Room 425, Thursday Morning

[new_it_girl]

Hanna was kind of a mess. She knew she wasn't alone in that. People all over the island were missing loved ones or acquaintances right now.

She called home every day since she returned, learning on each of those days of more and more disappearances: Mona, Lucas, Noel, her ex Sean, Jenna, Spencer's sister. Emily was the first of her best friends to vanish. That hurt most.


This was a new day, though. Hanna stared at her phone for a few moments, preparing herself for today's phone calls. She had to deal with this every day, nervously dialing numbers, hoping the calls went through. Just as she did every day, she went through her cellphone and dialed numbers that still existed, saving her mom's for last.

"Please pick up," she whispered. At least it was ringing.

"Is everything okay?" Ashley Marin asked her daughter. "You've been calling a lot lately."

"I just miss you," Hanna said truthfully. A time of crisis made her want to be near the people she loved most.

"You just saw me over Thanksgiving," Ashley said. "But it's nice that you call. It's better than rebelling."

Hanna laughed. "I don't think I'd get away with it."

"Then tell me what's bothering you. You can't fool me, Hanna. I know when you're upset."

"Nothing you need to worry about." She hated lying to her mother.

"I always worry about you," Ashley said quietly. " You know that. Ever since..."

Hanna was alarmed by the sudden drop off. "Mom? Are you still there? Mom?!"

Her voice grew more and more frantic, especially since there was nothing but a dial tone. That wasn't enough proof.

"Mom...please be there. Please?" Hanna was actually begging, even though she knew it would do no good. Eventually, she closed her phone, sliding down the wall until she reached the floor.

She was too stunned to cry. For now.

[can be open, though like almost everyone else on the island, she's not very happy.]

Comments

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Hannah might not have been crying, but Rapunzel could tell that something was up when she came back from showering, hair still wet.

"Hanna?" she asked softly, not wanting to startle her friend.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

Hanna was still sitting on the floor. "She's gone. My mom. Just like that."

She wasn't going to pretend to be fine this time.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Rapunzel didn't really know what to say to that. But she did, at least, have some idea of something to do.

It only took a few quick strides for her to rush to Hanna's side and kneel down next to her. Rapunzel's slender arms wrapped tightly around Hanna as she finally found words.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

Hanna leaned against her, grateful, somewhat, for the comfort. "This'll get fixed. Everything will be back to normal soon. I have to believe that."

But she wasn't sure she could. That's when the tears finally came.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"It will," Rapunzel agreed, squeezing her roommate even tighter, trying to think of something else she could offer. "It will."

It wouldn't be fair if it didn't.

And while Rapunzel didn't really think of Fandom as fair, for Hanna it would have to be.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"Thank you for saying so." Hearing someone else say it made it oddly more comforting. "And thanks for being here."

And not vanished like almost everyone else in Hanna's life.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Always." It was something of a reckless promise, but Rapunzel totally meant it.

She squeezed Hanna again, still not sure what to say, or whether to ask for details about what she was pretty sure had to have happened.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

She didn't need to say anything. Just being there spoke volumes to Hanna. Rapunzel was one person in her life who still existed, and Hanna was grateful.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Rapunzel didn't have a lot of experience comforting people. Mother had never been one to offer it, and had never seemed to need any herself. But she did have a natural sense of empathy.

Hopefully that would be enough.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked softly, hoping the question wasn't an intrusion.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"Just being here is good." Hanna meant that. She didn't want to be alone right now.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Then I'll be here for as long as you want," Rapunzel promised earnestly. She leaned forward slightly to press a hesitant little kiss to Hanna's forehead. She'd seen the gesture on TV, and while she knew that TV often wasn't real, she'd also learned that sometimes it was.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

Hanna smiled at that. "Thanks, Rapunzel. You're the best roommate ever."

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Rapunzel didn't really believe that, but the compliment made her smile anyway.

"I feel the same way about you," she said softly. "You helped me so much when I first got here." She leaned her head lightly against Hanna's. "If I can help you..." Well, she'd do anything.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"If this is ever over, we should do something fun," Hanna suggested.

She just hoped there would be a reason to celebrate.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Anything you want," Rapunzel agreed. And not just (entirely) for Hanna's sake. Rapunzel always had fun when she got to do stuff with Hanna.

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"Well then, it's just one more reason to get through this," Hanna decided.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"And you will." Somehow.

Rapunzel would make sure of it.

Then she corrected herself: "We will."

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"We totally will." Hanna nodded. She would help make sure of it. No way was she ready to lose anyone else to this...whatever it was.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"After all," Rapunzel said softly, trying to keep the mood light, "you still have to teach me how to use that make-up stuff."

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"This is true," Hanna said. "That's the first thing we'll do when we survive this."

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Rapunzel smiled slightly. "I'll hold you to that."