"People who truly love us can be divided into two categories: those who understand us, and those who forgive us our worst sins. Rarely do you find someone capable of both." - Jonathan Carroll

"No, I'm staying with her, at least for today... No, it doesn't seem to be... Yes, she is all right I think, she is still sleeping."
The words poured slowly into Nina's mind. Who is speaking? And about what? It sounded like her brother's voice. Oh, yes, really, he came during the night, because... The girl opened her eyes and first, her eyes met with her blanket, what meant she was sleeping with it on her head – she often did – and when she shifted her gaze, she saw the back of her brother. She reached out and knocked on his lower back with one finger.
"Oh, she is awake, I have to go." The older Nikiforov ended the call and turned to the girl, pulling of the blanket off of her head, giving his sister a sunny smile, Worthing at least one million Rubles.
"Good morning, milaya moya, how are you?"
"I feel like... shit." Nina's voice was hoarse and her throat was aching.
"It's understandable after what happened... Wait a moment."
Viktor came back an enormous mug of chamomile tea and carefully handed it to Nina.
"This is not mine..." The girl slowly turned the mug around to see it. It seemed to be very expensive and handmade, it was white, with a delicate painting on it which formed branches of a sakura tree, with pale pink flowers. There were a few Japanese characters on one side, but Nina couldn't read them.
"It says:
'onto the paper amulet
cherry blossoms
scatter'"
Viktor provided the explanation.
"You just made this up, right? You don't speak Japanese."
"I brought the mug in Japan while I was there for a tournament. Well, somebody made it personally for me, but I paid for it, so I technically bought it... It's a haiku by the way and -"
"I know what a haiku is, I'm not stupid." Nina cut into the silver haired Russian's sentence.
"Sorry... I always forget your side of the family."
"My great grandmother was half Japanese; it's not that I have any relations to that country..."
"Your hair looks like that." Viktor playfully pulled one of Nina's bangs. "And your eyes." He tilted his head, examining the girl.
"If you didn't realize this time, I tell you now, my eyes have the same colour like yours."
"But they are almond shaped a little."
"A way too little, and they are also too big for someone who is Asian."
"Well, right..." Viktor gently poked the younger skater's noise. "But either way, you are a little cutie."
"Don't call me that." Nina muttered.
"Why?"
"Because I'm not cute."
"Of course you are. You are cute, gorgeous, pretty, beautiful, sweet, everything what you wish. Just like me." Viktor threw himself into Nina's lap with a smile.
"I was always the fan of your modesty." Nina answered on a dry tone. "And you are biased, because I'm your relative."
"Who, thanks to God, inherited the beautiful traits of the family. You should be thankful too."
"For what? Being similar to a bunch of people who hate me?"
"You resemble to me the most, so what's the fuss?"
Nina stared into her tea before she answered. She thought about a lot what Aleksandar told to her and how Viktor acted, but then why did he say such things? It's going to be the easiest if she asks him, really.
"You hate me too, right?"
Viktor sat up so abruptly, he nearly knocked out the mug from the younger Nikiforov's hands.
"Hey, my tea!"
"Ninachka, I love you very much!"
"But you said -"
"What?"
"That I ruined your family's life and -"
"First, that is what you did, and second, I don't care about that all. You can go and destroy it as many times as you wish! They showed what kind of people they are when they decided to be horrible to child, was at no fault in that adults are horrible! Father cheated on mother, if somebody has to be blamed, it's him! You did what you did, but I couldn't love you more and I'm very proud of you! Do you understand? Ninachka... Are you... crying? Did I say something again?"
"No, it's just raining on my face!"
"Idiot..." Viktor said on a warm voice, full with love. He took away the mug from Nina and hugged her tightly to himself. The girl grabbed her brother's t-shirt and hid her face into it. It was not a pretty cry, her sobs were uneven and her breathing ragged, making a complete mess from herself. Viktor's t-shirt became a mess of tears and fabric under no time. "It's fine, I'm here, I love you." He breathed, stroking his sister's hair. "Everything is okay."
Nina looked up, red-rimmed blue eyes locking into the older Nikiforov's.
"Vik... I'm sorry. I was horrible to you."
"Just let it go, milaya moya. I love you even when you are terrible. You are my sweet little sister and nothing can change that." The silver haired skater leant down and kissed Nina's forehead.

After Nina calmed down a little, Viktor made her drank her two other mug of teas, take a shower and dress up.
"Are you not going to compliment about having to be absent from your trainings today?" The older Nikiforov asked while he finished arranging the food on the plate.
