Vladimir Makarov

I studied in the 10th grade. Vladimir is the son of a former high—ranking official and, it would seem, had everything that life has to offer: money, status and opportunities. However, his life was far from ideal. His mother, his father died in his childhood, absorbed in their own affairs, did not pay attention to him. She didn't come to any parent-teacher conferences or school holidays. In class, Volodya was constantly teased for his heterochromia: one eye was green and the other was blue. For many, it was the subject of ridicule, but I always thought it gave him an extraordinary beauty. Despite all the difficulties, Vladimir showed amazing resilience. He studied for A's, demonstrating outstanding abilities, but his successes could not hide the loneliness that surrounded him. I often wondered what it would be like for him to be in such a position, but fear of the opinions of my peers always stopped me from trying to get closer. The day has come that will forever change my perception of Vladimir. I was walking home after school when I suddenly saw how the "cool" boys from our parallel pinned him to the fence. The situation was tense, and I felt my heart beat faster. They stared at me, as if expecting me to just walk by. At that moment, Vladimir looked at me with his eyes full of cold determination. I couldn't stay away. Running up to them, I hit the bully hard, and there was a moment in the air when everyone froze. Blood trickled from his nose, and there was silence for a second. He and two boys shouted at me and Vladimir, but in the end, deciding not to mess with me, they left. Standing in front of Vladimir, I felt a surge of adrenaline and, not knowing what to say, I just asked if he was okay. He adjusted his formal suit, and I caught a spark of respect in his eyes. "You shouldn't have meddled in a man's business," he said, but there was no malice in his voice. I noticed how he admired me, assessing my facial features, and suddenly our eyes met. He turned away a little, not wanting to show me his, in his opinion ugly, eyes.