconds later, Amelia returns to the living room with Raphael's laptop in her hands.       “That’s good Raphael charged it,” Amelia says confidently. “Otherwise, we would’ve had to wait.”       Amelia puts the laptop on the coffee table, opens the lid, and turns it on.       “Where’s the flash drive?” Amelia asks.       “Yes, yes, now…” Alicia says thoughtfully. “I shall give… Erm… Where’s my handbag? Oh, listen, friend, could you take Hailey in your arms?”       “Sure. Go to mommy, my happiness.” Amelia takes Hailey carefully in her arms, sets her on her laps, and kisses her on the top of her head. “Good…”       Alicia slightly stands up from the sofa, reaches for her purse placed in front of her, quickly opens it up, and starts finding something. And a few seconds later, the woman takes a little flash drive from it and gives it to her friend.       “Take it.”       Amelia takes the flash drive from Alicia’s hands and waits for the laptop to upload the operating system, holding Hailey sitting on her laps with one hand. When she sees the desktop, the woman injects the flash drive into one of the ports and quickly finds a few photos of the feminine palms, on which it’s possible to see all the big and little lines.       “Great, that’s what I need,” Amelia smiles slightly. “Excellent photos.”       “So? What can you say?”       “Now, wait…”       Amelia opens one of the photos of Natalia’s palm and starts closely examining the lines on it.       “So… I see the girl is in good health. She is quite smart, confident… But a little capricious… A little timid… Very sensitive… She takes everything seriously…” Amelia frowns slightly. “Although she’s supposed to have quite many lovers, she is destined to be married for her whole life. But she is not lucky yet, as men use her for their own benefit. Either they like the money of her parents, who, as you said, are rich, or her beauty and youth.”       “That’s correct,” Alicia nods.       “She is kind of lucky. She doesn’t have to work hard to get something. She gets almost everything easy. Though she will have personal life issues.”       “Wanna say she’s gonna break up with Edward?”       “I can’t exclude it. That guy is poor. And the girl is destined to get married to the one, who will be able to provide for her. Yes, he will not be very rich. He will be much poorer than her parents. But they will never know what a lack of money is. At least because Natalia is not spoiled and can use money. She loves pleasing herself, but buys only what she really needs.”       “I wouldn’t be surprised…”       “Yeah, but something terrible is going to happen in the life of that girl,” Amelia says thoughtfully. “Something that would make her suffer much.”       “Terrible?” Alicia frowns slightly and folds her hands in front of her. “Could it be about her grandmother?” Raquelle said Natalia’s grandmother got breast cancer, probably, and that girl is really worried about that.”       “Maybe… But because of that case, she is supposed to change much.” Amelia moves her eyes off the photos and looks at Alicia. “She’d hardly become the same. And I don’t exclude that the girl might never forget it and come to herself.”       “Oh, God…” Alicia gets horrified, putting her hand on her heart. “It has already happened, or it should happen?”       “I don’t know. But I clearly see it’s going to be one of the most serious events in her life.”       “Wow… Did the illness of that woman get her so overwhelmed?”       “For people like her, any event might seem a great tragedy.”       “I know. But there is also something else Natalia is hiding from everyone.”       “Who knows, Alicia. Maybe, there’s something else… Maybe, she’s gonna have more problems. But I surely know she is going to overcome one event.”       “But what could have to do with her, except for her grandmother’s illness?”       “Anything,” Amelia shrugs. “Besides, I see that girl is going to be involved in a serious problem. Maybe, even a crime.”       “Crime? Is a danger threatening her as well as Terrence and Raquelle?”       “Only Natalia could say it. Or the one to wish to hurt her. Well, if she told, for example, your niece about it, Raquelle would make the situation clear.”       “Well… She hasn’t told anything about it yet… My girl and her fiancé are busy with their business. The letters and threats…”       “Hey, about them…” Amelia seats Hailey next to her, while the girl gets busy playing with her toy and makes happy sounds, as she does something to it. “You know… Today I thought of the lines on Raquelle’s palms. And I checked the lines on the palms of her fiancé again.”       “And what?” Alicia frowns slightly.       “I can’t be absolutely sure… But I’m starting to think that everything is getting worse for Terrence and Raquelle.”       “Does it have to do with the letters? Or with them?”       “One of them is going to experience a betrayal and disappointment.”       “Disappointment?”       “Yes.”       “Hm…” Alicia frowns slightly. “Does it mean they had a conflict? Or did one disappoint another or get revealed?”       “Who knows. But the lines on their hands say they are going to overcome a serious enough problem that is going to lead to some bad consequences.”       “For whom: my niece or her fiancé?”       “I believe, both of them. Something that is connected to these two is gonna happen. Besides, I don’t exclude the friend of your niece has to do with it. Or even Terrence’s friend.”       “And how could they be connected with it?”       “I dunno, Alicia,” Amelia shakes her head. “It’s just my assumption. I just think it’s strange that everything is happening almost at the same time.”       “My gosh…” Alicia exhales sharply. “Just don’t say they all fought with each other.”       “Anything may happen… And I’m afraid the story of the letters wouldn’t be over at the nearest time and will reveal more details.”       “Gosh, who decided to send those letters? Who did my niece and her fiancé hurt so much? When I talked to her the last time, she said nobody hurt anyone. But who knows… Maybe, she doesn’t wanna say something and hides it… For example, not to make me upset and overload me with her problems.”       “And you know… I am starting to be more sure Terrence would suffer much more because of this story.”       “Terrence?”       “Yes. The lines on his palms say he is going to discover something that’s going to change a lot in his life. He will not also be the same after the story ends.”       “Oh, God…” Alicia sighs quietly. “Fate kind of put Terrence in the place of Raquelle. So, he knows what she had to experience when that stinker Simon Ringer mocked my girl.”       “I don’t doubt it’s not the end of his problems, and he’ll have to overcome much.”       “You think?”       “Yes…” Amelia thinks for two seconds, pressing Hailey to herself when the girl wants to creep away from her. “The lines on his palms say he’s already gotten over or is to run into something bad. Some pain… Psychical and moral…”       “Do you want to say someone beat him?”       “Maybe,” Amelia shrugs. “I don’t exclude that someone will beat him well…”       “If it’s true, that event may have to do with those letters.”       “Yeah, unless he has some enemies, who wish him evil and threaten to do something to him.”       “Do you think Raquelle knows about those enemies, if there are the ones? Or does Terrence prefer being silent not to scare her?”       “Maybe, she does. You say they became closer to each other and began to talk about everything about them. Do what loving people should do.”       “Oh, my gosh…” Alicia exhales slowly and puts her hand on her forehead. “Does fate really want to kick him for what he did somehow? Yes, Terrence did a disgusting thing to my niece, and we all wanted to strangle him. But now it’s clear he’s trying to be better and has surrounded Raquelle with love and care. And she’s learning to be a friend of her sweetheart.”       “Do you think they recall their scandal now?” Amelia frowns slightly. “Even if they live together more or less well and even decided to have a wedding, what if those memories prevent them from making their relationship stronger.”       “I think they still remember. Though they agreed not to start that talk anymore.”       “Maybe…”       “But I actually understand them. Because that scandal would hardly be forgotten so easily and quickly. Even time can’t cure their wounds. Too much was said and done! I’m sure Terrence and Raquelle feel remorse, but try not to think about it, deciding to live in the present and think of the future.”       “Yeah… Very much was done… Both of them definitely have tons of reasons to blame themselves for all sins and burn from shame, even if it’s been so long.”       “Agree…” Alicia sighs heavily. “That stinker Simon easily turned everybody against Raquelle and made her hate her own fiancé and friend. That scumbag did know how to manipulate people and what to press on.”       “It’s hurtful that your niece became his victim and believed everything he said so easily. She knew she was surrounded by trustworthy and checked people, but preferred believing that man.”       “But Raquelle felt great relief when she apologized to Natalia and later made a decision not to break up with Terrence. Yes, at first, my girl wanted to listen to nobody, but then Raquelle realized what kind of mistake she made. And Ringer confirmed he slandered the girl and made her bad relationship with her fiancé much worse on purpose.”       “I’m sorry about saying it, but that’s good it happened. Because your niece realized the people she fought with because of that man’s intrigues meant a lot to her. Now she will not believe any charges and be by the side of her fiancé and friends.”       “Right, there is one positive moment in this case. But what kind of trauma my girl got. She doesn’t talk about it and wants to seem strong, brave, and happy, but she feels as bad as Terrence does. I’m sure sometimes Raquelle thinks about that and blames herself for the mistakes. Blames herself for thinking only of herself and her career for a long time.”       “Have they talked about it openly? If they haven’t done it, they should definitely speak out and reveal the feelings they keep inside. Maybe, they’d get better after telling each other everything they feel and finally showing their soul.”       “Ah, Amelia, honestly, I don’t know… Raquelle has never said how deeply she let Terrence get into her soul, and how much she told him about what she felt.”       “It would be good for them to talk about everything openly if they barely talked about it. Or they might have problems. To get pleasure from a relationship and be happy and beloved, you need to speak out and tell about all your feelings. Everything will be kept inside and might eventually bring you to a short breakdown and horrible aftermath.”       “Right. And as we know, it might be over badly someday.”       “You’re right, friend…” Alicia replies thoughtfully, running her hand over her short, dark hair and fixing the glasses slightly. “It’s really dangerous…”       “Anyway, early or late, they will live in peace and calm. You know well when everything happens to us for the reason.”       “I’m praying that nothing is the reason for the breakup between them. Maybe, Terrence has got lots of shortcomings, but he’s a wonderful fiancé for Raquelle, who takes care of her and is ready to do anything to make her happy.”       “Even if they have problems, they will solve them and never break up,” Amelia replies confidently, seating Hayley on her laps, while the girl makes sounds and gets busy with her mother’s silver necklace hanging on her neck. “That’s the case when two people must be together, despite nothing. They are destined for each other. And you know that no matter how hard you run away from your destiny, it shall find you someday.”       “Yes, yes, I know… They’re just like two hurricanes, the collision of which might lead to some fatal consequences. It’s not a secret that Terrence has a tough character and can barely control himself. And after living with him, Raquelle became a little unpredictable.”       “Maybe, she's always been the one? But Terrence, so to say, ‘helped’ her wake up the volcano that was sleeping inside her all this time!”       “I don’t exclude… But Mr. Cameron and I have always remembered her as a quiet, kind, and obedient girl with wonderful manners. Of course, she could explode, but it rarely happened. I personally see nothing critical about it.”       “Well, you know, before meeting Raphael, I was different. But after marrying him, I didn’t notice my world, my character, and my habits started changing… I used to be a little nervous, but my husband made me more bliss.”       “Anyway, the love didn’t make Raquelle worse. Vice versa, she became more confident, more feminine, and more beautiful… The modeling career helped her get better, but the affair with Terrence influenced her for the better. Someone would hardly say she’d turn into such a charming beauty, viewing her childhood photos. My girl was very sympathetic, but she couldn’t use it and hid her beauty. But when she showed it, she got the attention of the boys. They hadn’t cared about her, but at a teenage age, everything changed for the better.”       “And one person makes another better, they will hardly find the courage to leave this treasure. Raquelle needs Terrence to be loved and surrounded by love and to keep being confident. And she helps him control his character, so he does not explode. That girl definitely became one of the fewer people, who could control him and not to let him turn into a psycho.”       “Nevertheless, I’m starting to worry about them more and more. I’ve got a presentiment that something is happening to them. Not only do I mean the story of the letters, but also their relationship.”       “I think you should talk to Raquelle and Terrence about it and check the situation. And ask them about the friend of your niece and the friend of her fiancé. Maybe, you’d know something interesting and find out the meaning of my hints.”       “Yes, yes, I’ve been thinking about it…” Alicia nods confidently. “I think if I don’t have too much work tomorrow and don’t get too tired, I shall call one of them. My latest talk with Raquelle happened a long time ago, and many things could change since that time.”       “Right! Calling once is better than guessing what’s happening, and what might happen.”       “That’s what I shall do it. I’ve wanted to call for a long time, but I’ve got a lot of work at the university. And I should solve the situation of adopting… But thank God, everything is doing fine. And everything is much harder at my work, and I always go home, being terribly exhausted.”       “I get it, honey, I get it…”       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Amelia softly moves Hailey’s hand off the necklace that she wants to get into her mouth. Alicia smiles shyly and takes the girl by the finger while looking at the baby, which delights literally everything she sees.       “I think I shall also talk to Mr. Cameron,” Alicia says thoughtfully. “I think he could tell me something. He sees Raquelle more frequently than me and knows what’s going on there.”       “Yeah, good idea,” Amelia nods confidently. “If your niece can’t visit him very often, she definitely talks to him on the phone at times.”       “I shall do it, surely. Of course, I’d be happy to buy a ticket and go to the USA, at least for a few days, but I’ve got no chance to do it. Though you can’t imagine how much my heart hurts because of my niece… I do really want her to be happy and live a quiet life: building her career, meeting her friends, getting married and taking care of her husband, thinking of children…”       “Everybody wants to be happy, my sweetie. But not everyone can be. There are many people in the world, and every fate is different. A person is the only one to be able to change it.”       “Yeah, but we can’t change our destiny. If you’re destined to live without a husband and children or suffer all the time, you’ll hardly do something to it.”       “You’re right, but there are things we can change for the better.”       “And if you’re destined to live in a marriage with someone, you are the only one to do your best to be happy and not to get sick of the life with someone that irritates you.”       “Sort of,” Amelia shrugs. “Any relationship and goals require long, hard work. If you wanna be happy – do your best.”       “You’re partly right.”       “The most important thing is not to lose hope and to truly believe Raquelle’s life gets better someday. Early or late, bad people will stop chasing her and her family and friends and do nothing bad.”       “Ah, I’ve believed in it for more than twenty years,” Alicia says with a slight smile.       “Someday fate will reward us for taking the pain, for trying to find the light at the end of a tunnel even in the darkest times, and for believing in the best, despite nothing.”       “Your words give me hope.”       Alicia and Amelia truly smile at each other and move their eyes to Hailey making a sound and kind of wishing to get attention. Despite the bad presentiments, both of them have a little hope that the day the problems are solved once and forever will come someday. When everybody gets what they deserve, and life is calm and happy.       

***

      

