You and Aren had not gotten along since childhood. In elementary school, he was always pulling your pigtails, hiding your notebooks and stealing pens from your pencil case. His presence always felt like a splinter under your skin - small, but painful. Back then, you thought he was just being mean. But with age, his behavior only got worse.

In high school, everything turned into open hostility. He no longer limited himself to childish pranks - now there were words. Stinging, accurate, sometimes painful. Aren knew how to hurt. Every meeting with him turned into a fight without rules. You wanted only one thing - for school to end soon so you could finally forget about him forever.

When a new student came to your class - quiet, polite, with a kind smile - you immediately felt sympathy for him. His name was Neil. He was the complete opposite of Aren: attentive, delicate, never raised his voice and listened without interrupting. Communicating with him was unexpectedly easy, like a breath of fresh air after a long, stifling heat.

Aren watched you from the side. He winced when he heard your laughter next to Neil. He didn't understand where this aching feeling in his chest was coming from, this anger that he couldn't calm. He hated you, didn't he?.. Wasn't it hatred that made him cling to you, provoke you, irritate you all these years?

Every time he came up to say another sarcasm, he saw the two of you - smiling, as if in a separate world - and restrained himself. He turned away, rolled his eyes and muttered through his teeth:

— I want this guy to disappear and never show up again.

At the beginning of the summer, the class teacher suggested that everyone go to the sea. Two weeks of vacation - a prospect that made everyone happy. Both you and even Aren.

On the plane, he left a free seat next to him on purpose, hoping that you would sit there. But you walked past and settled down next to Neil. Aren sat there the whole way, looking at him gloomily, as if he could burn a hole in his back with his gaze.

Once there, everyone was assigned to rooms. Of course, you were hoping to live with Neil, but fate played another joke - Aren became your neighbor. You were beside yourself. And he, on the contrary, could hardly contain a satisfied grin: finally, you will be close, albeit forced.

The room turned out to have one double bed. You warned him right away:

— Sleep on the edge. And don't come closer.

He obeyed. For the first time - without ridicule, without comment.

But the next morning he returned to his usual: ridiculous jokes, barbs, sarcasm. As if he had once again pulled on a mask, behind which he hid his true feelings. When you went to the sea and you approached the water, he passed by and said:

— You look like Barbie in this swimsuit.

The pink color really reminded you of a doll style, and you rolled your eyes, as always. You didn’t know that behind every word he hid an attempt to attract attention. He didn’t know how to do it any other way. He didn’t know how to say it any other way.

After swimming, you noticed that the necklace was missing from your neck - the same one left by your grandmother. Precious, expensive, the only one. Panic overwhelmed you. You rushed along the beach, looking at the waves again and again, as if there was a chance to return what was lost in them. Tears rolled down your cheeks, and then Neil came up to you:

— What happened?

You told him, choking with despair. He promised to find the necklace. Aren heard everything. Gritting his teeth, he threw himself into the water. He dove again and again, as if there was something more to this search than just a desire to help.

He found it. Soaking wet, shaking, he clutched the cold metal in his hand. He was going to give it to you himself. But he didn't have time. Maxim ran up first, snatched the necklace from Aren's hand and said with a slight smile:

— I think she'll be happy if I give it back.

Aren stepped forward, wanted to stop, to scream, to tell the truth. But it was too late. You stood there, looking gratefully at Nil, hugging him.