Goals

Chapter 4: Unseen Allies

The following days passed in a haze for Nastya. The letter from her mother haunted her every waking moment. She spent hours rereading it, trying to decipher the cryptic message, but no matter how hard she tried, the pieces just wouldn't fit together. Andrei Volkov. A name she had never heard before, yet it felt so significant, like a key to a door she was both terrified and desperate to open.

School was a blur. She went through the motions, attending classes and hanging out with Lily, but her mind was always elsewhere. Jack, for his part, didn't push her for answers about the letter, though she could tell he was curious. Instead, he watched her with a mix of concern and something else she couldn't quite place—an emotion she wasn't sure she wanted to identify.

On Friday, Lily insisted they go to a soccer game at the school stadium. Jack was playing, and she wanted to show support. Nastya was reluctant, but she knew she needed a distraction, anything to take her mind off the endless questions swirling in her head.

The stadium was packed with students, the air buzzing with excitement. Nastya and Lily found seats near the middle, where they had a clear view of the field. As the game began, Lily's attention was fully on the players, especially Jack, who was effortlessly scoring goals and receiving cheers from the crowd.

Nastya tried to focus on the game, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the letter. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something important, a clue hidden in plain sight. But what?

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone plopped down in the seat next to her. She turned and saw a tall boy with a mop of curly brown hair and a mischievous grin.

"Hey, Nastya, right? I'm Max. Jack's friend." He extended a hand, which she shook out of politeness.

"Hi," she replied, a bit taken aback by his sudden introduction.

Max leaned back in his seat, eyes on the game. "You look like you're about to solve the world's biggest mystery. What's on your mind?"

Nastya wasn't sure how to respond, so she just shrugged. "Just... stuff."

"Ah, the classic 'just stuff' response. That's how I know it's serious," Max said with a wink. "But seriously, if you ever need someone to talk to—or someone to distract you with really bad jokes—I'm your guy."

Nastya couldn't help but smile a little. Max had an easygoing charm that was hard to resist. "Thanks, but I'm okay."

"Fair enough," Max said. "But if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

As the game progressed, Max kept up a steady stream of light-hearted commentary, managing to draw Nastya's attention away from her worries, at least for a little while. She was surprised by how comfortable he made her feel, as if he was a friend she had known for years rather than someone she had just met.

After the game, which ended in a decisive victory for their school, the students poured out of the stadium, heading for the parking lot or lingering to chat. Lily was excitedly talking to Jack, who was sweaty but grinning from ear to ear. Nastya watched them from a distance, feeling a strange mix of emotions—relief that the distraction had worked, but also a gnawing anxiety about what came next.

As she stood there, lost in thought, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Irina, looking more worried than usual.

"Nastya, we need to talk," Irina said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Now."

Nastya's heart skipped a beat. The urgency in her aunt's voice sent a chill down her spine. "What's going on?"

"Not here," Irina said, glancing around as if they were being watched. "Let's go home. We'll talk there."