***

      Meanwhile, Edward went to the right place to meet his friend, Christopher, but he is a little late and went there by five o’clock, not by half past four, as it was planned. A few minutes after driving on not very filled roads, the man finally arrives at the bar called “Shake It Up.”. He leaves his car in one of the free places in the parking lot, leaves it, locks it with a key, and slowly goes to the entry to the bar, looking around on the way, running his hand over his hair and fixing the collar of his light shirt.       After entering a small building of the bar, Edward immediately falls into the atmosphere of this place, noticing there are not so many people here, but there are those, who drink some drinks of a different degree or hang out along with energetic music, moving with a rhythm, or dancing the way they can. The music is quite loud. Someone would hardly talk here quietly about something. Besides, some especially drunk people try to sing loudly along with their favorite songs, not always keeping a rhythm and getting everyone’s attention by having no ear. As the man, who has a wonderful ear, Edward feels this type of singing literally makes his ears bleed, and slightly winces when hearing someone trying to sing something but not striking any single note and just showing off very much.       When he comes closer to the bar table, behind which a few young guys and girls are working non-stop, Edward looks around and later sees a young man with quite good physical data in light clothes sitting on the table all alone and quietly laughing at a drunk girl trying to get attention by awkward dances with the thought she looks awesome and attractive. He is two or three centimeters lower than Lockhart has a slightly pointy chin, curly light brown hair, and either green or hazel eyes. At first sight, the good-looking guy is about twenty-three or twenty-four, looks like he does not have too much money, but he has enough to look good and have a chance to have fun, and his gaze seems quite smart but a little sly.       When the guy sees Edward after looking around and seeing the tall black-haired guy, he quickly jumps up from his place and goes to the brunet with a slight smile on his face. Since there is the low light in this place, he does not pay attention to the bruises on Lockhart’s face and arms, which he got after today’s fight with Terrence.       “Justin!” the man exclaims happily. “Is that you?”       “Ha!” Edward quietly laughs and smiles, not being confused that the guy called him by a different name. “As if you didn’t recognize me!”       “Oh, recognizing your pretty face is possible even in a big crown,” the man replies funnily. “I saw you shortly after you entered, but got stuck on that gal, who wanna show everyone her ‘incredible’ dancing skills.”       “It seems like many people are on fire! My ears already bleed from how those earless alcoholics try to strike at least one note. But those sing well! I met those, who sang out of tune and heard no music!”       “Well, as you can sing so well, show everyone how to rock on.”       “Later, Christopher, later,” Edward replies confidently. “First, I’ll drink a little for bravery and then show those talentless idiots how to sing.”       “C’mon, Ledger, kick everyone’s ass!”       “With pleasure!”       Christopher laughs shyly, then amicably hugs Edward, shakes him by the hand, and slightly claps him on the back. And when they step away from each other, they pay attention to another couple of drunk men, who are dancing on the dancepool, laughing loudly and getting the attention of everyone by a lack of ear.       “Oh, yeah, I’m sorry for being too late,” Edward apologizes, scratching the back of his head. “There are many cars on the road today. I was in a traffic jam for about fifteen minutes before I almost arrived.”       “It’s okay, buddy, don’t worry!” Christopher waves a hand. “I came here some time ago because of the traffic jam. Something terrible is happening on the roads today!”       “That’s right! I don’t like being late, but now I could do nothing.”       “C’mon, stop! I wasn’t bored when waiting for ya… There are so many young, beautiful girls you could stare at. Of course, many of them are drunk. But there are those, who drank less. There had been a sexy cutie before you came… I was watching her for a long time and even wanted to try to pick her up, but someone called her, and she left like a hurricane.”       “Yay, Chris, you are a womanizer and will always be,” Edward laughs shyly, shaking his head. “Be careful, ‘cause your wish to stare at a chick might bring you to a six-foot-tall guy that would date one of them and beat your face for this insolence.”       “Oh, c’mon, dude!” Christopher throws funnily. “Single girls come to this place to meet such attractive guys as me. And men come here to drink to the fuck and pick up any cutie.”       “Well, okay, I warned you.”       “Don’t be a bore, buddy! Let’s better sit down and order something to drink! They have incredible whiskey here! It costs much but has magnificent taste!”       “Let’s go!” Edward agrees cheerfully with a wide smile. “Now I need to drink something very strong fucking badly, so everything literally burns.”       “Let’s go then!” Christopher amicably hugs Edward around the shoulders and goes to the bar table along with him. “We’ll drink a little and go dancing on the dancepool! You’ll show everybody how to sing, and I’ll show a master class for incredible dances and make everyone applaud for me.”       Edward laughs shyly and comes to the bar table along with Christopher. The guys take two free places and quickly look around, shaking their heads along with an excellent song that makes everybody shake up and start hanging out to the fullest.       “Hey, Jus, tell me how you’re doing,” Christopher says, leaning on the bar table with his elbow. “You suddenly disappeared for one month! Said nothing, didn’t call me, sent me no message… Did you have serious problems?”       “Ah…” Edward sighs very quietly and starts massaging his neck. “We’ve had problems all our life… Sadly, we can’t avoid it…”       “Don’t ya wanna tell me?”       “Well, nope…” Edward glances aside for a second. “I don’t have problems… I kind of said that I got a job in another city and had to leave for some time.”       “Interesting… What kind of job was it if you got out of the city for one month and didn’t answer my calls?”       “Quite hard…” Edward fingers over nervously. “I had to go everywhere very much and do something. I could sit down at the end of the day. I got so exhausted that I sometimes couldn’t reach the kitchen and eat something.”       “Yeah, I get it…” Christopher starts quietly knocking at the bar table with his fingers. “So, did you do everything you should’ve done if you were back in New York?”       “Yes, I finished everything and came back here. But…” Edward slightly purses his lips, trying to think up something true. “Maybe, I’d even love to come back to Atlanta or go somewhere else.”       “But why? Don’t you like living here?”       “There is no job here… Everybody is too demanding… I meet one criterion, but something else gets them confused… But sometimes I pass by like plywood over Paris. I thought there would be enough jobs here as the city is so large, but… I can’t get anything…”       “Maybe, you find it badly? There are many job advertisements: sellers, cashiers, consultants, managers, cleaners, guards… There is a type of job, for which you earn little money, but someone is very generous and pays much.”       “I tried to call everybody to give some advertisements, but it hasn’t worked yet. Someone promised to call me back, but nobody has thought of me.”       “Well, do you think you’ll find something in Atlanta?”       “Erm… At least I have some familiar people there… Maybe, they’d help me get a job with a good paycheck… Or find someone to rent out an apartment to me…”       “Don’t you know anyone but me here?”       “Yes, I knew nobody when coming here to earn money. But that’s good I met you and managed to earn some money thanks to the job you found for me.”       “If you want, I can try to find something else. Try to ask my familiar people, friends… Maybe, I’d get a job at my work…”       “Really?” Edward rounds his eyes.       “Just let me know, and I’ll, so to say, use my contact.”       “Thanks, Chris. If I find nothing and don’t decide to leave New York, I’ll ask you for help.”       “Okay. But remember, I’m always ready to help.”       “Thanks, buddy,” Edward thanks with a slight smile.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Edward thinks about something. However, the man keeps smiling shyly until a young barman with a bushy dark beard, shaved temples and long hair on the top of his head comes to him and Christopher.       “Hello!” the barman greets gently. “Do you want to order something? You can take a booklet and check what we have.”       “No, no, no need,” Christopher replies confidently. “Be nice, give me a glass of tequila.”       “No problem,” the barman glances at Edward. “What do you want?”       “I think I will order the same,” Edward replies thoughtfully, putting a finger on his lips. “But… No… Give me a double whiskey… A double whiskey with ice.”       “Alright. Everything will be done now.”       The barman goes aside, fixing the sleeves of his uniform on the way.       “Oh, decided to start with a double shot?” Christopher smiles slyly.       “As they say, the party is on!” Edward exclaims. “Today I’m gonna drink to get relaxed and remember that life may be wonderful.”       “That’s what I like!” Christopher happily claps his hands. “Get pleasure and don’t think of problems! Or you might go insane if you always thought of a job, failures, and poverty.”       “Agree. I’m so sick of everything that I feel like I’m on edge. You can’t even imagine how much.”       “It’s okay, Justin!” Christopher claps Edward on the shoulder. “Now you will drink a little, relax and go to dance. “And if you’re lucky, you will probably meet someone.”       “If that person became my magic wand and did their best for my problems to be solved shortly, I wouldn’t mind that acquaintance.”       “It’s gonna be okay, don’t worry! You know how much I had to work to start to live more or less well and stop worrying about a lack of money for food, the payment of the apartment, and fun. So, your problems will be solved soon. You just need to believe in the best and keep looking for a good job.”       “Ah, Chris, why we talk only about me,” Edward sighs quietly, not wishing to start a talk about his problems. “You better tell me something about yourself. What were you doing? What changed? I’d love to listen to you.”       “Well…” Christopher pronounces thoughtfully, starting to massage his neck. “Nothing special has happened over the past month… I’m still looking for my happiness, but it doesn’t wanna find me yet.”       “So, don’t cuties get into your webs anymore?” Edward chuckles kindly.       “I meet someone, but everything doesn’t go too far… Either I don’t like someone, or someone doesn’t like me,” Christopher glances aside for a second. “But honestly, I don’t understand, how they could reject this treasure. I’m perfect for any girl! Young, handsome, and earn enough money, I can woo, I can be loyal… And I can have incredible fun with any cutie! I became very successful at it!”       “Oh, Morgan…” Edward laughs quietly, shaking his head. “I’d advise you to slow down a little, ‘cause you love praising yourself too much.”       “Am I not right?” Christopher rounds his eyes. “Girls are silly ‘cause they reject me – the one that may be the man of their dream. Of course, I ain’t gonna marry yet, but I have nothing against a permanent relationship and even a life together.”       “You’d hardly be lucky with arrogance like yours at the nearest time.”       “Remember, dude, girls love confident men, with whom they’d feel they’re safe. Probably, only the desperate girl, who lost hope of meeting a man, will hang on the neck of a discreet milksop or a mamma’s boy. Any girl becomes beloved next to a confident and trustful man!”       “You know, Chris, when I lived in Atlanta, I knew two men similar to you,” Edward says thoughtfully, unconsciously thinking of Terrence and Benjamin, who also show everybody their great self-love. “One is a rooster with a high arrogance, who doesn’t notice how everybody laughs at his self-confidence, and the thought that he’s an irresistible and imitable man that everybody should take care of. And another is the same peacock that doesn’t doubt girls get stuck to him as well as bees to honey.”       “Aw, Justin…” Christopher sighs with a slight smile, leaning on the table bar with an elbow. “The key to success is mostly your confidence.”       “Of course, I’m also confident. But some men turn their noses up so hard that I wanna laugh loudly. I’m gonna say that everybody laughs at one of those two. But he keeps pretending he doesn’t notice it and keeps proving to everyone that there couldn’t be another man similar to him.”       “I guess lots of beautiful girls always surround him and make him feel confident. I’m always surrounded by so many beauties, though not all of them are to my taste.”       “Wanna taste all the cuties before you get the only one to make you lose your head?”       “If there was the only one…” Christopher pronounces with a slight smile, rolling his eyes. “None of them has become my perfection.”       “Aw… How many tender hearts of innocent girls you’ve broken… Maybe, there could be the one that would fit you, but you didn’t wanna date her. You aren’t used to dating girls for a long time. But it might happen that someone doesn’t get you attracted, but later you pay attention to them and understand he or she is pretty good.”       “No, buddy, I do have a very good intuition and can understand if a girl fits me. But none of them has been chosen yet.”       “Sorry… Sometimes you could wait for a while and give a cutie a chance to show herself. You can leave a girl at any time! And yeah, nobody wanna be with the one that changes men or girls like gloves.”       “Hey, don’t say I change girls every day!” Christopher exclaims, slightly hitting Edward on his forearm. “And say I break the hearts of all girls.”       “Just confess you get pleasure from your life: you live alone, work for yourself, owe nobody, enjoy your freedom… Nothing stops you from inviting a girl to home, having sex with her, and then sending her home after a wonderful night.”       “It’s really cool! But I just follow the voice of nature and find a way to get rid of pressure a little. I don’t need a wife! I live alone well. And I would definitely fall into depression if a gal deprived me of freedom, marrying me by force, moving into my apartment, and setting her rules.”       “Actually, I get it…” Edward glances aside for a second.       “Hey, what about you?” Christopher asks cheerfully, looking at Edward with a sly smile. “Have you met someone? Or are you waiting for your destiny, sitting on your ass and doing nothing?”       “Nope,” Edward puts on a fake smile, thinking of Natalia’s alleged betrayal and barely holding himself down not to say it. “I’ve met nobody yet.”       “Sorry… You could meet someone if you started trying hard. Look around – maybe, you’d like a cutie and love to have some fun with her.”       “Already looked. There is not even one girl that I would like… And they all look very similar. Unnoticeable, simple… They have no fire…”       “Yeah, I agree… Cosmetics wouldn’t help some of them become cuties… Even if she has ten layers, it won’t help her!”       “No, I don’t actually look at those, who overuse cosmetics. I wanna see the real face, not a frozen mask of a thick layer of foundation, five layers of mascara, the brightest lipstick, and big painted eyebrows. I’m critical in this way.”       “Aha, a simple girl, who believes someone would love this horrible thing, is hidden under this mask.”       “Exactly! So, when I see lots of cosmetics on the face, I automatically reject those girls and pay no attention to them. If she deceives men like this to drive them crazy with her fake beauty, she will definitely lie all the time. I also treat lying and cheating very badly.”       “So, don’t you meet sweet girls without all of that? You could pick up a beauty and at least spend a night with her.”       “If I meet a good girl, I will surely start acting.”       “Come on! Remember, only the one, who doesn’t need a serious relationship and just wanna find a man for a night, would come to you at her wish. Though it’s my personal opinion based on what I learned after dating and sleeping with lots of girls.”       “I know.”       “And if you really wanna get a girl, you’ll have to put your hesitance and all your fears in your ass. If you fear, you will be known as a hesitant coward that nobody will wish to come to next time. Even if you’re afraid, don’t show it. Otherwise, you won’t be called a cool man, who is literally ready to save the whole world.”       “Oh, you’re a walking encyclopedia for the skill of seducing girls!” Edward chuckles kindly, pushing Christopher on his hip. “I could literally become your student and learn to drive any girl crazy. Of course, I can do a lot, and all my former girlfriends were happy with my caresses and sex with me, but perfection has no limit.       “Don’t worry, bro, I’ll teach you everything!” Christopher says confidently, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “I know so much about sex and seducing girls that I could work as a sexologist and help even the most frigid people learn to seduce those they like and bring anyone to a strong orgasm.”       “But don’t dare to think I’m frigid! Just because I’ve had no relationship for ages, it doesn’t mean I became impotent and forgot how to seduce girls.”       “I didn’t say it! And if you said you hadn’t kissed a girl and never had sex at the age of twenty-five, I’d not believe it.”       “Of course, buddy!” Edward exclaims, starting to think of Natalia again, more specifically, the first kiss with her that left a bright memory in his mind, and cracks a smile under the influence of those memories. “I had my first kiss, and it was pretty good. And of course, my first sex was bad, but I have learned a lot since that time, learning from all my mistakes.”       “Okay!” Christopher claps Edward slightly on the shoulder. “You grew up, became a real man, and know where to kiss and caress for your girl to moan and bend backward like a cat! But trust me, when you know all my secrets of seducing, you’ll meet another sweet cutie, who won’t be able to resist your charm and will do everything for you to be happy and want to meet her again.”       “Oh, you’re too funny and cheerful today,” Edward chuckles quietly and slightly hits Christopher on the side. “Speak out, had you drunk before I came? Yay?”       “No, no, I didn’t drink, I swear!” Christopher shakes his head sharply. “I was sitting here and just looking at girls while waiting for you to come.”       “Okay, I believe you. But since I came, we’ll have much fun and go to hang out on the dancepool,” Edward smiles slyly. “Maybe, we will even pick up some charming cuties and make today better.”       Edward glances at the barman, who comes to him and Christopher, holding two glasses in his hands.       “Oh, our drinks have arrived!” Edward exclaims cheerfully.       The barman comes to Edward and Christopher, places two glasses in front of them, and smiles gently.       “Thanks!” Christopher exclaims. “Let us pay for the order now.”       “Yeah, better now,” Edward agrees. “Our brains will turn off later, and we may leave without paying.”       But when Edward puts his hand in the pocket to get some amount of money, Christopher stops him.       “No, no, buddy!” Christopher exclaims, taking the amount of money from his pocket. “Since I invited you, you will have fun on my account. Today, I’m paying for our drinks and everything we’ll order.”       “Oh, no, no, I have enough money!” Edward shakes his head sharply, feeling awkward because of Christopher’s suggestion. “I’ll pay for my order.”       “I don’t suggest, I insist. Move your money off and just enjoy your life.”       “But, Christopher!”       “Don’t argue, Justin! As I said, I’d pay for everything today, you have no reason to worry.” Christopher counts the right and gives it to the barman. “There is a little more. Take it as a tip.”       “Thanks a lot,” the barman thanks gently, counting the money personally and being quite pleased with the tip. “Have a nice time! If you want to order something else, I will be not far.”       The pleased barman goes to do his business, and Christopher looks at the strong amber drink, while Edward, feeling awkward from letting his friend pay for the order, is literally afraid to touch his glass.       “Ledger, stop being shy like a girl on a first date,” Christopher throws cheerfully. “And don’t look at me as if you did something terrible, and I’m supposed to get mad.”       “I usually pay for my order when going somewhere,” Edward confesses hesitantly. “No matter who invited me.”       “Relax, buddy, I earn enough money to be able to pay for my order and the order of the one, who I invite somewhere. I always pay for those I invite and don’t get insolent, making people pay their money for my order.”       “Are you sure you did it right?”       “Okay, stop being ashamed! Let’s drink for a long-awaited meeting.”       “Well… Okay…” Edward hesitantly takes his glass with double whiskey and pieces of transparent ice. “Then… Drink for the meeting…”       “For the meeting!”       Christopher and Edward click slightly on each other’s glasses and taste some strong drink that nicely burns the throat and makes them relax a little.       “Hey, Jus, stop being gloomy and enjoy your life, while you’re young and single!” Christopher encourages confidently. “When you marry, you won’t have much fun ‘cause your wife might literally tie you up to a bed and hold you next to her by force. And when you’re old and helpless, you won’t have the strength to hang out. You’ll be happy to leave home to go to the nearest pharmacy for cures or just to sit on a bench.”       “I hope it will happen as late as possible,” Edward expresses hope, deciding to follow Christopher’s advice and relax. “I’m not gonna turn into a decrepit old man at the age of forty. My late father was very active at the age of sixty and didn’t suffer from any kind of pain… Of course, he had it, but it was kind of easy for him.”       “Well, I hope you’ll find a wife and become a daddy of little babies by that time.”       “Aw, buddy…” Edward runs his hand through his hair, leaning on the bar table with his elbow. “I’ve been living alone for so many years that I’m used to loneliness and count on myself in everything. You know I don’t have family… My parents died… I don’t have brothers and sisters… And the other relatives have never cared about me…”       “That’s bad when you’re all alone… And I don’t mean a relationship… I mean your family… I’m lucky to have my cousins that I meet at times and my aunt… And one day, my friend and his wife asked me to become the godfather of their twins. So, I also have godchildren.”       “Appreciate your family,” Edward smiles slightly and takes a couple of sips of whiskey. “You’ve got so many relatives, but I have nobody. And to be honest, sometimes I lack talks with my close person.”       “But what do you think of marriage?”       “Erm… Marriage?” Edward thinks for two seconds, getting a little sad. “I dunno, honestly, I haven’t thought about it… And I don’t have the meaning of thinking about it ‘cause I don’t have a girlfriend, who I’d love to marry.”       “But you’ll make this decision early or late.”       “Of course, I will do. When I meet the one, who makes me have no doubt that she’s the girl I want to marry and wish to have a child from.”       “I think you’d become a cool hubby and daddy. Maybe, you aren’t really ready for that, but when the time comes, you’ll think differently.”       “Thanks for the nice words, Chris,” Edward smiles shyly. “But I can’t say the same about you… I can’t imagine you're a family man ‘cause you were born to pick up beautiful girls and sleep with them.”       “Ah, Jus, honestly, I can’t also imagine myself being a husband or father,” Christopher laughs quietly, running a finger around his glass. “I will not marry right now. Even if I love someone… I don’t say I don’t wanna get married at all and make children. But right now, I don’t have this wish and any moral readiness.”       “Oh, husband, father!” Edward chuckles kindly. “God, Chris, first, become someone’s boyfriend, and then think of marriage and fatherhood.”       “I will do it later. But while there is no good girl ahead, I feel good. Of course, marrying is good, because you wake up with a beloved person every day and know they belong to you. But on the other hand, I don’t wanna burden myself with marriage ‘cause it’s a too great responsibility.”       “I get it…”       “That’s funny…” Christopher drinks some tequila from his glass. “First, it seems that asking someone to date is terrible. Then you believe you should be ready to propose to your girlfriend to marry and do it. And lastly, you’re sure fatherhood is something horrible.”       “Yeah…”       “No… Maybe, I’d take care of children, ‘cause I really love my godchildren and often watch them when their parents leave someone. But marrying, no… No, I don’t want… I’m too young yet…”       “I agree with you,” Edward drinks some whiskey from his glass. “I dunno, maybe, we just meet the wrong girls, who we don’t love so much to be able to live without them. I haven’t personally fallen in love so much yet… To wish to marry… Though I like spending time with girls.”       “Are you ready for marrying? And let’s not talk about having a girlfriend or not. Just say you’d feel lousy if a girl brought you to the altar by force.”       “Well…” Edward quickly looks around and slightly puckers his lips. “I don’t even know…”       “Haven’t decided yet?” Christopher frowns slightly.       “I think so,” Edward replies quietly, moving his eyes to his glass of whiskey. “A marriage has never been good to me, honestly. I dunno… I don’t have a strong wish to buy a ring, make a proposal and go to the altar.”       “And how was the marriage of your parents?”       “They got divorced when I was a kid…” Edward falls into silence for two seconds, swallowing up nervously. “I stayed to live with Mother… Who never said good things about Father… She always hated him and regretted marrying him. And I met him for the first time only at a teenage age. And… First, I didn’t get along with him because I believed everything Mother said was true. But then I realized he was a good man, and she was just too mad at him.”       “Okay… So, there was no good example of marriage before your eyes.”       “No, it didn’t impact my wish to marry. I don’t say I won’t get married. I just don’t wanna marry a random girl. But I believe I shall meet a good girl, who will get me very close to her.”       “I think if you really wanted, you’d meet a girl quickly,” Christopher suggests. “You’re quite a sympathetic guy. Thanks to your pretty face, you look much younger. Girls would lie in front of your legs, and you’d choose the most attractive and gorgeous one, to whom it would be hard to resist.”       “Oh, Chris…” Edward pronounces gloomily and takes a few sips of whiskey. “You need to love not only for an incredibly beautiful appearance, gorgeous hair, a cute face, or something like that. You should love someone for their inside world, their character, their loyalty, their soul, and their heart. Of course, appearance matters, but what someone has inside is more important. Everything may be very attractive outside, but absolutely rotted inside. I ran into that…”       “I think you’re right…” Christopher takes a couple of more sips of tequila. “Having only a fabulous appearance is not enough to fall in love.”       “What kind of love!” Edward drinks whiskey again. “That type of girl can only make you wish to fuck her.”       “I’m sorry people understand it late… When you’re fucking attracted to the appearance and afraid you wouldn’t find someone more beautiful, but understand that everything is empty inside that dolly.”       “In some cases, she better have nothing inside…” Edward replies gloomily and takes another big sip of whiskey, getting quite relaxed under the influence of alcohol. “I wouldn’t wish anyone to meet the one, the inside of whom is rotted. When a gal has no shame or coincidence and doesn’t care about her honor and dignity. But… The girl, who insolently lies and plays with your feelings doesn’t have these words in her vocabulary.”       “What are you talking about?” Christopher frowns slightly, drinking some whiskey.       “There are some nasty whores that insolently lie to you and pretend to be honest, while they run to other men and show them their naked boobs and ass… Lick their penises and moan when they’re felt up, licked, and fucked.”       “Sorry, Justin, but I don’t understand you.”       “I don’t get it, either. I don’t understand the logic of some gals. Some of whom I really wanna strangle for lying and betraying.” Edward gets obsessed with the memories of Natalia, who allegedly cheated on him with another man, quickly emptying the glass of double whiskey. “I will never love the girl, who always lies to me, hides something, and uses me for her own goals.”       A few seconds later, Edward gets obsessed with the memories of the day he found out about Natalia’s alleged betrayal, not guessing that the girl was cruelly framed.       

***

      August 6th, 2016.       Having quite a good mood, Edward returns to the apartment of an old but very kind woman named Victoria Richardson. She found him on the street when he was about seventeen and let him live with her after finding out this guy had no place to go. It’s been a few years, but Lockhart is still living with the one, to whom he is grateful for everything she has done for him.       After entering Victoria’s apartment, which he opens with a duplicate of keys, Edward closes the door and leaves it near the one. And while the man takes off his outside coat and looks in a mirror to fix his little disheveled hair, he sees a short, old woman with a very kind gaze but sad eyes and gray hair with a volume at the roots that closes her shriveled neck and brushed in a tail hall.       “Oh, hello, Edward,” Victoria says amicably.       “Hello, Mr. Richardson,” Edward replies with a slight smile, hugging Victoria and sharing an amicable kiss on the cheek.       “I didn’t think you’d be back so early. You said you wanted to go somewhere for a job.”       “Already did and discussed everything. They said they’d call if I was good for them.”       “My gosh… As long as you go to interviews, nobody wants to give you a permanent job. Though I believed you would find something, even despite having no experience or education.”       “Yeah, it turned out to be much harder than I thought,” Edward smiles shyly. “But I’m happy I sometimes get some one-sided job. I do what I need, get money and go. Of course, I can’t buy something good for this amount, but I’d save what I have.”       “It’s okay, my sweetie, something will be found,” Victoria replies confidently and softly caresses Edward’s cheek. “But now go to the kitchen and eat something. I cooked something and was gonna sit on the table.”       “Thanks, I’ll eat later. I’m not very hungry now.”       “Well, okay,” Victoria shrugs with a shy smile. “If you don’t want, I won’t insist.”       “Yeah, maybe, you need some help?” Edward asks, hanging his coat that he is holding in a special place in the hall. “Shouldn’t I go to a store?”       “No, no, sweetie, thanks,” Victoria shakes her head. “I have everything and don’t need your help.”       “Well… Alright… As you want.” Edward slightly pulls down his t-shirt and strokes down his hair.       “Will you go somewhere today? Will you not meet your girlfriend?”       “Nope, I will go nowhere today, because I got a little tired. I will go to lie somewhere, take a nap and then eat something.”       “Hey, hasn’t your friend come back from the tour?”       “Not yet, the guys are touring. But they should play only a few shows before they return to New York. And after coming back, they will probably start working on their own music.”       “I’m sorry you don’t sing with them,” Victoria says softly. “You have such a beautiful voice and perfectly play the guitar. It’s strange that those guys know about your talents but don’t wanna get you involved in it.”       “C’mon, Mrs. Richardson!” Edward exclaims with a shy smile. “Being a part of Terrence’s band! I can only dream about it!”       “Why! If you told the guys about your wish to sing with them, they’d surely take you to the band. And you wouldn’t have to look for a job because you’d start earning money. You know how much all those singers earn! You’d be able to buy new clothes, an apartment, and a car.”       “No, no, I will not ask my friend for help with a job. I don’t wanna use my family ties and make him sure to use his influence and find a job for me in the show business.”       “Are you afraid?”       “No, I’m not. I just don’t wanna be insolent and make people think I got into the show business thanks to being a relative of the actor, who was adored by all teenage girls.”       “Trust me, Edward, when people discover your talent, they will quickly forget who your relative is and start loving you for your incredible voice and your excellent guitar play.”       “No, Mrs. Richardson, I will not do this.”       “Sometimes you’re too shy, dear,” Victoria notices softly, caressing Edward’s shoulders. “It’s wrong! You must believe in your talent and not hide it when you have a chance to get famous thanks to it. And who knows, maybe, you’d even be more popular than your friend and become an idol for the present generation of little girls.”       “Thanks for the nice words, but I don’t wanna even try,” Edward replies a little distantly with sadness in his eyes. “The show business is not for me.”       “Oh, Edward, Edward, how silly you are. How could you hide such a wonderful talent? Gosh, I haven’t discovered any talented artists over the past ten or twenty years! At the time of my youth, there were very many bright people, and you’re the one to be able to literally kick everyone. You were born to be a musician! What if fate doesn’t give you a permanent job for a reason? What if it encourages you to find ways to get into the show business?”       “Terrence is going to rock on soon. Everyone is sure that he’ll have a brilliant music career. And I’m sure he’ll get success when making the first album of his band public.”       “And if you join him, you two will become the favorite guys of the public. It’s unfair that some talentless people record albums, perform, travel around the world, and get the love of fans, but real talents aren’t discovered by people because they aren’t getting promised, or the owners of unique skills don’t wanna show themselves to the world.”       “Aw, Mrs. Richardson…”       Edward takes Victoria in his amicable hug with a slight smile, bending at her slightly because she is much lower than he is. The woman answers this hug with pleasure and shakes her head, wondering why the man hides the talent, which the whole world must know about. And a few seconds later, Lockhart steps back from this sweet woman and shares a cute, short smile with her.       “Think about my words, Edward, think,” Victoria advises. “These artists earn great money. See how your friend is living, and you’d see how much you could earn if you started recording your songs and touring around the world.”       “Someday I will be earning a lot of money,” Edward promises confidently. “But in a different sphere.”       “Oh, okay then…” Victoria sighs fatefully. “But you lose very much.”       “It will be better. Trust me.”       Victoria says nothing and just glances aside.       “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! You received a letter.”       “Letter?” Edward frowns slightly. “What letter?”       “I dunno, Edward,” Victoria shrugs. “You know I don’t check someone’s stuff. So, I don’t know what’s in there.”       “And where’s the one? I want to check it.”       “It’s in your room, on the writing table. I put it there when I saw there was your name and the address of this apartment on the envelope. At first, I thought it was utility bills, but as it turned out, it wasn’t.”       “Oh, alright, thanks a lot.”       “Okay, check what they sent you, but I will eat. When you want to eat, come to the kitchen.”       “Sure.”       Edward smiles slightly and quickly goes to the bathroom. The man opens the door and enters the small room, the walls of which are made of very old tills with yellow spots, and in which there is a bathroom and a toilet bowl. Next, he turns on warm water, washes his hands with liquid soap, the bottle of which is placed on the sink, and then washes his face. After doing this several times, Lockhart looks at his reflection in the mirror, in which he sees his wet, little white face, and notices that he got wet tracks on his t-shirt. Edward looks at himself for a few seconds, turns off the faucet, and washes his face and hair with a terry towel.       When he looks at himself in the mirror the last time, the man decides to go to his room to check the letter Victoria talked about. Edward closes the door of the bathroom and goes to his room, where there is a little mess and many things cause nostalgia for the 80s and the 90s. The man comes to the writing table and really finds the middle-size envelope. Getting a little suspicious, Edward takes it hesitantly and starts to look at the envelope.       “Hm, only my name and this address…” Edward frowns slightly. “Shit… I have a bad presentiment about this letter… Maybe, I give a fuck about it? Not to open it and forget about it? What if that psycho Uncle Michael decided to hurt me again and snap…”       Thinking about it and not stopping looking at the envelope, Edward slowly comes to the bed and sits on it. The man fights with his wish to put this thing aside so hard, but it kind of hypnotizes him and insists, “Open me now! Open!” So, he eventually gives up and decides to check what he got. After quickly putting himself together and begging that he sees nothing terrible, the man opens the envelope and finds something that makes him deeply shocked.       Edward sees the bunch of photos taken on a dark background, with which there is not a letter or a short note that would explain their meaning. The man gets the good-quality photos out of the envelope and starts viewing them. At first, he understands nothing, but a few seconds later, he rounds his eyes in horror. In all the photos, it’s possible to see quite an attractive blonde and an ugly and rude at first sight man with wide green eyes, red greasy hair, and a big scar reaching his lips. He does not feel shy when kissing the girl on the lips, neck, face, collarbones, breasts, belly, thighs, and buttocks. In every single shoot, the blonde is getting more undressed and stands only in her knickers in the last shoots.       She does not cover her naked breasts on any one of them. The girl does not kind of resist when the man not only kisses her in all possible areas and undresses her but also confidently feels up her buttocks, breasts, and thighs. And in one of the photos, it’s possible to see the girl squeezing his penis and giving him truly great pleasure, judging his blissful face and wide smile. It’s impossible to notice that all these actions are disgusting to her. Vice versa, her eyes are closed, her mouth is slightly open, and she quietly holds him by the shoulders, puts her hands on his chest, and behaves quite confidently.       Edward quite easily recognizes this blonde photographed in these erotic photos as… His girlfriend, Natalia?! Yes, he does not doubt that she is kissing and hugging the other man, giving him pleasure, and standing almost naked in front of him.       “Holy shit…” Edward pronounces quietly, closing his mouth with a hand and still viewing the photos with dumbfounded eyes. “No, no, it can’t be true… No… No…”       Edward views the bunch of photos again, starting to breathe much heavier.       “That’s Natalia…” Edward pronounces. “That’s really her! No doubt! She can’t be confused with any other girl! She is kissing and hugging that freak! No, no, I can’t believe it!”       Again, Edward, whose hands start slightly shaking from the excitement, views the photos. He pays attention to the last ones, in which Natalia is almost naked in front of the man, who confidently kisses and feels up her whole body, and she kind of gets great pleasure from that caress.       “Damn, I can’t believe it!” Edward pronounces with horror in his eyes. “My eyes do lie to me. It’s not Natalia… It’s not Natalia… It’s just another blonde… Another blonde…”       Edward shakes his head and exhales sharply.       “Who I’m the fuck lying to! It’s true! My girlfriend is standing naked in front of another man and confidently shows him her boobs.”       Every new second, Edward starts breathing heavier and feels a strong beat of the heart literally echoes in his head.       “That girl has lied to me…” Edward whispers. “Lied for three months we’ve been dating. And it seems like she lied before when she said she had nobody. She does! That bitch is cheating on me with another man! With a freak! And where did she find him? How did he get her? Why am I worse than that monkey? Comparing me and him, I’m the handsome guy! What could that stupid chicken find about IT?”       Edward sharply puts the photos aside, doubles over, and closes his face with his hands.       “Why, why?” Edward wonders, feeling that he starts shaking slightly. “What did I do? Why did she betray me and lie? I’ve always been a wonderful boyfriend to her and have taken care of her! But that thankless pig thanked me like this?”       Edward simpers nervously.       “She didn’t let me get close to her at times, but did show her naked boobs to that freak and undressed ‘till only knickers!” Edward growls irritably. “Bitch… Just a bitch… Fucking betrayal! How could I love that false whore, who has an affair with one man and fucks another? I wouldn’t be surprised if that freak and I weren’t the only lovers of hers. That idiot has never hidden she met men with pleasure and accepted their care and gifts. Probably, not only does she flirt with them, but she also fucks them! Just like with that nasty ugly!”       Edward grabs his hair strongly and pulls it, barely containing a wish to shed a tear from the pain and frustration he feels and feeling snubbed. He is deeply overwhelmed by Natalia’s act and truly believed she answered him back and was loyal to him. But the man completely understands that if Natalia confirms she really cheated on him, Edward will make a hard decision about a breakup with her. Despite his love for her, the man is not ready to keep dating the betrayer and liar and pretending that he does not know he was wrapped around a finger.       “No, no, she won’t get off it so easily!” Edward exclaims and sharply gets straight. “I will go to her home right now and make her explain it. And if her parents are home, I will tell them what their sweet daughter is made of. Their sweet, innocent daughter, who shows her boobs, not to the one she dates. She doesn’t feel shy to caress the penis of a freak and lets him feel up, kiss, and lick her from head to feet.”       Edward smirks evilly, as his nostrils are inflated from the anger he is obsessed with.       “So, we will see what kind of lie Rochester will think up to excuse herself. And what she will say to her father and mother when they know how she spends her free time.       After sitting in a stupor for two more seconds, Edward gets up from the bed like a scalded cat, sharply takes the envelope, puts the photos in it, leaves his room, and goes to the hall. When he checks his hair, the man takes his coat, puts it on, and puts the envelope with the erotic photos of Natalia in the inside pocket of it.       “Mrs. Richardson, I will be back soon!” Edward warns loudly. “I need to go out for one or two hours. I got an important call from someone, who asked me to come! I will be back soon!”       Not waiting for Victoria’s reaction, Edward takes the keys, opens the door, and quickly runs out of the apartment, being furious and feeling every single muscle literally hurts from the strong tension. And when the man sharply closes the door, the confused woman comes to the hall and wonders what could happen if he left so suddenly.       

