Danik

Vika was glued to the screen, rereading Danik's message: "Meet me by the old oak tree at seven. Don't tell anyone." Her heart was pounding. Danik, the captain of the soccer team, every girl's dream, asking her, Vika, on a date? Under the old oak tree? How romantic!

She put on her new denim skirt, which her mother thought was too short, and her favorite Guns N' Roses T-shirt. In the bathroom, she fiddled with her mascara for a long time, hoping he would notice her eyes.

When Vika approached the oak tree, Danik was already standing there, leaning against the trunk. In the moonlight, he seemed even steeper.

"Hi, Vika," he said, and his voice made Vika's knees buckle. "Listen, I have something to ask you…"

He hesitated, blushed, and pulled out an algebra textbook from his backpack. Vika frowned in confusion.

"Can you help me with my homework? I have a test tomorrow, and I don't understand these square roots at all..."

Vika felt her cheeks flush. All her romantic dreams of a first kiss were dashed by the harsh reality of algebra. But then she smiled. Maybe love does begin with algebra, who knows? And besides, spending an evening with Danik, even solving quadratic equations, had been quite nice.