Caption: Earth Positive F041. Winthrusky, U.S.S.R., School #2. Tuesday 6 May 1980. 11:30am GST. [8:30am local]

<Mekul and Tatiana are walking down the hallway looking at a piece of paper that Mekul is holding.>

Tatiana: Are you sure the Science Lab is this way?

Mekul: Well, not entirely.

<A taller, heavily-built teenager pushes between Mekul and Tatiana causing them both to drop their books.>

Pavel Trenko: Watch out assholes.

Tatiana: You're the one who should watch where you're going.

Pavel: Shut up bitch!

Mekul: Hey, don't call her that!

<Pavel punches Mekul so fast that he's falling backwards before he can react.>

Tatiana: MEKUL!

Pavel: I said SHUT UP BITCH!

<Pavel backhands her hard enough to snap her head to the side. When she turns back to Mekul, he can see her lip is bleeding. He starts to scramble up, clearly intent on attacking Pavel.>

Tatiana: No, Mekul. Let him go.

Pavel: Yeah listen to the bitch. And listen to this. If you know what's good for you, you'll stop hanging out with Alek and his loser friends.

<Pavel strides away. A teacher is suddenly at Tatiana's side.>

Teacher: You two should be more careful. You could get hurt falling down like that.

Mekul: We didn't fa--

Teacher: You fell. And you should go see the nurse.

<Mekul and Tatiana exchange a look. Both are obviously upset.>

Tatiana: But--

Teacher: I said, go.

Caption: Earth Positive F041. Winthrusky, U.S.S.R., near School #2. Tuesday 6 May 1980. 7:02pm GST. [4:02pm local]

<Mekul, Tatiana, Alek, Varenka, and Piotr are climbing over the fence that runs along the back of School #2's property. As they start down a hill towards the woods, Alek takes Varenka's hand in his.>

Piotr: Does Sergei know that you two are screwing?

Varenka: Oh! We're not having sex!

Alek: And even if we were, what does Sergei care?

Piotr: Come on Alek, you know Sergei likes Varenka.

Varenka: Well then Sergei should have asked me out before Alek did.

Piotr: Maybe so, but he's still liable to give you a black eye to match Mekul's when he finds out about you two.

Mekul: I haven't looked since lunch. How bad is it?

Alek: It's pretty bad. You can almost see the imprint of his fist.

Tatiana: I think it looks good. He did get it defending my honor.

Varenka: Pavel is such an asshole. I wish we could do something about him.

Alek: Or to him.

Mekul: Well it doesn't help that the teachers are covering for him.

Alek: It's not just the teachers. Pavel dad, Victor Trenko, is the head of the Winthrusky Communist Party. Pavel's untouchable.

Tatiana: That explains the way the teachers were acting.

Mekul: What? He can do whatever he wants just because his dad's a politician?

Alek: Basically, yeah.

Tatiana: It was the same way back home. I'm sure the soldiers who shot me didn't get in any trouble.

<They enter the woods and walk in silence for a while. Tatiana catches Mekul's eye, looks towards Alek and Varenka's hands and they back at Mekul and smiles. He hesitantly slips his hand into hers. She smiles again and they continue walking. They are just entering a small clearing when Alex, Varenka, and Piotr stop suddenly. Ahead of them, crossing a small stream, is a bridge. Standing in the center of the bridge is Pavel.>

Pavel: Oh look. Alek is just as pussywhipped as the new kid. And by a whore's daughter no less. At least Piotr's still got some balls. Too bad he's so damn ugly he'll never get any use out of them.

Piotr, turning to Alek: You know I really hate to get me new shoes dirty, but I guess I don't have any choice. The world's largest pile of shit is on the bridge.

<His friends all laugh. Pavel's face turns deep red.>

Pavel: Why don't you and your pussy friends just start back up the hill and take the long way home, because you are not getting over this bridge.

Varenka, whispering: It's OK, we can just go around.

Alek: No. I'm sick of this.

<Alek strides purposefully towards the bridge, the others falling in behind him. As he approaches Pavel, Pavel throws a punch which Alek ducks under. Alek punches Pavel in the stomach but Pavel, two years older, a foot taller, and a hundred pounds heavier, barely reacts. Piotr tries to get behind Pavel, but Pavel grabs Alek and throws him into Piotr sending both of them sprawling to the ground. Mekul charges Pavel, only to be hit in the left eye again. Pavel follows this up with a hard kick to the knee sending Mekul to the ground where he inadvertently knocks Alek down again. Piotr rushes at Pavel but Pavel sidesteaps and trips Piotr who hits the wooden floor of the bridge hard enough to knock his breath out. Pavel turns to the girls.>

Pavel: Why don't you sluts get your boyfriends out of here before I have to really hurt them.