***

      “No way…” Edward pronounces in a low voice with sadness in his eyes, barely containing his wish to shed a tear from the unbearable pain that is still strong and alive.       Edward swallows up nervously.       “You must not trust that type of gals…” Edward says gloomily, leaning on the bar table with his hands and taking one big sip of whiskey, the influence of which is clear, judging his slightly red eyes and his voice that changed and became slower and lower. “They’ll play with you like a kitty and then give you a strong kick on your ass. And you will be thrown about five hundred meters away… And no longer wish to get closer to the one to betray you.”       “Erm…” Christopher stutters, frowning slightly and looking at Edward suspiciously. “Ledger, are you okay?”       “Huh, of course!” Edward slowly brings the glass filled with whiskey at eighty percent to his lips, drinks a little, and smiles widely. “Everything is cool! One false slut played with me and then left me!”       Edward gets a stupid grin on his face when a blonde girl goes by him and Christopher in a short, provocative dress, talking on the phone, and then puts his arm around the neck of his friend.       “Here’s my friendly advice, Chris…” Edward says slowly, not very clearly. “Never… Hear me, never fall in love with a girl, who has lied to you at least once. Or you better forget about girls and piss those prostitutes off! Why would you need those, who are ready to fuck random people?”       “I don’t deny, there are whores,” Christopher agrees and takes a little sip from his glass, which is drunk only at ten percent. “But not everyone! You can find at least two decent girls.”       “It’s a failed thing! Trust me, the next girl in your way will be a whore or a rat that needs a rich man, who can give her brilliants and fur coats.”       “Hey, since when have you been mad at all girls? If you got rejected by one of them, it’s not a reason to make absolutely everybody prostitutes.”       “If a girl’s hands are untied, she will get a few lovers. Even a nun will piss everything off and dream of getting fucked as much as possible.”       “Okay, it seems like alcohol started working on you,” Christopher says thoughtfully, closely looking at Edward, who is getting kind of weak, slow, and often smiling for no reason. “You’re talking bullshit!”       “Erm, it’s not bullshit,” Edward barely replies, looking into the distance. “I’m just giving you a piece of friendly advice, so you stop trying to meet a good girl. No matter how many times you try, you will always meet a failure.”       “Holy shit, how far you went after only one glass…” Christopher shakes his head. “Someone may drink tons of alcohol and stay sober! But you haven’t drunk your whiskey, but you are acting like you’re drunk to hell.”       “Yeah, I don’t deny it. I get drunk after the first glass…” Edward shrugs, looking at what’s happening around him with dead eyes, and takes a sip of whiskey. “But… I give a fuck! I drank a little and got much better! Life became wonderful! And I’m not afraid to say what I wouldn’t say when being sober.”       “Listen, dude, did ya decide to drink because of a girl?” Christopher wonders. “Are you grieving because a cutie rejected you?”       “Oh, yeah, I got rejected! You can’t even imagine how humiliated I got… Nobody loves me at all… You see…” Edward starts showing something with his hands slowly and hesitantly. “But I do wanna hug a girl and put my head on her big breasts… M-m-m… Well, or least to be held by Mother in her arms… Like in childhood… You suck a pacifier and don’t care about problems… The important thing is that Mother is near, loves you, and feeds you in time. But now nobody will caress me like this… I’m alone in this cruel world…”       “You say it as if you’ve lived with tortures and sufferings and seen very much.”       “I have lived with tortures and never been truly loved,” Edward replies in a low, slow voice, moving his dead eyes to Christopher and starting to try to embrace him tightly. “I do say, nobody loves me at all… Everybody thinks I’m a scumbag, though I’m actually very sweet and fluffy. Nobody wanna get it, brother, you know… No-bo-dy!”       “Okay, everything is clear about you,” Christopher exhales slowly, pushes Edward off himself, and puts his glass on the bar table. “You thought meeting me was a cool reason to drink and complain about your life.”       “If you lived my life, you’d also be whining about how terrible it is.” Edward takes a little sip of whiskey and exhales sharply, feeling that this drink burns up his throat and spreads a nice warmth all over his body. “My life is disgusting, and nobody loves me. My girlfriend betrayed me and had me wrapped around her finger… My father never loved me and found a reason to insult and humiliate me… My brothers always mocked me and never thought of befriending me… And my mother never thought of me for a few years we spent apart.”       “Buddy, what kind of shit are you saying? You said you lived all your life with your mother and met your father very late! And there was no talk about your brothers!”       “Huh? Really?” Edward rounds his eyes and shows his wide, stupid smile, clapping Christopher on the shoulder. “Well… Yes! That’s correct! I met Father very late ‘cause Mother banned me from seeing him… And brothers… The brothers are just idiots… Idiots that shouldn’t have been born…”       “Yeah, it seems like inviting you to the bar was not the best idea of mine,” Christopher says thoughtfully, seeing Edward is getting drunker and may start an affray here if he keeps drinking. “You’re smiling like a moron and confusing your words. You say one thing when being sober and another after getting drunk.”       “Wait, I will relax a little now and go to dance!” Edward promises funnily and drinks the rest of the whiskey from his glass, getting more obsessed with alcohol’s influence. “Maybe, I’d pick up a gal, lock myself with her in a restroom, and get rid of this burden. You know how long I haven’t had sex! How long I haven’t kissed and caressed a feminine body! My ex didn’t love me and never let me get closer to her when I wanted, maybe, not to fuck but at least to hug and kiss her. Her gorgeous body never belonged to me, you know…”       “Listen, Justin, I understand it’s hard for you to accept the breakup with a girl. But it’s not a reason to drink to the fuck, start an affray, and accost all the beautiful girls hanging out here.”       “But now I feel relaxed! An absolutely different man! A confident man, who fears nothing and is not embarrassed by anything! You know how it’s terrible to be a discreet boy, who has been humiliated and insulted all his life! All his life, Chris! I get humiliated by everybody that surrounds me! And because of them, I became something like a milksop! Milksop! A girl!” Edward smiles stupidly. “And how could I be called a man after all of that? How? I also need to cry before the eyes of everyone to become a laughingstock! There hasn’t been anyone to praise me at least once! Why were my brothers, who always did dirty tricks on everyone, praised? While I was an object for mockeries and humiliations! Was it so hard for everyone to say at least a couple of nice words?”       “Damn, guy, what bullshit are you talking about?” Christopher wonders, grabbing his glass, taking a little sip, and putting it on the bar table.       “No, Morgan, it’s not bullshit! I’ve been humiliated all my life: from my own father and brothers to my girlfriend, whom I truly loved. Nobody has made me feel confident at least once in my life. Different people hear all good words! One of my brothers… He has been loved all his life and heard only praises. And he eventually grew up into a confident man that knows what he wants. You know how I wanna be the same as he is! But I can’t! Because I’ve always been a cowardly, hesitant puppy that has been hated all his life.”       “M-m-m… Yay, Ledger, you’re about to tell me everything about your life…”       “Trust me, I’ve seen nothing good in my life,” Edward replies in a low voice, secretly takes Christopher’s glass and drinks a lot of tequila. “I still can’t understand what the meaning of my life is… Why was I actually born in the world if nobody wanted it? People didn’t have enough love for me ‘cause it was given to my brothers! Even girls don’t wanna praise me, just like the fiancée of my brother praises her fiancé. But I did experience humiliation and betrayal! My girlfriend… My own girlfriend showed her naked boobs to another man and caressed his penis… Fucking whore… Scumbag… She fucks everyone and complains nobody wanna marry her… Because wenches will never meet a good man! Ne-ver!”       “I completely understand your feelings, but it’s not the end of the world. If you aren’t lucky with that girl, you’ll meet another, who will be way better. Why are you grieving as if someone died!”       “When you love someone very much, you’ll understand me,” Edward takes a big sip of tequila from Christopher’s glass. “I did really love that girl… She drove me crazy, and I lost my head from love for her… I was ready to close my eyes to everything and do anything for her. But that bitch gave a fuck about my love… She’s guilty of making me turn into a wide crazy animal and fight with my close people, who think I’m an asshole. If she hadn’t made me enraged and turned everybody against me, I wouldn’t have fought with everybody, so I literally started to fight. That bitch ruined my life! Ruined, Chris! Now I really have nobody!”       “Oh, Justin, you started speaking too much…” Christopher exhales sharply, running his hand over his face. “You said very little and were shy about everything, but now you stopped being afraid and put your fears in your ass. Alcohol really changes a person: there is a quiet and shy one that becomes shameless and loud.”       “I’d rather be shameless, loud, and insolent than cowardly, hesitant and quiet,” Edward replies gloomily, takes a big sip, and puts Christopher’s glass on the bar table, feeling alcohol warms him up, burns up his organs and deprives him of a clear mind. “I’m so sick of constant humiliations and endless failures. I feel that if something else happens to me, I will have a nervous breakdown. My mental health has always been weak, but the more sufferings and humiliations I experience, the worse I get.”       Edward hides his head in his arms folded on the bar table.       “I can’t take this anymore, Morgan…” Edward moans painfully. “I can’t! Sometimes I feel so bad that I wanna die. Nobody would move an eyebrow if I jumped off a bridge. They have other favorite people, who they’ve always loved and expected.”       “Justin, stop saying some delirium,” Christopher throws gloomily. “You must not drink even a glass, ‘cause you barely think and work your tongue after the first one.”       “I have depression, Christopher!” Edward pronounces slowly. “And I wanna drunk to the fuck and forget about being a loser all my fucking life.”       “Depression can’t be cured with alcohol! If you really have problems with your self-rating or mental health, there are psychologists and psychiatrists. You must solve a problem, not drink to the fuck, believing you’d get better.”       “Oh, dude, get off me!” Edward runs his hands over his white face with a quiet moan. “Don’t you see that I’m trying to forget bad things?”       “I see you’re trying to destroy yourself,” Christopher glances at his almost empty glass of tequila and frowns slightly. “Yeah, where is my tequila? As far as I remember, I had a full glass! I planned to drink it for the whole evening!”       “Erm…” Edward stutters, hiccups quietly with his mouth closed with a hand, and smiles stupidly. “Erm… I’m sorry you have so little… If there was a bottle, I’d drink it shortly…”       “What? Ledger, did you drink it?”       “Sorry, Chris… I drank mine… I decided to take it from you…”       “Did you get insane, idiot?” Christopher gets horrified. “You turned your brains off after the first glass, but everything’s gonna get worse after a second one!”       “Oh, wait, I will order something else! Give my last money for a big glass of alcohol and have much fun.”       “Oh, holy shit…” Christopher exhales sharply and runs his hand over his face, watching Edward being quite drunk, who shakes slowly while sitting on the chair at the bar table. “Justin, Justin… What do I do to you?”       “Stay with me, talk and go to dance and sing,” Edward replies funnily, pulling the words strongly. “You did invite me to have fun! And I can’t reject such a wonderful chance!”       “Yeah, but when inviting you to this bar, I didn’t think you’d love to drink. And if I’d known about your wish to drink to the hell, I would’ve found another place of meeting.”       “What are you afraid of, Morgan?” Edward slightly slaps Christopher on the shoulder with a stupid smile. “Relax! You and I are both unlucky! Girls reject you, and some whores have me wrapped around a finger. You’re lucky just because nobody humiliates you and makes you feel like a pathetic reject that was born for a stupid mistake.”       “Oh, it seems like explaining something to you is worthless, while you have nothing in your head. I must take you away from here and put you to sleep, so you come back to normal tomorrow and can think well.”       “Erm, no, no, no, I’ll go nowhere!” Edward shakes his head, barely gesticulating. “Go away if you want, but I’ll stay here. “I’ll drink much and go to have fun! And I give a fuck about what everyone would think of me! I have a right to have as much fun as possible.”       “Yeah, so you start an affray, feel up all the girls, try to rape one of them, and eventually end up in a police station?” Christopher wonders with widely open eyes full of horror. “No, Justin! You will be under my close control! I don’t want to get you out of prison and post the great bail, so you don’t stay there like a criminal.”       “I’m not a baby, Christopher!”       “You think I’m kidding? No, my friend! If you started an affray, the bar staff would call the police, and you’d get arrested for at least a few hours, depending on the damage you would do to this place and how loud and insolent you would be. And then you’d have a pay a great penalty or work off the hours you would get for community service.”       “You know, I don’t care! Absolutely! The important thing is that I feel fucking good. I feel free, happy, and confident,” Edward looks around and sees a few people looking at him with mistrust. “M-m-m… I do see all girls stare at me and think I’m irresistible and handsome.”       “They’re staring at you because they see you’re drunk to the hell and acting like an idiot. And someone’s probably waiting for you to start an affray to picture it on a phone and then publish the material somewhere on the Internet. You know that photographing something and making it public is trending now.”       “Just don’t pretend you really care about my reputation and don’t want me to get humiliated again,” Edward hums and throws a dead look aside for a moment. “A brainless, humiliated puppy… That his family didn’t the fuck need… You know, I wonder, would I be a little puppy for everyone when I’m forty? The old decrypted man would be a snotty child for everyone…”       “Excuse me, but you really look like a little capricious child. Alcohol made you a whipping boy! You’re sitting, whipping like a girl, whipping, whipping… I know you feel bad, but it’s not the reason to act like this!”       “Do you think keeping everything inside and telling nobody what’s happening to you is so easy?” Edward wonders, leaning on the bar table with his elbow and running his fingers through his little disheveled hair. “But you stood in my way… Though you don’t wanna listen to me…”       “I’ll listen to you, but only when you’re sober and stop acting like a moron. You must not drink! If one glass of alcohol does it to you, I’m imagining what’s gonna happen if you drink two or three more ones and then add some vodka or cognac.”       “Oh, Chris…” Edward moans tiredly and runs his hands over his face. “Don’t tell me what to do and what to not do. I will figure it out. And if you have no wish to listen to me, you can take your staff and get outta here. I’ll find someone to talk with… Well, if alive people give a fuck about me and my problems, I will have to talk with a stone or a tree. It would really listen to me… And it won’t reproach me for doing something wrong.”       “You’re really a moron, Jus!” Christopher exclaims. “Don’t even hope I'll leave you here and let you start an affray! Until you get back your clear mind and good memory, you will not stay alone. And when you get sober, we’ll talk about your problems, unless they aren’t thought up by your consciousness changed by alcohol.”       “They aren’t thought up!” Edward starts slowly waving his hands, showing something big in the air. “My problems are big… So huge! They’re so huge that it’s impossible to describe it. They’re bigger than anything! Bigger than me! As big as the Earth is!”       “Oh, God, give me the patience not to slap this alcoholic,” Christopher moans quietly, raising his head for a moment and running his hand over his face. “Why did you break down? It’d be okay if you were a girl and whined about something! But you are a fucking man! Brace yourself and stop acting like nobody knows what!”       “I’m fucking tired of trying to be a man and finding ways to save everyone… I would piss all of that off and get out of here as far as the fuck possible not to solve the shit that I’m fed up with! Fed up, Chris!”       “Listen, our pathetic hero, stop saying some delirium! I don’t know what you got into when you and I weren’t communicating. But I’m sure if you work your brains a little, a solution for at least one of your problems will be found.”       “Oh, I got enough problems! Which might lead to very bad things. And you can’t even imagine how horrible they are. How many innocent people would suffer if I didn’t find a way to stop the cad that started all of it. But I’m making much more sure that I’m able to do nothing to save all those people. Save me. From turning into a bastard that everybody will hate. I’ve been despised all my life, but after becoming an amoral bastard, they’ll wish me to die and burn in hell.”       “If it’s so, you must find ways to solve your problems. Instead of drinking to passing out and believing someone from heaven would help you and turn on the light in your mind!”       “No, you understand nothing, buddy… Nothing…”       Edward reaches for Christopher’s glass, but the curly man notices it and slightly slaps him on the hand.       “Hey, move your hand off!” Christopher exclaims.       “Ouch, it hurts!” Edward makes a quiet sob, wincing slightly and shaking the hand Christopher slapped him on.       “Hey, I said, get your hand off now!” Christopher claps Edward on the hand again.       “I wanna drink! But there’s a little in it!”       “You’ve drunk enough!” Christopher starts literally getting the glass out of the hands of Edward, who tightly grabs it.       “Ar-r-r, why are you so annoying?” Edward moans quietly. “I just wanna take a sob!”       “You have drunk almost two glasses! Alone! I had taken only a couple of sips before you emptied the glasses of you and me. Though, you could drink it for the whole evening, like all normal people who just want to drink. Instead of drinking to the fuck!”       “I need to drink!” Edward tries to reach for Christopher’s glass again and gets another slap from his friend on his hand.       “Hey, get your hands off my glass!” Christopher moves his glass off Edward.       “Hey, lemme take a sip! Don’t be greedy!”       Edward eventually sharply gets the glass out of Christopher’s hand and drinks the rest of the tequila, which instantly burns up his throat and nicely warms up his body, which becomes quite relaxed.       “Justin, stop acting like an absolute moron!” Christopher demands severely.       “Ah, I want one more glass!” Edward says funnily and cheerfully, sharply waving his hands. “Gimme another!”       “Alright, enough!”       “Hey, cutie!” Edward exclaims loudly, addressing the young blonde-haired girl working as a barmaid at the bar table. “Cutie, give me a glass of whiskey! A filled glass! Your whiskey is incredible!”       “You did go insane!” Christopher gets horrified, sharply pulling Edward down by the sleeve of his coat.       “I will pay now, and you can take the rest of the amount as a tip!”       “Justin, stop this show!” Christopher demands. “People started staring at you!”       “Oh, Christopher, shut up, please…” Edward moans quietly and runs his hand through his little disheveled hair. “You’re like my stepmother: get your hand off this, get off your hands off that, don’t come here, don’t get close to that. Let me the fuck live quietly! I do feel bad! My life is bullshit! And now I feel just incredible! Free! Confident! Happy! Hap-py!”       “Calm the fuck down, brainless asshole!” Christopher tightly takes the drunk Edward by the shoulder and shakes him slightly. “Look around! You’re speaking so loudly that everybody is staring at you!”       “May they stare at me! I shall make a little show for them!” Edward looks at the visitors to the bar, who really look at him surprisingly. “Hey, fellows, don’t go anywhere! I will drink another glass and sing my favorite song for you! And dance! Everybody will see how cool I can move my ass!”       “Oh, God, why did You let me call this brainless man today and invite him here?” Christopher moans tiredly, rolling his eyes. “I’m really ashamed of him! That moment when someone gets ashamed, but you feel embarrassed.”       While Christopher literally curses everything in the world and hesitantly looks at those, who are confused and looking at the drunk Edward, who feels freer and is not afraid to seem stupid, the blonde-haired barmaid gets a filled glass of whiskey and brings it to Lockhart with a little hesitant gaze, while he smiles widely.       “Oh, thanks, dolly, you’re just a gem,” Edward thanks in a low, slow voice and puts some money on the table. “So, as I promised, a paycheck for my order and a tip.”       While the barmaid silently takes the money, Edward softly takes her hands and looks at her with a wide smile.       “M-m-m, I briefly thought you were my ex,” Edward notices. “You’re very similar to her. Of course, that gal is a fucking whore, but I still go insane over her beauty. Though you could comfort the young guy and help him forget the cheater.”       “Excuse me, sir, but I have much work,” the barmaid refuses gently, getting her hand out of Edward’s grip. “There are many clients here.”       “C’mon, baby, let’s make love in the bed…”       “Young man, let me go, please…”       “You know how good I am at sex! And you’re so sweet… I want you…”       “Stop it now! Or I will have to call security!”       “At least, leave me your phone!”       “Man, stop it!” the girl demands harshly.       “Or let me write mine! And yeah, my name is Edward…” Edward bites his lip sharply, being drunk as hell but remembering that he is not living like Edward, and hiccups quietly. “Oops… I mean Justin… Justin Ledger! To your service.”       “I shall call the police if you do not get off me!”       “Please, cutie… Do me a blowjob… At least a little…”       “Sir!” the girl yells.       “Girl, please, do not get mad at him,” Christopher says embarrassedly, making Edward let the barmaid’s hand go by force. “He just has a hard time – the girl betrayed and left him. So, the guy is suffering.”       “I don’t care…” the barmaid throws gloomily. “Control your drunk pal! Or I will have to call the administrator and the police.”       “For God's sake, forgive us. I’m really awkward for you. I promise I will not let him destroy anything.”       “I hope.”       The barmaid goes to do her business, fixing her hair brushed in a ponytail, Edward watches her with a sly smile and empties the glass of whiskey, and Christopher literally grabs his head because of what his drunk friend is doing.       “Listen, Justin, I understand you’re too young – you’re only twenty-one,” Christopher notices. “But even at this age, you must have brains! You aren’t a stupid boy!”       “I feel bad!” Edward moans painfully. “I want love! I want sex!”       “Did you go insane? You drank to the fuck, harassed the girl, and shouted at the whole bar… How desperate are you if you drink like this at your wish?”       “If you were me and experienced everything I had overcome, you wouldn’t feel better,” Edward throws gloomily and takes a big sip of whiskey. “For twenty-one years, I’ve experienced so much… And I could take it… But the betrayal of the slut that fucked some freak, became my last drop. It broke me down.”       “Fuck, you know how many similar girls you will meet! Did you think you’d find your only one after the first attempt? No, boy, you’re gonna be wrapped around a finger hundreds of times.”       “But nobody had betrayed me so cruelly before that bitch did.” Edward takes another sip of whiskey and exhales sharply, looking into the distance. “And the worst thing is that I did nothing for her to do that to me.”       “Okay, buddy…” Christopher claps Edward slightly on the shoulder. “Go home and sleep well. And tomorrow, we’ll meet again somewhere and talk. Not where they sell alcohol, ‘cause you might drink ‘till alcohol poisoning.”       “I repeat, if you don’t like something, just get out,” Edward replies gloomily. “If I want, I can drink without ya. I don’t have to find a company when I can do it alone.”       “You said what the barmaid said? If you don’t calm down, the police will come here, and you’ll get arrested for your uncivilized behavior in a public place.”       “I do give a fuck!” Edward glances aside, emptying almost half of the glass of whiskey, for which he gave the last money he had. “I had a goal of relaxing and having fun. And I’m having fun!”       “You’re making yourself a laughingstock! And I’m gonna stop it!” Christopher takes Edward by the wrist when his friend reaches for his glass and wants to drink more. “So, Ledger, either we’re going to your home in your iron horse, or I seat you in my car and drive you there. You will not be driving in this condition. Or you will be deprived of your driver's license and your old horse.”       “Morgan, get off me!” Edward moans quietly and puts his head on the bar table, hiding it in his arms folded on the one. “I repeat, go home and leave me alone! I do give a fuck about what you think about it, and I will be drinking and having fun as much as I want.”       “I’d get out with pleasure not to stay with the alcoholic, who ruined all my plans. But if I let you destroy yourself much more and get involved in a bad situation, remorse will prick me. Because of leaving the one that I invited to have fun together.”       “Think I absolved you of all your sins.” Edward smoothly waves one hand and takes the glass of whiskey in another. “Go and care about nothing. But I’ll stay here and have much fun.”       Edward drinks a couple of big sips of whiskey, enjoying the way the alcohol still burns up his throat, and his body is getting more relaxed and filled with some warmth. Now, his brain is turned off due to the influence of alcohol, he barely understands what he does and says, and all his movements are too short and rude or too slow and weak. His speech is getting unclearer and slower, and his brain is focused only on the events that are happening in his life. After losing control of himself and drinking the third glass, Edward is not afraid to tell all his secrets that tied his legs and hands. He just needs to relax, forget about the problems and feel free, happy, and confident, at least for a while.       “Hey, Justin, stop drinking!” Christopher raises his voice irritably, sharply taking the glass from Edward, who squeezes it very tightly when taking big sips. “Stop, I said!”       “I wanna drink more!” Edward exclaims loudly, sharply brings the glass to himself, and almost empties it.       “Uh-h, hey! Stop! Enough, I said! Ledger, you hear what I say? Did you turn off your brains? Gimme the glass, I say!”       “Hey, gimme! I’ll drink it and go to hang out on the dancepool.” Edward shakes his head along with the music that is playing in this place and smiles widely. “Oh, listen, cool music is playing here! I should come to the pool and dance ‘till my legs stop holding me.”       “You will not go to sing and dance!” Christopher says coldly.       “I will go!” Edward drinks the third glass of whiskey, exhales sharply, and shakes his head, understanding everything is a little blur before his eyes. “Oh… I feel dizzy… And everything’s so blurry…”       “Right, you must drink less, brainless alcoholic!”       “Oh, Chris, stop it, please…” Edward leans on the bar table with his elbows and starts massaging his temples. “Honestly, you’re starting to annoy me. Maybe, you leave me alone, so I don’t see your face and wish to hit it?”       “You can beat me ‘till half-death, but I won’t leave you in this condition,” Christopher says confidently, takes Edward’s wrists, and sets his gaze into his unfocused eyes. “And I will drive you to my home, not yours. When you come back to normal tomorrow, I’ll let you go.”       “Huh…” Edward chuckles with a stupid smile, while his pupils are dilated. “Do you think i’ll go home when the fun starts now? Oh… You’re so brainless, Morgan…”       “Okay, I shall watch you tomorrow when you wake up and try to remember what you did today.”       “No, I don’t wanna wake up… I feel fucking good now! Not saying I’m sitting next to one annoying idiot, without whom the party would be way better.”       “Listen to me, my dear friend!” Christopher exclaims confidently and puts his hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Now, I’ll drive you my home, and you’ll stay with me ‘till tomorrow. I don’t wanna watch you and especially bring you to my apartment, which you will definitely destroy before you pass out. But I must help my stupid friend, who decided to drink to the fuck and get ashamed of the whole bar because of the breakup with the girl and a self-rating issue.”       “You want to think I’m getting ashamed!” Edward replies funnily and loudly, waving his hands. “But actually, I’m having fun and getting a minute of fame! If the musical instruments were here, I’d play a wonderful song for everyone. People would be overwhelmed!”       “Alright, stop talking!” Christopher grabs Edward under an arm and tries to make him get up from the bar table, on which his friend puts his head. “Let’s go! Get your drunk ass up and go to the exit!”       “Get out of here, Morgan. Or you will make me so enraged that I will hit you.”       “I will hit you now if you don’t the fuck calm down!” Christopher raises his voice and slaps Edward on the back quite strongly. “Get up, I said!”       “Fuck yourself, cretin! Do not give orders!”       “Want the security to get you out of here?”       “Ar-r-r, fuck, will you leave me ALONE?” Edward starts yelling loudly and irritably, hitting his hand against the surface of the bar table as strongly as possible.       Edward immediately gets the attention of many visitors and the staff with the shout that is heard by those, who are not far from him. And Christopher, not wishing to do it, slaps his friend in the face strongly with the hope of getting his cool a little.       “Stop getting ashamed, idiot!” Christopher demands crossly. “Some guys are photographing you on phones! So, get ready, Ledger, you’ll become the Internet star when the whole world sees the affray you started here.”       “May everyone photography me!” Edward throws funnily and loudly and turns on the visitors with his hands put aside. “Come on, people, get your cameras ready! GET READY! BECAUSE I WILL START AN UNFORGETTABLE SHOW FOR YOU BY DANCING AND SINGING!”       Edward starts loudly singing a song, trying to get up from the chair, but understanding it’s hard to do it. The man immediately feels he has great problems with coordination and cannot stand on his legs, which got suddenly weak, falling on the floor but feeling no pain after quite a hard falling, singing the song loudly and not striking all the notes. Someone laughs, someone judges, and someone takes a phone and takes a couple of photos and videos. Under the influence of alcohol, his vocal skills got a little worse, but he feels absolutely confident and shameless while trying to take high notes and singing with all his heart. Looking at his friend, Christopher shakes his head with his hand put on his forehead and gets embarrassed from being with this man, who is doing what a sober person would hardly do.       “Hey, buddy, get up!” Christopher exclaims, taking Edward under his arms, barely getting him up, and holding him tightly because the man cannot stand on his feet because of dizziness and a lack of balance and orientation. “Exit! Exit, I say!”       “I WILL BE A HE-E-ERO-O-O-O!” Edward sings funnily at the top of his lungs, waving his hands and barely being able to stand on his feet confidently. “I AM MACHINE, BRO-O-O-OKE-E-EN MACHI-I-I-INE…”       “Shut up, alcoholic! Get up!”       “C’MON, PEOPLE! LET’S DANCE! MUSIC!”       Edward barely makes Christopher let him go and, holding everything he sees in his way and continuing to funnily sing lines from different songs that are not connected with one another, goes to the dancepool slowly. But realizing he should spend a lot of time going there, and he cannot almost stand, his vision is blurry, and he feels strong dizziness, the drunk man decides to start dancing right here.       “EVERYBODY IS DANCING!” Edward whoops funnily, waving his hands and starting to dance somehow along with the energetic music, but looking quite funny and awkward. “WAKE UP, FELLOWS! DANCE AND SING! CO-O-OME O-O-O-ON!”       Edward amuses many people at this place. The young girls and men do not hold down their chuckles and smiles while watching what the young guy is doing. Watching the dances of a drunk person is sometimes a hilarious thing. And Lockhart proves it, keeping a balance somehow and sparing no energy for showing stupid dance movements that make everybody smile and laugh. And he makes everyone so funny that the people start clapping, whistling and shouting something, not minding seeing a show of the young guy, who decided to get rid of the stress he has been obsessed with for a long time.       At this moment, Edward does not think about it, feeling quite confident and being shy of nothing, energetically dances along with an unfamiliar song, the words of which he loudly sings after they are sung. It seems that if he keeps behaving so openly, he will be about to start accosting all girls and undressing to his underwear, performing a little striptease for someone. More specifically, everything is coming to it because the man tries to get some girls he sees first involved in his dance but later takes his coat off, throws it aside, and slowly starts opening up the buttons of his old shabby shirt with short sleeves that he sometimes raises up, letting girls admire his quite well-trained body, his strong muscles on his arms, his tough chest and his noticeable six-pack on his abs.       “Hey, hey, Ledger, don’t dare to undress ‘till your underwear,” Christopher jabs, taking Edward under an arm and trying to take him to the exit. “You did get yourself ashamed!”       “Come on, may this handsome guy dance!” a young girl with dark hair standing not far from the bar table says funnily.       “Hey, boy, cool abs!” another girl adds. “Can I feel it up?”       “You see, buddy, I finally found the people, who appreciated my talent,” Edward barely pronounces, leaning on the bar table not to fall.       “Go, baby, undress!” the third girl whoops happily. “I wanna see you half-naked! Since you have such a beautiful face, I don’t doubt your body is not less gorgeous.”       Some girls support this suggestion and start happily whooping and applauding loudly, while men just chuckle quietly and drink something, though they have an interest in the actions of the drunk man.       “So what, girls, are you ready to see the real man?” Edward asks funnily and loudly. “I will now show you what kind of treasure my ex-girlfriend rejected, preferring some amoral freak over me.”       When Edward wants to start dancing like crazy along with the girl’s whoops, his legs stop holding him again, and he has to tightly grab the bar table.       “Alright, I’m sick of this!” Christopher exclaims, takes Edward confidently under his arm, and sharply turns him on the side of the exit. “Even if I have to drag you along the floor to take you to my car, I will do it!”       “Hey, where!” Edward resents. “Where? I did start having fun!”       “Stop! You drank so much that you lost your brains and shame! And if you undress before everyone’s eyes, you will get arrested!”       “I DO WANNA HAVE FUN, DANCE, AND MAKE THE GIRLS HAPPY!”       When Edward wants to take a step, he falls on the floor like a stone due to a lack of balance, but does not get up and starts singing songs at the top of his lungs. Christopher, who places the coat of his friend above his shoulder, barely gets his friend up on his feet, then starts holding him, puts his friend’s arm around his neck, and tries to lead him away.       “Alright, Ledger, exit! The fun is over!”       “EVERYTHING IS STARTING!” Edward shouts funnily, waving one hand and stupidly smiling at those, who are looking at him with a quiet chuckle. “LET’S HAVE FUN!”       “What kind of fun, moron!” Christopher resents, slowly trying to bring Edward to the exit and holding him tightly. “You barely stand on your feet and are about to fall! But you’re gonna hang out!”       “It does seem to you! Oh…” Edward cannot stand on his feet again and almost falls on the floor, but Christopher keeps holding him. “I need to drink! CUTIE, MORE WHISKEY!”       “Enough! You’ve drunk three glasses and become a moron without brains.”       “LET’S HAVE FUN! GIVE DRINKS TO EVERYBODY FOR MY ACCOUNT! TWO GLASSES FOR ME! AND A COUPLE OF BEAUTIFUL GIRLS! BEING READY TO MAKE THE HOT AND SINGLE HORSE HAPPY!”       “Come on, go, hot, drunk horse!” Christopher exclaims. “You made yourself a laughingstock for so many people. Exit, idiot!”       While Christopher gets his friend out of the room full of people by force, Edward loudly sings lines of songs that are not connected with one another, tries to say something, and orders to give him many drinks and bring young, beautiful girls to him. His speech is getting more unclear and senseless, and his legs cannot hold the weight of his body. Without the help of the curly young guy, who is determined not to leave his drunk friend alone, Lockhart would keep lying on the floor and provoking an affray until the police came to the bar and arrested the violator of the rules.       Christopher barely brings Edward to his silver car bought not a long time ago but not recently, while Lockhart is trying to pick up all the girls that go by him with a stupid smile. When the curly guy unlocks it with a key, his friend falls on the ground but sings not very loudly and starts feeling the wish to fall into a deep sleep, not understanding what’s going on, what he does, and what he says, and understanding he feels strong dizziness, gets obsessed with terrible weakness in his body, and has a very blurry vision.       Christopher groans quietly before he opens the back door, gets the drunk Edward up from the asphalt, taking him tightly under his arms, barely seats him in the backseat, and closes the door after him. Now this man wants to watch his drunk friend much less. He silently prays that he does not go insane and does have enough strength to watch the guy, who makes unclear sounds, putting his head on the door of the car, but then lies on the backseat and starts singing something quietly and saying some non-connected delirium. Not wasting time, Christopher gets in the driver's seat, starts a car, and goes far from the bar, asking himself whether what Edward said while being drunk could be true.       

