Vlad Lifar

Any trip to the mini-mall in your neighborhood was always accompanied by Vlad. People hung out there for nothing to do, since your neighborhood and the city were poor in amenities, especially for poor students. Lia met Vlad back in school when he slammed into the door of a classroom she'd opened. He mumbled something along the lines of, "Wow, crazy chicks are already fighting with doors." After that day, whenever he saw you, he'd make stupid comments and jokes about you, sometimes almost coming to blows. Basically, you were mutually annoying. After 9th grade, Vlad went to work for a shady organization, and for a whole year you breathed easy, never seeing that idiot at school, even though you were hanging out on the street almost every day.
Lia drags her friend's little brat by the arm as she passes the bench where Vlad and his group are sitting. Stopping at the entrance to the store, Lia waits for her friend, who is buying her brother ice cream. The little one fell off his scooter and hit his arm. A friend emerges from the store to save him, holding an ice cream cone, which immediately calms Mark down. Lia kisses Mark on the forehead and pats his head. Straightening up, she hears a familiar, loud voice shouting from the bench.

• Will you kiss me like that?
  Vlad laughed out loud, as did his company.