A Kiss Under the Mistletoe by Asya Lavrinovich, Summary

The novel was written in 2019. The plot unfolds in frosty St. Petersburg on New Year’s Eve, where tenth-grader Olya Vorobyova moves from a tiny provincial town. The book stands out for its honest depiction of school hierarchy and the sincere experiences of teenagers. The author explores themes of bullying and adapting to a new environment, harmoniously blending social issues with the story of a first, bright love.

First days at school

On her first day at her new school, Olya stops by the biology room. She reflects on how adults often hide the truth from children, mistakenly believing lying is the best solution. These sad thoughts foreshadow future family upheavals in her life.

In the hallway, she meets the stocky Ignat, who jokes about the "feathered kingdom" because of her last name and blushes deeply, looking like a tomato. Soon, the outgoing Rina Sinitsyna joins them. Thanks to her attractive appearance, Olya quickly wins the affection of her classmates, including the popular Vadik. Rina constantly gives her makeup advice. She dreams of joining the elite group of schoolchildren, whose unofficial leader is Gleb Lisin.

In the evenings, Olya struggles with physics. Rina devours yogurts and persistently tries to draw her friend into the ranks of the school elite. Olya feels uncomfortable in this role.

A chance meeting

During a downpour, Olya takes refuge under the eaves of a building. She licks raindrops from her lips. A young man with freckles and a septum piercing approaches her. He offers her his jacket. Olya declines, but the young men engage in animated conversation. Olya, embarrassed, gives a false name — Tsvetolina.

The next day, Zhenya Potupchik skips class. Olya eagerly awaits his arrival. She soon learns that her new acquaintance is Zhenya, the class’s biggest outcast. His classmates openly despise and bully him for unknown reasons. Fearing for her reputation, Olya studiously avoids Zhenya. During recess, she sits alone, lazily picking at her overcooked pasta. When Zhenya places his tray on her table, Olya becomes flustered and barely manages to utter a greeting.

Soon, they meet by chance on the snowy embankment of the Neva River, near the massive granite sphinxes. An icy wind blows, flecking large snowflakes into her face. Olya is walking her dog, Norton. The dog trots briskly ahead, his ears tucked back. Zhenya recognizes the dog’s name and, smiling, asks about the famous actor Edward Norton from the film "Fight Club." Olya hasn’t seen the film, but their conversation brings her great joy. She finally realizes that Zhenya is an incredibly smart and kind guy.

Disappointment and family drama

Olya gradually becomes disillusioned with her new friends. In the school cafeteria, she refuses to accept the beef patties and doesn’t support Rina’s idle gossip. Instead, Olya boldly sits down next to Tsveta Konstantinova. This independent girl sits completely alone, drinking hot tea with lemon and munching on a croissant.

Later, Tsveta openly recounts her difficult story. Because of her height, she was cruelly teased, called Koshchei. Tsveta endured this bullying for a long time until she learned to fight back fiercely. Olya sincerely admires her classmate’s inner strength.

Meanwhile, a real tragedy is unfolding in Olya’s family. Sitting in a café with Rina, Olya suddenly notices a familiar gray-haired man in a business suit. It’s her biological father, who, according to the official story, is on a long business trip. He’s leisurely dining with another woman. Shocked by her father’s betrayal, Olya hastily apologizes to Rina and runs out into the cold street in bitter tears. Her relationship with her mother becomes unbearably strained by this terrible, unspoken secret. Contact with her old friend Katya is completely severed.

The New Year is approaching

Zhenya Potupchik is hospitalized for a whole week. Olya is incredibly worried about him; they text each other daily. She’s determined to surprise him after he’s discharged. Riding behind a snowplow on an empty trolleybus, Olya looks at the shop windows with their funny, blinking Santa Claus.

During class duty, Olya patiently waters the plants on the tin windowsill. Rina persistently dissuades Olya from associating with the outcast. Her friend warns that half the class will ignore Gleb’s party if she shows up with Potupchik. Olya firmly defends her choice.

After gym class, the girls’ locker room is in the usual bustle. The girls are excitedly discussing the upcoming big party at Lisin’s. Yana Puchkova puts on lipstick and rejoices that the guests will only be "normal kids." Rina shrugs uncertainly, cowardly hesitating to openly defend Olya. Throwing her heavy backpack over her shoulder, Olya heads out into the school hallway, where she accidentally spots Gleb.

Meanwhile, the dynamic between Tsveta and Gleb develops vividly. Gleb constantly bullies the independent Konstantinova. One day, in a narrow doorway, he accidentally pinches Tsveta’s finger and, with a mocking smile, blows on it, brushing dark strands of hair from her face. Tsveta makes an obscene gesture and openly expresses her indignation. Their tense relationship consists of constant, caustic barbs. Olya watches this unusual couple with great interest, realizing that behind the rudeness lies a powerful mutual attraction.

The long-awaited day of the New Year’s party arrives. In the morning, Olya and Zhenya sit peacefully in her room, drinking strong tea and happily eating Bird’s Milk candies. The young man thoughtfully brought these delicious sweets, perfectly remembering Olya’s old story. They watch the series engrossingly, and Olya laughingly reveals spoilers about the main character’s memory loss. Zhenya amusingly expresses jealousy towards Gleb, but Olya kindly reassures him. That evening, they boldly set off together for the raucous celebration.

The climax of the story unfolds right outside Lisin’s apartment. Tsveta stands alone on the dark street under thick, falling snow. Suddenly, Gleb drops white sheets of paper from a brightly lit window. Written on them in large handwriting are heartfelt declarations of love. Gleb writes that intense love weighs him down like a heavy granite slab. Tsveta deftly catches the sheets and boldly looks up at the unusually serious man. Gleb insistently demands a reciprocal confession, but she categorically refuses to utter these important words out loud. Noisy classmates from the window cheerfully call Tsveta up to the apartment. She clutches the sheets to her chest and smiles warmly at Gleb. The young man laughs loudly in response.