Part 2. Chapter II. Not friend

Costa woke up in the late winter morning. No Christmas mood. In the village, Costa lived in a room that his grandfather had set up in the attic especially for his grandson. The room was very warm and had a large round window. The ceiling was sloping and repeated the slope of the roof. The room is not large, but cozy. Costa often referred to it as his favorite lair. The room had several shelves on the low walls that the boy's grandfather had made with his own hands, and the furniture in the room was a chest of drawers, a low wardrobe, and a two-story bed. Jeremiah used to sleep over at Costa's house a lot. Together they played soldiers, monopoly, built a tent out of chairs and sheets, or fought with wooden swords. Since then, Costa's shelves have been storing and accumulating all sorts of things. Now Costa has significantly cleaned up the trash, and on the shelves there are only his favorite and expensive things: sets of soldiers, a collection of toys from kinder surprises, parts from the iron constructor and his favorite books: "The adventures of Gelsomino", several books about the "Three detectives" by Alfred Hitchcock and the entire Volkov collection about the adventures of Ellie and Toto. Next to the bookshelves was a wall with posters of favorite movies, cartoons, and TV shows. At the top were posters of the boy wizard movie, "Star wars", and "Call of Duty". Below hung posters of Megamind and Batman, next to which Costa had hung a new poster of the Iron throne yesterday.

Costa opened his eyes and lay there for a while. He remembered the events of the previous summer. Then he accidentally fell into a parallel world, and his friend turned out to be a terrible person who tried to harm their peer and friend. Costa had never believed the stories of the Disastrous fog in the village of Genghis until he saw it with his own eyes. The terrible prophecies of the Golden well, which turned out to be magic, did not leave the boy's mind. Very often, he dreamed of the Shadow Kingdom, eerie shadow-tentacles wrapped around his body and dragged him to the Lake of souls. Sometimes he saw decrepites, heard their terrible wheezing, and smelled rotting flesh. The day he met Nea on the ferry to Genghis was a curse to him.

He was distracted from his memories by the sound of the house waking up, so he slowly pulled back the covers and got out of bed. Yesterday, he had fallen asleep without undressing, so all his clothes were crumpled. He quickly put on a home t-shirt and gray tights so that his parents wouldn't notice. After that, Costa went down the ladder from his attic room. The whole house was already on the alert. Grandma was setting the table for Breakfast. My grandfather took out decorations for the Christmas tree, my mother washed the dishes, and my father vacuumed the rooms. It seemed to be a peaceful, winter morning, but if you look closely, everyone was silent. No jokes, laughter, and as if the whole house was divided into 2 camps.

Costa stopped and looked at grandpa and dad, then turned and looked at grandma and mom. Everyone went about their business and ignored each other. Costa realized that he had overslept a major argument and now he did not know what to do. He realized that one false step and he will get from one of the warring parties. He crept into the Annex where the bathroom was located. Once it was an ordinary private house with facilities on the street, but David Lambert is tired of freezing in the winter... uh-huh... it was cold, so he helped make an extension with all the amenities to a private house. Costa looked at himself in the mirror: he hadn't changed much in 6 months. Yes, he had grown a little, had his hair cut short, and was broader in the shoulders. Costa was active in sports, which made his figure more athletic. Costa washed, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and slid out of the tub. He wanted to return to his room unnoticed, but then there was a real fiasco – Nea, Oksana and Pavlina entered the house. The arrival of these women was noticed first by the men's part of the house, and they reacted very happily, which did not escape the attention of my mother and grandmother:

"Nea!"-Costa exclaimed.

- Oksana, good morning, - Costa's dad greeted her joyfully.

"Oh, Pava, hi! I see you brought your delicious treats." - grandfather Vadim was full of pleasantries.

