on the weekend, but Rita quickly joined me to this international event. And you always get used to good things too quickly ...

Cherishing and nourishing my spiritual emptiness, I, as usual, went to the bus stop, stood in a corner so that I could see the bus, and at the first moment did not even notice Yulia, who was literally a few steps away from me and talking to on the phone. I paid attention to her only when I heard a familiar voice — unusually quiet and inexpressibly sad. Even her back expressed some hopeless longing.

The girl exchanged a couple of farewell words that sounded short, dry and abrupt, and, turning off the phone, turned to the road.

“Hi, Yul,” I greeted my heart as best I could.

- Hello. - She turned to me, in her eyes flashed a spark of joy, immediately extinguished by a thick layer of sadness.

- How are you?

“As usual ... OK,” she said. - To mother's food.

- What about the mood? Holiday after all, the day of lovers. Will you celebrate?

Yulia was silent for a long minute, biting her lips and looking sideways at me, now at the trampled snow at the bus stop. Then, still struggling with herself, but already surrendering, she spoke dumbly:

- I found a holiday too ...

I felt more desperate in her voice rather in my gut than in my hearing. It even seemed to me that she was now bursting into tears — bitterly, not paying attention to anyone, having completely gone into her own world, into her own experiences, how to die a wounded girl. His throat tenaciously grabbed the unwelcome com, I could barely restrain myself, so that in a strange rush I would not embrace such a defenseless creature. Instead, he just stepped closer, touched her shoulder and asked quietly:

- Yulia, what happened? Scolded with her?

The girl looked at me and nodded slightly, immediately turning away. No, definitely it was necessary to do something. She was nobody to me, and from the outside, all my experiences about her peace of mind and heart looked very strange. But at that moment I didn’t give a damn about all other points of view - I was grabbed and carried ...

- Yul, everything will work out. Well, not the first time, right? Make it up. And everything will be fine, you'll see for yourself. - I was still trying to play nobility ...

“There will be no fig,” she suddenly said harshly, and looked at me carefully. Undried tears froze in her eyes, and her lips were already compressed to the bumps on her cheekbones. “Proud,” a thought struck me. “Oh, and proud! ... And beautiful ...”

“Yul, I don’t have anyone to celebrate this day with either,” I said. - And cats scratch too ... Are you in a hurry to go home? Maybe you went to me? I have where to stay. With the table, think of something ...

Yulia was still attentively, even tenaciously, as if my uninvited lump in her throat, looked at me and was silent. Silence tightened. My heart began to jump - every time more and more to a greater and greater height, imagining itself, probably, at least Sergey Bubka.

I was not going to drag her into my bed at all - although if the day ended the night together, I would not mind at all (what is there to confess? Yes, and who would not refuse this, for that matter? ...) But I I did not think about it, as I did not think about a possible relationship, nor about the future ... I did not think about anything at that moment. I just saw a deeply nice girl for me, who was bad now - worse than me. And I wanted to make sure that a mischievous cheerful smile, coming from the very soul, began to play on her lips.

And Julia was silent and looked at me. And only her eyes gradually, barely noticeably, thawed, warmed ...

* * *

Why am I silent? I do not know...

Was it unexpected? - Not. Well, I’m not a fool, I’ve perfectly seen that he likes me. And sooner or later this invitation should have been received.

Was it unpleasant? - Not. He also attracted me to him. I do not know what it was - sympathy, charm, passion, the desire to succumb once again to illusions, the trail of resentment towards Valera ... I realized that he and Valerik were like heaven and earth even earlier. Now, I wouldn’t even think about comparing them — even putting them close, even mentally.

It scares me to spend the night with him, and perhaps not one? (and that, everything is possible ...) - No. Understandably, if a guy and a girl like each other, they will surely end up under one blanket - sooner or later. And if he is a little more persistent - well, not like Valera, and in his own style - I will not refuse, probably. And there would be no treason - we really had a row with Valerik so much that I had already removed him from my life. He is now - just a scar, the first serious scar, and very much hope that - the last one.

Does the future scare me? - Not. This is still too early to think. And then - what could be so terrible in this future, which has not even arrived yet, which is happening now, at this minute, with our hands? We are not digging our own pit ...

Strange ... I already think in the "we" category. But I am still silent - and just look at Sergey, who is embarrassed. What is he really funny ... and kind ... and cute ...

Epilogue (three weeks later).

We stand at our stop ... Yes, now this is our stop in all senses: the stop that gave us to each other. We are standing and waiting for our minibus. That minibus that will take us to our home ...

Julia pressed her back to me and put her light head on my shoulder. I squeeze her hands and feel that they are cold. Yes, the weather outside, of course, is spring: the snow is melting, on the sidewalks and the road - puddles that cannot be jumped, you can't get around - but it is so damp and wet ... And she dressed almost the same as in November I saw it for the first time: a black bolonium jacket, thin jeans, a thin sweater under the jacket. Well, at least instead of sneakers - half boots, but they miss the water at times. And it was only in the morning that we had time to quarrel with her about this. True, I mostly cursed - she just listened and smiled at something. And now ... stands out, clung to me. It seems to tremble even ...

- Are you cold? - I ask her softly. She looks up at me and nods. I can not resist:

- Yul, how can you be so frivolous, eh? After all, not May is on the street ...

“But spring,” she says softly and smiles. And I am all dissolved in this look, voice, smile. As a person, I am no longer a person. And she whispers: - Get me hot, huh? ..

I turn her face to me, take her fragile, almost childish hands in her hands and begin to breathe on them, at the same time slowly rubbing them. I don’t know how well I am doing it - personally, I have always been doubtful about this method of warming, but Julia smiles wistfully and dreamily and puts her nose into my jacket; then, freeing the palms, undoing it and, throwing it open, embraces me. The world freezes.

I wrap it with the floor of my jacket, press it to myself, and a real flurry of thoughts rushes through my head about the future. Spring ... another month - and the snow will come down completely. The works then in the house - oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, how much oh! You need so much to do before autumn ... Probably, you have to ask for a vacation, half a year before the schedule. My superiors, of course, curl, but maybe the number will pass. We just need to think about how to properly talk ... Referring to personal circumstances? - I would not like, we all refer to them who feel like it ...

And, occupied with my thoughts, I almost miss the quiet girlish whisper, full of genuine happiness:

- Seryozhkaaaaa ... If you knew ... if you only knew ... how I love you ...