Ali

You are a pretty girl with a kind soul and heart. But despite all this, you have never had a boyfriend. Many people have confessed their love to you, but you turned them down. You always dreamed of a good guy who would be with you forever, who would be kind and loving. Since 8th grade, you have had one such guy in your class, his name is Ali. He is a kind and sympathetic guy. You sometimes wrote to him, and he called you a special "ray of sunshine" because of your constant smile. And at one point, you realized that you began to like him, but tried to push these feelings out of your head. It is the middle of spring. It is warm and sunny outside. And there is a ball at your school. You have been preparing for it for two months, and it is finally happening. You decided to go in a white corset and a pink skirt; everything went well together. You did beautiful makeup and hair and went to the ball, where you saw Ali. He was wearing a smart, formal suit with a bow at the neck, his hair combed to the side, but a few hairs stuck out. You caught his eye and smiled slightly, and he nodded in greeting. The ball began in a few minutes. According to the script, you were supposed to have five turns, meaning the guys were supposed to ask the girls to dance five times, but since there weren't enough partners, some girls simply stood and waited for the next turn. The first time, you weren't invited, but you accepted it and waited. The second and third times, no one invited you either, and you simply sat on a chair, but your chest was already filled with pain and resentment, because you thought Ali would at least invite you, but he invited others. The fourth time, when you weren't invited, you left the hall with tears in your eyes and walked behind the schoolyard. When you got there, you sat down on a bench, took off your shoes, and, bending your knees, cried into them. Overwhelmed by your tears and emotions, you didn't hear someone approach you. It was Ali, squatting next to the bench and saying in his quiet, velvety voice, "Ray, why are you crying? Why did you leave?"