7 Days

MONDAY

The loud, annoying sound of the alarm clock woke the tired boy. The clock read seven thirty-three.

"I'll be late for school!" he jumped, dazed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Jakub had stayed up late last night. A German essay and math homework had taken up most of the afternoon, and yet there were other things to do. Moved by his carelessness, he ran to the bathroom. Hastily brushing his teeth, he dressed to get to the bus stop, his most common route to school, as quickly as possible.

A few minutes later, Kuba was at the bus stop. He stared intently at the board, keeping track of the next departure time.

"Seven forty-six. I won't make it," he thought.

The bus arrived promptly in the driveway. The boy jumped on board without hesitation. He had a monthly pass, so validating a single-use ticket made no sense. As the bus pulled away, he leaned against the railing by the window, slightly nervous. The prospect of his first German class, for which he was already late, didn't fill him with optimism. It would have been one thing if it had been biology or some other subject, but German? Professor Grzelak, who taught that subject, was waiting for the right moment to torture the student with her unprecedented disciplinary approach.

Suddenly, Kuba's gaze—contemplating a plausible explanation for his lateness—was caught by the figure of a familiar girl. She sat in the back of the bus, so only her face was visible. Long, true-to-nature black curly hair flowed down her back. However, the most sincere thing about her beauty were her eyes. Like her incredibly dark, impenetrable hair, they gave the impression of being stern and inaccessible. What were they really like? Kuba tried to find out when he first noticed the girl in the school hallway.

From then on, he resolved to learn as much as he could about the beautiful stranger. Through his friends, he gleaned her address, the class she was honored to be attending, and most importantly, her name. Her name was Aleksandra Pawlak. It all happened in early February. Cold, mostly gray, gloomy days prompted the boy to reflect on his life. He decided to change something. And he hoped that Ola would significantly enrich his previously dull existence. So, with Valentine's Day approaching, he decided to send a colorful card directly to the stranger's heart. He even wrote his own poem, which began with the words: "I am an inscrutable angel who sacrifices heaven to see you," meaning that the girl didn't know the anonymous sender, although there was someone thinking about her.

Almost a month passed before Kuba Jakubiak dared to enter the life of the black-haired beauty. The boy loved to invent, and sometimes even transpose, situations straight out of a movie into everyday life. And so he arranged a meeting during which he would meet the girl for the first time. It was to take place on March 8th, International Women's Day. Unfortunately, Kuba's on-screen world was shattered when it turned out that Ola hadn't shown up for school that day. Everything had to be postponed until the next day, which was Friday. His last chance to meet her was that week. Unless he happened to bump into her over the weekend, which seemed unlikely.

The next day, Kuba managed to meet Ola. At first glance, she seemed like a pleasant, outspoken teenager. Later, the boy tried to win over his new acquaintance, but she seemed hesitant, refusing all of Jakubiak's advances. All of this led to increasingly shorter, mostly empty, meaningless conversations, which eventually degenerated into forced greetings, until they vanished altogether. The entire plan to change the boy's previous existence ended in failure. And contact between him and Ola was limited to a shared exchange of glances, exemplified by today's bus ride to school. All of this seems unbelievable, but true. Two people who had been trying to flirt with each other for a few months had become so alien to each other.

Kuba was so lost in thought over the vicissitudes of his own life that he almost didn't notice the bus stop where he stopped every day. Without a second thought, he stepped out of the bus, heading towards the school. Ola followed him a few meters behind. The boy steadily quickened his pace, wanting to avoid a direct encounter with the girl. When he reached the school gates, he noticed it was already after eight. Therefore, he increased his pace again, walking to class.

It was a few minutes after the bell. In the school hallways, only a few people were bustling about, looking for their classes. Kuba was no different. He quickly found the classroom where his class was.

"Sorry I'm late," he uttered, heading toward Mateusz, his classmate.

"It happens to everyone." Kuba looked at the teacher in disbelief.

"What happened to her? You switched her," he whispered jokingly to his classmate.

"I'm just as surprised as you are," he replied skeptically.

Although the minutes passed quickly, the bell didn't ring. Kuba, unable to concentrate, glanced at his watch more and more frequently. Mateusz noticed this.

"What's wrong?" he asked, glancing at his classmate.

"Everything's fine," he said, looking toward the window.

"I know that look.

" "Excuse me?" he asked, pretending not to understand.

"Who is this?" Mat asked with a drastic smile.

"Oh, what's your problem?" he asked, clearly upset.

