The Gray Dancer

04. VELVET COVERS

HANNA AWOKE TO A SOFT VELVETY COVER RESTING OVER HER. Her dreams and aspirations were replaced by the bitter reality of life as her eyes opened. Hanna didn't want to wake up. She wanted to continue dreaming of a life she would never have.

Hanna woke as if it was a weekend. Her eyelashes batted against her eyelids with every blink, as if she were in no hurry to begin her day.

The morning sun poured through the windows into her eyes. Hanna's head pounded at once—a piercing pain she didn't recognize. She felt like she was being stabbed with thousands of knives, her head tearing her from the inside out. It took her a few moments to wake up to the reality she wished didn't exist.

Hanna groaned, stretching her arms. Sunlight streamed through the windows again, this time straight into her eyes. The warm tan hues fell upon her pale skin.

Hanna jolted upright, her eyes blinking once, then twice. 

This was not her room.

Curtains remained draped over the windows in Hanna's apartment, keeping the sunlight away from her tiny abode. Yet here, the sunlight poured onto her skin as bright as ever. Hanna's eyes darted to the dark red velvet sheets that covered her. They weren't hers either. Hanna's sheets were pitch black, like her life. Hanna pushed the sheets off her, staring at the bright yellow walls surrounding the room.

"Hanna, did you get yourself into another mess again?"

Hanna gulped. The memories of last night were fuzzy. She could hardly remember what happened, even though she desperately tried to remember. Hanna's brow wrinkled. This was anything but good. Why was it that she always landed up in a mess?

She rolled her eyes, wincing.

"Hanna?"

A pale blonde head peeked his head into the room. His hair was styled neatly, layering just atop his eyebrows and his eyes were an ocean blue, mesmerizing in a way.

For a second, Hanna forgot about the unfamiliar place she was in. Her eyebrows raised at his appearance.

He wore a light blue button-up paired with a black tie and a navy blue blazer. A golden badge laid embellished on his belt. Hanna couldn't make out what it said, but she didn't need to.

She was sure he was a police officer.

Derrick patted down his hair with one hand before stepping into the room to find the raven-haired girl. He held a glass of water with a fuchsia pink pill in his right hand. His head turned around, swiveling around the tiny bedroom. His eyes settled on the girl.

"You went out cold last night." He chuckled, holding the pill and glass of water out to her, "Take it easy on the drinking."

Hanna's eyes flickered between the pill and Derrick's eyes. Her head tilted as she fumbled. Hanna was beyond confused. Her mind swirled with a multitude of different emotions, stuck in the sweet bliss from the night before, unable to remember him.

Derrick's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at her. His eyes darted to the pink pill in his right hand before meeting Hanna's dazzled expression. He seemed to have noticed Hanna's confusion. A light chuckle escaped his lip.

"It's for your hangover."

Hanna's lips puffed out. She didn't say anything as she grabbed both the glass of water and the pill from Derrick's hand. Hanna stared at the medicine for a few seconds before hastily swallowing it with the water.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble for me."

"Would you have preferred if I had left you on the streets?" He raised an eyebrow, cocking his head to the side.