"You were right in that too." The girl blushed a little. "If you say it's okay, it's probably fine, seeing your career and everything..."
"Really?" A child's Christmas smile was nothing compared to Viktor's when he heard his sister. "You listen to me?"
"If it's just one day..."
"Of course, it's just one!" Viktor went to the table and put the food on the table. "You don't have to slack off just because you won the Youth Olympics and Junior Words! Your senior debut is not a joke; you have to give everything in it, but, your body needs to rest once in a while."
"Okay, okay, I got it!" Nina held up her hands. "God, you became obsessed so suddenly... And what about your season?"
"It's fine, don't worry about that." Viktor said on a dull voice. "There is no need to even mention."
"Okkay..." Nina didn't want to press the topic, so she turned her attention to the food. "I can't remember having these ingredients here. And what about the mug anyway? How did that got here?"
Oh, well... While you were sleeping, I set Makkachin to guard you, went home for some stuff and did a little shopping."
"A... little?" The younger Nikiforov echoed. "Scampi, shrimp, avocados and salmon are count as a 'little shopping'? These are quite expensive. And the stuff you brought from your place was a mug?"
"And... some clothes, toothbrush, Makkachin's reserve bowls, leash, dog food, other small things. I liked your idea keeping some stuff at my place. Also, a few knives. And I brought some kitchenware. You don't have a wok... How come? I thought I taught you better."
"So you literally moved in."
"If I need to take care of you," Viktor shrugged and put a scampi into his mouth "I need to have the things for it."
"You don't need to take care of me, at all." Nina hissed.
"Of course I do."
"No you don't. And you wouldn't. You are not that type. Yes, you show up sometimes when there's trouble and I appreciate that more or less, but you were never a mother hen, admit it."
"Because you never seemed to need it."
"Or, more like because you are pretty damn self absorbed."
"That hurt."
"Live with it." Nina poked a scampi with a fork. "What do we have here?"
"This is cucumber-avocado-tomato salad with roasted red potatoes and grilled shrimp skewers, and those are scampi with lemon and herbs, on bruschetta. Don't worry, I made everything in the way to fit into your training. It definitely fits into mine, so there's no problem. What do you want first?"
Nina chewed on her lip for a few moments, but she didn't want to hurt Viktor so soon after they made up, so she had to choose.
"The... salad."
"Good girl."

She went only half way through her plate when she felt she is full.
"Okay, I give up. If I eat one more bite, I'm going to be sick. God, you are still such a good cook..."
"Really? Finished?" Viktor's mouth was full with bruschetta. "You hardly ate!"
"We can save the rest for later."
The older Nikiforov narrowed his eyes.
"You sure you are going to eat it?" He demanded.
"Yes."
"Promise?"
"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?"
"PROMISE?"
"Fine, I promise..."
"Good!" Viktor clapped. "And now, we are going to buy something for you!"
"Why? You want two woks here?"
"No, you silly... gifts to you because you won the Olympics and the Junior Worlds!"
"I won several other competitions and I won the Junior Worlds last year too... But you know what would be a real gift? You being there, watching me. I don't need anything fancy, I can buy everything if I wish."
"Ninachka, pazhalsta... " Viktor pouted.
"Okay, fine, you won, we are going, just don't give me those puppy eyes... They make me sick."

Nina was so tired she didn't even care anymore. Viktor dragged her trough the city, searching for the most 'fitting present', and heard no excuses. Makkachin seemed as content as his owner, trying to sniff everything and everybody and pulling his leash so strongly, he nearly made Nina fell a few times. When they walked past a coffee, the girl heard a high pitched scream and someone hugged her legs.
"Nie! Nie!"
A small girl looked up to her with a wide smile with her icy blue eyes sparkling with joy. Her silver hair was in two pigtails and she had a butterfly clip in it, in the same pink colour like her dress.
"Oh, hello!" Nina smiled after she got over her surprise and gently stroked the little girl's hair.
"Hi, angel!" Viktor lifted the little girl with a smile and kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful today!"
"Vitya!" An adult voice joined them and the smile disappeared from Nina's face. "What are you doing here?"
She turned to the direction of the question but she regretted it instantly. There were a bunch of people sitting next to one of the outside tables. An older man, two women, a younger boy and an older girl, about the same age as Nina. Five pairs of icy blues eyes with pale faces framed with silver blonde hair. The Nikiforov family was there. And just when the girl thought it can be any worse, and another women joined the table. She was taller and slim, with curly, golden hair and eyes like the night ocean.