"You always got upset when you knew I was right," Kuba conceded, not saying a word for the rest of the lesson.

Kuba pondered what Mateusz had told him for a long time. Indeed, his friend was right. It was about the girl. But he didn't say it out loud. He was withdrawn and kept all his problems bottled up inside.

Mateusz, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Jakub. Sociable, eloquent, and able to adapt to a new environment. The two friends had met when they first entered the school. They quickly found common ground. Perhaps because they had different personalities. It turned out that opposites attract.

"Hi," Kuba heard Justyna's voice from behind him, a classmate.

The girl was the only one who could draw out Kuba's deepest secrets. Short-cropped, with blonde hair, she looked at him with a broad smile.

"What's up?" he continued.

"Excellent." You know, we're going to a club with friends on Friday, so I thought you might like to go," she suggested. "I'll be with Robert, and Marta will come with Miłosz. Do you remember him? He was with us at Połowinki.

" "I don't know," he replied, not wanting to get involved prematurely.

"I know you're a loner, but a little fun will do you good.

" "You think?" The girl almost managed to convince the boy.

"If you want, invite someone, and if not, come, at least alone.

" "If my plans don't change, I might show up. But that's not a certainty," Kuba said, disappearing somewhere at the end of the corridor.

It was his last year of high school. For the past three years, Justyna had managed to figure Kuba out enough to tell him straight out that he was a loner. It wasn't such a big secret, although the statement irritated the boy. Kuba was considered one among the students, especially the females. At times, however, he hated himself so much because of it that he began to convince himself of all sorts of untrue things. "I always wanted to be different," he said. On the one hand, he wanted to impress women with his innate softness, but on the other, he tried to pretend to be someone he wasn't. He rarely left home and had few friends. Forced to live within the school community, he gradually began to get used to it. However, he never fully opened up to anyone.

Justyna was quite an unusual girl. From the very beginning of high school, she avoided the company of girls and sought it in Kuba and Mateusz. They never protested, because it was simply impossible not to like a girl like Justyna.

A yellow sticker on the door of one of the classrooms reminded Jakub that before him lay one of the most thankless classes he had ever attended. Mathematics! The boy came from a humanities background, and any subject involving numbers, theorems, and formulas heralded the imminent end of the world, or at best, a catastrophe.

"Did you repeat it?" Mateusz asked, holding his notebook.

"What?" Kuba asked, strangely distracted.

"Probability..." The boy wasn't listening anyway, as he was stealing glances at Ola standing by the window.

She was wearing a black skirt with a marked slit on the side. She also wore a blue sweater with a white horizontal stripe down the middle. Wearing high-heeled shoes, she leaned against the windowsill. Her hands carelessly supported the wooden railing. Kuba stared for a moment, then without hesitation, moved toward her. Initially timid, but confident, he couldn't come to terms with the thought that another chance like this might never come along.

"I've been wondering for a long time; why?" he began hesitantly, almost whispering. "Why, despite my sincere intentions, it didn't work out? Why didn't you give me a chance?" The boy frowned characteristically. "It all came down to me blaming myself for it, and maybe there's a grain of truth in that, but you..." He stopped, seeing that the girl wasn't even trying to listen.

Despite his failed attempt, Jakub seemed relieved. It had been lingering inside him for a long time. Ola, on the other hand, seemed unmoved by the boy's confession. It was impossible to read even the slightest reaction on her face. As if she lived in another world where the voices of reality were inaudible to her. Frozen like a stone, she stood there until the end of the break.

"So it's her?" Mat asked as they entered the room.

"Yes," Kuba muttered.

"Is she worth it?

" "What?"

"Your efforts, your attempts, and the energy you put into this.

" "She's worth more than you think," he confessed, then closed the door behind him.

TUESDAY

A bright, sunny autumn day didn't improve Kuba's mood. One could even say it worsened it. While he didn't oversleep for school this time, the thought of his failed conversation with Ola increasingly deepened his dilemma. The girl's coldness tormented his thoughts. When he cared about her, he took every failure extremely seriously. In the eyes of other girls, such behavior would be seen as childish. He himself, however, considered Ola very indecisive. Perhaps she was shy, or perhaps she wanted to test Kuba's perseverance. In any case, otherwise, the boy probably wouldn't have given her another thought. But not this time. She possessed something special that drew him irresistibly, blinding him to the world. Perhaps it was her cinematic model-like beauty, or perhaps those mysterious eyes of hers that Kuba was trying to win over.

