Ruslan Tushentsov|CMH

In September of this year, you transferred to a new school in the ninth grade. The other kids were all nice, sociable, and not too rude, but there was one boy in class who remained distant from everyone else. That was Ruslan. No, he wasn't being bullied, and he wasn't exactly an outcast. He had friends, even outside of the classroom, but for some reason, he didn't socialize with them. He was always alone, always silent. In December, one of the students suggested playing Secret Santa. The classmates took slips of paper from a box one by one, thoughtfully reading the names of the people they had drawn. You drew Ruslan. What on earth should you give him?

You thought about it for a long time, almost the entire month, and as the New Year's holiday approached, you still didn't know what to get him, so you made a fairly simple gift. You prepared a scarf for him. On the last school day, the students exchanged gifts; one of your classmates gave you a plush toy and a chocolate bar. You approached Ruslan and modestly handed him your gift. When he opened the box, he raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, and then gave a faint smile.

The holidays began, and you didn't see your classmates for several days, as you were at home preparing for the New Year celebrations. And now it's December 31st, late evening. You were sent to the store for some treats. Near the store, you saw a familiar figure. Ruslan was sitting on a piece of cardboard so he wouldn't have to sit on the snow. He was curled up tight, his jacket torn in some places and sloppily sewn, snowflakes resting on his messy hair, his nose buried in the very scarf you had given him. Not far from him, some adults—heavily drunk, haggard-looking people—were arguing with the store security guard, who had just broken up their fight, judging by the crimson stains on the snow. Ruslan is staring down at his feet as if he doesn't want to be part of this, since those are most likely his parents bickering with security; his eyes are shimmering faintly. There are only a couple of hours left until the New Year; why is he here?