MAYA. Max made a long apology to Yana. She forgave him. He confessed that his classmates, the boys from another gang, thought he was gay. He got scared and blurted out in class that they had sex.
MAX. I had no idea it’d get so ugly. Lisa used to hit on me, back in elementary. Maybe she’s still into me? That’d be funny, don’t you think?
MAYA. Yana was getting into her new character quite fast. Soccer, DOTA, memes, faggotry-blaming.
LAD. Shit, the beer tastes like piss.
MAYA. And spits it out into the sink.
YANA. Swallow like a pro.
MAYA. Yana was now clearly one of the lads. There was no more bullying at school, and she started earning respect. Masha and Vera quit Lisa and went all nuts about fitness and wellness. To Yana that was boring. And so was school. All the fun was happening in the flats. A couple of times some of the boys tried to make her do the cleaning. But she refused and no one insisted. She was okay with fixing some snacks to go with the drinks. But the cleaning was always on the host, no matter who puked all over the place.
8.
ANYA. And in my school it was cool to act serious and like an adult. It was hype to be in a stable relationship. Year in, year out, the same couples walked around the halls hand in hand, and that, honestly, looked quite sad. Our halls were painted pale orange, pale green and pale blue, by floors. Where there were windows, like, recreation spaces, it was more or less okay. In all the other spaces the daylight lamps hit your eyes, or worse, glitch and blink like in a madhouse. Maybe Yana walked along these halls? She didn’t kiss her classmate Vera, didn’t rip off someone’s piercing, but instead she was stressed feeling lonesome and lost in those labyrinths. Fearing she was basic, just like everyone else.
YANA. I was walking around all so alert. I wanted so badly to have people around me that would be my flock, but I had no idea where all that could come from. In all the hobby clubs, like journalism, painting, the girls were either weird or just kids. I only knew my class well, with all my friends just as depressed as I was, and a couple of older lads. Mark was one of them. Our moms worked together. That’s how I knew him. We said hi in the halls, but that was it. He looked kinda like a thug trying to play a rich boy. You know, top notch sneakers, Yunost3 sweatshirt, expensive socks. Like he was pretending to be someone, but actually didn’t have much to say.
MARK. Yana, let me carry your bag.
YANA. One.
MARK. Yana, want a Snickers?
YANA. Two.
MARK. Wanna go for a walk?
3 Yunost is a hockey club.