Jakub walked down the school hallway with his head down. Staring at the gleaming floor, he kept coming across students passing by. He stopped by the Polish Language classroom. Looking around, he tried to search for a familiar face. He spotted only a few people, with whom he rarely spoke anyway. He knew, however, that Ola had classes on the same floor, so he subconsciously searched for her in the corners of the hallway.

And indeed, the girl sat curled up on the desk outside the classroom. Her hands were tucked into her palms, further concealed by her thick hair. As he approached, he noticed tears trickling between her fingers. They slid down her palms, falling to the ground with a dull cry.

"Why are you crying?" he asked in a warm but cautious voice.

"For no reason," she sobbed.

"People don't cry for no reason. They do it out of joy or sadness, but sometimes it's despair, which isn't worth the tears anyway.

" "Out of sadness," she admitted, sobbing quietly.

"Is it worth it?" Kuba tried to guess.

"He left me..." she confessed.

"Crazy," the boy thought.

"...for someone else," the tearful girl added.

"Is that why you're crying?" He tried to control the conversation. "You feel rejected and not needed by anyone. Right?

" "What could you possibly know about that?!" The girl suddenly raised her voice, turning away.

"Maybe not much, but you don't know that," he asked, throwing on his backpack and walking away toward class.

Mateusz stood in front of the school. The few remaining rays of sunlight struggled to penetrate the thick autumn clouds. The leafless trees made strange sounds, aided by gusts of wind. Bright slivers of light reflected in the misty puddles.

"How's it going?" Mateusz managed.

"OK," Kuba replied glumly.

"Are you feeling alright?

" "Excellent," he replied teasingly.

"You don't look your best. Is something wrong?" he asked again, just to be sure.

"It's true. I've been better."

"So..." Mateusz tried to force a conversation out of Kuba.

"So... What?" he said with a touch of irony in his voice.

"You've never been sociable, nor have you ever played a leading role, but lately your behavior has been off the charts. You're constantly walking around with your head down. You don't recognize your friends. Something's wrong with you.

" "I've always been like this," he tried to convince his friend.

"Just don't try to tell me such things. I know you better than you think.

" "That's a bad impression. And don't tell me you know me!" Kuba protested.

"Yes! Then I'll tell you the most sacred truth about you." Mateusz didn't give up either.

Kuba only emphasized his sour expression, marching slowly forward. He didn't even try to avoid the puddles, wetting his shoes every now and then.

"Her name is Ola. She's a beautiful young third-grader and you know nothing about her." Kuba stopped, looking incredulously at his friend.

"I told you so," he said, seeing the boy's stony face.

"How do you know her name?" he asked, stunned.

"It's not important," he replied curtly.

"It is.

" "I can't tell you, but I have to admit one thing: She's worth it.

" "You bastard!" Kuba glared at the other man.

"Kuba! Wait! It's not like that!" Mateusz tried to explain.

The boy was overcome with rage. It wasn't Mateusz's words that were the cause. He was nervous because he knew he wouldn't be able to fight. Whenever obstacles arose, he prematurely gave up.

That same day, he went to Casablanca, a club where young people met. You could listen to good, calming music here. Besides, people came here to study. The only other place like it in the city was the library. Except, of course, for the bar, where you could buy something to eat or drink, not just mineral water.

Jakub was sitting at one of the tables. He could hear the conversations of his high school friends around him. However, no one tried to invite him to join the conversation. Lost in his own world, he was contemplating a glass mug filled with hoppy liquor.

A few minutes later, Justyna appeared in the room. At first, she didn't notice Kuba sitting in the corner. After a few friendly smiles, she moved toward the boy. Seeing his grave expression, she hesitated for a moment. But when he returned his gaze, she moved decisively toward him.

"Are you so depressed?" she tried to soothe her friend's foul mood.

"You think so.

" "No, not at all. I've never seen you in a better mood," she tried to joke, realizing she couldn't comfort her friend.

Carrying a natural joy of life, she tried to pour some of it into Kuba's sad eyes. Justyna had quite a strong influence on the boy. However, today she couldn't do anything to change him.

"Okay. What's going on?" The girl took radical steps towards an honest conversation.

"Oh, what's going on?" he said gloomily, crossing his arms.

"I don't know. Maybe it's good, or maybe it's so bad it makes you want to cry. Which option do you choose?"

Kuba frowned, making it clear he wasn't eager to talk.

"I'll sit here until you tell me," she replied firmly.

The boy didn't protest and returned his gaze to the center of the glass. The minutes passed quickly, and the girl refused to give up, staring at him without uttering a single word. Meanwhile, the old clock on the wall made its presence felt, striking the seconds. Kuba finally couldn't bear it any longer.

