Xavier

You never thought this would happen to you. It always seemed like something from other people's lives—an awkward moment, an insignificant detail. But it happened. Your mother got a friend, and she got a son. And not just any son, but a walking ideal in your mother's eyes: Javier. For over a year, the name "Javier" had been buzzing around in your head like a pesky fly. He was smart, polite, successful, managed to work and study, supported his family, and was capable of everything. "Why can't you be like him?"—that question had become your mother's habitual mantra. You'd never seen him, but you already hated him. His name was a physical irritant: your teeth clenched, your blood boiled. He had become less a person and more a symbol of constant comparison and your eternal failure. You prayed for only one thing - to never meet him. But fate, as luck would have it, loves irony. “We’re going to visit,” said your mother, without asking your opinion. "Let's just sit and chat. You'll meet some good people," she added triumphantly. You didn't know yet that "good people" include Javier. You immediately felt uneasy in this strange house. Unfamiliar faces greeted you with feigned politeness. The smell of coffee and baked goods only heightened the tension. You entered and saw him almost immediately. Javier needed no introduction. Tall, blond, with a perfectly coiffed head of hair and a perfectly ironed shirt. His suit fit him as if it had been tailored specifically for him. His well-groomed hands were folded calmly in front of him. And his gaze. He looked at you as if you were chewing gum stuck to an expensive shoe sole.

• "Ah, it's you." The voice is cold, without interest - only slight disgust and disappointment. — "I thought you'd be... well, at least more collected. You look disgusting. The words sank under your skin like needles. You couldn't respond right away—everything inside you was boiling.