"Vitya!" She smiled, stepped to the young man and kissed his cheeks. "You didn't visit us since months!" She said on a slightly scolding voice. "Everybody is missing you." The woman simply ignored Nina, like if she was lamp post or something.
"Hi, mum." Viktor was slightly cold as he kissed the woman's cheeks too. He gave the little girl to her mother and kissed her cheek too, but this time, with real affection. "Be a good girl, right? See you soon."
"Where are you going, Vitya?" The man stood up. He was taller than Viktor, with much more broader shoulders and a sturdy look, but there was grace in his movements. "Come, sit with your family. We can mostly catch you on the screen."
"I'm spending the day with my sister."
"Oh yeah, that is here too. The mistake." The woman grimaced as she was seeing something disgusting and Nina's face twitched.
Viktor furrowed his brows and took Nina's hand.
"SHE is here and she has a name, which is Nina Vladimirovna Nikiforov."
"Leave it." The girl muttered. "It's fine."
"No, it's not!"
"Vik, please... Stay here if you want."
"Right, son, stay." Vladimir asked.
"No." Viktor stretched himself, standing tall.
"They are your family," Nina released her brother's hand "and that is important. You only know that when you don't have one."
"And your present?"
"Just be there on my next performance."
"Ninachka..."
"Is it too much, really? One occasion, one! Not a hundred, not a thousand..."
"What if I have a competition that day too?"
"You already won everything which was possible in figure skating..."
"But-"
"Know what?" Nina tossed Makkachin's leash to her brother. "Forget it. You rather buy something which cost a hundred Rubles than coming to support me one fuckin time, I got it."
The girl turned away, but Viktor grabbed the sleeve of her jacket.
"Would you do it? Leave something out for me?"
"Sure... That's what siblings supposed to too." Nina tore out her jacket from her brother's fingers. "But how would you know that... This family consist nothing but a bunch of a letdowns. But don't worry you seem to fit in just right. Enjoy your afternoon."

Nina crossed her arms in front of her and leant against the wall. The corridors were full of students around her and she tried to melt into the shadows, not wanting anybody to recognize her.
"Stupid parent-student-teacher day..." She muttered as she was scrolling down her instagram, checking out photos. She didn't want, but ended, checking out her brother's page and found the picture of him, Makkachin and herself what Viktor uploaded it on the afternoon of their badly ended shopping trip. "Idiot." Nina muttered and put the phone back into her pocket, looking out on the window with a sigh. Most of the other kids cleared up as the day was ending only the ones stayed who were supposed to be her classmates or were in the same year as she. Nina was homeschooled all of her life, but she still had to go in to get her exams and events like this. She knew nobody, but of course the others recognized her, she could hear them whispering between each other. She tried to ignore it, hoping nobody has the guts to come and ask for a photo. She was not in a mood for playing cute for her fans, or everybody. She didn't talk to Viktor since that afternoon in the city, so she could just hope he is going to be here... He HAS to be here... This is not just between them, this was official. Giving up waiting, Nina sat up into the window, lie down and put her legs up, after she pulled her hood onto her head. She was wearing biker boots, leggings, a lighter scarf, faux leather jacket, a simple, white shirt dress with short sleeves and an enormous – XXL to 'match' her XXXS size, it went down to her knees and she had to roll up the sleeves because they went through her arms with a good amount of inches – zipper hoodie in crimson colour. The hoodie itself was from 'J.J. wear', she got it from J.J. himself as the skater loved to shower her with his clothing stuff all the time. They met trough J.J.'s younger siblings with whom Nina was skating together in Junior and the Canadian technically adopted her as a third sibling, not having any interest in what is Nina's opinion in this matter. The girl fished her phone out from her pocket, put her earplugs in and started the playlist in which she collected her skating music. She closed her eyes and imagined herself on the ice. This 'exercise' was good for improving muscle memory and she used on every occasion when she had the time. She felt it no more than a half an hour but when she opened her eyes, it was already dark outside and her classmates were gone. Nina hastily jumped off from the window and she nearly hit the person who just turned on the corner.
"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?"
"Sorry!" Nina collected her earplugs from the floor – they were wireless, so she had to keep a several pairs because she always left the ones she was using – and wiped off her hair from the face. "I was just-" Her words died off when she realized who is standing in front of her. "Yuri..."
"What?"
"Why are you here?"
"We are classmates..." The other skater's tone made it clear he takes Nina as an idiot.
"I know! I just thought everybody is already gone..."
"There are two inside, we are next. Where is Viktor?"
Nina shrugged.
"Like I would know. You are his rink mate."
