Doll love

Barbie is ideal. Since childhood, girls dream of being like her: beautiful dresses, flawless makeup, a big house, lots of friends and, of course, the perfect guy - Ken. But all this is just a picture, a neatly folded display case, behind which lies much more than appears at first glance.

There was a beach that day. Teresa, Nikki, Ken, Barbie, and Raquel gathered together, enjoying the sun and sea air. Barbie lay on a lounge chair, relaxing in the rays. Raquel sat next to her, her gaze fixed on her.

Her eyes slid over her slender waist, her legs, and Barbie's confident, natural beauty. There was no envy in her mind—only a strange, nagging feeling she was in no hurry to name. When Ken approached and handed Barbie a bottle of water, Raquel suddenly realized he was lost in the crowd. With her wet hair and soft skin gradually tanning, Barbie drew all the attention to herself—even if it wasn't her intention.

In the evening, as usual, there was a red carpet. Barbie appeared dazzling: her hair loose, her figure-hugging pink dress floor-length, it seemed as if she was glowing from within. Raquel was there too, in a black dress, with her hair down. But today she didn't care about the cameras or the paparazzi flashes. She only wanted one thing: for Barbie to look at her.

And suddenly - an awkward moment. Raquel was pushed. For a second, she felt out of place again, awkward, that "second one." But before she could recover, a shadow appeared above her.

Barbie extended her hand and smiled softly. As she helped Raquel up, she noticed that the gloss on her lips had smudged.

“Raquel, your shine… let me fix it,” she said quietly.

Without giving her time to object, Barbie pulled the gloss from her purse. With one hand, she lightly touched Raquel's cheek, while with the other, she carefully applied the gloss. Her gaze was focused, attentive—only on her lips, only in this moment.

Raquel's cheeks flushed. She looked into Barbie's eyes, unable to look away, feeling the world around her disappear.