A slight jolt wakes me up. I start rubbing my eyes, while trying to open them, but there's just too much light, so I close them again.

"Hannah, wake up," I hear a voice say next to me, using a louder tone than I'd prefer at this very moment.

I cover my face with the bedsheets and decide to resume my sleeping.

Suddenly I feel cold and it takes me a moment to realize that someone has taken the bedsheets off me. I groan and try to cover my whole body with my arms, which, of course, is impossible. Then, I use the pillow to cover half of my body and try to go back to sleep. However, this stranger is determined not to let me sleep as it puts on a loud and horrible music, which wakes me up instantly.

I sit up and try to open my eyes again. Still not seeing well, dazzled by the light of the room, I can Identify the figure of a person in front of me. So, angry as hell and with all the hatred I can keep inside of my body, I throw my pillow at that unknown person.

"Hannah, easy... relax. I'm sorry I've woken you up like this but I didn't know what else to do! Man, you are sleepy," she says with a little laugh. "Anyway... I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm Casy so you don't need to be aggressive with me," she adds sitting next to me in bed.

I rub my eyes again. I turn around and look at her, ashamed of what I've done. In my defense I had just woken up, so I wasn't fully aware of what I was doing. It's similar to what happens when people are drunk and do silly things because they can't control what their actions, which reminds me... Was Casy drunk yesterday?

Instantly, flashbacks of last night come to my mind. Casy entering my house, her breath, her weird behavior...

I lie in bed again and cover myself with the sheets. Casy wanted to tell me something but I don't remember her saying something important. I just remember her apologizing to me for the bruises and the situation at the bar. I also recall that Casy came home before my mom. My mom... did she enter my bedroom? And Casy? Did they see each other? Oh my god! What happened when I was sleeping?!?!?

I'm starting to freak out. I sit up again. I'm sure something happened while I was sleeping, something... not good. Oh god!

"What happened while I was sleeping?" I ask Casy, worried.

"Hey, easy, relax," she says while sitting next to me on the bed and caressing my back with her hand. "Nothing happened. Your mom didn't come in here last night. I just heard a door opening, which supposed it was your mom entering her bedroom, but besides that, nothing else happened."

I breathe out, letting out the air I didn't know I was holding. God, that's a big relief. If my mom had seen Casy... I don't know what would have happened.

"Okay, that's great... but, what about you? What did you do? I guess you didn't sleep on the floor under the bed the whole night, did you? Oh, and that's something I really want to apologize for. You know, my mom's just a bit... special. I didn't want you to—"

"Relax," she interrupts me. "I get that, you don't have to apologize. And, answering your question... well, I grabbed some blankets I found in your closet and put them on the floor and that was okay, I slept well."

I smile and nod. It bothers me a little bit that she went through my stuff, but, honestly, I didn't give her too many options, so she managed well after all. However, there's something that worries me: did she find my memory box rummaging through my stuff in my closet? That idea makes me nervous.

My memory box is pretty big and contains all of my childhood memories. Well, not just my childhood memories, but memories of my entire life. From photos when I was a baby to some things I collected in the last few years;  everything is in that box. I even have in there some personal objects and some notebooks, where I used to write my most intimate thoughts when I was suffering from bullying, which I certainly don't want her to see.

The fact that I may be now talking to the person who knows my most intimate secrets horrifies me. I don't want to start my new life like this, I want anyone to know about my past. I was already upset when Daniela Salvatierra tried to bring back my past and now I don't even wanna imagine how Casy would react if she knew all of this. Surely, she would treat me like a crystal vase. She'd see me fragile and try to take care of me so I don't break into pieces. Although, I wouldn't be a new and perfect crystal vase; I'd be a broken-scotch-taped one, which is harder to take care of: a single mistake and the vase would break immediately. Then, it would be necessary to scotch-tape all the pieces together again. Well, I'm like that right now. I'm that crystal vase, but there's a difference: nothing can break me. I've been through a lot, I'm already entirely broken.

I'm so deep in thought that I don't even react when Casy hit me with the pillow I threw at her earlier.

"It would be great if you finally got up, wouldn't be?" She says, sarcastically. "It's an hour and a half before school starts, so we've time to get ready. I should get going, though... but we need to talk first," she adds, as her distinctive smile vanishes and is replaced by a serious expression.