"And you are his sister."
"Yeah... More or less..."
Awkward silence fell between them for a few moments. Nina was changing her weight from one leg to the other and back, while Yuri watched the street right before them, like the girl a few hours earlier. His green-blue, turquoise coloured eyes flashed every time a car went past the building, pouring light on them.
"Well... How is your grandfather?" Nina asked just to say something.
"Good." Yuri didn't even look at the skater girl. "He is going to be here soon."
"Oh, great."
"He is being well since a time..." The blonde Russian added on a cold tone. "What you didn't bother to ask."
"Didn't bother to ask?" Nina didn't want to believe what she heard. "If I remember correctly, I left my training in the middle of a fuckin December snowstorm to get to the hospital just after he was taken in and you were shouting at me there to go away and never come any near neither of you or your family! What did you expect after that? I just followed what you said!" he girl took a shaky breath. "You were..." She started slowly. Even after those years, it still hurt like yesterday. "my only friend, you know."
"Maybe you should have tried to get some more." Yuri scoffed.
"Probably." Nina agreed sourly. "First tries are often shitty as they say, so maybe I wouldn't get to pick such an asshole for the second..."
"What did you say?"
"Heard me."
"Repeat it!" Yuri clenched his fists.
"I said you were a shitty friend and a shitty person back then and from what I'm seeing, you are still, if not even gotten worse."
"You little-" The boy grabbed Nina's hoodie and pushed her against the wall.
"What?" The raven haired skater smiled. "You want to hit me? We both know that's not going to happen, so release me little fairy, before your wings broke accidentally. I'm not afraid of you Yuri Plisestky, fairy queen of Russia... Because you know what happens to fairies in the winter?" She grabbed Yuri's wrist and moved his hand away from her clothes. "They froze... and they die."
"At least I'm a Russian something." The blonde boy snapped back. "And what are you? A Russian-Belarusian half-breed, not wanted by either... You have no family and no nation to belong to. Even Viktor doesn't cares about you. Look around, he is not here and he is not going to come, because you don't count to him, just like you don't count to anybody else. You can win as much gold as you like that doesn't going to change anything... You are always going to be an outsider."
It was worse than if he would actually hit Nina. The girl's breath stilled in her lungs and her eyes widened so big, she nearly started to cry. Damn Yuri Plisestky and his venomous tongue, he always knew better where to punch, much better than her... In that moment, the door of the teachers' office opened and the ones who were inside came out to the corridor. Yuri snorted and stepped back from Nina, easily freeing his wrist from the frozen fingers of his fellow skater.
"Oh, you are here." Their teacher smiled at them. The school faculty was on the same page when it came about Nina and Yuri: they were almost screaming from joy over the fact that the two best junior skaters are in their institution. "It's so good to see you are so close. Warms the heart." The teacher's gaze caught Nina's expression and she frowned. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, of course." Nina put on her perfect 'interview smile' smile – she learnt it from Viktor – what never fell short deceiving anybody.
"Good." The teacher smiled too.
"Can I go to the toilet, before we start?"
"Sure, go, we are waiting for your guardians anyway..."

Somebody kicked in the bathroom's door with a loud thump and Nina lifted her face from the sink. Yuri walked in with his hands in his pocket; his expression showed he wants to be anywhere but here.
"Can't you read?" Nina asked the blonde Russian. "I help you out; it says 'girls' on the door."
"She told me to come and check on you."
"Why?"
Yuri shrugged.
"Because she is a teacher."
"And? Do I need to understand something here, what I don't?"
The skater shrugged again.
"They have this freaky sixth sense...Teachers I mean."
"So they like coaches... They know when you don't do everything as they said; even they can't see you."
"Yeah." Yuri agreed. "Creeps." He stepped to the wall, pulled out some paper towels from the paper dispenser and offered them to Nina.
They stood silent for a few moments without any of them moving; just the sound of the water drops dripping from Nina's face broke the silence. The girl knew what this meant from Yuri, he always said sorry somehow similar like this, and now, it was on her to accept it or not. She finally reached, took the papers and wiped her face.
"Don't call me a fairy, I hate that." Yuri muttered angrily.
"Okay... Sorry." In that moment, they heard a loud bang, accompanied with an ugly laughter. Nina raised an eyebrow. "What's going out there? I thought everybody is gone..." She went to the door; Yuri followed her with only a step behind. They peeked out and saw three tall teenagers, one pinning a much smaller and younger boy to the wall. The boy's nose was bleeding and his books and pencils were everywhere on the floor. "What the hell..." Nina muttered.