And somehow they all forgot about the quarrel... except for the women's side. The Kupeen family came for a reason, they brought cranberry pies in gratitude for yesterday's help on the road, which made the men jump with joy. Grandfather Vadim was the first to jump to the dish and took 3 pies at once, as the most experienced, he always took them with a reserve. It turns out that cranberry pies according to Pavlina signature recipe are the most delicious pies in the village. No hostess in the village of Genghis was able to reproduce her recipe, because her pies with cranberries were the object of General envy of the village neighbors. David took the pies, and Costa followed. After biting off a piece, he realized that these are really very, very delicious pies, no wonder that grandfather Vadim snatched 3 pies at once.

Then Kupeen's wished them a good appetite and wished them a happy new year, and then went home. Only Nea paused in the hall and called to Costa.

"Costa, I want to try to get to Avernas today. Will you help me?" - Nea asked in a whisper.

"What?" - Costa exclaimed. - "No! Do you realize that your actions are putting the people of Avernus in danger? As long as you're here, they're all safe. You should have listened more carefully to your grandfather when he told you stories about the Midlands."

"You're talking nonsense!" - Nea exclaimed. – "How can I put them in danger? I will come to help them!"

"As long as you're here, the Underground is safe. The Black Queen doesn't destroy them just because you're not there. They are not so important to her, but the Underground and your grandfather are the best bait for your mother and for you! If you come into their world She will know it immediately! And then it will come for the Underground. And then she would kill them all!" - Costa was angry. – "But you won't listen to me, will you?"

Nea pursed her lips and lowered her eyes.

"That's what I thought. You don't care about the sacrifices people made to save you!" - Costa paused and shook his head. – "You know, do whatever you want, but don't drag me into this again!"

"I thought we were friends!" – in desperation said Nea.

"Friends?" - Costa said angrily. – "You ignored me for 6 months, is this a sign of your friendship? When I'm needed, I'm a friend, and when the all – powerful Nea no longer needs help, you can ignore me, right? No, Nea, we are NOT friends!

Costa turned around and went home, and Nea stood in the hall for a while, and then, hiding her nose from the cold, ran to grandma Pava. Costa returned home and found an even more disturbing picture. Costa's mother refused to let them into the kitchen, ostentatiously carried sausage sandwiches in front of them and threw them out with the words:

"I see you've already had Breakfast."

- "Mom!" - Costa exclaimed. - "What are you doing? I love sausage sandwiches!"

Costa did not immediately realize that he had made a fatal mistake. Grandma and mom instantly switched to him. Scolded for sleeping too long, for not wanting to help, for not even thinking to clean the house, etc. And finally they have their education categorically forbidden:

"And don't let me see you hanging out with your blond girlfriend again!" - mom said matter-of-factly.

"What?" - Costa asked. – "What's Nea got to do with it? By the way, we don't..."

But he was already interrupted by an indignant dad.

"Elena, stop this nonsense," - David said sternly. – "You have no right to forbid our son to communicate with friends, especially Nea is a positive girl."

That's a statement Costa would have argued with, but wisely decided to remain silent. When it came to prohibitions, he was completely on his father's side. David continued to severely reprimand his wife for inappropriate behavior, and grandfather Vadim silently finished three of his pies. Then he got up, picked up a rag, and began mopping the floor at the threshold, grumbling loudly:

"Gratitude is good, but it's been trampled on. We don't need their pies, they've been trampled on here. Found something to surprise-sweet pies.... The most delicious pies-with liver, which my wife cooks.

Grandfather Vadim correctly calculated that as soon as his dearest Bozhena heard him grumble and praise her liver pies, she immediately turned into the most loving faithful wife and grandmother. She turned and snapped at her daughter.

- So, Elena, stop making snot here! You start a quarrel out of nothing, but I have an unfed grandson.

And Bozhena immediately stopped the war, gathered Breakfast on the table and fed the men, who were subdued and did not dare to take their eyes off the plate anymore. After Breakfast, the whole family went to the hall to dress up the tree.