***

      Daniel, Helene, and Jessica meet at the hospital where Peter is now. However, they cannot go to the doctor yet because Terrence is more than thirty minutes later for some reason and did not warn anyone about it.       “Where is he?” Daniel asks irritably, sitting on the chair in the hospital hall and leaning on the wall with the back of his head. “We’ve been waiting for His Highness to be pleased to bring his ass here for thirty minutes!”       “Maybe, he is in a traffic jam?” Jessica assumes, sitting next to Daniel. “When Helene and I were coming here, we were in a traffic jam because of some idiots, whose car died.”       “But he could warn us. He doesn’t say a word!”       “Calling or texting while driving?” Helene wonders, standing in front of Jessica and Daniel and often looking around.       “He could do it before getting into the car.”       “Listen, guys, I understand we’re now nervous,” Helene says quietly. “But now it’s not time to show evil and aggression. And Terrence will come soon. If he said he’d come, we should wait for him for a while.”       “He probably believes that just because he’s a celebrity, nobody will swear at him for being thirty minutes late.”       “Come on, Daniel, don’t be so nervous,” Jessica says softly. “You’ll see, your friend will come here soon, and we’ll finally go to the doctor.”       “Oh…” Daniel exhales sharply and runs his hand over his hair. “Yeah, you’re right… We need to hold on somehow… If I get nuts, I might fight with him, as hell. And lose another friend.”       “Another friend?” Helene frowns slightly, looking at Daniel questioningly. “Do you mean Peter?”       “Yes, I do. If I don’t control myself and wanna do something to Terrence in anger, we’ll have to say, ‘Farewell ‘Against The System’!’ However, nobody wants it. So, we must do our best to fight for the band ‘till the end.”       “We completely understand your feelings,” Jessica says. “But please, try to calm down and not to get obsessed with your emotions.”       “I’m trying to, girls…” Daniel crosses his arms over his chest and glances down. “But it’s still very hard for me… I don’t know what about you, but I still can't come to myself after what happened yesterday.”       “Yeah, we’re also dumbfounded. Peter’s act got us deeply shocked…” Jessica moves her sad eyes to her hands folded In front of her. “We didn’t think everything would be over so sadly, and we’d have to pray that Rose survives.”       “I know…” Daniel exhales quietly. “And I get horrified from thinking of what’s gonna happen if he doesn’t survive.”       “Hey, we forgot to say that when Jessica and I said goodbye to you and Terrence, we decided to go to Peter’s home,” Helene confesses hesitantly.       “You went to Peter’s home?” Daniel wonders, moving his rounded eyes to Helene.       “Yeah, we talked and thought we should’ve cleaned it up.”       “Gosh, but how could you? Didn’t you get scared by the fact you’d see much blood, feel bad smells, and end up in a great mess?”       “I can’t deny it was hard,” Jessica sighs heavily and looks around the whole hall. “But cleaning the apartment couldn’t be delayed. Now or never.”       “But we managed to overcome ourselves,” Helene adds. “And we decided to help you and Terrence a little, cleaning the whole apartment.”       “Yeah, we cleaned the walls and the floor in the bathroom. We washed the dirty clothes, threw off the expired food, put everything in the right places, took the pieces and empty bottles, and threw off the trash we got.”       “You probably spent a lot of time,” Daniel assumes with sadness in his eyes.       “We spent about two hours cleaning the apartment,” Helene confesses. “The only thing is that we need to buy a new door for the bathroom and set it up. We saw the locker was broken, and the door was deformed and barely holds on.”       “Sadly, we had no choice,” Daniel shrugs. “Anyway, Terrence and I will surely pay for the purchase and installation of a new door.”       “Yeah, we took the set of keys that belongs to Peter and locked the apartment. Curious people won’t be able to go there and steal something. And those two annoying ladies saw Jessica and me when we came to the building and locked the apartment.”       “Did they move off and go home?”       “Yup. They didn’t stay to spend a night.”       “Probably, because it’s cold at nighttime. And who they’d talk about when nobody walks at that time. They could only stare at lamps.”       “Exactly! But okay…” Helene waves one hand and takes the handle of her bag with another. “No matter… Anyway, nobody will rob Peter’s apartment while he’s not at home.”       “Yeah, Helene will keep Peter's keys for a while,” Jessica says. “It will be better ‘cause I might lose them due to holes in my memory. I very often forget many things: sometimes it’s simple, but sometimes it’s serious.”       “Okay, Helene will do…” Daniel nods, looking into the distance.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which a company of doctors goes down the hall of the hospital with pieces of paper in their hands. And then Helene closely looks at Daniel, who looks a little sad.       “Erm, Daniel, sorry for meddling in your business, but I think you look sad,” Helene says thoughtfully.       “Yeah, Daniel, you’re kind of tense,” Jessica agrees, pressing her bag that she keeps on her laps closer to herself. “Are you so worried about Peter?”       “Goes without saying,” Daniel nods and exhales sharply. “But before going to the hospital, I had a quarrel with my girlfriend.”       “Your girlfriend?”       “Yes. A bad situation happened.”       “Oh, I’m very sorry…” Helene says with sadness in her eyes. “Everything’s so bad?”       “Nope, luckily, we quickly got cool and reconciled. But there’s a bad feeling anyway…”       “Is your girlfriend aware of the situation with Peter? Does she know him? Or didn’t you introduce them to each other?”       “No, no, I did. My girlfriend has always gotten on well with Peter, and he says good things about her. She knows everything about this story. I hide nothing from her and try to tell her everything.”       “I hope your conflicts don’t have to do with…” Jessica says hesitantly and bites her lip slightly. “Your mockeries at the blond?”       “Erm, partly, yes,” Daniel replies hesitantly and swallows up nervously, clenching his hands into fists. “But everything is okay, I’m not mad and believe her words are true. And I’ve heard all of that many times from those, who are aware of this situation.”       “But how often do you have conflicts?”       “We’ve lately had much more conflicts. The worst thing is that the reasons may be very stupid. And it makes me sad. I know that any lovers confront, especially when they live together. But at those moments, I believe I don’t have the support that I wanna get from my girlfriend.”       “I’m sure she understands everything,” Helene assumes.       “Yes, my girlfriend knows I don’t have the best time and tries not to annoy me. She doesn’t make me give her much more attention, forgetting that my friend is in the hospital after the suicide attempt. It’s one of the reasons why I love her.”       “You must have a wonderful girlfriend.”       “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Daniel smiles shyly. “Despite conflicts, I know I can always talk to her and get the support that I need. My girlfriend is quite smart and can find words to comfort me, calm me down and encourage me. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have such a wonderful person.”       “And when she’s not with you, Terrence supports you, huh? You’re very good friends and got much closer after starting to work in the band?”       “Erm…” Daniel thinks for two seconds. “You see, girls, of course, Terrence is my very good friend. At first, we thought we communicated for the band, but now we got closer… However, there are things I can’t tell him. He helps me get lost, and I encourage him. But no matter how strong our friendship is, we can’t tell each other everything.”       “I get it…” Jessica pronounces quietly, slightly rubbing her fingertips against one another. “And I think you two are lucky to have the girls that always support you.”       “Agree, those girls give us the strength to keep moving on. Terrence often says his fiancée is the only reason why he feels alive. And for me, my girlfriend is the reason why I keep staying strong and fighting for my wishes.”       “Ah…” Helene sighs heavily and thinks about something with sadness in her eyes. “It’s so great when lovers support each other and want to do something to make the one to mean much to them happy.”       “When you meet someone, for whom you’d be ready to do anything, you’ll understand me,” Daniel encourages with a slight smile.       “Maybe…”       Helene keeps thinking about something, starting to slowly walk in the hall, while Jessica watches her friend with sadness in her eyes, and Daniel exhales slowly, raising his head and closing his eyes. A few seconds later, Terrence shows up in the wide hall of the hospital, holding a plastic glass with a drink and going by a doctor, who rushes somewhere and almost strikes him down.       “Hey, everybody,” Terrence greets amicably. “Sorry for being late.”       “Hello, Terrence,” Helene and Jessica welcome gently.       “Finally, Terrence!” Daniel resents, crossing his arms over his chest and gloomily looking at Terrence. “Where are you the fuck hanging around? We’ve been waiting for you for thirty minutes, but you go nobody knows where.”       Daniel stops his eyes on the plastic glass in Terrence’s hand.       “You also got time to go to the cafeteria and buy something. It’s okay that we’re waiting for His Highness and not going to the doctor?”       “Sorry, I had so many things to do since the morning that I need to shake up a little,” Terrence excuses himself. “I didn’t even have time to eat. Well, I’ll at least drink coffee.”       “Listen, buddy, your celebrity status gives you no right to be late and come whenever you want. If you were told to come at four, your ass must be sitting on the chair at four hours.”       “Hey, hey, don’t get so excited! I did come!”       “If you hadn’t done it, I would’ve cut your gorgeous head off,” Daniel throws gloomily.       “Okay, okay, tough boy, quiet!” Terrence slightly claps Daniel on the shoulder. “I couldn’t really come here earlier.”       “Something happened at your home?” Helene asks softly.       “Actually, yes…” Terrence drinks a little bit from his plastic glass. “But I don’t wanna talk about it. And it doesn’t have to do with Rose.”       “Oh, since when have you been secretive?” Daniel frowns slightly, staring at Terrence questioningly.       “Since you’ve been excited.” Terrence slowly sits on the chair next to Daniel. “I understand the situation is nervous, but you should control yourself. Otherwise, you might do many bad things.”       “Yeah, I see you did it,” Daniel looks closely at Terrence’s face and the bruises on it. “What happened to your gorgeous face? Who you made so angry that you got so many bruises?”       “Indeed, Terrence, what’s wrong with your face?” Jessica asks anxiously, looking at the bruises on Terrence’s face. “Did someone beat you?”       “Erm…” Terrence stutters and smiles slightly, pretending that nothing happened. “Well, nothing special… It will be gone soon… Nothing will be left from them in two or three days.”       “So, MacClife, did ya want to please yourself?” Daniel chuckles quietly. “Is being a good guy boring?”       “I wanted nothing!” Terrence runs his hand over his face. “And yeah, I shouldn’t tell you everything!”       “C’mon, say nothing!” Daniel waves a hand. “I do know you got someone so mad that they couldn’t take it and slapped you in your precious one million dollar face.”       “Okay, stop saying some bullshit!” Terrence throws gloomily and glances at Daniel. “And yeah, why are you kind of dumbfounded? It seems that someone’s gonna torture you.”       “Oh, I can’t be quiet…” Daniel blunts and sets his gloomy gaze on the floor, crossing his arms over his chest. “The band is breaking up, my friend is in the hospital after the suicide attempt… And conflicts with my girlfriend have happened too often…”       “Conflicts with your girlfriend?” Terrence frowns slightly. “Damn, don’t take an example from me and fight with your beauty for stupid things.”       “I didn’t try,” Daniel shrugs. “Just… My sweetheart has her period, and she became irritated. And I’ve been lately a little nervous…”       “Oh, I’m sorry, man…” Terrence replies with sadness in his eyes, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “Hold on, it’s temporary.”       “It’s okay, we talked about everything and reconciled. Some time before I came here.”       “That’s good!” Terrence smiles slightly. “You won’t stay without the support of your girlfriend.”       “Of course, I won’t. My sweetheart is a little irritated now, but she’s a very good girl on her usual days, always supports me and takes care of me even better than my parents did when I was a kid.”       “I’m glad everything is more or less fine.”       Daniel nods with a slight smile and thinks about something, while Terrence keeps drinking something from his plastic glass. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, and then Jessica looks at Helene and gets up from the chair, saying:       “Erm, okay, guys, if everybody is here, let’s go to find out the test results.”       “Yeah, let’s go now,” Helene replies a little excitedly, embracing herself with her arms. “I can’t wait to know the results to stop being nervous.”       “Agree, I also wanna get rid of the disgusting feeling when you expect something with excitement,” Terrence confesses.       “We’re all nervous and wanna know the results,” Daniel says softly and gets up slowly from the chair. “But there’s the problem: where do we go, and who do we ask? We don’t even know the name of the doctor that is working on Peter.”       “We can try to find the nurse that took blood from us.” Terrence also gets up from the chair with his almost empty plastic glass in his hands. “She’d tell us the results of the test and call the name of the doctor.”       Helene, Terrence, Daniel, and Jessica look around, trying to recall where to go because they do not remember where the office of the nurse that took the samples from them is and do not know the name of the doctor that works on Peter. And a few seconds later, the four start slowly going down the long hall.       “Yeah, does someone remember where that office is and how that nurse looks?” Daniel asks, going a little ahead of the others.       “I remember we were going down the hall for a long time,” Terrence replies thoughtfully. “But not this one…”       “Yeah, it seems like we were going straightly for a very long time and then turned on the left,” Jessica says hesitantly. “Or no?”       “Damn, I was so busy with the thoughts about the test and the words about Rose’s state that I didn’t watch where I was going,” Daniel puts his hand on his forehead. “Just following that man mindlessly…”       “Listen, maybe, we just come to the reception and ask what’s happening to Peter?” Helene suggests. “So, we could find out the name of the doctor.”       “Or just say we did the test and wanna know the results?” Jessica adds.       “Yes, let’s go down,” Terrence agrees thoughtfully. “To the first floor. A young girl must be there.”       “Let’s go and then do something, depending on the events,” Helene says quietly.       Jessica, Helene, Terrence, and Daniel come to the stairs and go down to the first floor. On the way, MacClife finds a little trash can, in which he throws his empty plastic glass, from which he was drinking. So, the four end up in a big hall on the first floor, where there are very many doctors, visitors, and others from the hospital staff. After quickly looking around, they have no problems finding the reception, at which a young blonde girl is standing, accepting calls, filling out some papers, and talking with doctors and visitors. And when a man steps back from the reception, Terrence, Jessica, Helene, and Daniel confidently come to the young girl.       “Erm, excuse me, miss,” Terrence pronounces gently, putting his hand on the surface of the table.       The girl comes to the four, barely having time to work with papers, which her workplace is full of.       “Yes, I’m listening to you,” the girl says quietly. “How can I help you?”       “We need to talk to the doctor of one of your patients – Peter Rose,” Daniel replies. “Do you know where to find him?”       “Erm…” the girl bites her lip slightly. “Peter Rose? Do you mean the guy that was brought here yesterday after the suicide attempt?”       “That’s correct,” Terrence nods. “Peter Jackson Rose, twenty-five years.”       “Yes, yes, I know who you mean.”       “The case is that the doctor of Peter Rose asked us to give the blood samples,” Helene explains. “We were told Mr. Rose needed a blood transfusion, and the doctors needed donor blood. So, we would like to know the results of the test.”       “We were told it was supposed to be known after lunchtime,” Jessica adds.       “Oh, wait for a second…” the girl at the reception pronounces thoughtfully, thinks about something for a few seconds, and examines some papers. “Yes, the results are known… It says they were recently brought from the laboratory.”       “And what do they say?” Terrence asks.       “I do not know it, sir. I think you better talk to the doctor of Mr. Rose. He is the only one to tell you the results and explain what to do.”       “Tell us, please, where to find him,” Daniel says. “He did not introduce himself yesterday, and we do not know where the office of that man is.”       “Go up to the second floor, go down the hall, and find the office number #354, on the door of which a table titled ‘Dr. Lewis David Todd’ is hanging. If he is not there, wait for a while – the doctor of Mr. Rose may go out somewhere.”       “Is the name of the doctor, Lewis Todd, right?” Jessica specifies.       “Yes.”       “We got it, thank you so much,” Terrence replies politely. “Have a nice day.”       Terrence calls Daniel, Helene, and Jessica to follow him with a gesture. The four guys quickly go where the girl told them to go, while she starts working on some papers again. They go up to the second floor and take some distance down the wide, long hall, in which it’s possible to see many glossy doors, behind which there are rooms for patients or offices of doctors. Some people often go by and pay no attention to them, being busy with their thoughts and business. However, the four guys do not also care about them.       Some time later, they finally find the office number #354, on which a table with the signature “Dr. Lewis David Todd” is hanging. The door of the office is not glossy, as the ones of many rooms are, but a wood one. That’s why they cannot see what’s happening in the office and understand if there is the doctor they need now there.       “It seems like it’s here,” Jessica says thoughtfully, looking at the table at the door. “Number 354…”       “Yeah, that girl meant this signature,” Helene pronounces thoughtfully.       “So, let’s ask?” Daniel suggests hesitantly.       The four guys look at each other a little scarily and wait for two seconds. But then every one of them exhales sharply, and Terrence quickly knocks at the door.       “Come in!” the muffed, masculine voice pronounce at once.       Terrence carefully opens the door, looks into the office, and sees a man of average age with glasses. He is talking about something with a young girl, who is listening to him very closely and letting him see what she has in her paper.       “Sorry for bothering you, but we need the doctor of Peter Jackson Rose,” Terrence says gently. “We were told we would find him here.”       “It’s me,” the doctor nods. “And you must be his friend? You were here yesterday?”       “Yes, we are,” Daniel confirms quietly, looking into the office along with Jessica and Helene, when Terrence opens the door much more.       “We would like to know the results of the test you asked to give yesterday,” Helene says.       “Yes, yes, this girl and I are talking about it,” the doctor replies a little tiredly, fixing his glasses, and glances at the girl in his office. “Come in and sit down, please.”       The doctor points at the sofa in the office. Daniel, Terrence, Jessica, and Helene hesitantly look at each other. But then the men let the girls go forward, follow them, and close the door. The four slowly go to the sofa and hesitantly sit on it, impatiently waiting for what the doctor is going to tell them. Every one of them is quite tense and excited because the doctor of Peter may give them hope for the best or get them ready for losing their friend.       “I think I want to say that I forgot to introduce myself yesterday,” the doctor says, folding his hands on the table in front of him. “In case you did not read the table on the door of my office, my name is Lewis Todd.”       “Yes, we saw the table,” Daniel nods.       “Well, alright.”       “Mr. Todd, what can you say about Peter’s state?” Jessica asks anxiously. “Something has changed since yesterday?”       “Nope, nothing has changed,” Lewis shakes his head with sadness in his eyes. “Unfortunately, his state is still unstable, and he has not woken up yet. We are injecting some solutions into him and carefully watching his indicators: heartbeat, blood pressure, fever, and everything. I personally check on him several times per day.”       “Are you sure that even if one of us gives blood to him, he will get well?” Terrence asks hesitantly. “What if… What that is… Hypovolemia will harm the organism much?”       “We are relying only on the transfusion. We need to compensate for a massive loss by giving him the right blood. And when he gets it, we will be making sure that the organism does not reject that blood.”       “But did you get the results of the test?” Daniel asks with widely open eyes. “Could one of us become a donor?”       “Yes, we got the results a few minutes before you came. But we do not know who could be good because we have not opened the envelope.”       “So, we came in time,” Helen pronounces quietly.       “In time. If you had come earlier, you would have had to wait for a long time.”       “If it had happened, we would have waited,” Jessica says confidently.       “I am glad you do not leave your friend,” Lewis replies with a slight smile and quickly clears his throat. “Oh, alright, fellows, let’s check the result of the test.”       Lewis glances at the girl, who literally reads his mind, gets a white envelope out of the folder she is holding, and gives it to the man, who is fixing his glasses. While the excited Helene, Jessica, Terrence, and Daniel look at each other, and the girls tightly grab the handles of their bags, Lewis opens the envelope, takes the white piece of paper folded several times, quickly unwraps it, and starts examining its content closely.       “Damn, guys, I’m terribly nervous,” Helene whispers with anxiety.       “We are all afraid,” Terrence tries to keep calm. “I hope at least one of us can become a donor…”       “And he does play time…” Daniel blunts quietly and throws a gloomy look at Lewis, who is closely examining the paper and slightly fixing his glasses. “Couldn’t he quickly tell us the results and say who may be a donor?”       “He’ll say everything now,” Jessica says confidently. “That Lewis did say he didn’t know the results and would find them out now.”       With these words, Jessica glances at Lewis, who is closely examining the paper that he took from the white envelope. He reads and looks at something over and over for a few seconds, fixing his glasses at times. The expectation kills Daniel, Terrence, Helene, and Jessica and seems too long and tedious. They really want the doctor to tell them the results of the test, letting them know if they have a reason to believe in the best, or they will keep searching for a donor for Peter. But a few seconds later, Lewis moves his eyes off the paper and looks at the four, exhaling slowly.       “So, what I can say, ladies and gentlemen…” Lewis says thoughtfully, falls into silence for two seconds, and clears his throat. “Judging the results of the test, the blood of only one person can be good for my patient. Sadly, the other three cannot be donors.”       Terrence, Daniel, Helene, and Jessica exhale with relief and look at each other and Lewis with hope.       “And who is that person?” Jessica asks excitedly.       “Yes, yes, Mr. Todd, do not waste time!” Terrence says excitedly.       Lewis looks at the four for two seconds and sighs quietly.       “I think I will tell you who cannot be a donor. So, the one not to be able to become a donor is…” Lewis stays silent for two seconds, which are kind of infinity for everybody. “Jessica Taylor…”       Jessica swallows up nervously with sadness in her eyes, barely holding tears down.       “Don’t worry, sweetie,” Helene says softly, hugging Jessica around the shoulders and pressing her to herself. “The important thing is that we have hope for the best.”       “I’m so sorry…” Jessica makes a quiet sob. “I wanted to help Pete so badly… Forgetting about my offenses and thinking of how much he needs our help.”       “I completely understand you. But unfortunately, it happened.”       While Helene comforts the upset Jessica and is afraid she may not become a donor, Lewis keeps speaking:       “The one not to also be able to be a donor is Terrence MacClife.”       Terrence exhales slowly and runs his hands through his hair, getting very upset because he is not able to do anything.       “Don’t be upset, buddy,” Daniel comforts, clapping Terrence on the shoulder. “You’ve done very much for him.”       “I did start to get ready to become a donor…” Terrence replies with sadness in his eyes. “I really wanted it… But I can’t…”       “I’m very sorry… But there’s still hope. What if the doctor says can give blood? There are only Helene and me! One of us can help Pete!”       Knowing everything may depend on one of them, Daniel and Helene look at each other with some fear and excitement in their eyes. They seem to be quiet outside, but everything turns upside down and squeezes inside them. Every single muscle is tense, and the heart is beating much faster. The man wants to make amends to Peter for laughing at his failures for a long time. Daniel must become a donor to show the real way he treats his quite close person, whom he still calls his best friend, despite their serious conflict. Well, the girl is shaking from just one thought that she might lose the blond. Peter is her closest friend, for whom Helene is ready for anything.        “Are you ready to become a donor if he says your blood fits Rose’s?” Terrence asks.       “Undoubtedly!” Daniel replies confidently. “If my blood is good, I will do my best to help Peter. I do wanna make amends and prove that I’m really ashamed of all the mockeries and insults.”       “Everybody would highly rate it.”       “I know. But I’d do it not for praise, but for the close person and the band that we must save.”       Terrence slightly claps Daniel on his back and massages his shoulder to help him relax a little.       “It’s okay, sweetie,” Jessica says softly, hugging Helene around the shoulders. “It’s gonna be okay…”       “If he says my blood is good, I won’t dare to refuse,” Helene says confidently, tightly locking her fingers. “For Rose, I’m ready for anything. I fear nothing! To save Peter, I’d move a mountain. He must live. And I’ll do my best to make it real.”       “I believe you, friend. Just don’t be so nervous, please.”       “People, please, do not get so nervous,” Lewis says quietly, looking a little anxious and watching everybody that is sitting in front of him. “I understand your excitement, but you’ve got no reason to behave as if there is no hope.”       “Just tell us the name of the one to be able to help Peter,” Daniel begs in a little shaking voice, looking at Lewis with pity in his eyes.       Lewis, literally mocking everybody, takes another short pause, and exhales sharply.       “The test says Daniel Perkins is not also able to give off his blood,” Lewis announces. “So, it means, only Helene Marshall can become the donor for Peter Rose.”       Daniel runs his hands through his hair, getting terribly upset because he does not fit for giving blood and has lost hope of making amends. And Helene getting sharply pale does not believe her ears and thinks she just dreams of Lewis saying she can be a donor. But a little later, the girl opens her mouth and looks at everybody in the office with a dumbfounded gaze, being ready to cry from the emotions she gets suddenly obsessed with. While Daniel and Terrence look at her with a slight smile, Jessica happily hugs her friend, who barely understands where she is: in reality or her fantasies.       “Helene, did you hear it?” Jessica asks with a shy smile, hugging the shocked Helene. “You can be a donor! You can help Peter, friend! Helene! Your blood fits his blood! It does!”       Helene becomes speechless for a while. She tries to say something but cannot do it because she is terribly nervous. Moreover, the girl starts shaking slightly, and tears are coming to her eyes. But later, Marshall finds the strength to speak, breathing heavily with a feeling of a fast heartbeat.       “Me…” Helene pronounces in a shaking voice. “Me… I… I… Can I really help Peter?”       “Exactly!” Jessica exclaims happily. “You can save Peter! If he accepts your blood well, there’s a chance that he’ll get well!”       “My God…” Helene closes her mouth with a hand and slightly grabs her throat, feeling she lacks air. “Tell me it’s true! Can I really save my friend?”       “Yes, Ms. Marshall!” Lewis confirms, looking at Helene with a slight smile. “Your test showed that you would be perfect for becoming a donor. And if it’s so, we will not waste time and will give you instructions to follow before giving off the blood.”       “My gosh…” Helene puts her hands to her mouth, trying to hold down tears of happiness. “Damn, I can’t believe it… I wouldn’t have thought I could be a donor… I… I wanted… But I didn’t think I’d fit until the end…”       “But you do fit,” Daniel replies with a slight smile and puts his hand softly on the shoulder of Helene sitting next to him. “And I’m very happy you're good for it. I hope you’ll save Peter and help him get well.”       “I still can’t believe I’m able to do it…” Helene shakes her head and swallows up nervously. “I don’t know what to say…”       “Remember, many things depend on you now,” Terrence notices softly. “You’re our hope! If Peter gets well thanks to you, we’ll be grateful to you for the rest of our lives.”       “I know,” Helene sniffs and smiles slightly, closing her mouth with a hand. “And I will not refuse. You will see. I will do it.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which everybody looks at Helene crying quietly from happiness. But then the young nurse, who has been in the office of Dr. Lewis all this time, breaks it:       “Ms. Marshall, I understand you are shocked and probably, barely understand what’s going on. But you have to go with me right now. The doctors should ask you some questions and have a little examination not to run into difficulties when giving blood.”       “Yes, yes, sure…” Helene pronounces hesitantly, wiping tears under her eyes. “I get it… And I am ready to do anything you would say. I could give my blood right now!”       “No, first, we should talk to you and examine you. Please, follow me. I will bring you to someone to do everything.”       The nurse comes to the exit from the office, and Helene follows her two moments later, taking her bag and showing a quick gesture to Jessica. When the two girls leave the office and close the door, Terrence, Jessica, and Daniel stop watching them and either incline their heads or look around with sadness in their eyes, being terribly upset but having hope Helene would make a miracle that would help Peter survive.       Lewis watches the three with sympathy for a few seconds after the nurse takes Helene away. Then he sighs quietly, takes his glasses off, and wipes them with a little rag he takes from a little pocket.       “I’m sorry you aren’t able to become donors,” Lewis says softly. “I saw every one of you getting upset when I said you couldn’t do it.”       “Couldn’t we be Peter’s donors at all?” Daniel asks with sadness in his eyes.       “Sadly, no…” Lewis thinks for two seconds, putting on his glasses and stroking his chin. “You see, the case is that every blood type – there are the four of them – has the ones that can be mixed or not. If someone gets blood that does not fit him, it may lead to some sad consequences. The results of the test told that Peter got the rarest AB- blood type. Only a little percentage of the people in the world have it. All the known types are comparable with it, but there is ‘something’ that became a reason why you three can’t be donors?”       “What ‘something’?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “The problem is about the RH blood group system. If your friend had the AB+ blood type, he could get the blood of anyone of you. But since he has the RH- factor, his blood must be mixed only with the one that has the same RH factor. I mean the RH- factor.”       “So, do we have the RH+ factor?”       “Exactly! The test told you three have the RH+ but different blood types: Ms. Taylor has the A+ blood type, and Mr. Perkins and Mr. MacClife have the 0+ blood type. Ms. Marshall has the B- blood type. And thanks to the RH- factor, she can become a donor for Mr. Rose.”       “I hope she will really be able to help Peter…” Jessica sighs quietly. “And he would accept her blood well…”       “If your friend is fine, and the doctor finds no contraindications, she will give off some blood tomorrow in the early morning, and it will be transfused to my patient.”       “Say, doctor, will Helene really take that procedure well? Many people do not always take it well… I have a familiar person who had complications when giving off donor blood. She always wanted to help people, but felt bad when she did it for the first time.”       “It happens, but we try to have a full examination to find out reasons that might prevent them from giving blood. That’s why the nurse took Ms. Marshall away to make sure this girl would stand this procedure.”       “Are you going to take blood from her once or several times?” Terrence asks.       “We will take some blood to see how she will feel. If everything is fine, we will take more. In case the organism of Mr. Rose accepts her blood well and has the right volume, your friend will not have to give blood. But I do not exclude that she may have to give blood again.”       “Are you actually sure about the blood transfusion?” Daniel asks. “What if Peter gets worse? You did say his state was not very good yet.”       “Oh…” Lewis fixes his glasses hesitantly. “I will not give you hope or promises. You should be ready for anything.”       “Is his state so bad that you cannot say anything clear?” Jessica asks anxiously.       “I’m afraid, yes,” Lewis folds his hands on the table. “I can’t say if he survives because the case is quite serious. That guy is literally between heaven and earth. He lost a quarter of his blood and must get a transfusion. Peter’s heart is working three times harder, and we’re afraid it might not take this load. Moreover, he has a breath issue. But if it still happens, we will have to put him on a ventilator to support his life. Though you know well that he cannot live on a ventilator forever. If we can do something, we will have only to turn him off the apparatus and confirm his death.”       “But it’s just your assumptions,” Terrence notices. “What if he is lucky and gets to survive?”       “I probably told you that you might often have different complications when having hypovolemia. For example, with the brains. Although Peter avoided them, we are afraid he might get them.”       “Oh, how it’s all hard…” Jessica sighs heavily and glances down.       “No, Ms. Taylor, don’t lose hope,” Lewis says softly with a slight smile, moving his eyes to Jessica. “I’m a doctor with many years of experience, who fights for his patients until the end. Every single person I care about is very important to me, and I do my best to help them. And in the case of Mr. Rose, I will not also give up and will do my best for him to get well.”       “But you did let us know the forecasts are not the best,” Terrence throws his hands up.       “Yes, Mr. MacClife, right. But I still have a little hope that everything will be fine. And I also want to get you ready for the fact that everything is not going to be easy. As they say, get ready for the worst, but hope for the best. I’m doing this not to get you shocked by something horrible, in case it happens.”       “We don’t want to lose that man…” Daniel says quietly with sadness in his eyes. “He means much to us. And Ms. Marshall will not accept this loss. She is worried about him much more, and cried bitterly when she found out he wanted to kill himself.”       “I understand, Mr. Perkins. But now, nothing depends on you. You can only hope for the professionalism of the doctors and Mr. Rose himself. When Ms. Marshall gives the blood, nothing will depend on her, either. She will just help that guy, not save him.”       “Nevertheless, if his state gets better thanks to her blood, we will be grateful to her for that act,” Terrence promises. “For helping our friend. The loss of who would… Deprive us of a chance to make one of our wishes come true.”       “Yeah, young men…” Lewis thinks for two seconds, closely looking at Terrence and Daniel. “Excuse me for the question… But are you the members of one musical band? What’s the name of it? ‘Against The System,’ probably… Right?”       Terrence and Daniel look hesitantly at each other and say nothing for two seconds, not really wishing to talk about it but understanding they will have to confess everything early or late.       “Yes, we are…” Daniel replies hesitantly, exhaling slowly.       “And Peter is also a member of it,” Terrence adds quietly.       “I got it,” Lewis nods. “Yesterday, your faces seemed familiar to me. And after thinking a little, I recalled that you were a part of that band. It’s kind of unknown yet, but it has enough fans.”       “Honestly, we didn’t want to tell everyone about Peter. But sadly, it happened that someone published photos of doctors, Peter, and us arriving here on the Internet. Today, we found out those photos were published everywhere and read the article in a magazine.”       “Yes, I’m aware,” Lewis says with sadness in his eyes. “My sixteen-year-old daughter showed that article to me this morning. I quickly recognized that guy and realized the drummer of the band my girl loved was brought to me.”       “Is your daughter our fan?” Daniel rounds his eyes.       “She really likes the song you performed on one of your shows. It’s called ‘Right Here, Right Now’… And my daughter also loves the way you performed some famous songs that you published on the Internet.”       “Yeah, we performed it on one of the shows of the band ‘The Loser Syndrome’,” Terrence replies with a slight smile. “Peter wrote that song. We call it the best one of what we’ve written so far but haven’t released officially.”       “My daughter loves the band, ‘The Loser Syndrome,’ as well. She has lots of posters with those guys in her room and bought all their albums, got something from the stuff with their logo, and has been on their shows here, in New York, a couple of times.”       “One month ago, we finished the tour in the USA, on which we performed as the opening act of that band. We went to large cities and came back here somewhere in the middle of the tour for a couple of shows.”       “My daughter saw you there for the first time. And she was on the computer for a long time to find out some information about you. But since we are not very famous, she found out very little.”       “Nice to hear that your daughter loved us,” Terrence smiles shyly.       “I have never heard you signing, but she says you have incredible talent. Layla, my daughter, noticed every one of you, but she liked Mr. Rose much more. She is delighted by the way he plays drums and sings.”       “Oh, when he sang, the crown yelled like crazy,” Daniel notices and chuckles kindly. “They didn’t yell so loudly even when Terrence sang. Though he’s our frontman and vocalist, whose talent is highly rated by many people, who say he was born to be a musician.”       “She likes all of you, but she has a crush on the drummer.”       “So, does your daughter know what happened to Peter?” Terrence asks hesitantly.       “Sadly,” Lewis shrugs. “And it made her very upset. She doesn’t know why it happened because that guy seemed positive. She says when your band managed to talk to your fans at a show, he was very sweet and nice.”       “Does she know you are caring about him?” Daniel asks.       “Not yet. Seeing her so upset, I didn’t find the courage to say it. But I will do it a little later when I know what his state is and whether there’s a chance that everything gets better.”       “Oh, this situation gets us so upset,” Daniel runs his hand slowly over his hair. “We wouldn’t have thought everything would be so hard. But if we had known something bad happened to Peter, we would’ve surely helped him.”       Lewis nods and thinks for two seconds, locking his fingers folded in front of him on the table.       “Yeah, it’s strange Peter’s relatives haven’t shown up,” Lewis notices. “Why are you three and Ms. Marshall the only ones to care about him?”       “We kind of said we don’t know his family.” Jessica sighs heavily and looks around the whole office. “Peter has never told us about his relative. I mean, we know that he had a mother. But she only cared about where to find a bottle of vodka and a drinking buddy.”       “She was an alcoholic?”       “Maybe. But I don’t know it for sure because it was just a rumor spread by someone from the school where we studied. Peter was my schoolmate. I’ve known him since school times.”       “That’s how…” Lewis frowns slightly and starts stroking his chin. “Interesting… Say, was it his first suicide attempt?”       “Yes, but he was just cutting himself. I don’t know how long he was doing that, but I caught him doing that at a high school when Peter ran away from a lesson and cut his hand on the empty back of the school.”       “But why did he actually start cutting himself? Did he have conflicts with his schoolmates? What made him do this?”       “The guys really disliked him because Peter wasn’t like everyone. I mean, he wasn’t sick or crazy… Rose just stood up against the others with his behavior. His opinion was always the opposite of the others’ one… And he expressed himself in his clothes and the music he was listening to and writing. Pete didn’t want to be like everyone and was looking for his own style. He was the greatest outsider in our school and got bullied by everyone. And I was the only one to refuse to be a part of it and support him. But secretly. Because I was afraid they would be mocking me in this way. Though I’ve always been able to stand up for myself.”       “And what’s his character? Could he stand for himself?”       “Well, he seemed quite a normal man to us for a long time…” Terrence replies thoughtfully. “Amicable, decent, clean, responsible, hard-working… His sense of humor is also fine…”       “And I think he can stand for himself,” Daniel assumes. “He had a conflict with one girl for a few years. She tried to humiliate and insult him. But Peter always gave quite a cruel answer and could bring her down. It never happened that she insulted him, and he got withdrawn, became discreet, and was afraid to open his mouth.”       “I see,” Lewis pronounces thoughtfully. “Didn’t your friend have a one-sided love?”       “One-sided love? No, no, he has actually never had girlfriends!”       “Never?” Lewis rounds his eyes. “Even one for his life?”       “At least, for the four years I’ve known him, Peter has dated nobody and hasn’t gone on dates. Sometimes I thought it was suspicious, and I even joked that he allegedly never had intimate with girls. He was kind of a virgin and wasn’t experienced at seducing girls… But Rose denied it and said he wasn’t a virgin and had girlfriends. And when I assumed he was gay and liked boys, Peter was mad and said he had a thing for girls.”       “Does he actually communicate with girls? I don’t mean if he flirted with someone, went on dates, or even had an intimate. I want to know about his amicable relationship with girls.”        “Rose communicated with those, whom he befriended, but he didn’t meet anyone for a relationship. There were cases when some girls hinted at something more, but Peter rejected everybody, saying those girls weren’t to his taste. But there were those, who I thought were sympathetic… We would know about his relationship because he has spent almost all his time with Terrence, Helene, Jessica, and me.”       “Are you all aware of it? Or does someone want to say something else about Peter’s relationship with girls?”       “Daniel doesn’t lie,” Jessica shrugs. “Peter has many friends among girls, but doesn’t want to have a relationship with anyone. I don’t remember that he had at least one girlfriend. Erm… Well… He liked one girl, but he stopped thinking of her later. And he hasn’t talked about his crushes since that time…”       “That girl was bad? She hurt him somehow?”       “I don’t know… Honestly, Peter didn’t say where he met her or who she was. This guy just said he liked someone. That’s all! No more words about her or anyone else.”       “Couldn’t it be someone from the girls he knows well?”       “No, I doubt. It can’t be me because we’ve always been just friends and never had love feelings for each other. And as far as I understand, he treats Daniel’s girlfriend and Terrence’s fiancée as friends… And Helene…”       “Excuse me for the question, but does Ms. Marshall really consider Peter her friend? She is too worried about him. I understand he is a very close person to her. But that girl is so nervous, as if her life will have no meaning if she loses him.”       “Erm…” Jessica bites her lip slightly and looks around hesitantly. “You know, I wouldn’t be sure about it… Sometimes I really think Helene isn’t indifferent to him. That girl is literally ready to give a damn about everything and become Peter’s babysitter just to see him happy and healthy. She’s lately only thought of him. I’ve told her many times that she should think of herself a little and pay attention to other guys, but she doesn’t want.”       “Is she dating someone?”       “Nope, she’s single now. And I must confess that it scares her grandmother, who says it’s time for Helene to think of her personal life. But it’s clear she doesn’t care about it – she has only Peter in the first place. I think if not for her grandmother, whom she must take care of, that girl would literally live with Rose.” Jessica sighs quietly. “So sorry. She’s a beautiful and smart girl. Many men pay attention to her. But her world goes around only one person – the one, because of whom she has cried so many tears out.”       “Interesting…’ Lewis frowns slightly. “Do you think Peter feels something more for her? Doesn’t he have a crush on her?”       “No, I don’t think so…” Jessica shakes her head. “Though he has always treated her more tenderly and warmer than the other girls he knows.”       “Did you ask one of them about their feelings?”       “I asked Helene, but she insists that he was her friend. But I’ve never asked Peter about it… I didn’t think he could love her…”       “But one day, I suggested that he pays attention to her, and he started finding excuses and trying to change the subject with a slight smile,” Daniel confesses.       “That’s how…” Lewis pronounces thoughtfully.       “Excuse me, Mr. Todd, but why are you asking?” Terrence asks.       “You see, young fellows…” Lewis folds his hands on the table and looks at Daniel, Jessica, and Terrence. “Although my profession is not about working with people, who tried to kill themselves, I have two high educations. I am a psychologist thanks to one of them. And I must confess that I got interested in this case and want to find out the reasons why Peter tried to kill himself.”       “Actually, we have suspicions that it could happen because of his relationship issues with girls or mockeries at school. But Daniel and I didn’t know about the school case before meeting Jessica and Helene. Only about his problems with his personal life. Every time we talked about girls, Peter tried to avoid this talk and wanted to hear nothing about it.”       “Peter didn’t definitely tell you much. Everything you told me might be a reason that could make him start harming himself. You can give yourself pain differently – you don’t have to imagine someone cutting their veins when hearing the word ‘self-harm’. They might pull their hair out, beat themselves, hit against something on purpose, and burn the skin… The important thing is to feel as strong pain as possible. This is how the people like your friend kind of punish themselves for being allegedly bad, terrible, and unlucky. They want to get rid of the pain in the soul and distract themselves from their problems… It’s very hard for them to express their emotions. I could say they can’t express them and honestly talk about the feelings they’re obsessed with.”       “Does it mean a person is hilarious when they are too funny and laughing a lot?” Daniel asks.       “Well, when someone smiles and laughs when they have a reason to be happy, they are hilarious and positive… But if someone always laughs and never gets upset, it doesn’t always show reality and might be a sign that someone is not fine at all.”       “Just like in Peter’s case…” Terrence pronounces quietly.       “Do you want to say Peter always laughed, smiled, and never got sad?”       “Yes, never,” Daniel nods confidently. “I spent very much time with him and never managed to see him sad. Sometimes he could even laugh at his failures and pretend that he didn’t care about them.”       “Hm…” Lewis frowns slightly and fixes his glasses. “Very interesting… It seems like I have a business with the guy that definitely needs the support of close people or a good psychologist.”       “Yeah, but…” Terrence says thoughtfully, looking at Lewis with sadness in his eyes. “It doesn’t mean he'll stop trying to die when he survives.”       “You’re right, but when someone keeps trying to deprive themselves of life, the patient gets special therapy.”       “What if he doesn’t want to get it?” Jessica asks.       “You must not make someone get therapy and reveal their soul by force. A person must wish to be honest, help the doctor give him or her the right pieces of advice, and follow the instructions. If they are of legal age and capable, they have a right to decide what to do.”       “And what do we do for someone to stop thinking of the wish to die or harm themselves?”       “Well, first, you must not leave someone alone and must watch them, not forgetting to encourage them constantly. You should distract the person from bad thoughts: taking them somewhere, suggesting spending time with friends and close people, listening to favorite music, watching a good movie… Anything! The most important thing is not to do anything that might provoke him for a suicide attempt. And again, the important thing is not to make, but to suggest. If you think you can make someone distract themselves, you will get an opposite effect that will make everything worse.”       “And if someone rejects help and pushes you off themselves?”       “You should be by their side, but you must not press. Don’t try to get a confession out of them or make them calm down immediately. You must categorically not devalue the sufferings, saying they’re worried about stupid things. Maybe, it’s a stupid thing for you, but it’s not for them. Show your support and care and let them know that you completely understand him or her and will be by their side, despite nothing. And when the person sees they can trust you, they will tell you everything at their wish. In these cases, you must act softly, not press, not leave someone alone, and be ready to have an open talk.”       “But what if a person pushes one but does not do it to another?”       “That person probably made all the mistakes I told you about. For example, you could talk with Mr. Rose about his relationship with girls, but he could get much worse. You could hurt him. Again, you may think it’s strange and bad and believe that when a man does not have a relationship, he is sick, frigid, or asexual.”       Lewis’ words make Jessica and Daniel a little nervous. While the man swallows up nervously, the girl shamelessly moves her eyes to her hands.       “Besides, the way a person treats someone also has to do with it,” Lewis adds. “Maybe, one also rejects another because they feel bad next to them. You would not reveal yourself to someone you dislike and do not want to see or hear. Right?”       “So, do you want to say Peter hates me and doesn’t want to talk to me?” Jessica asks, looking at Lewis amazingly. “If he pushed me off.”       “Why would he hate you, Ms. Taylor? When people are in anger or sadness, they could do what they would regret for the rest of their lives. But then they calm down and understand what mistake they made.”       “Do you think he really regrets it?”       “Oh…” Lewis quickly clears his throat and starts working his hand actively. “Imagine one situation… There is a person. No matter if they tried to kill themselves. You love that person so much and try to do everything for them. But one day, something happens to you, and you take it out on them. If that person gets mad at you, it’s a fine reaction. Because he or she loves you so much, but realizing how meanly you behaved toward them makes them suffer. At first, you may not understand what you did, but time goes fast, and you start to regret it. I think the same is happening in the case of Peter. He is not obsessed with a good or bad attitude toward someone. He is mad at negative emotions and words, which are stupid for you but hurt him much.”       Lewis’ words make Terrence shake and recall the day he did not contain his anger and took it out on Raquelle, being mad she did not love him as much as he wanted. The man spent some time to realize what kind of pain he gave the one, who was close to him even at that moment. But when his mind was literally lighted up, he wanted the ground to swallow up from shame and not to look into anyone’s eyes. However… Terrence still regrets what he should not have done.       While Lewis falls into silence and looks at the trio, Daniel notices Terrence gets sharply white and very nervous, and tenses all his muscles strongly, setting his widely open eyes into the distance.       “Hey, Terrence, are you okay?” Daniel shows anxiety, putting his hand on Terrence’s shoulder.       “Erm, yeah…” Terrence tries to put on something like a smile. “I’m fine…”       “Are you sure?” Jessica gets anxious. “You look white and overwhelmed.”       “You reacted kind of strangely to what I said, Mr. MacClife,” Lewis frowns slightly, closely looking at Terrence from head to foot. “You’re white and shaking… Did you experience something like that?”       “No, Mr. Todd, I’m fine,” Terrence replies without emotions. “I’m fine…”       “I think Ms. Taylor is right, and you really look kind of overwhelmed. Maybe, something happened to you?”       “Nope… Nothing happened…”       “If you have the wish to talk out, I can listen to you. Help you as a psychologist.”       “No. I am fine.”       Terrence’s scared eyes run from one side to another, and he starts getting more and more nervous, but tries to hide it. And a few seconds later, understanding that he literally gets choked and breathing heavily enough, the man decides that he wants to stay alone.       “Oh, excuse me, I need to go out for two minutes,” Terrence jabs, exhaling sharply. “I’ll be back soon…”       Terrence sharply gets up from the sofa, quickly leaves the office, and closes the door. Daniel and Jessica watch him, frown slightly, and look at each other questioningly.       “What’s wrong with him?” Jessica asks anxiously.       “I don’t know…” Daniel pronounces thoughtfully and bites his lip slightly. “But he’s strange…”       “His face immediately changed when I asked you to imagine this situation,” Lewis notices and frowns slightly. “If it hadn’t happened to him, Mr. MacClife wouldn’t have reacted to my words.”       “Do you think he hurt someone and then regretted it?” Jessica rounds her eyes.       “I think he is still regretting and suffering. That man looks too exhausted, but he tries to hide it so hard. I don’t know what happened to him, but probably something very serious.”       “Do you think he’s worried about something?”       “Yes, I believe something very shocking happened or is happening in his life. And I would advise you to talk to him about it. I didn’t kind of see life in his eyes. Yes, he smiles and does not act distantly, but his eyes are kind of sad and a little dumbfounded.”       “I will not tell you all the details, but some unpleasant things are happening in his family,” Daniel confesses. “And he’s worried about it… He has enough reasons to be nervous. Everything happened so suddenly, and I think he barely takes it.”       “I get it,” Lewis falls into silence for two seconds, thinking about something. “Don’t leave him alone, please. Mr. MacClife seems like a strong man, but it might be very hard for him. I don’t exclude that he might be so upset because of problems with his close people. Someone betrayed him, someone hurt him, or sort of.”       “You think?” Jessica frowns slightly.       “Anyway, you should catch that man and talk to him.”       “Of course, we will talk to him,” Daniel promises. “But I must confess that Terrence's mood has lately been very changing. At first, he’s a confident man, who is proud to be himself and fights until the end. And then he’s ready to give a damn about everything, believes everything’s hopeless, and literally becomes a whining boy.”       “Hey, let me ask you, how did he get so many bruises on his face?” Lewis frowns slightly. “Did someone beat him?”       “We asked him, but he refuses to explain it,” Jessica shrugs. “But I guess he fought with someone. A person can’t give oneself so many bruises.”       “Yeah, I believe so. Anyway, talk to that man, and don’t leave him alone. If he wants, he can always speak out.”       “We will find him, don’t worry.”       “Alright. Then, if you have no questions for me, you can go.”       “Excuse me, Mr. Todd, but when will you let us see Peter, at least for a moment?” Daniel asks. “We know we are not allowed to go to his room. But it would be great just to watch him from the side. Just tell us where his room is, so we can stand in front of it. We will not come in, I promise.”       “I’m sorry, Mr. Perkins, but I can’t let you visit him now. Let’s wait for another day and finish the blood transfusion. And if everything is fine, I will let you watch him through the window. You would be able to come at any time and watch him, but you would not enter the room until the state of Mr. Rose gets a little better.”       “Well, alright… We got it.”       “Don’t worry, I will tell one of you if he gets better or worse. I have your numbers, and I can always contact any one of you if I have to.”       “Tell us everything,” Jessica says with sadness in her eyes, getting up from the sofa and taking her bag.       “Undoubtedly.”       “Thanks for the talk, Mr. Todd,” Daniel says amicably, gets up from the sofa, and shakes Lewis by the hand. “You definitely helped us get better.”       “I’m glad I helped you, at least morally,” Lewis replies with a slight smile and shakes Jessica by the hand. “Anyway, you know where to find me now.”       “Sure…”       Jessica slowly comes to the door and opens it when Daniel follows her.       “Goodbye,” Jessica and Daniel say goodbye at a different time.       “See you soon,” Lewis says goodbye.       Lewis watches Jessica and Daniel with a sad gaze, being truly sorry it’s all happening in the lives of these people and getting a greater interest in Peter’s case, whom he feels truly sorry for. Probably, it’s the first time when the doctor aims to find out much about the one he takes care of. He did not actually care about his patients’ lives, but this young blond with a hard life makes him reflect on the reasons for his actions.       

