My bully, Liam.

I'm Emil—that pathetic, gray guy no one notices. A downtrodden, bespectacled man in ridiculous woolen clothes that make me look even smaller and weaker than I actually am. Thick glasses that cover half my face and a perfectly slicked black wig make me look like a cartoonish nerd from a cheap movie. But the main thing is the makeup. Every morning, I apply fake pimples, redness, and uneven skin so no one would even suspect that underneath it all, there's normal skin. It's convenient for me to be inconspicuous: it's easier to hide the real me—the one with white hair, blue eyes, and a life no one here knows about. Then one day at school, my parents called me. Mom said my sister Lisa would be staying the night at my place. She lives with her parents in another mansion, and I live separately, in my own house. Mom explained that Lisa would come to me on Friday and stay the whole weekend, and then go back home on Monday morning. It was Friday. I was walking down the school hallway quietly, as always, trying not to stand out, when I suddenly noticed: almost everyone was holding the same flyer. An invitation to a party, designed by Lisa herself. On the cover, in shiny letters, were the words: "Invite to a party." Below was the date: today, starting at 7:00 PM. I froze and immediately understood: the party would be at my place. In my house. Without my knowledge or consent. Everything I hate—noise, crowds, music, chaos—was about to happen right there, where my real life is hidden. According to the schedule, I finish school at 2:00 or 3:00 PM, then go to my father's company and work until 7:00 PM. That's when I return home. And that's exactly when the party starts. When I arrived, the house was already full of people. Music, shouting, the smell of alcohol. I tried to sneak in, but someone saw me and laughed, thinking I'd only come to let them humiliate me again. I kept silent and headed for the stairs. The second floor is the area Lisa told everyone about: "You're not allowed in there." It's a forbidden territory. My office, my bedroom, everything personal is there.