"Hey, if I remember, I said, I want my assignment ready for today! Where is it?" The tallest teenager – who was holding the boy – shouted.
"I-I'm sorry... I had to fi-finish my project for a physics competition and-"
"Did I ask any detail of your sorry life?"
"Don't." Yuri grabbed Nina's arm. "I know you want to go outside, but don't. This is not our business."
"But he is harassed by those guys! And he is alone!"
"And what do you want to do? You are even smaller than that boy! You think they not gonna beat you too? But know what? If you want your nose to be broken a few days before a competition, be my guest." The blonde Russian released Nina. "Just don't come crying to me after."
"Don't worry," the girl answered on a cold tone "I won't."

The pain was really bearable. For someone who was beaten so regularly, this was almost nothing. The teenager was big, right, but his punches were not focused that much and he clearly didn't know how to hit someone to cause really much pain... It didn't take long to find herself pinned against the wall, next to the boy.
"Hi." Nina muttered, out of breath. "Believe or not, but I'm here to help you."
"Not succeeding in it very much though." The boy looked at her with a painful smile.
"Yeah, sorry for that..."
"Enough from the chatting! Who the fuck you think you are?" The teenager shouted into the girl's face.
"Someone with better personal hygiene." Nina grimaced. "Your breath stinks."
"You son of a bitch!" The guy yelled and the girl waited for being thrown onto the ground, when a new voice joined them.
"Hey, asshats, you have any idea who you are hitting?" It was Yuri; he stood not far from them his hands still in his pockets.
"And who are you, you little rat?"
"Who is going to kick your ass if you don't release them... NOW."
"How brave... You want to be beaten too?" The third guy, whose hands were 'free', took a step towards Yuri, who didn't move, just gave him a cold look.
"Listen, assholes." He continued. "That girl there, in recent ranking, the world's number one female skater, and addition to that, two times Junior World champion, Youth Olympics gold medallist and two times Junior Grand Prix winner... So, if this gets out, think about that, who is going to be fired from the school and be shamed as a bully... She, or you."
"Really?" The guy turned back to Nina. "You worth that much?"
"More than you, for sure."
"So, you releasing her or not?" Yuri growled.
"Not... But you can join her." The third guy tried to catch the blonde skater, but he stepped away gracefully and kicked the guy so hard in the stomach, he collapsed to the floor. Yuri stepped on his neck and gave it more and more pressure.
"I'm sure he is going to seriously ruin something there – Nina didn't bother to say that she is thinking Yuri is going to snap or damage the other's larynx, because she was sure they wouldn't understand... They seemed like they would have problems with 'snap' and 'damage' to start with... – so you better do as he says."
"Or, we can try who lasts longer." The guy – who was holding Nina by the arms, released her right and grabbed her throat. "Hey, you little blonde shit, how do you like this? Seeing your golden girl choking?"
"Don't-call-him-like-that!" Nina breathed. She started to see colourful spots and felt funny. Oh, shit she is going to faint... She needs to do something... She was a left hander originally but was not much of a fighter anyway, neither of her hands, but she gave it a chance. She knew enough from human anatomy already to land her punch with an ugly noise, and she knew she succeeded: she broke the guy's noise. The teenager released her and before she could control herself, she fell onto the floor... straight onto her right foot. She didn't have time to give into the pain; she stood up and turned to the third guy, who was still holding the boy.
"So," she asked on a hoarse voice "you want something to be broken? Or you can run away like a scared little girl with your friends."
The answer, - of course - was obvious.
Nina leant against the wall and slid down to the floor, next to the boy who was collecting his stuff.
"Are you all right?" He asked.
"I've had worst. I'm Nina by the way."
"I know, you are Viktor Nikiforov's younger sister. I'm writing my physics project from him."
"What?"
"The physics of figure skating."
"That sounds-"
"Idiotic?"
"Not at all." Nina shook her head. "As a skater, I'm genuinely interested. Can I see the finished work?"
"Sure..." The boy seemed surprised, while Yuri just rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Nina.
"Come. We need to go."
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"Some teacher-parent-student shit... What, Nia, you arm is broken? Get up already!" The blonde skater asked because the girl was just staring at him. She was shocked about the gesture and by that Yuri used her nickname.
"No, I was just-" She accepted the kindness and the other skater pulled her up from the floor. "Are you going to be all right?" She turned back to the boy.
"Sure. It was really stupid from you to help me... But thank you."
"You shouldn't let them terrorizing you."
"It doesn't matter. I'm going to change schools after this year..."
