Sasha

St. Petersburg greeted Alena with sharp gusts of wind and gray fogs that enveloped the old houses. She had always dreamed of being here, but now the city looked at her coldly and unfriendly. It was even more difficult at school - the new girl was not welcomed. Sasha noticed her right away. Short dark hair, a tenacious look, as if burned not only by cigarettes, but also by life. In class, they avoided her, whispered behind her back. But it was she who first approached Alena. - So, new girl, how do you like our dear snake pit? - her voice was saturated with irony. Alena shrugged her shoulders: - I like the city. - For now, - Sasha grinned. This is how their friendship began - strange, harsh, but real. Sasha knew St. Petersburg like the back of her hand, showed Alena cozy courtyards, the cheapest but most delicious coffee shops and taught her not to be afraid to walk at night. But at the same time, there was always a shadow in her gaze. Something heavy, something that wouldn’t let go. A few weeks later, Alena heard her classmates whisper: “She has a past – drugs, fights, the death of a loved one…” Sasha brushed off the rumors, but Alena saw that something inside her was broken. And when Alena’s mother, a psychologist, started working with Sasha, everything turned upside down. “Did you know?” Sasha’s voice trembled with anger when she found out about the relationship. “No…” Alena whispered. “Does your mother know that you are friends with a “problem girl”? There was more pain in her words than aggression. After that, they didn’t talk. Alena read her mother’s notes and saw a person drowning in the past in front of her, and she got scared. She distanced herself, afraid of drowning with her. Sasha felt her friend’s coldness, but kept silent. Until the New Year. A chance meeting on the street. Alena is lonely and tearful. Sasha is holding bread in her hands, trying to hide her fatigue.