– Can you think about it?

- And there is nothing to think about! To me. He. Not. Like. Tell them I didn't give you my number.

With these words, I freed myself from Cyril's embrace and proudly walked towards Zhenya. Just don't cry, Yara! Just don't cry!

There was no girlfriend at the window. I looked around at the dancers and stumbled upon a couple of them and Misha. They chatted about something cheerfully, looking into each other's eyes. Doves!

Just to keep an indifferent look until the end of the song. Cyrus immediately disappeared into the crowd. Damn pimp! Such anger raged in my soul that I wanted to smash this entire hall to pieces! I also held back tears of resentment with all my might.

Finally, the slowdown is over. It felt like an eternity had passed.

- Why are you alone? Zhenya was surprised. Where is Kir? You danced together.

- Shall we get out of here? I can't be here anymore, I murmured.

Probably Zhenya saw something on my face that instantly agreed. We took our jackets from the locker room in silence and left the school without saying goodbye to anyone.

The last straw in the seemingly endless bowl of my patience was Kirill and Oksana kissing right in front of the front door. They are doing well, unlike me!

We passed by and did not draw attention to ourselves. Let them choke on each other's saliva!

When the school was left behind, Zhenya finally broke the silence:

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Kir tried to woo me to Mishka’s classmate,” I muttered.

- And what's wrong with that?

- That he is a goat! I yelled, unable to contain my rage any longer.

- This guy? Zhenya was surprised.

- Cyrus! I breathed out and cried softly.

It was worth pronouncing his name aloud, as if a damper rose inside, holding back the seething flow of anger and bitterness.

- In what sense?

There was amazement in Zhenya's voice. She doesn't seem to understand me.

- In the sense that Cyrus does not see how much I love him.

Resentment squeezed his throat to the point of lack of air. I reminded myself of a fish washed ashore. A little more, and I won't survive.

“We need something to drink,” she said. I know which shop will sell us beer.

Half an hour later, which seemed like an eternity to me, we were sitting on a bench under some entrance of a featureless five-story building and sipping beer straight from the bottles.

Traitorous tears streamed down my cheeks as if a cistern of salt water was hidden inside. Zhenya listened to my incoherent nonsense with understanding.

- I'm friends with this chicken only because I want to be closer to him. I thought that I could quarrel them, but nothing happens. They are still together. What did Cyrus see in her? Boobs?! The words poured out of me.

“I didn’t want to tell this so as not to spread gossip,” Zhenya murmured. “I think I know what Cyrus saw in her. The girls from the class said that at the last medical examination in Oksana's class, half of the girls had already sat on the chair to the gynecologist.

- AND?

So they are no longer girls. Among them was Oksana.

The meaning of the words spoken by Zhenya very slowly reached me.

“So you mean to say that Cyrus is sleeping with her?”

- Exactly.

I became horribly disgusted. All my bright childhood feelings for Cyril were shattered by this revelation. There is already an adult relationship between them and Oksana, and this is ... strange. I couldn't imagine what it was like yet, and I didn't want to imagine.

– I understand that my advice will seem silly, but try to let go of this situation. You are a beautiful girl, guys look at you. The same Kostya. What's stopping you from walking with him? Maybe that's how Cyrus will jump jealousy.

I don't want to go out with anyone. At least for now. I don’t even want to see Kira in the near future,” I snapped.

- Will not work. On Monday to school, - Zhenya snapped with a chuckle.

So it doesn't exist for me anymore.

* * *

I thoughtfully chewed on a pencil, looking at the snowflakes slowly swirling in the air. Winter this year has come, as never before, early, if sleet, settling in puddles on the ground, can be called that.

“Yasya, pull out the earpiece,” my desk mate whispered to me. We listened to music together with one earpiece in each ear.

I glanced at the door, where our class teacher had already entered, and quickly removed the “plug” from my ear. Amina Timurovna could not stand the gadgets of the students. Once, in a fit of rage, she threw our classmate's headphones out the window. It’s good that they didn’t have to fly long - after all, the first floor, or even on a tree, could hang until better times.

“So, now let’s quickly go over the questions of the class hour, and then I will give you leaflets on career guidance,” said Amina Timurovna.

For the next fifteen minutes, as usual, she scolded the truants and threatened to call the parents to the director, reminded them about the maintenance fees and smashed them to smithereens for grades. Regular classroom, nothing new. Amina Timurovna gave us such beatings every week. Thank God, she never had any complaints against me. My grades were not lame, and if they suddenly began to limp, my mother would have found how to influence me. Already from the ninth grade, she did not stop reminding me of my admission and a good certificate.