"Where are you going?"
"The US."
"With your family?"
"Alone. And I don't mind it all." The boy finished packing, wiped off some dried blood from his face and nodded to Nina and Yuri. "Thanks again."
"Wait!" The girl called after him. "What is your name? Just to know when you send me that stuff about figure skating."
"Maksim Dmitriev. You can call me Maks, if you wish. And by the way, we are classmates."
"Class...mates?" Yuri pulled his eyebrows. "He looks like he is thirteen, maximum."
"Maybe he is smart enough to go into a higher class."
"We really need to go back now."
"Sure..."
Nina felt the strain in her foot already, but when she tried to step, she couldn't put any weight to her right foot. She flinched and had to lean against the wall.
"What now?" Yuri snapped.
"I... fell on my foot and-"
She didn't need to continue, the other skater understood it perfectly. Having any kind of leg injury was all skaters' worse nightmare.
"Show me."
Nina sat on the floor and took of her boot and sock. Her foot was already red and swollen. The girl gently touched it and flinched again. "Shit... But at least, it's not my nose." She gave Yuri a weak smile.
"Nia-"
"It's probably nothing and gets better by tomorrow. I put some ice on it after I get home. Damn Viktor, where are you...?"
"Nia, when I said earlier, he... That was... I didn't really mean... You know..."
"Yes... But I'm afraid, it's true. In a way, at least." Nina put back her sock and tried to force the boot back on too. "Can you help me?"
"Is it that necessary to put that thing back on?"
"Yes... And you have to do it."
"WHAT?"
"Just do it, goddman it!"
"Okay... Ready?" Nina nodded and Yuri started to pull the boot back on. The girl had to bit into her lip to force back her voice. "It's on."
"Thanks... Really."
"Come now." Yuri wrapped an arm around Nina's waist and helped her up. They started walking, but the girl was too slow, hissing at every step, so the blonde skater lost his patience after a few meters and stopped. "This is not working." He released Nina for a moment and after, simply pulled her onto his back.
"What the hell...?" The girl gasped.
"You were a fucking idiot!" Yuri scolded her. "Nobody is worth that much! Nobody! What about your career? Your senior debut?"
"I really don't need this now, just saying."
"Shut up, or I threw you off."
Nina didn't say anything for the rest of the way, but Yuri continued muttering under his breath. They went down the stairs – the toilets on their corridor were already closed so they had to walk up to the next floor – and the skater put the girl down.
"If you didn't want them to notice, you have to walk from here. Can you do it?"
"I have to."
As soon as they turned on the corner, they ran into an old man, who smiled widely when he saw Yuri.
"Yuratchka, I just wanted to go to look for you."
"Grandpa!" Yuri's face transformed under a second. His stern look disappeared to give place to an angelic smile. He hugged his grandfather tightly and the old man tousled his hair.
"And you, little one?" Nikolai turned to Nina. "Don't tell me, you are..."
"Hi." Nina waved shyly to the old man.
"Nichatka?"
"Yes, it's me."
Nikolai put his hand onto Nina's head.
"I watch you in news all the time. I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks... Is my brother here?"
"Viktor? No, I didn't see him yet."
Nina exchanged a look with Yuri.
"Sorry, but we really need to start now." Their teacher stood behind them. "Can we expect your brother any time soon?"
"I'm sure he is going to be here."
"Well then..." The woman gestured toward the door.

"So, for the last, here are all the papers," the teacher handed two envelopes to Nikolai and Nina "and a few words."
"We are still very grateful to have two of the most prestigious skaters in Russia between our walls. We are sure you have great futures ahead of you and if you want to pursue any higher education in the future, any university would be happy to give you a sport scholarship, I tell you that now. Nina, I would suggest for you to go on with languages... You are excelling in English and you French teacher says you are showing great progress in her class too. You have someone to practice with?"
"Sometimes..." Nina shrugged.
"About the rest of your studies... You are at least average from everything, but your knowledge is very... selective. And you turned in an essay stating you hate Russian literature?"
"It's boring and I don't like whining."
"Nina, you are Russian..."
"Still, our literature sucks. Except Bulgakov, he is great. But I wrote that in too."
Yuri could hardly hold back his laughter when he heard that.
"Also," the teacher continued "you are not really interested in biology, except the human body and genetics... But from that... You have such a vast knowledge which is too much, even for somebody two years above you."
"I find it useful to know that much from my body as possible... It helps with skating."
"Good... About you Yuri, you are in the bests of your year in mathematics and physics."