***

      Jessica and Daniel leave Lewis's office, and the man closes the door after leaving it last. The young people start slowly going down the wide, long hall and thinking about what they heard from Peter’s doctor.       “I don’t like Terrence’s behavior,” Jessica says thoughtfully, putting the handle of her bag on her shoulder and embracing herself with her arms. “He changed so much after the words of Lewis.”       “I can assume why he’s so upset,” Daniel replies thoughtfully. “And I already told him that.”       “Does he really have problems not only with the band but also with his family?” Jessica tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.       “Yes, I don’t doubt it,” Daniel crosses his arms over his chest. “He has one problem.”       “Really? But what’s wrong?”       “It’s a long story, but I will say the crime has to do with it. Some people got Terrence’s family involved in a bad story. And all of them are in great trouble.”       “Don’t you think the bruises on Terrence’s face have to do with this story?”       “I don’t know, Jessica… But it’s possible…”       “My gosh… If it’s true, I’m very sorry for him.”       “And I believe something else that shook him up much happened. He asked us to wait for him by four and came thirty minutes later for the reason. He sounded false when trying to explain it.”       “Yeah, I thought so…” Jessica sighs quietly. “But since I don’t know the full story or Terrence himself, I don’t judge or feel sorry for him. It’s hard for me to understand if he is really the one he tries to be.”       “No, no, he doesn’t pretend to be someone!” Daniel protests confidently. “Terrence has always been true to those he loves. Yes, he may have shoots due to his hard character, but he’s actually a good man.”       “I didn’t try to say that he was a liar,” Jessica shrugs. “Watching his reaction to what Lewis said, I can just say a similar situation happened to him somehow.”       “I don’t know…” Daniel sighs, not telling everything that is happening to Terrence. “I can say nothing… I know only about the story that happened to his family… No more…”       “Alright, no need to guess!” Jessica waves a hand and glances at a nurse going by her and running down the hall like a meteor. “We shouldn’t think about it! We should think about Peter to survive.”       “I hope Helene will help such an important to us man.”       “Oh, trust me, Daniel, that girl would move a mountain for the blond to be saved,” Jessica replies confidently. “And when the doctor allows us to visit Rose in the room, Helene will move in there and stay with him ‘till he’s released.”       “Yeah… Does she really like Pete? I haven’t met people, who would take care of someone to be just their friend. Your friend cares about him as if he’s her sweetheart.”       “It’s okay, someday I shall make her confess that she likes that guy. How long she’s gonna be silent and pretend that the blond is just a friend of hers!”       “I think you better know how to talk to her.”       “Don’t doubt.”       After passing some distance, Jessica and Daniel stop and turn on each other, while a man and a woman of middle age go by them.       “Okay, let’s go apart: I’ll try to find Terrence, and you go to Helene,” Daniel suggests.       “Okay,” Jessica nods. “And if we find them, I’m suggesting meeting at the cafeteria to know we didn’t get lost.”       “Great. See you in the cafeteria.”       Jessica and Daniel go on different sides: the girl wants to wait for Helene, and the man is going to find Terrence and talk to him about his strange behavior. But he does not know where to find him because his friend could leave the hospital or be somewhere here. Perkins walks down the long halls of the hospital for some time. He gets sad when watching the visitors that come to visit their close people and members of the hospital staff, many of whom look quite tired and want to go home.       But a little later, Daniel goes to the cafeteria that is located on the first floor of the hospital, putting his hands in the pockets of his coat, and meeting different people that go to do their business.       “I saw him so depressed only when he almost broke up with Raquelle,” Daniel thinks with sadness in his eyes. “If he had a conflict with her this morning, I can assume that’s why he came late and behaved strangely during the talk with Lewis. It’s the only explanation that I can find so far…”       Daniel sighs silently.       “Oh, holy shit, losing him would be too much,” Daniel thinks. “We’re about to lose Peter. But if Terrence gets a nervous breakdown, it’s gonna be a catastrophe… But knowing what’s happening in his family, I wouldn’t be surprised if he couldn’t take it. And when he knows who has to do with this story, Terry might not take a double hit. Shit, how hard everything is…”       While Daniel thinks about Terrence’s behavior, he does not notice that he comes in quite a spacious, well-lighted cafeteria, the design of which is made in a modern style. It’s possible to see very many tables for four, six and eight people around in different corners of the big room where many people are walking. There are a few display cases with different drinks and food that could be bought for little money, and the cafeteria staff barely have time to serve all visitors, give them what they want, and clean up for those, who do not put a plate with the rest of the food in a special place. After looking around, the man sees many people, who are buying something, sitting at tables, quietly eating or drinking, or just going to enter or leave this place.       And a few moments later, Daniel sees a familiar black-haired man sitting all alone at the furthest table for four people with a bottle of water in his hands. He is so depressed and has gotten so busy with his thoughts that he notices nothing around him. Even when Perkins sits in front of him, he keeps looking at the closed bottle of water with his dead eyes and thinking of something, as he wraps this thing in his hands that he bought to hold and shake something.       “Terrence, what’s happening to you?” Daniel wonders. “Why did you get outta Lewis’ office as fast as a bullet after his words?”       “Me?” Terrence specifies without emotions and glances at Daniel for a moment. “Erm… Well… I… Just wanted to be alone… Take all of that… Everything we heard…”       “Yeah, bro, seems like you broke down again and turned into a vegetable! I saw you so broken and depressed only when you almost broke up with Raquelle.”       “Daniel, please, don’t remind me of what happened between Raquelle and me,” Terrence says quietly. “You know well how it’s hurt for me to think of the time that I’d be happy to strike outta my memory.”       “Did you fight again? Is that why you’re so broken?”       “I’ve got tons of reasons to be broken. It’s too hard for me… Hard to take everything that’s happening now…”       “It’s hard for all of us! Do you think it’s easy for me? Easy for Raquelle, Natalia, and Anna? It’s hard for them, too! Every one of them is worried about us and our problems! The girls could easily give a fuck about our problems, but they do really worry and want everything to get better soon.”       “I know, but I’ve lately felt the burden on my shoulders is getting heavier.”       “Damn, MacClife, are you starting to doubt yourself and moan ‘cause everything’s so bad, and the problems have no solutions?”       “I don’t wanna complain and whine about being able to do nothing,” Terrence replies in a broken voice, starting to wrap the bottle of water in his hands. “But… But sometimes I need it. I have less and less strength to take all of that. It seems that I need a little to get a nervous breakdown. I started literally forgetting what living in peace and quiet was. I live like a volcano. I don’t know when or where something horrible happens. I’m like on needles. I don’t know what to wait for…”       “Listen, buddy, I completely understand your feelings and sometimes feel I’m on edge,” Daniel says quietly, folding his hands on the table in front of him. “But you must not give up! You must hold on if you wanna solve your problems! You must not turn your ass on a problem and show it your middle finger.”       “Oh, I always must do something for someone…” Terrence sighs tiredly. “I must be responsible for someone and solve someone’s fucking problems. I’d be happy to piss everything off! I am the fuck sick of everything!”       “Terrence…”       “It’s the truth, Dan…” Terrence falls into silence for two seconds and sets his gaze on the bottle of water. “I don’t know… Sometimes I think I’m slowly going crazy… And I can barely understand where’s reality, where’s a nightmare. So many terrible things have lately happened that good moments seem something unreal… And… I barely have time to feel them and… Get happier… You know…”       “Terrence, stop saying bullshit! If you have many problems now, it doesn’t mean you should give up. Early or late, the solution to all the problems will be found, and you’ll live the same life.”       “You know, if not for the responsibility for the people, I’d run away somewhere. I’m too sick of this nightmare that has been chasing me for a few months.”       “But this nightmare won’t be chasing you forever!”       “I’m afraid it will be. Sometimes I think it’s my punishment for all my horrible actions.” Terrence swallows up nervously. “Now I could say fate changed the places of me and Raquelle to show me how she was worried when she was annoyed by that sick bastard Ringer. I showed sympathy and a wish to help too late. And now I have to pay my cost.”       “Fuck, Terry, what you’re talking about!” Daniel wonders. “All these problems started not because of you! You have no fault for the band’s problems, Peter’s situation, or the story of the letters.”       “But I’m tightly connected to all of that. And I got a great responsibility. A heavy burden that I can barely get up. I must end this bullshit. But I don’t know how! Everything seems hopeless!”       “Listen…”       “I’m in despair, bro, you know! A little bit before I give a fuck about everything! I have no strength to sort out this fucking shit anymore!”       “As for the band, we had hope that Helene would save Peter. If he survives, we’ll have only to talk to him and persuade him to return to the band to keep doing what we started.”       “Oh, Perkins, how everything is easy for ya!” Terrence sighs quietly and puts the bottle on the table. “Even if Peter survives, we’ll have to work hard to reconcile you two and make him sure to stay in the band. And we’ve gotta find out what made Rose take a suicide attempt and support him.”       “Holy shit, why did you become such a pessimist?” Daniel exhales sharply and glances aside for a second. “I can’t understand the behavior you’ve had for the past few days! You’re ready to share your problems and sure that we'll solve everything. But then we have to get everything out of you by force, and you act like a girl, refusing to say something. As if you like that someone persuades you and talks about your behavior!”       “Do you think I’m trying to get attention?”       “It seems like you are! As if Raquelle started giving you less attention, and you don’t know what to do for someone to praise you, comfort you, caress your head, and say a couple of nice words.”       “Raquelle gives me enough attention, and I don’t suffer from a lack of her attention. She doesn’t make the same mistake and tries to be a caring and loving fiancée.”       “Then tell me what’s wrong? Why are you acting like you’re about to have depression? I understand you’re worried about the band and afraid of what might happen because of Edward, who got in trouble and framed his family. But trust me, people have worse problems.”       The mention of Edward makes Terrence feel a strong tension in his body and the way a hurricane is getting stronger inside him.       “Daniel, do me a favor: never mention the name of Edward with my pretense,” Terrence says coldly in a low voice, leaning on the table with his elbows, running his fingers through his hair, and inclining his head. “I don’t wish to hear the name of that man!”       “Erm…” Daniel stutters. “What? But why? Why did you react to the name of your friend so sharply? You…”       “He is not my friend!” Terrence moves his gloomy gaze to Daniel. “It’s the scumbag that I do not want to see even one hundred meters away from me!”       “Oh, shit… Something serious happened between you?” Daniel leans back in the chair with a quiet chuckle. “So, didn’t ya share your clothes? Or do you resent that someone called your bro handsome, not you?”       “I’d prefer strangling myself than giving him at least something from my clothes or what belongs to me!”       “C’mon, Terrence, I’m serious! Why do you say that about Edward? You easily shared some things with him and had a good opinion of him! What bit you?”       “I do not want to talk about that asshole! Neither now nor never! From today on, he’s dead for me. He is a fucking rat that deserved the life he is living.”       “Fuck, but what could happen? Did you find out something about the story of the letters? Didn’t that man lie when saying Edward had to do with all of that?”       “Ask him if you want,” Terrence replies in a low, rude voice. “But I doubt he’d love to say something. He does despise his close people and definitely hates those, who are connected with the MacClifes somehow. Don’t be surprised if Edward fucked you off. Because now we know the real side of that bastard.”       “Hey, I hope you didn’t fight, and he didn’t give you all these bruises.”       “I hope someone will beat the face of that jackass well. Beat him black and blue.”       “Oh, fuck…” Daniel looks at the bruises on Terrence’s face with suspicion. “Tell me the truth, did he beat you? Since you react to his mention like this, you were supposed to have a serious conflict. Which probably led to a cruel fight, judging your beaten face…”       “Daniel, please, let’s not talk about that bastard,” Terrence begs tiredly. “You can talk about him with anyone but me. I want to know nothing about him and do not care about what’s happening to him. For me, Edward Lockhart is dead, and I call himself the only child in my family, like before.”       “But, Terrence, why?”       “I do not want to talk about it!” Terrence throws a little rudely, strongly squeezing the bottle of water in his hand. “You got it? Or do I repeat it, if you’re so brainless and do not understand me?”       “Oh…” Daniel exhales sharply and raises his hands up. “Okay, okay, I got it… Sorry… I won’t talk about him if you want it…”       “Fuck, what happened?” Daniel wonders. “Why did Terrence and Edward fight so hard that MacClife became aggressive when I started talking about him? These two were always quite close to each other! Did they fight because of those letters with threats? Does Lockhart have to do with them? Besides, something tells me that Edward did beat Terrence so strongly. I don’t wanna believe it, but my intuition does say it. It seems like they had a big fight if everything was over like this… And I’d like to know more… But how? How do I make this situation clear if MacClife refuses to explain everything?”       And while Daniel thinks about this situation, Terrence looks around, noticing there are too many people in the cafeteria.       “Hey, where are the girls?” Terrence asks thoughtfully. “I mean, where’s Jessica? Where did she go?”       “Jessica went to find Helene,” Daniel replies and runs his hand over his hair. “But I don’t know where to find her, ‘cause she may be anywhere. Though, Taylor and I agreed to meet her if she found her friend, and I found you.”       “Okay…” Terrence falls into silence for two seconds and frowns slightly. “Hey, don’t ya wonder why Lewis started talking about the relationship between Helene and Peter?”       “You know, honestly, I wonder to know it, too,” Daniel replies thoughtfully. “I think Lewis knows people well and sees them through. We should’ve told him a little for him to have a full picture. A correct one, I wanna notice.”       “What if Jessica was right when she said Helene might’ve probably felt something more for Peter and considered him not just a friend?”       “Maybe, it’s true. That girl is literally ready to leave everything to be next to the blond. As Jessica noticed right after we left Lewis, Helene would move into Peter’s room if we were allowed to visit him.”       “I don’t exclude that she really feels something for him. But the question is, how Peter would react. What if she’s afraid that he'll reject her feelings, as he’s done to many girls? I think she knows about it well and is ready to be just his friend. You know that a similar confession kills friendship and probably makes it impossible.”       “If it’s all true, and that girl is really not indifferent to Peter, I could understand why she’s silent. Nevertheless, she should know she’d have to reveal her feelings, early or late. Marshall wouldn’t be able to hide her sympathy.”       “Yeah… Seeing her being literally ready to sacrifice anything for that guy, I’m starting to be sure everything is not so easy.”       “Hey, did ya see her reaction when Lewis said she could give blood for Peter? Helene could even barely speak! It’s clear she was obsessed with tons of emotions!”       “I did… And she’d definitely agree to give blood, even if she was terribly afraid of blood and needles in her veins.”       “We all would agree,” Daniel exhales quietly. “But as you know, only Helene is comparable to us four.”       “I’m sorry, we don’t fit. But I’m glad she does, and can do a miracle.”       “Oh, I got terribly upset, too… It was such a wonderful chance to do something good for Pete.”       “I think he was true when he said he had no reason to be mad at you. You were probably, partly right, and he confessed it. Of course, it’s hurt to hear it, but Rose knew everything was clear for you.”       “Nevertheless, I was too rude to him. Though, if I’d known it was his pain, I would’ve said none of those comments.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which the guys just look around. And then the excited Helene and the quiet outside Jessica holding her friend under an arm come to Daniel and Terrence.       “Here we are!” Jessica exclaims.       “Daniel said you agreed to come here after finding each other,” Terrence says.       “It’s true. And here we are.”       “Hey, why did you run away from Lewis’ office?” Helene asks. “Nobody got time to understand anything!”       “Well…” Terrence smiles slightly and glances aside for a second, scratching the back of his head. “It was hot in the office… I decided to go out to breathe in some air…”       “Really? I believe it was good there…”       “Yeah, I thought so, too…” Jessica agrees thoughtfully.       Terrence says nothing and just shrugs, and Daniel decides to change the subject, understanding his friend would not love to talk about his problems with him and especially the girls, whom he has known for only two days.       “Hey, girls, you found each other quickly,” Daniel notices.       “I didn’t have to walk in the whole hospital,” Jessica replies thoughtfully. “Helene and I ran into each other in the hall on the third floor.”       “Yes, I tried to find you near Lewis’ office, but there was nobody there,” Helene adds. “And then I decided to go to the third floor and saw Jessica. She said you’d be waiting for us at the cafeteria.”       “I thought you’d be in the cafeteria. So, Helene and I decided not to run to the hospital.”       “Well, yeah…” Terrence shrugs. “I decided to go here… I thought there was nobody here, but literally all the tables were taken.”       “Hey, Helene, what were you told about giving blood?” Daniel asks. “Did they allow you to become a donor?”       “Yes, thank God, everything is fine,” Helene replies with a slight smile. “The doctor talked to me, examined me, and said I had no complications from becoming a donor. And tomorrow early morning, I need to come here and give some blood. At first, they’ll see the reaction of my organism. And if everything goes well, I’ll give much more, and then Peter will get a transfusion.”       “So, didn’t they take blood from you?” Terrence asks.       “No, they didn’t. They gave me a list of rules that I should follow before giving blood. But the important thing is to get enough sleep, not to drink alcohol and not to eat something, and not to overeat in the morning.”       “Okay…” Terrence takes his bottle of water and starts wrapping it in his hands. “In this case, I have only to wish you luck. And I hope everything will be okay.”       “Thanks, Terrence. I shall do my best to help Pete.”       “So, as we found out everything, I believe we have nothing to do here,” Daniel says thoughtfully, leaning back in the chair. “We aren’t allowed to go to the room of the blond… So, we can go home…”       “In this case, we’re saying goodbye,” Helene replies amicably with a slight smile. “I’ll be getting ready for tomorrow.”       “Good luck, Helene!” Daniel smiles shyly. “I hope you’ll help Peter. Now we rely only on you.”       “Thanks a lot, Daniel. I’m very sorry you didn’t fit. I saw you were upset when Lewis said you couldn’t do it.”       “I’m also very sorry, but I believe we won’t lose Pete thanks to you, and will bring him back to us.”       “I hope so.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, after which Jessica glances at the thoughtful Terrence and the sad Daniel, saying:       “Okay, guys, we’ll better go. But I think we’ll meet again.”       “Sure,” Terrence nods. “I don’t know when, but it’s not the last meeting…”       “Goodbye, guys,” Helene says when Jessica takes her under an arm and leads her away.       “See you soon,” Jessica says goodbye.       “Goodbye,” Terrence and Daniel say at the same time.       Jessica and Helene quickly leave the cafeteria, starting to talk about something, while Terrence and Daniel keep sitting at the table and say nothing for a few seconds. MacClife keeps wrapping the bottle of water in his hands, and Perkins glances at his depressed friend and frowns slightly, crossing his arms over his chest.       “So what, buddy?” Daniel asks. “Are ya gonna keep sitting on the table and wrapping this bottle in your hands?”       “If I want, I’ll stay here for a night,” Terrence replies without emotions in a low voice. “Nobody will ban me.”       “And what are ya gonna do? Start withdrawing into yourself and going insane from your thoughts, a part of which may not have to do with reality? Make everybody worry about you?”       “I’ve been insane for ages. Because of the nightmare that’s been happening in my life for nobody the fuck knows how many years. Problems find me so often that I barely have time to come to myself and feel happy.”       “Oh, shit, how did you get so much pessimism?” Daniel wonders, tearing his back off the back of the chair and bending to Terrence. “What happened to you for one day we didn’t see each other? Yesterday, you were more or less fine and even joked! But today, you behave like you’re literally gonna hang yourself!”       “You won’t understand me, Daniel.” Terrence sighs and looks around the whole cafeteria with his dead eyes. “You’ve never had as many problems as I’ve had. You’ve cared about nothing. You didn’t have to apply effort to reach for something to get happy…”       “I didn’t have to? No, MacClife, you’re wrong! You don’t know what I had to overcome! You know only a part of my life. But if I get deeper and tell you everything, you’ll know my life has never been a tale. You don’t know about the critical moment that changed everything, made me another man, and made me move my ass to get something. With the thought that nobody but me will help me.”       “Anyway, you didn’t work as much as I did and have never run into problems that I got and still have to live with.”       “Did you think everything would be easy? It’s life, my friend. The life that sometimes may be too cruel!”       “Sometimes I feel like I’ve lived sixteen years of my life, not twenty-seven. I’ve had to get over much to get out of poverty, build a career in the show business, make my relationship with my fiancée better, and pass all the tests fate prepared for me.”       “Oh, Terrence, Terrence…” Daniel exhales sharply and runs his hands over his face. “What do I do to you, my pessimistic brother?”       “Do nothing. Go home to Anna and enjoy the time you'll spend with her. Be happy your sweetheart is living with you and doesn’t make you feel lonely.”       “Yeah, but what are ya gonna do? As I understand, you aren’t gonna go home!”       “Actually, I need to leave my car for repair. I’ve been trying to do it for a long time, but I haven’t done it yet. And I think I’ll go to the service center and agree about everything.”       “After staying without your broken thing, will you be walking on the streets of New York and making Raquelle guess where you the fuck are?” Daniel stares his gloomy gaze at Terrence. “No, you have made her too nervous in the past few days! And if she has another reason to worry, she might break down. If she hasn’t done yet…”       “Dude, didn’t you forget what’s my age? I’m not a baby and am responsible for my actions. I don’t have to tell my mother where I go, what I do, and who I talk with. I have my own life: I’m engaged, living in a house, and provided enough to live well. And when I find a way to start a musical career or decide to come back to acting to earn something, I won’t have to be afraid to lose my wealth.”       “I didn’t say you were a baby. I just wanna save you from horrible actions that might put you in danger and make Raquelle suffer and worry.”       “Aw, Perkins…” Terrence chuckles shyly. “Of course, I really appreciate that you care about me, but I will solve it somehow. And yeah, don’t forget about your relationship with your red beauty that’s living in your house. You said you literally planned to marry her.”       “I didn’t change my mind. Someday I’ll marry her, and she’ll live in my house as my wife. But now it’s not time to think about a ring for our engagement, a suit for a wedding ceremony, or the list of guests. It’s a hard thing that can’t take a rush. You should do your best not to regret anything ten or twenty years later.”       “And you also have a little barrier as the parents of your incomparable and very lovely girlfriend.”       “Well, I shall care about it. Early or late, I’ll have to meet them when they find out Anna is living in my house. I dunno what it’s gonna lead to, but I’m sure it will happen someday.”       “So, we’ll see how you’ll use your charm to win the trust of such severe people,” Terrence shrugs with a shy smile.       “I will prove to you that you aren’t the only one to get what you want by looking at someone,” Daniel says confidently, raising his head. “Because I’m also full of charm that nobody has resisted yet. Neither girls, attention of who I’ve always had, nor their parents, who got sympathy for me after looking at me briefly.”       “Oh, you know, I’ll better say nothing, ‘cause saying something is pointless.”       “Be silent then,” Daniel smiles innocently. “I don’t need your scathing comments.”       “And you put your scathing ones in your ass.”       “Okay, forget!” Daniel slightly claps on the surface of the table. “Let’s better get out of here. I ain’t personally gonna stay here for nothing ‘till the night.”       “Only for going to the service center to agree on a repair for my swallow.”       “Let’s go! And if you’re gonna stay without your old horse for some time, I’ll kindly agree to drive you home and personally give you to the trustful hands of your sexy cutie, Raquelle.”       “Oh, dude, what I’d do without ya!”       Terrence shakes his head with a slight smile and is going to get up from the table along with Daniel. But when they do it, MacClife Sr.’s mobile phone suddenly starts ringing. The man has nothing but to answer the call, sitting on the chair again, while his friend moans quietly and looks at him tiredly.       “Hello, I’m listening,” Terrence pronounces without emotions.       “Good afternoon, Mr. MacClife,” a little rude, masculine voice replies. “George Smith is on the line.”       “Erm… Mr. Smith?” Terrence, being a little confused, hesitantly looks at Daniel, who shakes slightly with widely open eyes. “Y-yes… Hello… Hello… I did not know you would love to call…”       “Hm, you must get used to the fact that I may call you at any time,” George throws coldly, humming quietly.       “Sorry, my mind is busy with different things, and I…”       “Very bad! That it’s not busy with what it SHOULD be busy! That’s why you let your band break up to the fuck!”       “Listen, Mr. Smith, I don’t forget about the term that you gave us to think. But two weeks are not over yet and…”       “Close your mouth, Mr. MacClife! Honestly, you are starting to get me irritated.”       “Erm… I…”       Terrence rolls his eyes, moaning silently because George decided to make his broken nerves worse.       “Alright, yeah, damn you, I will explain the important thing,” George says rudely and coldly. “Answer now, is Mr. Perkins with you now? Or do I have to call that plucked rooster?”       “Yes, he is with me,” Terrence replies without emotions and looks at Daniel again, who tiredly looks at his friends, leaning on the surface of the table with his elbow and on the hand with his chin. “Mr. Perkins is with me.”       “Excellent! In this case, tell your friend one message.” George clears his throat quickly. “So, idiots, in two hours, I will be waiting for both of you in my office at ‘Dark Side Management’. I would tell you and Mr. Perkins to come right now, but I have a meeting scheduled and cannot miss it. But in two hours, I want to see you and your pal sitting on the sofa in my office.”       “Erm…” Terrence gets a little confused. “Yes… Yes, of course, Mr. Smith… We will come…”       “Remember, if you do not come in time, accept the consequences. And you will have to explain not only what you MUST explain, but also very MUCH. Did I say it clearly, Mr. MacClife?”       “Yes, we got it. In two hours, in your office.”       “I hope. All the best, Mr. MacClife.”       George sharply turns off the call, and Terrence hears only beeps. The man hums quietly, turns off his phone, and puts it in the inside pocket of his coat. Daniel thinks for two seconds, putting a finger on his lip, and then starts jabbing:       “No, no, wait, wait, lemme guess… Erm… We, two brainless roosters, must immediately go to the office of Mr. Smith to listen to his ‘praise’?”       “Guess about the roosters is correct!” Terrence clicks his fingers. “He said he’d be waiting for us in two hours at the office of ‘Dark Side Management’.”       “Holy shit… Did I sleep much, and are the two weeks over?”       “Nope, today’s the fifteenth, but two weeks will expire on the twenty-two. One more week.”       “But what does he want from us? Decided to demand the answer earlier?”       “I dunno. But we’ll have to go. Or Smith won’t get off us.”       “Do you think you have time to leave your car for a repair?”       “Yes. I’ll have time. One hour is enough. If there’s nobody there, I’ll quickly agree on everything, leave the car and get ready to go to George.”       “So…” Daniel shrugs. “In this case, I will follow you, or we’ll meet somewhere in one hour and go to George in my car.”       “As you want. But I’m no longer gonna delay it. Or I’ll never leave it for a repair if I always delay it.”       “Okay, I’ll follow you and wait for you to leave your broken old horse for repair.”       “Hey, stop calling my girl an old horse!” Terrence slightly hits Daniel in the forearm with a fist. “Wait for a while – my swallow will be like new soon. Maybe, I will even take a chance and change something and get my car better, so it serves me for many years.”       “Still, it’s true – your car is just an old thing. Having so much money, you could go to an auto salon and choose a new car. You know how cool they are! M-m-m… Awesome!”       “Hey, stop talking!” Terrence takes the bottle that he has not opened. “Get your ass up and go fast! Otherwise, we will have time to do nothing for two hours before George starts a scandal.”       “Oh, shit, if only we had enough strength to stand a lecture from that man…” Daniel moans quietly.       A few seconds later, Daniel and Terrence get up from the table and quickly leave the cafeteria and the building of the hospital. Next, they, talking about something, go to the parking lot, get into their cars, between which a new, literally shining red car is parked, start the motor and leave this place. Terrence goes on the highway first, still making people amazingly stare at his half-crushed car, which, to their surprise, still moves on. And Daniel follows him, trying not to stay behind and to drive in the same line that his friend does, but not getting too close to have time to stop or turn somewhere.       

***

      It’s about five o'clock. After leaving Natalia home and making sure she was okay, Raquelle decides to go to where she really loves being but where she has rarely been lately. It’s something like a coast. The literally infinite ocean brings and brings away little waves and sprays the seam line of this place. Now, while it’s daylight, there are white clouds of different forms. And closer to the evening, the sky gets colored with warm shades, and the sun is slowly going down the horizon.       While Raquelle is slowly walking on the big coast that lies across the endless ocean, she is reflecting on what happened today, paying no attention to the wind strongly blowing her loose, little wave hair and the unzipped light coat she is wearing now.       “Today was very hard,” Raquelle thinks with sadness in her eyes. “I feel so emptied now… It was so terrifying for me to see Natalia in such a horrible condition. But thank God, she finally revealed her secrets and got a little better. Of course, my friend still looks bad, but I think she’ll look better in a few days. If she doesn’t keep destroying herself and starts coming back to the same life. Anyway, now, when we know the truth, it would be easier for Terrence and me to talk to her.”       Raquelle takes some distance across the ocean, slowly stops, gets down on her knees, and runs her hand over the surface of the water, watching ripples appear on it but disappear some time later. Noticing it, the girl sighs quietly and fixes her hair, which is blown by the wind, setting her gaze on the horizon.       “I’m even afraid to think about what would’ve happened if Terrence and I hadn’t calmed Natalia down,” Raquelle thinks with horror. “What would have happened if we’d left her alone and let her do what she wanted? We would’ve lost her! She did wanna do what Peter did.”       Raquelle sighs again and shakes her head sharply.       “No, no, I don’t even wanna think about it!” Raquelle thinks and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “If my friend had done that crazy thing, I wouldn’t have taken it. Natalia is my close person, whom I madly love. And now, when I know she was almost raped because she was in despair because of the fight with me, her suicide attempt would’ve been my fault.”       Raquelle thinks for two seconds and glances at the sky, seeing a little crowd of birds that stay close to one another and fly above this place.       “And I think Daniel was right when comparing Peter and Natalia ‘cause they’re the same to some extent,” Raquelle thinks. “But while Natalia found the strength to confess everything, Peter decided to give up and thought of nothing better than to die… My friend got over the fear and did what helped her get much better. She should’ve told us everything earlier. We would’ve helped her much earlier if we’d known what she got into… And how cruelly she was betrayed…”       After sitting in front of the water, Raquelle slowly gets up and keeps walking on the coast, having the pleasure to listen to the sounds of the tidal waves, watching the beauty of nature that surrounds her, and breathing in the fresh air that is kind of special.       “I did suspect that Edward might’ve given us many problems,” Raquelle thinks. “Since the first day, he made me have suspicions. I didn’t like his too gentle and shy behavior. While Terrence, Natalia, and I talked well and joked, he was always silent. Yes, it could be explained by the fact that he didn’t get used to us, but I never liked that man. And the story of those calls sometimes made me think he was hiding something.”       Raquelle glances aside for a second.       “My intuition didn’t betray me,” Raquelle thinks. “Because of that scumbag, we’re all in danger. Because of a wish to get rich, Edward framed his family and ex-girlfriend. And if Lockhart hadn’t agreed with that man to rob and kill us, nobody would’ve suffered. We’re about to die because of him. Because of his wish to show off and get as much money as possible not to be worse than his friend. My God, his parents must be ashamed of the sonny that betrayed us and did such a disgusting thing.”       Still slowly going across the sea line, Raquelle crosses her arms over her chest.       “And the story of Edward’s father seems suspicious to me,” Raquelle thinks. “Of course, if Edward didn’t lie about that man… He must’ve given some proof of his father’s death, not shown a sad face, and told us he was dead with sadness in his eyes. Knowing the situation, this claim makes me have some suspicions… It doesn’t mean Michael told Edward about his father’s death. If there is no proof, there is no reason to believe it. Now I think Edward just wanna torture us. Especially Terrence…”       A few seconds later, Raquelle stops, turns on the ocean, and starts looking at it, exhaling slowly with closed eyes and breathing in the fresh air that helps her keep her mind clear.       “Because of that man, Natalia and Terrence suffer much more,” Raquelle thinks with sadness in her eyes. “My friend is worried about a breakup with him and the fact that she couldn’t tell him she was almost raped. And my fiancé is suffering from the betrayal of that man, whom he really got very close to. Who he truly loved… Edward is a scumbag that needs only money, not family.”       Raquelle nervously starts to pull her engagement ring on her left hand.       “But if Edward hates Terrence so much and is jealous of him, why was he looking for him?” Raquelle asks. “To win his trust and spit in his face? I’m sure he always knew about Terrence’s wealth and got terribly jealous of him, ‘cause he would never have so much money.”       Raquelle sighs with sadness in her eyes and glances down, looking at her shoes that got covered with sand after a long walk on the sand that might be wet in some places.       “Ah, gosh, everything started so well…” Raquelle thinks and closes her eyes for a second. “We spent a wonderful time together. Edward won my trust later, and I became much softer to him… I’m sorry we can’t get those times back. Terrence and I will hardly love to see the betrayal, and Edward will never understand that he has become a disgusting stinker because of his wish to get rich and his jealousy of his own friend. And he’ll never know he insulted Natalia for no reason, and she didn’t betray him…”       Raquelle runs slowly the edge of her shoe over the water's surface and sees a little ripple that later disappears, not feeling her foot gets weak thanks to good shoes.       “She’ll never find the courage to confess it to him…” Raquelle thinks. “However, it doesn’t make sense. Their relationship can’t be brought back, and they’ll never be friends after what happened between them. At least, I think so… And even if someone tells Edward that Natalia was just framed, he won’t believe it and will think it’s a lie. I don’t doubt it. Anyway, may he go to the fuck! My friend will meet another, more decent man, who will always believe her and never dare to doubt her trueness and loyalty.”       After taking some distance, Raquelle sits in front of the ocean, slightly bending her legs at her knees, enfolding her legs with her arms, starting to watch it and the light gray sky and feeling something nice when the light cold wind blows to her face and raises her thick, glossy hair.       “Oh, I’m getting more upset because of the conflicts between Terrence and me,” Raquelle starts thinking some time later. “They’ve lately happened very often… Yes, I understand there are fights in any couple, but we lived well for a few months after the reconciliation. We started to fight after we got problems with Michael. So many quarrels have happened in the past few days. And I’m guilty of most of them… I don’t know what gets obsessed with me when I wanna do something? I don’t wanna insult Terrence and make him think of what happened between us in the past… We haven’t even talked about our wedding. But I’m afraid we’re gonna fight because of it two times more.”       Raquelle sighs heavily and leans on her knees with her chin, sharply moving some strands of dark hair off her face.       “Gosh, when will everything be over?” Raquelle asks herself. “Sometimes I think we’ve experienced as much in the past few months as many people don’t experience for all their lives. At least, I feel like I’ve lived a whole life and seen much. Because of that, I’m like not twenty-five but fifty…”       Raquelle chuckles quietly.       “Oh, I need to visit Grandpa Frederick someday,” Raquelle thinks. “And I’d love to talk to Aunt Alicia. I’d like to tell them everything that’s happening in my life. Now, I definitely need a little piece of advice from the one, who has lived and experienced enough. Much more than I’ve done.”       Raquelle smiles slightly and glances aside.       “Thank God, I’ve got lots of friends and close people, who I could ask for help or a piece of advice,” Raquelle thinks. “I know that I’ll never be alone. The relationships with those, who surround me, are checked by time and tests. Besides, I need to talk with someone. Otherwise, I’ll go insane from worrying.”       Terrence is not the only one to need someone, who he could trust. Raquelle also needs someone. Although she tries to stay strong for those she loves, it’s also hard for her to experience what’s happening. Today’s events broke both of them much more and sucked the rest of the strength out of them. And the fact that they do not see a solution to their current problems makes them have a stronger sense of despair and believe that this rough patch does not have an end.       