"I had an argument with Mat.

" "And I thought you wouldn't speak. Oh, what happened?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Nothing major." Kuba still didn't want to say everything.

"Such a small thing, and you're practically belching with anger." It wasn't easy to outsmart her.

Silence fell again for a moment.

"Of course!" Justyna smiled to herself. "You argued over a girl.

" "Why do you think that?" he tried to disorient her.

"When guys argue, it's either about politics, cars, or women. You, on the other hand, hate politics, and you're not particularly fond of cars." Kuba was surprised by Justyna's acumen.

"Even if you do. So what?"

"Is that the girl you wanted to invite to Friday night?

" "How do you know?" This time he didn't even try to hide his surprise.

"You would never agree to going to a club together. But when I said you could bring a friend, the matter was clear.

" "Indeed. But that's out of the question now.

" "Why?" she asked, placing her hands on the table.

"She'll probably go with Mateusz.

" "Why this pessimism? Mateusz isn't like that!" she tried to defend her friend.

"What?" Kuba was reaching for his mug more and more often.

"He wouldn't do that to you. You know. You know, right?" he asked, just to be sure.

"I don't know. He made it clear; what's the situation?"

"I won't suggest anything, because it's too complicated. I'll be impartial in this situation. Forgive me," she said, rising from the table.

WEDNESDAY

The day dawned lazily, and with each passing day, it was shorter. Kuba was increasingly lacking time to catch up on schoolwork. For the past few days, he hadn't been coping as well as in previous years. He had been one of the class's standout students. From bright and tenacious, he had degenerated into a gray, insignificant mouse. He

skipped classes more and more frequently, and his contacts with friends had dwindled from small to insignificant. His only support was Justyna and Mateusz. Mateusz, on the other hand, buried everything with two unnecessary words, and regaining Kuba's trust was quite a challenge, so few attempted it.

Justyna sat against the wall. Her eyes were glued to the book, occasionally playfully flipping to the beginning of the page. Opposite her, on the other side of the hall, stood Mateusz. Like the girl, he held a textbook in his hands, reviewing the latest topics. Kuba, dressed in shiny black shoes and a short, well-cut coat, strode toward her friend.

"Have you thought about Friday?" she asked as soon as he stopped.

"Yes, and I don't think anything will come of it," he explained.

"Why?" she asked again, but this time she received no answer.

He left before she could finish.

Mateusz, standing against the wall opposite, approached the shrinking girl.

"He didn't even look at me!" Mat said.

"Oh, what were you thinking?

" "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "And you're on his side!

" "Oh, I have reasons not to," she retorted.

"Don't you trust me? You know perfectly well I couldn't do something like that to my best friend.

" "I know. But he doesn't know that.

" "So, what should I do?" " He doesn't even want to talk to me."

" So, maybe there's someone who can convince him." Mateusz looked questioningly at Justyna. "That's obvious," he said, knowing perfectly well what the girl meant. Jakub was sitting in the school cafeteria. The room was quite spacious; only during breaks did crowds gather, making it incredibly crowded. Despite everything, its avant-garde interior welcomed everyone. The boy held a straw in one hand, the other resting on the table. He tried to concentrate on his math problems, which was hampered by the bright light coming from the lamp hanging just above his head. "And you?" he heard a familiar voice. Looking up, he saw Ola. At first, he looked at her maliciously, remembering the conversation with Mateusz. He smiled, however, when she sat down at the table. "Who rejected you?" the girl finished. The boy felt awkward. Until now, he had been the one to put people in such situations, but today he had been struck by his own weapon. "Are you always this honest?" he asked. "Only when I'm talking to you," she managed in a trembling voice. "You didn't answer me," she said more freely this time, despite the grimace on her face. Kuba fell silent, unsure what to say. "I didn't want to tell you and I avoided it like the plague," the boy finally managed, glancing uncertainly at Ola. "It was you," the girl looked at him in disbelief. "Me? " "Remember? It was the beginning of March, we were just getting to know each other, and you already didn't give me a chance. " "Wrong! " "Really?"

"You should be the one trying to get it," she tried to justify herself. But to no avail, as Kuba dismissed it with a bitter expression.

"That's exactly what happened.

" "I didn't notice.

" "Exactly," he said ironically. "You probably still don't know that the Valentine you received this year was from me?" The girl was overcome with shame, accentuated by a red flush.

"Do you remember all of that?" she uttered cautiously.

