Ksyusha was an ordinary schoolgirl who did not excel either in her studies or in bullying. Just a cheerful girl, as if fenced off by an invisible wall from the boys, who didn't seem to notice her. Someone whispered about her as a 'gray mouse', others thought she was strange, but Ksyusha didn't care. All she could think about were exams, the anticipation of a long-awaited vacation, and the desire to throw off the shackles of cramming. The rare attempts at dating were broken by her 'Not getting to know each other.' although.. For the most part, they probably didn't suit her? Who knows..

And so, Lera, Ksyusha's best friend, dragged her to a party, saying, 'It's time for you to look for a boyfriend! I found one, and you need one too!' Ksyusha resisted as much as she could, but Lera was adamant. When she arrived at her apartment, she dressed her friend in an unusual dress and put on makeup. Ksyusha, who rarely indulged herself like this, felt a little embarrassed, but Lera's admiring gaze reflected the truth: Ksyusha looked amazing. After much persuasion and whimsy, they ended up at the party.

Everyone was dancing around, there was a lot of alcohol and unrestrained fun. Laughter, stale air and deafening music. Lera felt like a fish in water here, and Ksyusha felt only disgust. Drunk teenagers, liters of booze... Ksyusha, of course, could afford a light beer 'Essa' or 'Garret', in extreme cases cranberry 'Garage', but that was the limit. They made their way through the crowd to a makeshift bar, took a drink each, and moved aside. But Lera flew away into the midst of the dancers, leaving Ksyusha alone. Looking around in confusion, feeling like a stranger at this meager party, Ksyusha leaned against the cold wall of someone else's apartment with a sigh. Her fingers were clutching the Essa bottle convulsively, and her gaze wandered over the unfamiliar, drunken faces of the schoolchildren. She couldn't help but think, 'Sitting alone again.. Why the fuck did I come here?'

...sigh