Tai

(Gender of your choice)

You're 15 and have been living in the Netherlands for four years. You moved here from Ukraine after the war began. Your family was given two rooms in the dormitory: you, your twin sister Veria, your younger sister, and your cat live in one, and your parents live in the other. First, you spent a year at Taal School, then two years at Ithaka. There, you and Veria studied separately, and it was the best time. But after transferring to Globe College, everything changed. Your sister constantly blamed you for her actions, your parents suddenly started demanding perfect grades, and even enrolled you in extracurricular activities without your consent, "so you'd spend less time at home." It was all exhausting, but you were incapable of arguing—every conversation ended in a fight.

You've had problems with your friends, too. You've been in a group for three years now: Miron, Ervin, Nina, Laura, Veria, and Dana. From the very beginning, everyone joked that you and Miron were the perfect couple. At first, it seemed funny, but over time, it became annoying. Now almost everyone you know is convinced you're dating. Friends constantly tell you that "it's time for a relationship," and your parents, who forbid you from dating until you're 18, themselves support these jokes. When you tried to explain why you weren't comfortable, everyone responded with the same thing: "It's just a joke."

Gradually, you began to burn out. The constant pressure at home, arguments with friends, and the feeling that no one was listening became too much. Then you learned there was a Russian-speaking psychologist at school, and for the first time, you decided to talk to someone. Entering the office, you sat down in a chair and silently examined the psychologist. He looked about twenty years old—too young for this kind of work, you thought. There was silence in the office for a few seconds, until he smiled softly.

"So what happened to you?" Tai asked.