"I remember every day you passed by in the hallway, when you brushed back your hair, and when you looked into my eyes. I remember every second of our conversation with you and every single one of them. 'No.'" Silence fell for a moment.

Ola felt guilty, constantly averting her gaze from Kuba's, who was consistently trying to catch up with them.

"So don't tell me I don't know anything about it," Jakub regretfully referred to yesterday's conversation.

"We'll meet again, someday," she asked as Kuba rose from the table.

The girl looked at him pleadingly.

"It's inevitable. We go to the same school," he replied.

"I thought maybe we could watch a movie together, or...

" "Yes, and Mateusz will sit between us and then we'll create one big, happy family," he said directly, exploding with anger.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her expression incomprehensible.

"Don't you think that would be unfair?

" "Why?" she continued, still trying to understand where Kuba was going with this.

"If you're dating him, I won't come between you. I'm not interested in being a chaperone.

" "There's still a lot you need to understand, but I won't explain it to you," she said, not wanting to get involved in problems that weren't hers.

"Why is everyone turning their backs on me?" he mused.

The sports hall, recently built as a new school building, was enormous. The entrance to it was separated by a special corridor that was always locked. This was where Mateusz spent most of his school time. He was the type of person who was interested in nothing but sports. He worked hard to secure a scholarship to college, but simply breaking athletic records wasn't enough. A high average in other subjects was also required, something Mateusz didn't possess.

Jakub slipped unnoticed into the room between the sports hall and the school. Two doors led into the room, one just around the bend in the corridor, the other further back. Kuba approached the one closest to the exit. A narrow strip of glass inset into the door significantly limited the boy's view. Furthermore, inside the room, tall columns supporting the bleacher roof did the same.

Mateusz, dressed in shorts and a basketball jersey, ran around the gym, performing bizarre, cat-like movements. Kuba, watching, found all these complex exercises incredibly amusing, bringing a smile to his face. This carefree enjoyment lasted until Ola entered the gym. Jakub stiffened, his gaze shifting toward the girl. Dressed in a burgundy sweater and black skirt, she glanced shyly at Mateusz. In her hands was a snow-white towel, which she clutched insistently. The silver chain around her neck reflected in the spotlight.

Mateusz didn't initially notice the girl staring at him. Only when she approached the railing separating the court from the stands did he run to the sidelines to greet her. He approached, smiling at her as Ola handed him the towel. Wiping his damp neck, he spoke to her. She returned the greeting with a sweet smile.

"Charlatan," Kuba, standing nearby, thought reproachfully.

Naturally, the boy hadn't heard them. He could only guess what the exchange was about.

Meanwhile, the conversation dragged on, and the boy standing behind the window anxiously glanced at his watch. Suddenly, Ola, after glancing around, discreetly pressed a scrap of paper into Mateusz's hand. Mat looked at her in surprise, then headed toward the inmates' locker room just outside the entrance. Kuba, without delay, evacuated quickly, not wanting to be noticed.

Evening had descended upon the city. Jakub was walking along a narrow path in the park near the school. A cool but fresh breeze whipped the boy's face. From the bushes came the charming chirping of crickets, to which he listened with pleasure. Despite the late autumn, the weather that day had something of a cool summer evening. Jakub followed the path, gazing at its hard surface. However, it wasn't the soulless earth that was the object of his contemplation. He concentrated on himself, analyzing everything that had happened in his life that week. The results were pathetic.

His hands were tucked into his pockets and he walked hunched forward. He was passing one of the tree-lined garden paths when a vague figure appeared before his eyes. At first, he wasn't concerned, as many people strolled through the park, especially when the weather was favorable.

The mysterious figure, in the light of the illuminating moon, was heading towards Jakub.

"What are you doing here?" he heard, lost in thought.

"Oh, it's you. I'm walking," he added a moment later, seeing Justyna walking toward him.

"Alone?

" "Yes. I had to think of something," he replied calmly, immersed in his own worries.

"So, have you figured it out?" she asked, certain of what was troubling the boy. "Does it have anything to do with Mateusz?" she asked again.

"Him too, but not only that."

"Can I give you some advice?" she looked at him, carefully taking his hand.

"You were supposed to be impartial.

" "Yes, but I changed my mind because I can't stand to watch you and Mateusz exchange stern glances any longer.

" "Have you decided to be a good fairy?" Kuba asked, noticing Justyna's other intentions.

"If that description suits you, it can stay that way. However, I would say: friend. Do you remember that word?" she asked ironically.

