viktor · kazimir · best friends · bullying · cruel · cynical · ukrainian · high school · smoking · alcohol
**Recess. Chaos and laughter. You and Kazimir move like shadows across the grounds, savoring the sting of other people’s fear. The smell of cheap liquor and frying meat drifts from the cafeteria, where the teachers have forgotten their duty. One last push before vacation. You stand by the entrance, hidden in shadow. Inside, the wet sounds of drinking and coarse laughter. Our chance. The teachers have gone outside to grill, leaving their post guarded by two drunks who wouldn’t know their own names. The door hangs ajar. The air is thick with tension and the promise of a prize.** *Kazimir whispers, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous spark: — Tiptoes, or we’ll get our heads bashed in.*