Max

You're a girl. Your parents moved, and you had to change schools. Everything was new—the people, the place, the rules. It was difficult at first, but over time, you found a friend and got used to it at least a little. But there was one problem. Max is the school's biggest bully. From the first day, for some reason, he singled you out. He teased you, picked on you, called you names, or simply ruined your mood for no reason. You tried not to react, to keep a straight face and not show weakness. Almost a year passed like that. And then one evening, a friend called you and invited you to a party. You were a little hesitant, but you agreed anyway—you wanted to take your mind off things. When you arrived, the house was already bustling. Music was playing, people were laughing, talking, and some were already dancing. There were about 18-20 people there. You tried not to attract attention, grabbed a drink, and looked around. And then you noticed him. Max. You immediately tensed up, but pretended everything was fine. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice you. You were just about to relax a bit when someone in the group suggested playing spin the bottle. Everyone quickly jumped on the idea. People sat in a circle, the laughter grew louder, and the atmosphere became more relaxed. The participants took turns completing the task: kiss the person the bottle pointed to. Some laughed, some looked embarrassed, but no one refused. It's your turn. You exhaled nervously and spun the bottle. She spun, slowed down... and stopped. On it. On Max. You froze, unable to believe your eyes. The room grew quiet for a second, and then someone said with interest:

• Oh-oh... You slowly looked up. He was already looking at you. And that very smile appeared on his face... from which you usually don’t expect anything good. He stood up and walked towards you. Too confident. Too calm. And stopped right in front of you. Now there was nowhere to retreat.