"Those are not hard at all. Just know the rules and they apply." Yuri said accompanying his words with a shrug.
"Maybe you could help Nina with studying sometimes."
Nina stiffed to these words. Yuri and she had a few good moments not so long ago, but that didn't mean they were back to where they were.
"I'm fine on my own, thanks." She whispered.
"Don't be silly." The teacher smiled at her. "I'm sure Yuri gladly helps you out... You are friends since such a long time..."
"I look into that." Nikolai said silently. "Yuri and Nina have different training schedules."
"That's all." The teacher gave them her wildest smile since they met today. "Nina, I hope everything is okay with your brother."
"His training must have run long." Nina whispered. He mouth was dry, because the woman's words twisted her stomach into knots. She knew where her brother was, but she didn't want to believe it.

"You want to stay here?" Nikolai asked.
"Yes, he is going to come to pick me up."
"He said that? You talked on the phone?" The old man didn't seem to buy the lie.
"Come grandpa..." Yuri hurried him. "She'll be alright."
"Okay, okay..."
"Bye." Nina waved to them and sat down to the last step of the entrance stairs. After Yuri and his grandfather sat into the old man's similarly old car, she lowered her head to her knees and let out a few, painful sigh. Now not just her feet, her leg was throbbing, up until her thigh. She didn't knew how long she was sitting there but when she couldn't feel her legs anymore from the cold, she finally gave up and ordered a taxi.

The way to her apartment was so painful, she had to take a break after every tenth step. She was resting on a bench in front of the entrance, when a car parked not so far from her. It was dark blue and shiny. She could recognize it from a hundred other... It was her brother's.
"Nina!" Viktor jumped out from the car and ran towards him. "I was at the school too before, and-"
"And what? You were surprised it's after ten o'clock in the evening and nobody was there?"
"I'm-"
"YOU FORGOT ME! How could you? HOW?" Nina jumped up from the bench, forgetting about her pain. "You wanted to be my legal guardian, but know what? That means responsibility! This time, you went too far... It's not just about letting me down; this was a legal matter!" The girl ran her fingers through her hair. "You know what happens if you fail in being my ward? They are going to take me away from you! But know what? Here!" Nina threw the envelope in front of her brother. "You can read in it about something you are not interested at all: me..." After a sad chuckle, the girl continued. "I never really believed that you are as worse as the rest of them. But at least, they never contradicted themselves, like you, saying you love me and care about me, when you really don't... They say they hate me and they act like that too." Viktor couldn't say anything just started at his sister. "You know how I felt, waiting for you? Like I was a kid again, and-" The girl couldn't finish. It just hurt too much. All those memories from back then, when she was waiting for someone to take her to practice or collect her after, and nobody came, because nobody care... Everything flashed before her eyes. "Viktor I'm tired of this game. You are good at playing it because it's yours, but I don't understand the rules and I don't want to be a part of it, so I'm done. Decide now: you want to be the part of my life, or don't. If you want, fuckin act like it, if you don't, you know where the door is, walk out, but don't half ass it anymore, because it maybe doesn't bother you, but it hurts me more than what I can take..." When her brother opened his mouth, Nina held up her hands. "No, don't answer now. Go home and think trough it. I'm serious now Viktor." The girl sat back to the bench, not caring about her brother anymore.
The older Nikiforov leant down, picked up the envelope and the swiped off the dirt from it, than tore the top off and pulled out a bunch of papers. He read it n silence for a while, than when he reached the fourth page, he gasped.
"You turned in an essay stating you hate Russian literature?"
"Bulgakov, I wrote in that I love Bulgakov." Nina let out a ragged sigh. "Why everyone misses to point that out?"
"I feel really sorry for your teachers."
"Because they are teaching somebody who has an opinion? Such a bad thing to do..."
"Ninachka..." Viktor stuffed the papers back into the envelope and stepped to his sister and looked down to her. "I know what I did today was horrible and I have no excuse. I did really forget this appointment and I can't even begin to think how this makes you feel..."
"At least, that is right."
"Are you really that angry?"
"YES! Viktor this is not something from what you can sweet talk out yourself! Just go home and leave me alone!"
"When will we talk again?"
"I don't know! Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week, next year, never... I just know that I really don't want to continue that what is now going on."
"Me being your brother?"
"You being my IDIOT, HALF ASSING, SELF ABSORBED, IGNORANT SON OF A BITCH brother!"
"And what about you?" Viktor snapped back. "You are moody, rude, cold and condescending all the time!"
"Why is that surprising? You should be happy I don't do drugs or alcohol, or I didn't try to kill myself yet!"
