The September sun was warming quite summer-like. Artyom thoughtfully looked out of the window, listening to a little Russian, rather tediously speaking about the next classic of the 20th century. He didn’t have anything against them, but he didn’t have a desire to read something from their work after such an “advertisement”.

From the literature of his thoughts moved out on a recent birthday. Still, 18 years old is a long-awaited date. Some kind of frontier even. It seems like an adult he is now. Only here is an “adult” or “sort of like”? For some reason it was not felt inside. How was it supposed to be?

DR himself went, in principle, not bad. Even my mother carved out somehow the day in her busy schedule and was able to stay with him all day. We went with her to Russian, walked along the local paths. They laughed, looking as the girl started blowing bubbles, and her dog, a black and white spaniel, chased after them with barking and jumping.

Mom gave him a certificate to the electronics store and he kissed her on both cheeks, skipped it back and forth, becoming the proud owner of a 64GB rubberized flash drive. I had to add a bit of my savings, but it was worth it. By chasing her on the computer, Tema made sure that she gave out excellent write-read speeds.

Of course, the next day, life returned to a measured rut, but all the same - the birthday was a success.

I just dreamed of something else ...

I wanted to communicate with the girl, beautiful and kindly. These are exactly the two qualities of character that Artyom prevailed in the requirements for the amorous relationship. Because the beautiful and evil met abound. Nephrious and not too beautiful - too. But the golden mean in any way.

Of course, partly because of his modest financial situation and not very outstanding physical data - only 170 cm tall, simple face and ordinary, completely non-model (it was enough once with the experiment, still remembers the laughter of most of the class) haircut.

But really without it in any way? I did not want to believe categorically.

After school, he went to the store, bought groceries and headed home. Going into the courtyard, I saw a car with things and furniture near the neighboring house. Someone moves, he thought briefly, and only going up on foot to the 7th floor - the house was old, without an elevator - he thought: this is probably in the Denchikov apartment.

Denchik, Denis, was his bosom friend, since they lived in neighboring houses. More recently, a month from strength, he and his family moved to Katernaya, where they bought a house. Now every day you will not come to him, all the same 12 stops ...

Having closed the door, he threw open all the windows and the balcony door in order to at least a little air the stuffiness that had accumulated in the morning. To leave windows and doors unlocked strictly and for a long time mother didn’t order, and that was true, even though the heat was at home. Summer was delayed this year in the bays, falling on the city with a warm veil, occasionally waving in the winds.

Stepping onto the balcony, Tyoma looked at the next house. Similarly, they moved to Denis’s apartment. Loaders were visible, putting the bed and computer desk.

There was one peculiarity in the apartments of Tyoma and Denis. The houses, which were located close to each other in the same courtyard, were in fact seven-story buildings, but the seventh floor was only at the extreme entrances, the rest ended in the sixth floor. In addition, at the whim of the architect, two houses were connected at the level of the seventh floor by a small arch. Not wide, meter from the force, but still a full-fledged "bridge". And the guys are actively used. In fact - or run down seven floors, then to the next entrance, then seven floors up ... Or just 10 meters between the balconies. Well?

Of course, they constantly flew from their parents for it, but it did not help to stop using the convenient route. In addition, since the first tenants of the house, a maple was planted right under the arch.Partly because of the beauty, partly, apparently, to prevent the yard from being made a travel card - from the next street to the park where the windows of the houses looked out. Maple caught on, has grown - so much so that his crown completely hid the yard when looking from the balconies. The balconies, by the way, were almost mini-terraces - large, almost with a good room. Under them, by the way, there were quite rooms for themselves - only here up to the sixth floor. And the seventh had only a balcony. Maiden Tyome often said that they wouldn’t be disturbed by the extra room - otherwise it wouldn’t be good enough to turn around in a little one. Denis even lived four of them until recently - he, father, mother and younger sister, 14 years old, a little mischievous, but still good Sveta.

So together with my mom in odnushku - it was still in a godly way.

Slicing cucumbers and tomatoes into a salad, Tyoma, with an edge of his ear, caught the sounds that came from the apartment, on the contrary. Damn, he thought, it would be great if someone normal moved with whom you can talk. And granddadies-grannies will come ...

I crumbled a bit of onions, remembered that I had seen a computer desk brought into the apartment, and shook my head - no, they didn’t really come.

- Oh thank you! - heard from the street, and Tema looked out the window.

Slender blonde girl in a white T-shirt and blue jeans, perfectly seated on beautiful legs and pope, joyfully dancing in the middle of the room, thanks to the movers and signing them some papers.

Tyoma even stopped cutting, trying to carefully examine all the nuances of her figure and face. He looks about 17-18 years old, a small rostika, well, maybe from about it. The figure is beautiful, the chest is small, but nice. The face is also a pleasant, slightly upturned nose and a smiling mouth. In general, as Denchik would say, “cool”!

Having filled the salad with butter and sliced ​​bread, Tyoma thought and, taking a plate, went out to the balcony. Why? Eat and at the same time meet new neighbors. Parents of the girl, probably, will come later.

The girl, wandering somewhere in the bowels of the apartment, taxied out onto the balcony and saw Artyom.

- Oh, hi! - she was delighted. - We are now neighbors, right?

- Yeah, - smiled Artem. - My name is Tema.

- Theme? - the girl raised her eyebrows for a moment, becoming a bit like a squirrel. - Artem, right? And me, Julia.

“Very nice,” obeying a sudden impulse, Tema made a bulging gesture in the style of musketeers, only with a plate of salad instead of a hat. He straightened up and immediately became embarrassed, lamenting to himself: why did he show off, dummy?

Julia laughed infectiously, dispelling the guy's doubts. She clapped her hands a little

- Five points for acting!

There already smiled Tyoma. Then he asked:

- Where did you come from?

- Who you are? - Yulia was surprised, but, realizing, answered: - I, - she singled out with intonation, - she moved from Ouspensky.

- Wow! - now it was the turn of Tyoma to raise eyebrows. - Do not dipped.

- And do not say, - Julia sighed. - Last year was tortured to go to school, more than an hour on the road.

- Where do you study?

- In the medical, and you?

“I'm in the 17th,” said Tema. He added with the intonation of frustrating hopes: - School.

N-yes, he thought, only he began to invent something for himself on the subject of romantic possibilities - and here you are! Institute, and yes even the second course! ... And then some schoolboy, even the last class.

- And what are you going to do? - he heard a question.

- What? - woke up guy. - Where to go?

- Well, you said that the last class - smiled Julia. - Where are you going after school?

I also said it out loud, Artem grinned to himself. And voiced his plans:

- In federal I will, on the architect.

- In Russian? Cool! - Julia admired, what significantly smoothed the moral torment of the guy. - And while I go on general medicine, I have not chosen a specialty.

Tyoma paused, glancing at Julia, then asked:

- And when your parents come?

- This way? Why, I think my dad to call to come in, help arrange the furniture. And then, I'm afraid, it will be a long time before the weekend.

- Will you live alone? - surprised Tyoma, then he remembered that she was a student, and suggested: - If you want, I can help. Well, that is possible.

- Come on! ...