This summer, on a hot sunny day, I was walking with my niece in the park. The weather was great, but her mood, on the contrary, left much to be desired. Nika, that's her name, told me about her school problems. Her lips were shaking every now and then, and her velvety gray eyes filled with tears. Nicky's stories, one after another, reopened my old wounds. In each of her stories, I recognized myself and my despair and understood that my niece needed to be saved.
“Nick, I don't want to teach you and I won't. I'm just going to tell you my high school story. You'll draw your own conclusions,” I said and began my story: “... Since childhood, I've been quiet and studied diligently. She diligently wrote out every letter and enjoyed the new books. I loved it. But my classmates are not so good. She thought I was a stranger. When I was the fastest to raise my hand, a wave of gypsies and whispers rushed through the classroom. Behind my back, they called me an arrogant cramp or just an upstart learner. They saw nothing in me but a desire to learn.
Because of this, at the beginning of the tenth grade, I wanted to go to school less and less. My classmates started to be aggressive towards me. They “accidentally” spilled water on my notebooks and reported incorrect schedules and office numbers. When I went to the blackboard, the guys started to sigh loudly and express their dissatisfaction in every way. My classmate Vanya especially didn't like me. He insulted me every now and then, speaking rudely at me. I felt moral pressure and they particularly hated me. That's why I started skipping. It couldn't go on like this for long, so I found a way out. Thanks to my good academic performance, most teachers met me halfway and started giving homework. My friend Katya visited me from time to time. Every time she talked indiscriminately about everything. This is how I found out that the Autumn Ball will be held very soon, where the king and queen of the school will be elected. I thought, “Maybe... apply?” Although I knew that, given the attitude of my classmates, my chances were zero. But she still hinted about it in a conversation with Katya. Her answer upset me, but it was the sad truth: “In addition to good academic performance, you need public recognition, what do you hope for?”
The following days I didn't think about the upcoming holiday. But the last night before the application deadline, I couldn't sleep. The idea of participating was insistent in my temples. “Maybe Katya is right, but only partly?” , I thought. I had two opposing sides fighting. On the one hand, I was afraid of becoming a laughing stock and causing a new stream of negativity from my classmates. But on the other hand, I really wanted to gain their trust and show me who I really am. I didn't know what to do and decided to write to my counselor Sasha, whom we met the previous summer. I trusted him. Sasha is the only one who believed in me and made it clear that I can do more than just study. At camp, he often talked to me, helped me overcome my fears, and even discovered my talent for singing. During my shift, Sasha insisted that I show my voice to others. He did it, because a few days later I was standing on stage singing. With my performance, I made myself known and won respect from the guys from the squad. After telling Sasha my current situation, I, as expected, received support and approval. He encouraged me to make the right decision. I've applied.
A few days later, active preparations for the contest began. Unexpectedly, not only Katya, but also my classmate Vanya volunteered to help me. It was weird because he just couldn't stand my presence before. Vanya began to help me with organizational issues and provide moral support. He was extremely kind and attentive.
To participate in the contest, you had to put in a number. Following Sasha's advice, I decided to sing. There was no doubt about the choice; he fell on Olga Kormukhina's composition “The Way”. I've always compared this song to a bird. She is just as strong, sophisticated and soulful. Together with Katya and Vanya, we prepared a spectacular performance in a few days. A friend of mine played the lead role in it. Through dance, she expressed the emotions of a lyrical heroine who found herself in a difficult life situation. The dance and the song came together.
Time flew by, and day X. came very soon. Vanya and I arrived at the appointed time. But Katya was still gone. I was starting to get noticeably nervous. She didn't answer her phone. My anxiety grew more and more intense. Suddenly, from the window, I saw a familiar figure wearing a red down jacket. A minute later, Katya received a text message: “Sorry, friend, I twisted my leg terribly when I was leaving home, the room was good without me, good luck.” My heart sank to my heels and did a triple somersault. Katya brazenly lied to me, standing almost in front of the school porch.
There were only a few minutes left before the performance, and I didn't have time to say that my friend had dropped out of the competition list. I had one option: to announce Katya's departure right on stage, to report my betrayal. And all this in front of dozens of classmates who will laugh again. The host said my name. My heart picked up the pace. A lump came to my throat. My legs were crooked with fear. “Go ahead,” an inner voice whispered. So I'm out.
Everything else happened as if it were in a mist. So I'm protecting Katya: I say that she twisted her leg, and I'm sorry because she won't be able to show her talent to the audience. So I close my eyes and sing a song. I can feel my voice flowing like a stream and there are no barriers to it. But I look up and see the whole audience standing ovation, and even my classmates. They applaud. Standing up. AND. They're smiling. There is approval in their eyes, because they knew Katya's betrayal. I'm being chosen as the queen of the Autumn Ball. Vanya gives me a bouquet of white bush roses and gives me a gentle hug.
The guys in class have repeatedly congratulated me on my well-deserved victory,” I continued telling Nika, who was watching me attentively. “They appreciated my act: I protected Katya despite her brutal bandwagon. This is how the guys saw that in addition to the desire to study, I also have the ability to be a good friend. They were amazed at my voice and complimented me. Frankly speaking, I was very happy with myself at the time. Since then, their attitude towards me has changed for the better. I started going to school again and enjoying life. They no longer called me a nerd; they asked me for help with my homework, and I was happy to help,” I concluded my story.
Nika raised her tearful eyes and nodded intellectually. It seemed to me that my mission had been accomplished.
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