"Do you want to be mean?

" "I just want to explain everything to you.

" "And that's good," he smiled sarcastically. "I've been trying to understand what's going on for several days now, and no one wants to help me?

" "I'll help you," the girl said encouragingly.

"So tell me, what am I doing wrong?" The girl brushed back her hair, taking a deep breath.

"First of all, you called Mateusz a bastard. That's how it all started," the girl explained, pausing for a moment.

"Are you defending him?" Kuba looked at her suspiciously.

"No." You have to finally realize that Mat didn't do anything.

"Am I supposed to be sure of that? He met with Ola this afternoon. Did he tell you about it?" Jakub couldn't bring himself to speak.

"We haven't met yet.

" "Pathetic," he said to himself.

"You're pathetic," Justyna persisted. "Can't you understand that Mateusz isn't capable of the kind of thing you're accusing him of.

" "It's not about him," he shouted, scaring away the birds hidden in the trees.

"So, you're taking your own worries out on him." The girl's perceptiveness knew no bounds.

"So, why is he seeing Ola?" Jakub asked.

"Are you crazy? He's not seeing her at all.

" "It looked different.

" "You're making up some crazy ideas. He just wanted to help you. He knew how shy you were, and the fact that he saw potential in this girl doesn't mean the worst.

"I could have handled it myself," Kuba tried to defend himself.

"Now you have to deal with him and Ola." "I can't help you with that," she said finally, before disappearing somewhere near the park exit.

The evening light slowly turned into night. The boy walked eagerly toward home. Still recalling Justyna's words, he pondered how to get out of this awkward situation unscathed. One thought occurred to him. He should speak honestly, first with Ola, then with Mateusz. He was forced to put his pride aside and, in desperate acts, ask for forgiveness.

THURSDAY

It was a bright Thursday morning when Kuba lazily rose from bed. At that moment, the alarm clock on the desk beside him rang unbearably. Kuba looked at him with contempt, then with a quick movement of his hand muffled his scream.

"I hate mornings," he drawled, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

The boy rose to his feet and lazily walked toward the kitchen. When he opened the refrigerator, the bright light emanating from it awakened the boy's weary face.

On the table, in the corner of the wall, lay a piece of paper with a phone number on it. Jakub glanced at the scrap of paper, then at the phone hanging in the corner. An irresistible temptation to call Ola arose within him. However, he quickly realized that seven in the morning would be an inconvenient time for a conversation. Disconsolate, he had to postpone the conversation until later, or perhaps until a private one.

Jakub skipped school that day. Casablanca became his destination. It was there that he decided to gather his thoughts. He hadn't thought about anything else for a long time. All the relationships between his last friends seemed to be fading away. It seemed to him that there was nothing he could do to make things go back to the way they were.

With his head buried in his hands, he sat in his favorite seat at the club: against the wall, the least visible part of the room. On the other side, Ola sat, equally grief-stricken. Her face rested on her hand. In her other hand, she held a pen, trying to solve math problems. Jakub didn't notice the girl at first, but when he spotted her, he rose from the table and walked toward her.

The girl was dressed in a tight, low-cut sweater and equally well-fitting jeans.

"Hi," he said when the girl looked up from her book.

"What brings you here?" she asked.

"The same thing that happened to you." I needed a moment to gather my thoughts.

"Did you manage?

" "I think so, but the rest depends on you," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Why me?

" "A few days ago, you asked if we'd see each other again. Do you stand by that?

" "I don't think so.

" "You're not giving me a chance again.

" "I didn't say I would.

" "You told me once to do whatever I wanted.

" "Yes," she admitted without protest.

"I want to go out with you."

"That's impossible," she replied.

"Why? Is there someone else?"

"No," the girl denied.

"So, why?

" "Mateusz...

" "But there is someone else," he said with exceptional calm.

"Mateusz has told me a lot about you." Ola looked at him steadily.

"I guess. But you must know that, in addition to my flaws, I also have my strengths.

" "Exactly, that's why I don't want to go on a date with you. I already told you there's a lot you still need to understand.

" "I think I just understood. Everything Justyna told me turned out to be absolutely true.

" "What did she tell you?" she asked, leaning forward.

"That you and Mateusz have nothing in common.

" "Of course not," she admitted firmly.

"I'm sorry. I had no right to be jealous," the boy repented, extending his hand to Ola. "We have to bury the hatchet someday.

" "Do you want to do it now?

" "Why not?

" "Fine," she smiled charmingly, emphasizing the splendor of her beauty.