I nod. Yeah, we need to talk about a lot of things, that's true. The questions on my mind don't seem to stop and I need answers, otherwise I'll go insane.

We just stare at each other for a few seconds, quietly, none of us saying a word. Why do we always get so uncomfortable when we have to talk about important things? It's like, when we have to speak, we are just muted. Why the hell is that? Another question for which I have no answer.

"Go ahead," Casy tells me.

I get more nervous when I realize I'm the one who has to take the initiative in this conversation; I thought she was going to start talking. I go over the million questions on my mind and pick one. Yeah, got it.

"Last night, when you came here, were you... drunk?"

That's it. I said it, there's no turning back.

Her eyes fly open in surprise. She definitely wasn't expecting me to ask her that.

"How did you know?" she asks, glumly.

"I noticed it when you got closer to me... don't you remember? In that moment you said something about my eyes; you said—"

"Yeah, I know what I said," she says and I can tell by the sound of her voice that she's really pissed off. And I have to say, I'm surprised. I've never heard her speaking that way before, not even yesterday when she got mad at Leo, and, honestly, I don't know how to react. I sigh. Maybe she's ashamed of what she's done? It's a possibility, but she doesn't have to talk to me like that, I didn't do anything wrong.

"Well, that moment..." I start saying, timidly, not sure how she's going to respond. "At that moment I could smell alcohol and a hint of mint on your breath. I hadn't smelt that before when you entered my home, just when you got closer..."

I remain silent after that, waiting for an answer that never comes. Once again, the silence reigns in the room.

I look for her eyes so I can figure out how she's feeling but she's not looking at me. Her green gaze is fixed on the floor. God, I'm worried I've said something that had upset her, it really wasn't my intention. Why does she get like that, though? It was a question, just that. I wasn't judging her, or was I? I don't know, but her reaction makes me think she does have an alcohol problem.

"Why did you ask me that if you already knew I was drunk?" she asks and I'm positive she's still angry at me.

"I just... wanted to make sure...that was it... I'm sorry Casy, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm really sorry," I apologize to her nervously but try to remain calm, trying to handle the situation.

She finally looks up at me and I can tell her expression has softened. And now she's smiling; a faint smile tug at the corner of her mouth. Maybe she's not angry anymore.

"It's fine. I really don't wanna talk about this. I think it was a mistake to come here and stay the night. In spite of that, I want you to know that I honestly think you're a great girl and I do want to get to know you more but there are things we don't have to share with each other. We both have our own secrets that maybe someday, we'll share, but not right now," she says while standing up from the bed and folding the sheets she's used to sleeping on the floor.

I nod, with reluctance. What does she mean by "we both have our own secrets"? She was talking in general or she mentioned that because she saw my memory box and all the stuff that were inside? I pray that she hasn't seen my memory box and that she's talking in general.

I get out of the bed and l0ook in the mirror. The bruise on my forehead is getting worse, as I expected. My hair is disgusting. It is so greasy that it looks like I dip my head in olive oil. My uniform is dirty and I have horrible bags under my eyes, not to mention my extra dry and cracked lips. Gosh, I'm horrible. Who's that girl in the mirror? I don't even know her.

I need a shower now, but first I have to deal with Casy. She has to leave my house without my mum seeing her and that's going to be difficult if she's awake.

I glance briefly at her and I'm suddenly ashamed of my appearance. I can't believe the second day we met I look like this. However, I'm so tired that I barely pay attention to that; I just want a shower.

"Casy you have to leave now, if my mum sees you here, she'll kill me."

"Is that bad your mum?" Casy asks.

I avoid answering her question. She's not bad or mean, she's just... a bit special? I'm not in the mood to describe my mum's personality, but I guess she won't be happy finding out a stranger is in her house without her permission. So, I think my mum's "special" personality, this time, is justified.

I open the door slowly and I notice the door of my mum's bedroom is closed, which is a good sign; she's still asleep.

I tell Casy to come closer and follow me. We go downstairs, at a slow pace. She seems calm, but I'm a nervous wreck.

Finally, after seconds that seemed hours, we made it to the door. We say our goodbyes quickly and I go upstairs back to my bedroom, thinking about the most intense twenty-four hours of my life.