Part I Chapter III: Careful what you wish for

Enraged, Ethan stormed into the room. Lori, who was reading a magazine before he entered, was so surprised to see him that she flung the magazine across the room. Adjusting her night robe, she said, "What are you doing here? You can't just barge into my room like that! After all I…"

"Where is she?" He shouted

"Who are you talking about?" She said, shouting back at him.

"Hannah!"

"Why are you asking me? I sent her to your room last night. If anyone should know where she is, it's you! Besides, why would I care where she is? I don't see…"

"She never came!"

"What's that supposed to mean? I sent her to your room!"

"That's your problem…"

He ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair, straightened the blue shirt and black jeans he was wearing, and walked towards the door. He grabbed the door handle in an attempt to open the door but suddenly stopped. He turned and said, "Next time, don't use that tone with me, we wouldn't want your boyfriend to know the truth…"

She sighed and said, "I'm sorry…"

His sky-blue eyes twinkled in mischief. He grinned and said, "Since we can't find the girl, what are you gonna do? I still need someone to service, you know what I mean…"

She frowned and said, "I'll do it…"

"Meet me at the usual spot"

"That's fine…"

He turned the doorknob and stepped out of the room. Lori grabbed the flower vase on the side table and smashed it on the ground. She ran her fingers through her long strawberry-blonde hair, her blood boiling with every passing second. She picked up her phone and called Candace.

"Hello…" she replied in a sleepy tone.

"Where is she?" She quickly asked.

"Where is who?" She said, not understanding what Lori was saying.

"Hannah! Is she at your apartment?"

"She isn't here. She's with Ethan, isn't she?" 

"He said she never came!" She said, suddenly feeling tense.

"What? Are you sure he's not trying to trick you?" She asked, sounding concerned.

"He seemed dead serious!"

"Do you think those guys did it?"

"I don't know what to think!"

"But I specifically told them to take her to room 4004…"

"What room did you say?" She said, suddenly beginning to panic

"4004. Is there a problem?"

She screamed through the phone. 

"Take it easy! If you keep this up, I'll be deaf before I'm twenty-five. What's wrong? Why did you scream?" 

"You've ruined me!"

"Wasn't it room 4004?"

"It wasn't!"

"That's strange…I'm sure it was 4004 that was written on it. That means she could be in anyone's room…"

"It's not just anyone's room, it's Julian's room!" She cried.

"Julian? As in your fiance?" She said, also beginning to panic.

"Who else?"

"What are we gonna do Lori? How do we…."

She ended the call and hurriedly changed into a blue off-shoulder gown. Still, in her slippers, she dashed out of her room and ran to room 4004. On her arrival, she found the door unlocked and quickly pushed it open. Stepping into the room, she found Hannah asleep on the blood-stained bed. The bathroom door opened. A man in his early twenties stepped out of it. A towel loosely hung on his waist as he dried his jet-black hair with another. His grey eyes widened once he saw Lori.

"What are you doing here?" He said, surprised to see her.

His words filled her with rage. She took off the band that held her hair up in a ponytail. Roughening her hair, she picked up the empty liquor bottle that was on the floor, smashing it on the side table.

Startled, he said, 'Why did you do that? What's wrong with you?'

'What's wrong with me? So I'm the one with the problem, right? I'm the crazy one, while you were here having a good time with some stranger. How could you do this to me? Doesn't your conscience prick you or are you too much of a jerk to care? You are so infuriating! I can't believe you!' She screamed, her hair falling on her face, covering it partially.

"You speak as though you're some saint Lorraine! Besides, what's the big deal?" He said in an unbothered tone.

"What's the big deal? Can you take a moment to listen to yourself? How dare you? How did she get here?" She said in anger, her hair still flying in all directions

"How should I know? You talk as though you know her…do you?" He said suspiciously.

"Does it matter? You cheated on me! The worst part is that you aren't showing any remorse! What does she have that I don't have? She's just a stupid black girl, she's a nobody!" She screamed, as though she had gone mad.

"That's none of your business…" He rudely cut in.

"None of my business? We're getting married once we graduate! I'm pregnant with your child for Christ's sake!" She said ferociously.

"There is no way I'm getting married to a bitch like you!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble but we are getting married whether you like it or not!"

She stirred on the bed. Her eyelids slowly opened. She had a headache, but it was worse than the one she had the previous night. She felt her head pound as she tried to move. She felt a sharp pain in between her legs. She scanned her surroundings and realized she wasn't in her apartment. She was in an expensive hotel room, which she could have sworn was bigger than her cramped apartment. She heard voices of people arguing. Her eyes darted in the direction of the sound and saw Lori and a man, who she recognized as the guy who gave Lori a gift the night before, arguing. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"I've had enough of your nonsense! Get out!" He furiously shouted.

"Why? So you can have some quality time with your new girlfriend?" She said sarcastically.

"Enough of this! Leave!"

She laughed hysterically and said, "I'll go. But I'm not letting you two off the hook easily. Mark my words, I'll make both of you regret it! You and your new girlfriend!"

She quickly ran her fingers through her hair and tied it into a loose bun. She turned and left the room in a rage, her slippers squeaking as they hit the tiled floor. He stared at the black girl who lay asleep on the bed. He sighed and walked into the closet. Hearing no more voices, she opened her eyes and stared at the grand chandelier which hung from the ceiling. She sprinted out of bed, put on her clothes, picked up her belongings, and ran out of the building.

She stopped running once she got to the apartment. She checked her pockets for her key but didn't find it. She raised the potted plant on the porch to see if the spare key was there. Luckily, it was. She inserted the key into the keyhole and unlocked the door. Dropping the key back, she walked quietly into the apartment. Checking the rooms, she found out that no one was home. She walked into her bathroom, took off her shoes, and sat in the tub. She told herself that she wouldn't cry but as she pictured her parents' disappointed faces, she let her tears freely flow. She sobbed in the tub and didn't notice when the bathroom door opened.

"Is that you Hannah? Are you okay?"

She looked up and saw it was her roommate June. She wiped her tears with the back of her palm as she nodded her head.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it," she said in her Australian accent. "I asked because I saw you crying. How'd the party go? You didn't come home last night. I tried asking Candy but she refused to tell me anything. You know how she is…" She continued.

She burst into a fresh set of tears. June squatted by the side of the tub and patted her back. She narrated to her the events that had taken place the night before, leaving out the strange noises she heard at the hotel.

"I can't believe she would do that to you," June said in a disgusted tone.

"I knew she didn't like me but I didn't think she'd drug me and send me to a guy's room! I hate her so much." She said in between tears.

"Why did you drink it anyway?" She said, knowing Hannah wasn't that dumb.

"Lori gave me the drink Candy gifted her. I didn't think it was spiked. I always thought she was my friend. Now I know she's just like Lori, a double-faced backstabber, mean…"

"They got what they deserved…"

"But did I deserve this?"

"You didn't but…"

"I ended up in her fiancé's room. She seemed pissed, but I think I wasn't supposed to end up there…"

"Her fiancé? You mean Julian Heathrow?"

"I don't know his name but if he's her fiancé, that's him. They both have a lot in common."

"Why do you say so?"

"They're unfaithful…"

She laughed and said, "That's why they are a match made in heaven."

June ran her hand over her thick brown cornrows and said, "Everything will get better soon. Just wait…"