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A shaken girl ran out of the old tenement building. She turned right and ran. She reached the bus stop and boarded the first bus that passed. She sat down in the seat next to an elderly woman. The woman looked at her as if she were a fugitive.

"What is she looking at?" the girl wondered to herself. "Yeah, I probably look like some whore with my hair all messed up and my blouse torn." She looked at her reflection in the window. She absentmindedly smoothed her hair and shifted in her seat. She wasn't really going anywhere. She just wanted to get off at the last stop and sit there. The bus reached the Tenement House. The girl got off. She headed towards the nearby forest. She already had a plan for getting home. As long as possible. After half an hour, she emerged from the forest. She could have taken a bus that would have taken her almost to her house, but she didn't. She decided to walk a little longer. The weather was nice. The sun was shining and a cool, refreshing breeze was blowing. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. She sat down on the curb. Small bright spots swarmed before her eyes. She felt faint. She woke up being shaken on the shoulder. A woman A woman around fifty crouched next to her and asked what had happened. Kamila didn't answer her for a long time, as she couldn't bear to be in this situation. She didn't know why she was lying on the sidewalk, with a woman sitting next to her.

"Little girl? Little girl? What happened?" the woman asked, nudging her every now and then, probably to be absolutely sure that Ania wouldn't faint again.

"I'm okay." The girl tried to stand up, but the woman took her hand and pulled her up. "

Where do you live?" she asked.

"It's here... not far... I'll go now... thank you," she replied, and walked away. Her head hurt and her throat was dry. The woman reached her and took her arm.

"I'll walk you home. It's on my way anyway, and I'd like to make sure you arrived safely."

After fifteen minutes of slow walking, they reached the house. Ania turned the doorknob and entered.

"May I have some tea?" she asked.

"Oh, no, my child, I'll be off now because my grandchildren are waiting for me at home," the woman apologized. "

Fine. Thank you again for your help. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, my dear," the woman replied, and left. Ania saw that they were heading back the way they had both come.

"There are still good people in this world after all," the girl thought, and sat down on the shoe rack. A moment later, her mother arrived with Julek in her arms.

"Well, you're finally here. You have guests. They're upstairs," she said, and left.

Ania took off her shoes and went upstairs. First, she entered the room where Kornelka and Mateusz were. She took the boy because the girl was asleep, and went to the kitchen where her guests were sitting. She put on a fake smile because she couldn't afford a real one right now.

"Er, it's you..." she feigned disappointment. "My mom said I had guests. And you're more like family than guests.

" "What? Aren't you happy about our visit?" Edyta asked.

"I'm so glad, I'm glad," she replied, sitting down in a chair and settling Mateusz on her lap. "

Shall I make you some tea? You look so sluggish..." Dagmara asked.

"Yes, if I may, please. Green tea with prickly pear.

" "I know."

The six of them were sitting at Ania's kitchen table, bursting into laughter every now and then. Only she wasn't in the mood for laughter.

"I'll go carry Mateusz to his bed or he'll fall asleep right here in my arms," ​​she announced, and left the kitchen. "

Something's happened to her," Edyta said.

"That's what I think too. She's different somehow. She always sits there joking, but today she's not even smiling," Natalia added.

"Maybe we should go to her?" Edyta wondered.

"There's no point in wondering. We should ask her what's wrong," Dagmara said, rising from her chair.

"Then let one of us go, not all of us," Szymon suggested. "Go, Mateusz!"

"What? Why me?

" "If you don't want to, I'll go," Natalia said. "

No, I'm going. I just don't know if she'll want to tell me.

" "She wouldn't want to tell you something..." Edyta said sarcastically.

The boy left the kitchen and entered the room where Ania was. She was sitting on the bed with her head bowed. Mateusz sat down next to her but didn't say anything for a moment. He wasn't sure if she knew he was sitting there.

"I won't beat around the bush and I'll ask right away—did something happen?"

She was silent. She looked at him. He noticed tears gathering in her eyes. He hugged her and kissed her forehead. They sat like that for a while. Suddenly, he rose from the bed.

"Do you want to be alone?" he asked.

She looked at him. All she really wanted now was to be alone. He read it in her eyes and took her hand. They went into the kitchen. Her friends, seeing that the girl was crying, hugged her. Suddenly, she felt faint. She sat down in a chair and tilted her head forward.

-Szymon, go get her mom or dad, Natalia, make some strong tea, Edyta, go and fix her sheets in her room, I'll look for some pills, and you, Mateusz, sit here and hold her hand, she'll definitely feel better. Dagmara ordered in such a tone that no one dared oppose her. After a moment, Ania's mother rushed in. She asked if the bed was made and led her to her room. She put her to bed. Ania lay limply in the position she had been placed in. Her parents and best friends stood around her. Dagmara ordered her to do various things, like drink tea in small sips, open and close her eyes, and the like. She didn't have the strength to do any of this. Only snatches of conversation reached her. They wondered among themselves why she had suddenly weakened. They exchanged opinions and connected facts. Suddenly, everything fell silent. It seemed as if everyone had left. With the last of her strength, Ania opened her eyes to check if anyone was there. The bright light blinded her, so she had to squint.

"Wait a minute, something's wrong," she thought. "There's no picture on the wall, and everything's different here." It turned out she was in the hospital. She glanced at the ticking clock. It was 6:20 a.m. She wanted to call someone to tell her what was going on, but she couldn't find her voice. She noticed a button by the bed. She pressed it, and a moment later a nurse and her mother entered the room.