***

      Meanwhile, Natalia is sitting at home and coming to herself after the great shock that she experienced today. She got much better after sharing her secrets with Terrence and Raquelle. The girl felt the support of her friends, who did not leave her at a hard minute and made her sure not to harm herself. And Natalia is madly grateful to Terrence and Raquelle for not letting her drown in the pool where she could have gotten dragged in. Of course, the lovers cannot help her solve all of her problems, but a part of the burden is already felt off the shoulders of the fragile and sensitive girl.       While Raquelle was helping Natalia clear the apartment, the girls tried to talk about what did not have to do with their problems. They joked, had fun, recalled the good time they spent with each other, and even began to plan their future hangouts. Although Raquelle did not want to leave her friend alone after they cleaned the apartment, Natalia made assured her that she got much better and would do nothing bad without her.       Feeling quite tired after cleaning the apartment, being at which is much nicer now, Natalia is in her room, lying on the bed and staring at the white ceiling without emotions. Of course, she is still emptied after what she had to experience, but she feels much better and got a little hope for a good future.       “I’d hardly be alive without Terrence and Raquelle’s support,” Natalia thinks, setting her sad gaze on the ceiling. “They literally saved me from stupid things and kept their promise to be by my side. And I’m madly grateful to them for what they did for me.”       Natalia sighs quietly with closed eyes.       “Yes, I’m terribly embarrassed for them ‘cause they had to take care of me like a little child,” Natalia thinks. “But I’m happy Raquelle and Terrence let me tell about that horrible event. It’s one more proof of the fact that I have the best friends that I must not lose. Gosh, I was such an idiot when I told them nothing about the rape attempt ‘till the end. I did know they’d support me, but I decided to be silent because of the fear to be killed or ashamed. Though everything would’ve been otherwise if I’d found the courage to tell them everything much earlier.”       Natalia lies on the bed for some time, but then gets up slowly and comes to the window, leaning on the windowsill with her hands and starting to watch what’s happening on the dark street lighted up with many lamps and light effects on high buildings.       “For example, it led to the breakup with Edward…” Natalia thinks. “Who believes I allegedly betrayed him… I’m sorry I didn’t find the courage to tell him I was almost raped. When he showed me those photos, I could say nothing. The voice in my head didn’t even have to make me fear ‘cause I wasn’t able to speak. And I let him start thinking I was a betrayer and slut…”       Natalia sighs heavily.       “It’s madly hurtful for me to recognize it, but I have no right to be mad,” Natalia thinks. “However, he’ll never know the truth. Even if I’d told Edward I was framed, that man would’ve thought the truth was a lie. It did show the real way he treated me. If he’d really loved me, he wouldn’t have believed some photos. Even if they were taken, so that I didn’t resist that man. If a man doesn’t love me and doubts my feelings, I don’t need him. I could hardly forgive him for his terrible behavior toward me.”       Natalia thinks for two seconds.       “But there’s one problem that won’t let me be happy…” Natalia thinks. “I still love that man. And I can’t fall out of love with him. The heart resists and doesn’t wanna accept the fact that we broke up. I keep loving Edward as if nothing happened. And I haven’t gotten used to the thought that nothing connects us. I kind of doubt I could forget him even if I met someone else to be better than him. This love is too strong. The love for the stinker won’t be gone easily. It’s gonna be very hard to fight with it…”       Natalia shakes her head and tucks a strand behind her ear, as it gets out of her hair beautifully pinned on the top of her head.       “But yet did I little know before we would be something more…” Natalia thinks. “I thought it would lead to nothing good… But damn, I fell in love! Deeply! This feeling is so strong for the first time! I used to be able to quickly forget all my exes and began to enjoy my life again a few days later. But now even hanging out with my friends can’t help me. I no longer think all men that I meet outside when going somewhere are handsome. I have no interest in them… Even more, if Lockhart decided to apologize and asked me to come back, I’d immediately agree to forget him. Like an idiot. A stupid idiot.”       Natalia shakes her head and sniffs quietly.       “Gosh, why do I still wanna be with Edward and forget he’s a stinker?” Natalia asks. “Why? In my mind, I understand he wouldn’t get better and would still call me a prostitute! What do I do to open my heart to another man, who would deserve me? God, I want to meet a good guy so badly! You know how much I don’t want to forget Edward, but I have to. I don’t want to ruin my life because of my love for him and lose hope of getting married and becoming a mother. Where do I meet the man, who will be my salvation? Where?”       Natalia sighs heavily again, steps back from the window, and starts walking in circles, putting a finger to her mouth.       “I don’t wanna love the jackass, who's ready to betray his family for money,” Natalia thinks. “Edward would cut throats to get the inheritance! On which Edward’s uncle put an eye. That betrayal agreed with him on something. Could he insolently rob and kill his family members because of his jealousy of his friend’s success and a wish not to live like a beggar? Lockhart is ready to put anyone in danger to prove that he is not worse! Oh… I’m sorry that his wish to find Terrence wasn’t suspicious to me. Though it was clear he had an eye on his friend’s wealth from the beginning.”       Natalia decides to leave her room and starts slowly walking into the apartment, checking some lockers and drawers and moving or fixing something slightly.       “Gosh, poor Terrence, too much has lately happened to him,” Natalia thinks with sadness in her eyes. “How hasn’t he gone crazy after everything that has been happening to him? Is that the punishment for his actions in the past? Yeah, MacClife made a great mistake somehow, but he realized everything, regretted it, and apologized. He still recalls it with a shake! When Terrence was telling me how he was trying to forget Raquelle, he felt so guilty. Even if their relationship was almost doomed to a breakup, that man knew he shouldn’t have done that. Terrence did truly regret it! And everybody gave him another chance to prove that his short-tempered character wasn’t a reason to call him a nasty, senseless stinker. But his friend will always be a mean, greedy rat, who will never regret his actions. Edward is guilty of turning everybody against him and letting himself turn into a bastard, for whom the money is more important than his family.”       At this moment, Natalia ends up in the hall, slightly moves a transparent curtain aside, and looks through the window, from which she sees a gorgeous view of the live part of the city.       “Now, when we know about his disgusting behavior, everybody will turn their back on him,” Natalia thinks. “Terrence will never wish to see and hear Edward. Raquelle will be by the side of her fiancé and won’t speak with the one, who insults him and considers her literally a whore, who got into the show business through a bed. Mrs. MacClife is also gonna be very disappointed in her son when she knows the truth… And if the story of Edward’s father’s death is true, he must’ve been ashamed of the one that grew up into such a scum.”       Natalia walks into the halls of the apartment connected with different rooms, stops near one of the doors, and exhales slowly.       “Okay, stop thinking about it!” Natalia thinks. “I should stop torturing myself and put myself together! I promised Raquelle and Terrence to do my best to find the strength to come back to the same life. Not only for my friends. But also for myself. I no longer want to live with torture. I’ve gotta accept it somehow and stop torturing myself. Or it would lead to something horrible, and my friends would be powerless.”       After standing near the door for a few seconds, Natalia hesitantly opens the door of the spacious room of her parents, which is empty. It’s made of light brown and yellow colors that seem quite nice to the eye. A two-placed bed is placed in front of the white door. The bedclothes that fit the color of the room are placed on it and have not been touched since Letitia and Anthony left the USA. Two small dark cherry drawers with three drawers are placed on both sides of it. The same lamps and a few photos of the spouses and Natalia in beautiful frames are placed on them. A writing table of the same color is placed in front of one of the windows closed with a light lace curtain. And the two other windows are closed with opaque light beige curtains. A big chandelier with a few domes is hanging on the ceiling, and some pictures and a full-height mirror are hanging on the walls. A big dressing table is placed not far from the door. There are many different tubes and boxes and the stuff for hair, face, and body on it.       Natalia looks around the whole room with sad eyes, understanding she is missing her father and mother. Without them, she feels lonely in this apartment. The girl enters it very slowly and starts examining every single thing, being here for the first time since Anthony and Letitia went to Mexico. She hesitantly steps on the amazingly soft beige carpet with light brown patterns. Her parents always maintain perfect cleanliness in their room and have no habit of throwing their things everywhere. Everything is ordered in all drawers in the dresser and the writing table that she opens by one. And the stuff is not mixed with one another. Papers, magazines, and newspapers are placed in little bunches in a certain order. And the rest of the clothes are carefully hanging in the dressing room that the blonde opens. She takes a few coat racks with a cloth from her mother, Letitia, looks at every single thing that definitely costs a lot, and puts it back in the right place.       After looking at almost everything, Natalia slowly looks around the whole room with sad eyes and understands she wants to call her parents, who began treating her very coldly. The blonde decides that it’s time to try to talk to them, apologize and promise that she will tell them everything when they are back. Not thinking too much, the girl leaves the room, closes the door, and goes to the living room, where she finds a wired phone. She quickly types the correct number, puts the phone to her ear, and waits for the reaction that she gets very quickly.       “Hello,” the feminine voice on the phone pronounces.       “Hi, Mom,” Natalia says hesitantly, feeling a great awkwardness, starting to breathe heavily and shirting her weight from one foot to another. “It’s Natalia…”       “Hello, Natalia,” Letitia replies coldly.       “Sorry for bothering you, but I would like to talk to you.”       “I have no time to talk with you. If you need money, ask your father. He will transfer as much as you need to your card. But I cannot help you.”       “No, no, Mommy, please, don’t turn off the call, I’m begging you,” Natalia begs with pity in a shaking voice. “I really need to talk to you so much! Please, give me a chance to explain everything!”       “And what do you want to explain? Will you keep insolently lying and making me sure everybody lies and thinks the truth is a lie?”       “No, no, I won’t lie anymore,” Natalia jabs excitedly and sits on the sofa. “Please, listen to me. I promise I’ll explain everything and stop hiding what I should’ve said a long time ago.”       “Alright, I’m listening to you,” Letitia says still coldly. “But do it quickly, please. I should go somewhere with my mother.”       Natalia feels tears coming to her eyes, and she is about to cry. But she swears that she will be speaking even if she starts choking or wishes to say nothing because of a reluctance to experience the unbearable pain. The girl tries to take control of her feelings for two seconds but then starts speaking in a quiet, shaking voice, often making sobs:       “Yes, Mother, you were right… I really lied and hid the truth. The truth about one horrible event that happened to me five months ago. I swear I would’ve told you everything, but there was something that stopped me.” Natalia sniffs quietly. “Please, forgive me for lying so insolently. I know I acted like an egoist and thought only of myself. But don’t think I wanted to get attention or didn’t just trust my close people. The problem is not about trust. It’s about getting terrified and being afraid to tell someone about it.”       “Wow…” Letitia frowns gloomily. “And why did you suddenly decide to confess your lie?”       “Because I can’t hide it anymore!” Natalia exclaims with despair and carefully wipes off a tear under her eye. “I’m sick of pretending that everything is fine, while cats scratch inside me. Today, something that made me realize it happened… It shook me strongly and made me realize I was an idiot…”       “So, what kind of secret did make you silent for nobody knows how long and pretend that everything was fine?”       “A horrible secret. It’s so disgusting that I’m ashamed and feel disgusting to talk about it. However, I’ll tell you everything,” Natalia sniffs quietly. “I promise, Mom… When Dad and you are back home, I’ll reveal my secret and let you know why I was afraid to confess everything.”       “Why not now? Are you hoping to come up with a lie before our return?”       “No, telling that personally would be better. I want to look into the eyes of you and Father and honestly tell you about the pain and shame I had to experience. It’s gonna be very hard, but I must explain everything and stop being an egoist for everyone that tries to get her attention.”       “If you keep acting so disgustingly, nobody will believe you. You’ve lied so much that any of your words would seem a lie to people.”       “Please, Mommy, don’t be so cold to me,” Natalia begs with pity and tears in her eyes and sniffs quietly. “Please, don’t be mad at me. Forgive me for being such an idiot. I’m not perfect, I don’t deny it. But I don’t want my parents to turn their backs on me because of my cowardice. Please, Mom, please… Say, what should I do for you to believe me and forgive me? I’d do anything! Just don’t leave me, for the Christ… Mother… Please… I need you! Please, Mommy…”       Several seconds that Letitia says nothing makes Natalia really nervous. She is terribly afraid that her mother will turn off the call. But it seems that the shaking voice and tears of the girl make the woman melt a little and believe her daughter, about whom she is still worried.       “Okay, okay, sweetie, it’s okay,” Letitia pronounces softly. “You know well that your father and I will always love you, despite nothing.”       “I swear, I shall explain everything when you’re back. I will hide nothing and tell you everything. Please, believe me, Mother… Please… I’d feel very bad if you and Dad turned your backs on me.”       “I believe you, Natalia, I do. Calm down, please.”       “No matter how ashamed I am to confess it, I’ll do it,” Natalia makes a quiet sob. “And I will understand you and Dad if you judge me and blame me for irresponsibility.”       “God, did you get such a terrible problem?”       “Yup…” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice. “And its aftermath made my life much worse…”       “My gosh…” Letitia falls into silence for two seconds.       “Please, Mommy, don’t be mad at me. I didn’t wanna make you think I was bad and false. But you’ll understand why I was silent for so long and found the courage to say everything to some people today. Please, don’t be angry at me for trusting them first. But if we were together now, I would tell you everything.”       “Okay, okay, honey, it’s okay, your father and I aren’t mad at you,” Letitia replies in a soft, slightly shaking voice. “But please, don’t cry. Try to put yourself together, sunshine.”       “I’ll try…” Natalia promises in a strongly shaking voice, wiping tears off her face and sniffing. “Try not to cry… Just tell me you aren’t really mad at me, so I feel much better.”       “I ain’t mad, my sunshine, I ain’t mad. And you forgive your mother for being rude to you. She shouldn’t have done that and is really sorry about forgetting you for a few days.”       “But were you worried about me, huh?”       “Of course, I was. You’re my daughter, and I can’t give a damn about you. Neither I nor your dad forgot you. We did care about our child anyway. My heart was heavy, and I couldn’t stop thinking you felt very bad.”       “I know…” Natalia smiles shyly. “Forgive me for what happened. I promise I will no longer make you worried and guess what’s happening to me. I’ll be as open as I’ve always been. I swear, Mom…”       “Okay, okay, daughter,” Letitia replies softly. “Let’s forget what happened. Your father and I still love you and worry very much while being in a different country. Even when we were mad, we never forgot you.”       “Thanks a lot. You made me feel a great relief.”       Natalia’s smile gets much wider, and she literally gets rid of a burden when she understands Letitia forgave her.       “Hey, do you say someone knows your secrets?” Letitia asks.       “Yeah, I’m sorry it happened,” Natalia replies guiltily.       “Someone of your friends?”       “Yes, Raquelle and Terrence, her fiancé. They saved me, Mother. Without them, I would’ve done a horrible thing. These two didn’t leave me when I had a nervous breakdown and made me sure that I could trust them. And it helped me find the courage to tell them my secrets…”       “I didn’t doubt Raquelle would help you,” Letitia thinks for two seconds. “And I didn’t doubt Terrence. Your father always said good things about him.”       “He’s an amazing man. The best friend of the men I know. You can always count on him, and anyone would be safe with him. Raquelle would be a silly girl if she had let him leave, ‘cause she could’ve lost the real treasure.”       “Yeah, I don’t know if you’re aware, but I had talked with that man some time before your father and I left.”       “You talked with Terrence?” Natalia rounds her eyes.       “Yes. Actually, I wanted to talk to Raquelle, but she wasn’t home, and Terrence kindly agreed to talk to me about you. Though he told me nothing new.”       “My gosh. Those two said nothing about your visit.”       “Your father and I decided to ask your closest friends about you. We thought they knew more… Since we didn’t know where Anna lived, we decided to go to Raquelle’s home. I mean, I went. Anthony was busy and couldn’t join me.”       “Okay…”       “Well, actually, we were worried not only about it but also about your relationship.”       “I got it…” Natalia confirms in a lower voice.       “Maybe, give me at least a hint on what happened to you and Edward? You were so funny and happy when talking about him. But then you stopped wishing to see him.”       “It’s easy…” Natalia sighs heavily and runs her hand over her face. “Edward and I broke up one month ago.”       “Broke up?” Letitia wonders.       “He became an initiator… One month ago, he went to my home when you and Father weren’t home, and said he’d leave me.”       “But why, honey? But did Edward leave you? What did you do?”       “The reason for the breakup is hidden in what I was hiding. My secret and our breakup are closely connected with one another. Though I would’ve never thought it would happen.”       “Gosh, don’t tell me that’s something horrible!” Letitia gets horrified.       “Oh…” Natalia exhales sharply and leans on her lap with her elbow. “He just believes that I cheated on him. I kind of lied to him about my feelings and played with them for three months, which we dated.”       “But didn’t you cheat on him, huh?”       “Of course, no! I truly loved Edward! He was the only one in my heart! I didn’t cheat on him with other men!”       “But why did he believe so? Or did that man blame you for cheating on purpose to leave you?”       “No, Mom, it wasn’t done on purpose. Edward had something that allegedly proved my betrayal. Though, someone just framed me. The proof has a different meaning that he doesn’t know about.”       “Didn’t you try to make him sure you were always loyal to him?”       “Nope, I didn’t try…”       “But why, Natalia?” Letitia wonders. “Do you understand that man believes the lie and calls you a liar for nothing? Why do you let him think your betrayal is true if it’s never happened?”       “He’ll never know the truth,” Natalia says in a little shaking voice and sniffs quietly. “May Edward keep calling me a scumbag. I’m ready to tell the truth to anyone but that man, who behaved unfairly toward me.”       “Do you want him to keep calling you a cheater? Just like Raquelle did somehow? Until the provocateur lets him know that you’re guilty of nothing and tells him the truth instead of you!”       “No, Mother, he will not believe it,” Natalia shakes her head with tears in her eyes. “Edward got so mad at me that everything he will hear from me is gonna be a lie for him. But if I confess that I’ve never cheated on him, he’ll get much angrier at me.”       “But you shouldn’t let him think so! What if he starts showering you with mud for other people, and they start to think you’re a betrayer?”       “Nobody will believe him. Raquelle and Terrence won’t believe I allegedly had an affair with other men. And when I tell Anna everything, she’ll be by my side. Everybody will be by my side when I tell them what Edward did to me. Even his own mother will judge him.”       “Are you ready to let him keep believing the lie? I’m sure he’d listen to you if you wanted to talk and explain everything.”       “It’s impossible,” Natalia replies with sadness in her eyes and swallows up nervously. “And yeah, I’m not so innocent… Because I do deceive Edward anyway… But it’s not what he thinks about. He believes I allegedly used and betrayed him. But I was actually framed.”       “Then let him know he believes the lie! If that guy turns everybody against you by making them sure you’re allegedly terrible, it would be too much.”       “May he do what he wants. I don’t wanna try to prove anything to the one, who let us know that his love was fake, believed the proof was real, and wasn’t pleased to make sure if it was true.”       “You think he didn’t love you?”       “Of course! So, I’ll do my best to fall out of love with that man, even if I have to wait for too long. I’ll meet a good man, who won’t doubt me even when someone wanna slander me.”       “Honey, do you think it’s so easy? It’s impossible to fall out of love easily! Sometimes you may fall in love so much that you won't be able to love anyone else. And if you fall out of love with him, it doesn’t mean you’d love someone as much as the one you loved before.”       “I know,” Natalia sighs heavily. “But I must do it. I won’t deny that I still madly love Edward, but I can’t live with the thoughts of him and wait for a miracle that would bring him back to me. No matter how hard it is for me, I must do my best to let my heart be open for someone to be more decent.”       “Aw, daughter, daughter…” Letitia sighs quietly. “If you told Edward all the truth, everything would be otherwise. Early or late, he would think of your words.”       “Edward has other business. That is more important to him than family and love. You don’t know what a disgusting thing he did to those, who accepted him with open arms a few months ago.”       “Did he hurt you so much that you don’t even wanna try to tell him the truth?”       “Yes, when he found out I allegedly cheated on him, he called me very badly. I won’t say how, but Edward can’t be a holy and innocent angel. It’s a real devil! The poisoned snake that we had by our side!”       “You say it because you’re mad at him.”       “No, Mother, I say it because it’s the truth,” Natalia replies a little coldly. “Edward is not as sweet and good as everybody thinks. I promise, when you know what a scumbag he is, Father and you will be mad at him. Dad will wish literally to strangle that man when he knows how Lockhart behaved toward me.”       “Oh, my dear girl…” Letitia sighs heavily. “I don’t know what Edward did, but I don’t really like the fact that your boyfriend believed in your betrayal so easily and blamed you for the lie. If he truly loved you, he wouldn’t have believed someone to wish to mock you and ruin your life.”       “I do mean it! Now, do you understand why I don’t even wanna try to fix something? As Lockhart behaved so disgustingly toward me, there’s no point in being together. I don’t wanna be with a man, who doesn’t appreciate me and could easily blame me for betraying him and doubt my love when having a little reason. If a man loves me, he will believe me, not some liars…”       “Yes, I understand you, sweetie… Whatever happens, I have to wish you to stay strong.”       “Thanks, Mom,” Natalia replies softly and sniffs quietly. “But it’s very hard for me now.”       “I know, my princess. But while your father and mother are far from you, may your friends help you. Don’t reject their help and hide nothing from them.”       “No, no, I won’t lie anymore,” Natalia says confidently and smiles tiredly but truly. “I owe my friends for what they’ve done to me.”       “That’s good.”       “Hey, when are you and Dad gonna be back in New York?”       “Tonight, I’ll talk to your father and tell him about my talk with you. Sadly, we can’t fly to the USA right now because we need to drive your grandmother to the doctor and get permission for a flight. She is not young and might not stand a long flight on an airplane. We should make sure that her condition lets her have a flight.”       “Yes, sure, I get it. I just asked… Go back when you are able.”       “But we’ll try to do everything quickly to come back to New York for at least a few days”       “I’ll be impatiently waiting for you at home.”       “Well, okay.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, which Letitia breaks.       “Erm, listen, Natalia, I’m sorry, but I need to say goodbye to you,” Letitia announces. “I need to go somewhere with your grandmother. She’s ready, waiting for me to finish talking on the phone.”       “Okay, I won’t hold you anymore,” Natalia replies with a slight smile.       “But I promise I will call you later. Maybe, your father would also love to talk to you. He’s missing you as much as your grandmother Adriana and me.”       “Give Dad and Grandma my greeting. And remind Grandma to stay strong and believe she'll get well.”       “I will do. She also says she’s missing you so much and wants to see you.”       “Anyway, I can buy a ticket and come to Mexico City.”       “Well, if you really want, we’ll accept you with pleasure. Just warn us earlier, so we get ready.”       “Well…” Natalia rolls her eyes with a slight smile. “Maybe, I’d love to make a surprise for you…”       “Aw, Natalia, my girl…” Letitia replies softly.       “Yeah, could you transfer some money to my card? There’s almost nothing to eat at home, and I wanna go to a store.”       “Okay, sweetie, we’ll transfer you some money tonight. If it’s little, say the specific amount, and we’ll transfer as much as you need.”       “Thanks a lot.”       “Okay, my sunshine, your grandmother is waiting for me. See you soon! Talk later.”       “Okay. Buy, Mom.”       Natalia turns off the call, puts the phone where it was before, and exhales with great relief, being happy her conflict with her parents is solved. Although she told Letitia almost nothing about what happened to her, the girl feels like she got rid of one more burden. Of course, Natalia is not sure that she will be ready to meet men at the nearest time. But Rochester promises herself to spend much more time with her friends, who will help her become as happy and positive as she was before.