In the hall of the Petukhov family reigned white. A large white sofa was covered with a huge number of pillows of all colors, which Bozhena not only sewed herself, but also embroidered colorful patterns herself. A coffee table stood against the wall, and above it hung a huge, massive mirror in a marble frame with hand-carved molding around the edge. This mirror was given to Bozhena by her noblewoman grandmother, and She carefully kept it all her life.

The walls of the hall were already decorated with glittering tinsel and Christmas tree banners. On the plinth ceiling hung garlands of homemade "chain", Costa was making them myself every year out of colored paper. At the grandfather Vadim, as well as at all inhabitants of the village, the Christmas tree was considered a pine, and at all not a weak spruce or a liquid fir. Therefore, at the large Windows of the hall, a beautiful pine tree spread its fluffy branches. The pine tree exuded a subtle resin scent that tickled your nostrils and improved your mood. Grandfather Vadim has long since stopped cutting pine trees, he grew his pine in a tub. Every year he brought it home from the cold, warmed it and decorated it. After the holidays, he carefully removed the toys so as not to damage the needles, and took the tree out to the street, where it continued to live-not to grieve. Grandfather Vadim even gave the pine a name-Holdygirl. And for 5 years in a row, Holdygirl has been pleasing the Lambert-Petukhov family on new year's holidays.

Decorating the Holdygirl was Costa's favorite activity. He examined each toy before hanging it on a tree. All the toys at grandma and grandpa were old. Each had a story, each had a meaning. Also in their family there was an old tradition: to buy one new toy for each New year. Therefore, their stock of toys always grew, and no longer fit in an old grandfather's suitcase, and were stored in a large box from under the TV.

Costa opened the box with Christmas toys and his eyes scattered: there was a yellow duck, and a green ball with a fluffy branch, and a green beetle and a blue grasshopper, and a raspberry ladybug, and a house, and corn, and Donald duck, and many colored balls with paintings. All this wealth was carefully put on Holdygirl. At the end of it threw a rainbow rain, and on the lower branch let a fluffy, shiny tinsel. The tub was hidden under huge deposits of cotton and white cloth. A Golden star with electric lights was placed on the top of the tree, which was flashing with colored lights. Even the chandelier in the hall was decorated with red Christmas balls and a rain of foil.

When the Christmas tree was being decorated, Costa noticed Neya walking down the street with her skis under her arm. She was clearly going to look for an entrance behind the veil. Costa shook his head and turned away, saying it was all her business now. Neya really only thought about saving her grandfather, even if he didn't want to. So she put her mother and grandmother PAVA to sleep, and went to find the entrance to the other world. As soon as she turned into Bush street, Jeremiah Milovan appeared on Proletarskaya street. In his winter clothes, he looked horribly comical. On the head is an old, muskrat earflap, which is already bald from time. His light-brown hair, like tow, stuck out in different directions from under the cap. Jeremiah was a tall, ungainly, and ugly teenager. His legs were too long to match his short body and skinny stick arms. He looked like a locust. On his feet Jeremiah wore felt boots, quite ordinary shoes for the village, warm padded trousers and a sweatshirt that was too short for him, and he looked like a shotgun in it. His hands were covered with dog fur mittens, very warm, but they were 2 sizes larger than his hand, so they constantly fell off, exposing his pale skin. The boy was running along the poorly cleaned road, waving his arms like the blades of a mill. His long legs made huge strides-jumps that allowed him not to get bogged down in the snow. Soon he reached the house the Costa. Jeremiah went to the fence and said Hello to a dog named Bob, who was a very bad guard, but a loyal playmate. Jeremiah knocked loudly on the window to warn him that he was coming, and a minute later he entered the warm, heated hut where Costa lived.

"Grandfather Vadim, grandmother Bozhena, Hello," - Jeremiah said cheerfully. - "Did Costa come?"

Costa noticed Jeremiah's approach a long time ago and asked his grandfather to tell him that he was staying in the city for the holidays. The grandfather frowned and looked sternly at his grandson.