"Finally! We were so worried!" said her mother, sitting down next to her.

"What was wrong with me?" the girl asked weakly. "

We're trying to figure it out. For now, we think it's just stress and exhaustion, but we had to wait for you to get tests done. Now that you're awake, we can do them and find out what caused your fainting. Or fainting spells, because there might have been more than one," the nurse answered exhaustively.

At that moment, her friends entered the room: Edyta, Dagmara, Natalia, Magda, Natalia, Szymon, and Mateusz.

"Keep scaring us like that!" Edyta said with a smile. "

We almost had a heart attack," Natalia added.

"What are you doing here?" Ania asked. "It's half past six. You won't make it home or to school. And there's a biology test today.

" "You're here talking about the test, and we're dying of fear," Dagmara said.

"But you don't have to die for me. Not yet."

"I'll leave you two, you two, talk, and I'll go talk to the doctor," the girl's mother said, leaving the room. "

So why did you stay here all night?" the girl asked her friends. "

First we stayed at your place, but we finally decided there was no point in waiting and took you here," Edyta replied.

"And now we're sitting here," Szymon added.

"Well, go home! You won't be sitting around like idiots. It'll probably turn out I'm fine and I'll be home today."

"Let's hope so." - said Magda.

Her friends sat around Anka and talked. They shared their experiences of the last twelve hours. Everyone was dying of fear for their friend. She listened to their stories with interest, as she couldn't remember anything herself. She knew she'd been talking to Mateusz in the kids' room. At that moment, her film blacked out. She doesn't remember what happened next. A moment later, Ania's mother returned to the room. "

You'll have tests in an hour," she said, turning to her daughter's friends. "And you should go home, or if you're still stubborn, at least go downstairs to the cafeteria for something to eat."

"Oh yes! She's right," Ania added. "At least go eat something. You'll come back, and then you can stay here as long as you want.

" "Okay, then come on, because this French woman won't let us rest," Natalia said. "

Wait, I have to go home too, because the kids are probably worried sick there." "Ania's mother announced, said goodbye to her, and left with her friends. The girl closed her eyes. Even though she had been lying there the entire time and hadn't said much, she felt very tired. Suddenly, she heard someone enter the room and close the door. She opened her eyes. It was Mateusz.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "You were supposed to go downstairs and eat."

"I know, I know. I told them I had to go to the bathroom because I wanted to talk to you.

" "Smartass," Ania said and smiled.

The boy sat down next to her on the bed. He clearly didn't know how to start because he just sat there and stared into the distance.

"Can I close my eyes, or will it bother you?" Ania asked.

"It'll even help me."

The girl closed her eyes. Mateusz didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, he began.

"How many times a day can you think about the same person?"

"It depends..." she replied, not opening her eyes.

"From what?"

"From how I feel about them."

"And if you think about someone nonstop twenty-four hours a day, what is it?" he asked.

She didn't have time to answer because Edyta entered the room. Ania opened her eyes and noticed the boy staring at her.

"And there you are! I've been looking for you all over the hospital, and you're sitting here," her friend called. "Come eat something, you're white as a sheet." She walked up to Mateusz and grabbed his arm. His gaze seemed to say, "I don't want to." But he left. Ania fell asleep. She dreamed of a figure in a black coat telling her that she would be unhappy and alone forever if she didn't help now. And it disappeared. Ania woke up. She opened her eyes. Dagmara, Natalia, Edyta, and Mateusz were sitting in the room. Dagmara was reading the newspaper, Natalia and Edyta were doing crossword puzzles, and Mateusz simply sat and waited for the girl to wake up. When he noticed her eyes were open, he sat down next to her on the bed. Immediately, her friends approached her.

"How are you feeling?" Natalia asked.

"Bad," replied Ania. "I dreamed of a large figure in a black coat. She told me I'd be miserable forever if I didn't help now. But who am I supposed to help?"

"Well, that's just nonsense. You know you'll never be alone. Because you have us," said Dagmara.

Ania found Mateusz's hand lying on the quilt. She squeezed it gently and smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Could you leave us alone for a moment?" the girl asked.

"Why?" Edyta asked, clearly outraged by the question.

"Come on, let's go," said Natalia, and pulled her friend to the door. On the way out, she winked at Ankia. The door closed. The girl looked at the boy.

"I found the answer to your question," she said.

Mateusz looked at her and smiled. "

Lately, I've started thinking about one like that all the time." She fell silent. She waited for his reaction, but he remained motionless. "I think we get along well, and I think he likes spending time with me too."

Mateusz stared at the floor. He didn't look at the girl even once.

"But I don't know how to tell him. Maybe you have any ideas?" she asked.

"I think it's best to tell him face to face. Or over the phone if you're embarrassed," he replied, blushing. "You know what, I think I have to go. I'll call the girls, they'll come back here." He took his hand from Ania's and stood up. He didn't look at her. His movements betrayed embarrassment.

"Okay, if you have to, go. And I'll call you," Ania said, smiling as she took the phone.

"Good luck." "Mateusz whispered as he left the room. He headed for the stairs. Suddenly, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw Ania on the screen. He stopped, unsure whether to answer or not. He returned to the room. Slowly at first, but by the time he reached the door, he was practically running. Ania was just setting the phone on the dresser. He entered and saw her smiling at him. He sat down next to her and took her hand.

"What? You told me to call..." she said.