Hana is confusing

“Take some pictures of me.” Hana handed me her phone, already on camera mode.

She did a cute pose to emphasize the display for the horrible tragedy. I snapped a few pictures.

“I’m not exactly a photographer, sorry.” I apologized as I handed the phone back.

She looked through the photos. “No kidding. Doesn’t matter, I just have to have proof I visited. You know how tiring it is to play dumb in a college class? Like, I can’t just tell them I know everything about everything, right? I have to do all this annoying-ass shit to act the part.”

“But… why? Why not just… be smart?”

“You’d be surprised how much this town hates super-geniuses.” She sighed.

She began walking me back towards the entrance.

“I spent fifty bucks to take a picture of you in front of a display?” I griped.

“Oh, I’m sure you’re used to paying for pictures of girls, you loser.”

“Rude.”

She snorted. “I’m fucking with you. You’re cute enough; you don’t really give incel-vibes. Not to mention you got a girlfriend now, yeah?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. “I don’t know how much I want to tell you about people in my life.”

“Ah… you don’t trust me. I get it, to be honest. I’d like to say that I’m not, like, trying to get intel so use against you.”

“That’s exactly what you would say if you were trying to get **** on me.” I pointed out.

She put her hands up. “Fair, fair… but I really mean it: I told you I want to work with you, yeah? I’d prefer us to be on at least somewhat friendly terms, for the simplicity of things.”

“The whole bomb-shaped elephant in the room makes it a little difficult.”

Hana didn’t reply.

Luckily, the prick at the front desk was gone. She led me back to her car and we got in. We sat in silence for a moment as she sat in her seat, deep in thought.

“Okay: I thought about that.” Hana clicked her tongue. “Unfortunately, I can’t remove the bomb.”

“Bad start to whatever attempt at reconciliation you’re making.”

“Okay, how’s this: I could remove the bomb, but it would get us both killed. It’s set to go off if ever removed, so that you wouldn’t try and take it out yourself.”

“Oh.” Thank God I didn’t try and remove it.

“But… if you can put some trust in me, I can get it removed… eventually. I’d need to be in a higher position of power. This sounds made-up, but there’s genuinely an app my bosses have that control all the bombs.”

“All the bombs?”

“Don’t act like you’re so special, of course we have more people like you. You’re just the lucky one, since you met me and since you aren’t actively dying… probably.”

“How reassuring.” I muttered sarcastically.

Hana sighed. “Listen, I get it. I’m the villain, right? I get the moral quandary here: I endangered you, and I’m leveraging that power to get you to give me a step up on people even worse than me.”

“Doesn’t help that you’ve emphasized on multiple occasions that me dying would have been a good thing.”

She cringed. “Okay, yes… that’s… well, it’s true… but I’ve adapted to the new circumstances, and I’m very happy to keep you alive.”

“Awful apology.”

“I’m not apologizing, because in my shoes you’d view things the same way; I’ll never apologize for looking at things realistically.” She snapped back. “I’m… trying to be nice here. I’m not the best at that, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. It’s kind of why Ava and I got along so well: we’re bitches. I’m never going to not be a bitch.”

“Uh… okay.” I didn’t know where this was going.

“I’m being honest with you from here-on. That’s why I did this today: I wanted to show you that you are a person to me, not a tool. I told you about me and Ava, and gave you incredibly sensitive information about Vocx because I’m putting some trust in you.” Hana seemed to be straining herself to be this honest with me, which made me believe her.

“This better not be that acting skill of yours.”

Hana laughed. “No, but I can cry if that helps you believe me.”

“Nah, that won’t do anything for me at this point.” I chewed on my cheek, contemplating. “Okay… I get it. But… I can’t just trust you out of nowhere. It’s something you have to earn over some time, yeah?”

Hana seemed annoyed, but nodded.

“A lot of time, just so you know.”

“Makes sense. I’d like the ‘working together’ part to begin a little soon, though. Sooner we get that bomb out, the better, eh?”

I couldn’t argue against that. “Alright, that’s fair.”

“So… can I ask about that girlfriend now? I promise to keep her bomb-free!”

“Maybe keep bomb jokes to a minimum for the time being.”

Hana laughed. She started her car and started driving.

“I met this girl at a movie theater. She-“

“Is she cute?” Hana interrupted.

“What? Yeah?”

“Cool.”

“Uh… anyway; she gave me her number afterwards, and we went on a date to this restaurant she likes. Then we went bowling. That’s it.”

Hana blew a raspberry. “Ah, come on now. Juicy details!”

“We’ve been on one date, there’s no ‘juicy details’ to give.”

“Okay, how about any details. You didn’t even give me a name.”

“Her name is Cait.”

“Kate? Like Ava’s roommate? Wait, like your roommate? Isn’t she dating Kenzie?”

“No, it’s with a ‘C’. They do look similar though. Redhead, freckled, glasses.”

“Weird coincidence, huh?”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t even realize at first.”

“You getting a second date?”

I nodded. “Should be. She seemed to enjoy the first, even when I threw up.”

“When you what?!”

I laughed before explaining the date in more detail to her as we drove. I know it’s probably a bad idea to consider her a friend, but I did enjoy myself talking to her.

**-

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