Chapter Three: I Don't Even Know You

Lena's POV

My first thought when I opened my eyes was that I was dead.

I had only opened my eyes a little and where I was beautiful so it was probably the afterlife.

So for a full few seconds I just lay there staring at the ceiling wondering if this was what it felt like, and then my head started throbbing and I figured dead people probably did not get headaches this bad.

I sat up slowly and looked around.

It was a hotel room, a really nice one. I sat on the edge of the bed trying to pull together what I actually remembered from last night and all of it just suddenly flashed back.

The drinks I had, me walking out and me almost getting hit.

But then... I remember a hand grabbing me and pulling me hard out of the road right before everything went dark, and after that there was nothing but blackness until right now.

There were folded clothes placed on the chair nearby and that was the part that unsettled me the most, that someone had been close enough to do that while I was unconscious and I had not felt a thing.

I got up, splashed water on my face and went out to the reception still in yesterday's clothes because I was not touching anything that was not mine until I understood what was happening.

The woman at the desk smiled when she saw me like she had been expecting this.

"Someone brought you in last night," she said, before I even asked,

"They already paid in full cash but did not leave a name, they kept their face covered and just asked us to make sure you were okay and had everything you needed."

I stared at her.

"That's it?" I said, "no name, nothing?"

"Nothing," she said, still smiling like this was a perfectly normal situation.

I went back to the room and sat on the bed and turned on my phone, which had a crack running across the corner that I did not remember being there before.

Then the messages started flooding in, Priya, a few notifications, the school f*e reminder again, and then my anonymous chattee.

I opened it.

"Let's meet, today. I'll send the time and place." It read.

I read it twice and just sat there because after two years of arguing about hockey and disappearing, voice notes and late night conversations, he suddenly wanted to meet in person, just like that. I took my bath, had the meal they gave to me at the hotel and left for home.

I got home to meet chaos.

My father was outside on the front step and the landlord was right in front of him shouting really loud.

I could hear the words before I even reached them and it was all about rent and how we'll be kicked out of we don't pay up.

I stepped between them.

"We'll sort it out," I said, looking at the landlord directly,

"give us a few days, please."

He looked at me, then back at my father, sucked his teeth and walked away without another word, and I turned around and went inside before my father could say anything.

He followed me in and closed the door.

I could feel him looking at me before he even said anything and when I turned around his face told me everything. I'm sure he has seen the video too.

"Lena," he said, his voice firm but quiet,

"you need to be more careful."

"Dad..."

"I mean it," he said, cutting me off gently, "attention like that brings problems we cannot afford right now, you do not have the luxury to be careless, there are bills, and there are responsibilities..."

"I know," I said.

"Your fees are still unpaid." He added

"I know, Dad." I replied already getting tired of the talks.

"I'm going to look into another loan..." He was saying

"No," I cut him off immediately, turning to face him properly,

"we already owe too much, we are not taking another loan."

He looked at me for a moment and did not argue, he just went to the kitchen and I went to my room.

I closed the door and leaned against it and just stood there for a second. All of this is just happening at once and getting too much for me to talk in.

"God... Please. If you really do hear and see me right now. I'm fed up" I said under my breathe as I walked towards my bed and threw myself on it, facing the ceiling and staring into space.

My phone lit up beside me where I had tossed it and I looked at it from across the room for a moment before walking over and picking it up.

He had sent another message of the time and date where we would meet.

I exhaled slowly. Then I typed back.

"I'll come."