"NINA!" Viktor grabbed his sister's shoulders, pulled her up from the bench, didn't caring about the girl's painful moan. "Have you ever thought about that? ANSWER ME!"
"Are you out of your fucking mind? Of course not!" Nina pushed her brother a few steps farer from herself.
"But you said-"
"That between the teenagers who have similar, troubled family background as me, there is a lot higher ratio of crime, substance abuse, alcoholism and suicide attempts? It's a fact Viktor. But, I have figure skating. Hella sure, I'm not going to throw away my promising career!"
"You scared me! Why do you have to be so clever?"
"It's mainly that you are an idiot, how many times I have to tell you?"
"Why do you have to be so cruel? You always threw all my mistakes into my face, facts or imagined!"
"Because you make nothing, but mistakes! This night proves it too."
"It didn't pop into your mind that you have phone and you know my number? You could at least call me!"
"It's not my job to keep your appointments in my head; I'm not your secretary! I'm your sister, I'm fourteen, so it's hardly my task to chaperone a grown up twenty seven years old!"
Victor spread his arms.
"Well, you are the family's brain, so..."
Nina wanted to retort, but in that moment, her phone beeped. She yanked her phone out from her jacket and looked at it.
"What the hell?" She muttered. It was a text from a number she didn't recognize.
?: How is your leg?
NIA: Who is this?
?: Are you kidding?
NIA: No, really... I don't know this number.
?: So, many people know you fell onto your right foot, because you are a moron?
NIA: Yuri?
?: No, it's Jesus Christ.
NIA: You are not funny.
YURA: So?
NIA: Hurts af and idk how it looks, I didn't check it yet.
YURA: ?
NIA: My brother. Write you later.
"You really think this is the time for texting?" Viktor asked on an annoyed voice.
"I'm finished with you." Nina didn't look up from the screen. "Off you go."
"If I annoy you that much, why don't you go inside and leave me? We are in front of your building."
"Off –you-go." The girl repeated.
"Nina... What do you try to hide from me?" Viktor became suspicious and worried under a moment. "And with who are you texting?"
"Nothing and nobody."
"God, you are so aloof most of the times..."
"I'm not aloof! I'm just not sharing every moment of my life with anybody, parading around like a -" Nina stopped for a moment seeing her brother's look. "aaand that was aloof."
"Exactly." He agreed and crossed his arms in front of him.
Nina looked at his brother as he was standing there, not quite sure what to do or say... She knew exactly Viktor would never dump her on purpose, but he did it every single time... And with every occasion, it became more and more hurtful... But he was family, like Aleksandar pointed out to her earlier... And Viktor was the one who always stood beside her when things got rough back then, at 'home'...
"Okay, come here." He ordered her brother. She knew he is going to hurt her again, he always did it, but maybe that was meant for the two of them... But she couldn't just stay away from him. He was the first thing between her memories what was nice, pure, not corrupted by the terrors of her life. He gave her ice skating, he gave her something for what she could live... Maybe that was why every time he did something what upset her, she felt like she is betrayed.
"Why...?" Viktor seemed even more confused.
"Just do it already."
"And what now?" Viktor stepped in front of Nina.
Instead of answering, the girl hugged her brother tightly. "You are horrible." She whispered.
"You are quite a handful too, Ninachka." Viktor gently ran his fingers through his sister's raven hair after he got trough the shock. He expected everything, but this. He would be least surprised if his sister would punch him in the face... Which would be very painful as he knew exactly how she can hit somebody. When Viktor – who was never violent himself, but felt he has to teach Nina how to protect herself - tried to show her how to threw a basic punch, the girl just rolled her eyes and told him she knows exactly how to do it, because she put it together from her biology and physics knowledge. And when he opposed, she demonstrated on him, to prove her point. God, that was one of his most painful nights... But Nina stayed overnight and looked after him, she even insisted to go to the hospital, to be checked if his nose is broken or not (it was not). His sister felt so ashamed, she nearly cried, and at the end, he had to comfort her, reassuring the girl, everything is all right.
"I know... But I resemble to you the most from the family..." Nina released Viktor. "And for the record, I'm still mad at you." The girl stood onto tiptoes and pulled down her brother to make their faces to be on the same level, and kissed his cheek. "Go home, we talk-"
"Maybe never?"
"Tomorrow."
"And you?"
"I'll stay a little longer..." Nina waved toward the bench. "I have a text conversation to finish."
"Ninachka, it's late and you wake up so early tomorrow..."
"Don't worry, just go."