"Oh, now

..." "I don't understand?" the girl asked, astonished.

"Will you go out with me?" he asked shyly.

"With pleasure," she replied, smiling again, and the boy couldn't hide his delight.

At that moment, Justyna appeared at the table. Smiling broadly, she approached.

"You weren't at school," she said. "I thought you wanted notes.

" "Mateusz always brought them to me," he replied regretfully.

"You haven't talked to him.

" "Not yet.

" "Do it," she said, and then left.

Jakub and Ola sat in Casablanca for a long time. For the first time in many days, a smile appeared on the boy's face. The first challenge he had decided to face was behind him. The worst awaited him: the meeting with Mateusz. But now he wasn't thinking about that. He tried to enjoy the present moment, which was spending time with Ola. FRIDAY

Friday

turned out to be the first day in a long time that the boy woke up without a grimace. Surprisingly content, he rose from his comfortable bed and smiled, doing all the things that had previously made him feel miserable.

Even the bus ride wasn't as brutal as it always was. The constant landscape, changing only with the weather, wasn't as tedious as before. This time, every change in the boy's eyes was perceived with enthusiasm and euphoria.

Meanwhile, Jakub decided to go to school to confront the problem that had disrupted the rhythm of his life. The boy walked through the school corridors. Looking around, he noticed faces that had previously been ominous and gloomy.

He had just reached the classroom where he had classes. Justyna was leaning against the wall. It had become a tradition to see her holding a notebook, her blue eyes flickering.

On the other side stood Mateusz, who looked at Jakub, expecting a reaction from his friend. However, Jakub didn't do anything to satisfy him, as he approached Justyna.

"Justyna," said Kuba.

"Hi. How are you? How was your time with Ola?

" "Great," he replied, pleased.

"Have you talked to him yet?

" "Mateusz?" he asked, when the girl nodded.

"No. I was planning to do it at the club, but I don't know if I should feel invited.

" "You know I never cancel anything.

" "So, see you tonight?

" "Yes. See you later."

Evening was approaching. Jakub was awaiting his arrival with increasing impatience. He paced nervously from room to room, occasionally adjusting his shirt collar, which was chafing against his neck. The moment of nervousness was interrupted by the doorbell. The boy opened the door briskly. Ola stood in the doorway. Jakub stood in utter stupor.

"Hi. Will you let me in?" the girl asked.

"Sure. Come in," he replied, recovering from the momentary shock.

The girl looked gorgeous, as always. Dressed in a tasteful dress and a stylish white shirt, she smiled broadly.

"God. Why are you so beautiful?" Kuba thought.

"Ready?" Ola asked.

"I think so," he replied, throwing on a black leather jacket.

Jakub and Ola arrived. The boy stopped at the pub's entrance. Lost in thought, he stared at the bright sign above the pub's door. The stairs led down. They quickly descended. Eventually, they found themselves inside. People he knew were sitting at one of the tables. He'd noticed them from the moment he saw them. He paused for a moment and smiled deceitfully. But deep inside, he felt stress and embarrassment. It was hard for him to admit his mistakes, especially to people he'd known for years. Ola pulled the boy along.

"Hello," he said lamely.

"Sit down," Justyna suggested.

"First, I have to confess what I was going to say a few days ago, or rather, what I shouldn't have said at all," Kuba began timidly. "I acted like an idiot," he drawled, looking at Mateusz. "You probably had plenty of reasons to hit me, but you didn't."

"What kind of soap opera is this?" asked Robert, Justyna's would-be boyfriend.

"Don't interrupt," one of the girls interjected.

"All this time," Kuba continued, "you haven't said a bad word to me when I desecrated our friendship." I'll fully understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore. I've abused your trust, and for that, I'm ashamed.

"I'm not a thinker like you, nor a scientist like Justyna, but I know that friendship is the only thing that stands up to the truth," Mat explained. "So let it be," he said, extending his hand to the boy. "Now you can sit down," said Mateusz.

"Thanks."

"I've had enough of this masquerade," Robert said, rising from the table.

Meanwhile, Mat looked at her with a smile.

"You should have done it a long time ago," Justyna said wryly.

"This week was really tiring," Kuba confessed.

"You don't have to worry about it now," Ola replied. "Sometimes we have to sacrifice too much to understand the simplest things."

"That's human nature," Justyna added.

"Don't comfort me. Nothing will erase this dirty stain on my life.

" "Only when you do something better can you right the wrong you've done," Mateusz said. "You admitted your guilt, and that's the greatest proof of remorse and regret for the harm you've caused.