<He turns away from the girls. They exchange a glance and run at him, hitting him hard in the back. His legs connect with the low rock wall of the bridge. For a moment he desperately spins his arms trying to regain his balance. In the end, gravity wins and Pavel falls and lands face-down in the shallow creek. Gasping from the cold, Pavel struggles to get out of the water and onto the snow and ice-covered bank.>

Pavel: You-- you asholes are dead! I'll kill all of you.

<Above him, the five friends gather at the endge of the bridge and look down at him. Varenka starts laughing and the others join in. Pavel continues screaming obscenities.>

Alek: Come on, we better get the hell out of her before he really does come kill us.

Piotr: Yeah.

Mekul: That was fantastic.

Tatiana and Varenka: Thank you.

<Mekul takes Tatiana's hand, Alek takes Varenka's, and the five friends run off.>

Caption: Earth Positive F041. Winthrusky, U.S.S.R., Solenski residence. Wednesday 7 May 1980. 1:22am GST. [Tuesday, 10:22pm local]

<Mekul, Tatiana, Sergei, and Nadia are sitting at the table.>

Sergei: I can't believe they expelled you all.

Nadia: And you'll have to repeat the whole year.

Tatiana: On the bright side, we shouldn't have to worry about running into Pavel for a few months.

Mrs. Solenski: You should just consider yourselves lucky that you aren't all in jail. Assaulting the son of the Party Chief.

Tatiana: If they'd have arrested us, Pavel would have had to admit that he'd been pushed off the bridge by two girls.

<Nadia giggles.>

Nadia: Oh that would be too funny.

Mrs. Solenski: Watch your mouth, young lady. I've half a mind to make your friends leave. I'm not running a shelter for runaway kids here, especially troublemakers. And your father's position only gives us so much protection.

Tatiana: I'm really sorry, Mrs. Solenski. We were just defending ourselves.

Mrs. Solenski: I know, dear, but sometimes it is best to just take the beating and not risk increasing their wrath... <She trails off, lost in a memory.> It's late. You should all get to bed.

<The teens get up and walk down the hallway. They stop at the base of the stairs where an adjoining hallway leads to Sergei's room which Mekul is sharing.>

Sergei: Good night.

Nadia: Good night.

Tatiana: Mekul...

Mekul: Yes?

<Tatiana leans in and kisses him lightly on the lips, then turns and runs quickly up the stairs. Nadia runs after her giggling.>

Mekul: Wow.

Sergei: She's cute. You should definitely go for it.

Mekul: Well I like her a lot but I wasn't sure until today if she liked me or was just staying close to me cause of what we've been through.

Sergei: Oh she definitely likes you. I just wish Var-- eh, nevermind.

Mekul: Hey, um, there's something you should know about Varenka...

Sergei: I know. I saw her and Alek in an empty classroom yesterday.

Mekul: Shit. Sorry.

Sergei: Eh, don't be. I'm not upset. No, I'm lying. I'm pissed. But he's my best friend, so if she has to be with someone else, I'd rather it was him. Mind you, I'd still like to beat the crap out of him for not telling me.

<Fade out.>

Caption: Meanwhile, upstairs...

<Fade in.>

<Nadia and Tatiana are still giggling as they push open the door to Nadia's room side by side. They stop when they see Varenka sitting on Tatiana's cot.>

Tatiana: Varenka! What are you doing here?

Nadia: Who cares. I'm glad you're here. Guess what just happened? Come on, guess.

Varenka: Um--

Nadia: Tati kissed Mekul!

Varenka: That's great!

<The girls all start giggling and hugging.>

Varenka: How was it?

Tatiana: It was just a little kiss.

Nadia: Oh it was several seconds, at least.

Tatiana: Ok, OK, it was great. There was a spark. It was so wonderful. I can't wait to kiss him again.

Nadia: We could wait until Mom falls asleep and you could sneak downstairs and get him to come out into the hall with you.

Tatiana: Oh I couldn't... <She bites her lower lip.> Could I?

Varenka: Yeah, and if he's asleep, you could wake him with a kiss. How romantic would that be?

Nadia: You are so naughty. She can't go in the bedroom. What if they get caught.

Varenka: Wouldn't that be part of the thrill?

<Tatiana blushes.>

Tatiana: So, uh, ... what are you doing here? Aren't you grounded?

Nadia: Nice change of subject.

Varenka: Yeah, I'm grounded. But my mom's working.

Tatiana: This late? ... Oh...

Varenka: Pavel's an asshole but he was... well... My dad left when I was really little. My mom does what she has to do to give me a good life. I hate it, but what choice did she have?

Tatiana: Yeah.

Varenka: So, uh, I have a confession.

Nadia and Tatiana: What?

Varenka: When I said earlier about me and Alek...

Tatiana: Yeah?

Varenka: I was lying.

Tatiana: You mean?

Nadia: What? What?

Varenka: We've been having sex for a couple of weeks now.

Nadia: Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! You have to tell us everything! And right now!

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