"Grandfather, it's better this way. I don't want to talk to Jeremiah right now, " - Costa said, looking down.

"Did you have a fight?" - grandfather asked.

"No," - Costa answered, and looked straight into the eyes of his grandfather and added. - "We're just not friends anymore."

Costa went to his room, and my grandfather came out to greet Jeremiah and said, with a heavy sigh, that Costa had stayed in Berdsk. Jeremiah was upset and slowly went outside the fence. Then he caught sight of a cheerful and energetic Neya, who purposely walked up and down past the Costa house, hoping that he would take pity and come out to help her.

"Oh, Jeremiah! Hi," - the girl smiled at him. – "You went to see Costa? How is he? He was in a terrible mood this morning, so I hope you managed to Wake him up."

Jeremiah's stomach turned cold.

"You say he was in a bad mood this morning?" -Jeremiah asked.

"Terrible," - Nea said, and went on home, dragging her skis behind her.

Jeremiah turned to face the house where once he had always been welcome. Here, along with Costa, he spent the best days of his life. And now his friend had turned away from him. Costa even made to lie to his grandfather. All of them together! And it was all HER fault, all HER fault. She'd come and upset two of her best friends, even turned bones's grandfather against Him! Of course! This could only be her doing-NEA... Jeremiah stared at his friend's house, his eyes dark as a stormy sky, his lips a thin line, and his hands clenched into fists so hard that his fingernails cut the palm of his hand. Suddenly a terrible hatred flashed in the boy's eyes, and he called out to Her:

"Hey, Nea. You spent all last summer trying to save your grandfather. Still thinking about it?"

"Of course, but this is a difficult wish of mine."

"Come to my place tomorrow night, just after New year's, and I've got some information for you. I'm sure it will help you."

"Really?" - Nea asked. – "Yes, of course, Yes! I'll come, but where do you live?"

"Kamenskaya street, 1. This is the house next to the monument."

"Oh, I've never been there before."

"From the dam, turn immediately to the left and you'll see my house," - Jeremiah added. - "Well, see you tomorrow."

"Bye," - Nea said to the boy, who immediately went back with a quick, confident step.

If Costa had seen this conversation, it would have been different, but the boy did not want to see Jeremiah and did not look out of the window. So, fate once again took matters into my own hands, its millstones began to turn, trying to crush everyone who opposes her.

Nea, having received an unexpected hope, perked up and with new strength dragged the skis home. The girl's cheeks were flushed from the cold, her snow-white hair had escaped from under her cap and prevented her from seeing the road, and her skis were dragging one end over the snow. As soon as Nea was in the courtyard of Pavlina's, she threw the hated skis and ran home. She wasn't cold at all, and she was very hot in a warm blue winter suit. Nea quickly undressed and sat down at the table, where grandma Pava was already setting out hot hash browns and sour cream. Nea only now realized that she was very hungry and enjoyed eating hash browns, liberally wetting them with homemade sour cream. The hash browns were followed by pancakes with raspberry jam and delicious tea with the addition of rosehip berries.

After dinner, Nea went to her room, where she sat for a while on the Internet. She chatted with her friends in the social network "Klass", Costa also sat in this social network via a tablet, he looked at a small square with a photo of Nea, but the boy's eyes were riveted to the phrase under the photo "Maybe you are friends". Under the label was a button that allowed you to offer friendship to this person. But Costa didn't do anything, just read the inscription again.

Jeremiah was not sitting on the Internet, he was sitting alone in the room, on his bed, staring out of the window. Jeremiah's face was contorted from time to time with terrible grimaces and hatred. The locust boy shared a room with his older brother, named Kabris. When he entered, Jeremiah lay down on the bed and turned his face to the wall, showing his reluctance to communicate with him. Jeremiah and Kabris weren't close, and they didn't really talk much. The brothers just shared a room. As it turned out, Jeremiah remained a closed book for everyone.