" "Everything will be alright," Ola added, stroking the boy's head.

For the rest of the evening, as they talked about friendship and things that are so important and so fleeting in today's world, Mateusz glanced at Justyna several times, joking, and teasing her with numerous compliments.

Jakub, due to his shortsightedness, had probably lost more of his social life in recent days than he had in several years.

SATURDAY.

Evening was approaching, and Jakub was already looking forward to meeting Ola. The prospect of sharing dinner with his girlfriend filled him with enthusiasm and a simultaneous thrill. He didn't want anything to go wrong. Everything had to be perfect, just as she was perfect.

So he decided to wear his best, or rather, his only suit, which he rarely used. He also didn't forget to buy flowers, which he spent considerable time selecting and smelling with manic precision to ensure they smelled as natural as possible. Equipped this way, he was ready to go out for dinner.

Ola's parents traveled frequently, so she could afford a romantic dinner surrounded by familiar surroundings. Jakub lived only a few minutes away, so he bridged the distance quite quickly. He arrived at Ola's door promptly at seven. He knocked.

A stunningly beautiful nymph appeared, and Kuba couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She was wearing a strapless dress that shimmered, reflecting the light. Her hair was tied in a bun, looking strange and unnatural. Perhaps because he was used to traditional, loose styles. The girl invited him in, kissing him on the cheek.

The invigorating aroma of exquisite dishes, specially prepared for the occasion, emanated from the room. The smell of lit candles wafted from the next room. The table at which they were dining was meticulously decorated, not only with delicious dishes.

"What do you recommend today?" the boy asked calculatingly, sitting down at the table.

"Breaded chicken and oysters," she replied.

"And for the main course?" he asked, observing her unusual movements.

"This is the main course," she replied, not allowing the boy to do much.

Jakub sat stiffly at the table. Ola, meanwhile, was still bustling around the kitchen, making final preparations for dinner. A few moments passed before she sat down at the table herself.

"Enjoy your meal," Jakub said.

"You're welcome," she replied, lifting a glass of wine from the table and sinking her lips into it. "Tell me about the day we met," she asked in a pleasant voice, setting down the glass of red wine.

"For what?" he continued, noticing the paradox of the question.

"I want to hear how you remember it."

Kuba didn't hesitate for long, as a clear image of those days flashed before his eyes.

"It was Friday, March 9th. The morning of that day was chilly, only a few degrees. It just so happened that I didn't have my last class, Polish," he added. "So you finished an hour later. As usual, you were returning on the same bus. I was waiting for you. The cold wind whipped my face and ears. You arrived promptly at three-eighteen. I followed you only a few meters behind. You didn't see me. No way. We didn't know each other. Only sometimes at school would your eyes rest on mine. That day, you were wearing a black coat. Your hair was loose and flowing down your back. I was about to approach when my friend stood in front of me.

"Mateusz?" she interrupted.

"No," he replied.

"And what next?

" "I lied to him, saying I was in a hurry to get home. You were approaching the staircase where you live; the second one." After a moment, you heard my voice from behind you: "Ola?" I said, and you turned around. "You're Ola? Right?" I asked again. "Where do you know me from?" you replied with a broad smile, though you could sense a hint of surprise. Kuba continued his story. "And then—we talked about school and teachers and how I knew you.

" "And later?" Ola interrupted again.

"After that, it was just trying, courting, and breakneck attempts, most often ending in failure." Kuba fell silent

, lost in thought. "Do you think that could be changed?" the boy turned to the girl.

"Definitely, having dinner together is a good start," he replied, smiling at the girl.

"Exactly," she replied.

SUNDAY

The day was beautiful and sunny. Jakub and Ola were walking in the park. Holding hands, they looked into each other's eyes and whispered something in each other's ears.

"I'm proud of you," the girl said.

"Yes. Why?

" "You acted very responsibly on Friday. You weren't afraid to face your fears.

" "Thank you, but I hope I won't have to say it again.

" "Me too," she replied, as Mateusz and Justyna stood opposite them.

"Hello," said Mat.

"Hello," Jakub said slowly, looking at his friends' clasped hands. "Did I miss something?" he asked, very surprised.

"We wanted to tell you, but you weren't really willing to listen," Justyna explained.

"I understand. I apologize again for my behavior this week," said Jakub.

"You've apologized enough, and we've forgiven you," Mateusz added after a moment.

"Maybe we should go somewhere together now?" Ola suggested, leading her friends out of the park.