I dreamed of being a lawyer since childhood, ever since my father's fascinating stories about police everyday life. He worked as a district police officer, and he loved his work, despite the low salary, the endless calls, and the lack of days off. Probably, the service in the police became one of the reasons for the discord in relations with my mother. Lena, of course, remained the main one - my father's new wife and then mistress. She, as it turned out, got a job as an investigator in our regional department. That's how they met. When Mom found out about the existence of a rival, I didn’t even have to eavesdrop to find out everything that she thinks about Dad, betrayal and his “fucking hut”. Since then, I lost my desire to work in the police, but I did not change my mind about studying to become a lawyer. Now I shudderingly wanted to work in the prosecutor's office.

“Now I will give each of you sheets of paper. You need to write your last name on them and answer the questions as honestly as possible, ”Amina Timurovna announced.

There were only a few lines on the leaflet:

1. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

2. What do you need to do for this?

3. What do you have in ten years?

4. What else do you want to achieve?

The whole class focused on the questions. Sometimes someone whispered among themselves, but Amina Timurovna yelled menacingly at the violators of the silence. I honestly wrote about where I saw myself ten years later. She even indicated which university I need to graduate from for this. Fantasy drew a large private house, a white jeep sparkling in the sun, a spacious office with a long conference table and an impressive black leather armchair. As if in reality, I saw a lot of letters and a huge number of folders on the table. These dreams will definitely come true! I don't know how, but they will come true!

Fifteen minutes before the end of the class hour, Amina Timurovna collected our papers and immediately began to look through them.

- Orlov, I did not expect such a desire for a career from you. With your studies and behavior, you only show a desire to be in the army after school, the teacher concluded.

He lifted his chin proudly and answered her:

Everything I have written will come true.

“Are you really hoping to become a judge?” To do this, you need at least to enter the university, and you are unlikely to succeed, - continued Amina Timurovna.

She did not like Cyril, it was visible to everyone. From the very beginning of the school year, when we first met our new class teacher, it became clear that some students frankly annoy her. Cyrus was one of them. Yes, Orlov did not differ in exemplary behavior and taught little, but he did not deserve such an attitude.

Just think, even after Kirill offended me once again, I am ready to defend him! A month and a half has passed, and I still called Kira my friend, even though I never spoke to him after that disco.

- You yourself said to write as honestly as possible, where we see ourselves in ten years. I wrote. What is the problem? – Cyril's voice gained momentum.

Everyone should evaluate themselves objectively. In some students, I have no doubt that they will definitely achieve their goals, because they study hard. I can tell you one thing: either grab your head and start learning, or say goodbye to your dream of a judge, a black Toyota and a house by the sea.

"He's too dumb for the job!" Yegor Kostenko laughed, one of Amina Timurovna's favorites.

Until this year, we studied in different classes, and even then I could not stand him. Somehow Kostenko, for no reason at all, rudely pushed me with his shoulder, and cursed me at the remark without the slightest remorse. So he acted with many, and did not give any descent to junior high school students. An arrogant bastard who asserts himself at the expense of the weak!

- Am I stupid? Did you see yourself, you bastard?! Kirill exploded.

Both shut up! The teacher immediately yelled.

The call was interrupted.

- They stopped the circus and went home! And just try to arrange a brawl at school or nearby! Amina Timurovna warned them sternly.

She, like all of us, knew perfectly well how such skirmishes between guys usually ended.

Kir in a rage jumped out of the classroom, Yegor rushed after him. Looks like one of them is coming home with a bruise today. I'd be lying if I said I was scared for Orlov. This is Oksana's task. Let him protect his faithful. I don't care.

For about fifteen minutes I waited for Zhenya, and we slowly went for a walk. The snow stopped, dusk fell on the city, the lanterns were lit, and it became much more comfortable around. We loved walking after school and talking. Today the main topic was Misha. Zhenya spoke of him so enthusiastically, as if he were not a childhood friend whom we knew as flaky, but an absolutely unfamiliar ideal person. Wow, how love changes people! Previously, it was just Misha Yartsev - an ordinary fair-haired guy of high stature, ingenuous and a little driven. Now a friend saw him exclusively in pink, like the whole world around him.