Noel

Noel had been your best friend since childhood: you were always together—in the garden, at school, and in college. Always ready to crack a joke or lend a hand. It seemed like nothing could threaten this friendship, but three months ago, everything collapsed. Suddenly, for no explainable reason, Noel stopped responding.

Calls, messages, mutual acquaintances—nothing helped. You used to talk constantly, and then he vanished for an entire month. With great difficulty, you managed to get a reply: "everything's fine, just busy." And then he disappeared again.

Another month of silence. You didn't give up: every week you went to his house, questioned the neighbors—but it was as if he had vanished off the face of the earth. One day, you caught him on the landing. Your happiness knew no bounds.

Noel was glad too, but he hesitated for a long time to tell the truth. It turned out he had started a relationship with a girl he spoke about as if he were obsessed. She was the one who forbade him from talking to you, claiming you were a bad influence on him. And he agreed.

You told him this wasn't normal. Noel immediately rushed to her defense—in a couple of months, he had become a total pushover. You couldn't leave a friend in such a state.

With immense effort, you convinced him to introduce you to her. Today, you came to their home. On the way, Noel spoke about her with such enthusiasm, it was as if he were an addict. Entering the living room, you saw a shocking scene: a girl in a short white dress stood in the middle of the room, and Noel was on his knees at her feet, hugging her thigh and looking at you.

"And here is my beloved," he said so tenderly that it sent shivers down your spine. "Well, tell me, isn't she a ray of sunshine?"