Rublev: Can We Be Friends?

A Wine Bottle and A Balcony

Author Note: THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WONDERFUL COMMENTS! It means so much and I am glad you all enjoy this story as much as I do! 

Hope you all love this chapter! It was actually one of the first ones I wrote (lol), but I need to edit it around and add more to it!

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As I'm standing in the elevator, I watch as the numbers climb from 1 to 3, before getting off on our floor. I knew my phone didn't weigh much, but it grew heavy in my hand the closer I got to my room. 

Are you staying focused on tennis or pursuing a boyfriend instead my mother's text read. 

Opening my phone again, I look at Instagram. I had deleted it before arriving to Charleston, but now that I had gotten on it again, I couldn't look away. 

Tens of thousands of messages filled my inbox and I didn't even have to open each message to get the gist of them. Earlier messages were blaming me for Andrey's suspension, while the ones coming in currently were outraged over the post between Andrey and I, thinking I was unworthy to even be around him. 

But as my phone started to ring, I wasn't sure what was worse, messages from strangers or a phone call with my mother. 

"Hello?" I say calmly.

"Martha, you don't have time to answer my text?"

I sigh, sitting at the counter, my eyes on the bottle of wine from our gift basket, "I'm doing great, it's so nice to hear from you," I mumble softly but sarcastically. 

"Martha Ann Black, I'm serious."

"Of course I'm staying focused on tennis, you would know that if you ever cared to check in on me." My words were harsh, but I still remained to say it calmly. 

I hear her sigh this time, "This tournament isn't for points and you went and got yourself suspended, what could that tournament have for us-"

"ME!" I say breathlessly, before going silent and calming the irritation crawling up my throat. The other end of the line was silent too. "Your daughter? Me?"

"This tournament isn't the same though-"

"No, that's not an excuse, you know that right?" I say, "I am your daughter, you should be here supporting me, regardless of whether this tournament gives me points... If anything, this tournament gives me purpose."

"You're only saying that because a special red head has your priorities confused."

I know I should have felt anger in this moment, but if anything, I felt sadness, I felt finally abandoned. My mind started to think about Andrey's family and their love and support for him in this tournament, and here was mine...

"And where do your priorities lie?" I ask.

"Excuse me? Martha, I don't have time playing your silly games, I-"

"Because either you want that best for me or you only care when I benefit your life in a way."

"Martha, you're being dramatic-"

"No, you don't get it," I interrupt, "I am financially independent from you, and say the words and I can be emotional independent from you as well."

My mother doesn't speak into the phone, but I can hear my father's voice in the background. After waiting a few moments, I finally hear my father's voice through the speaker.

"Martha, you know we want what's best for you, but tennis is your life, we don't want you to damage that."

I could feel a single tear rolling down my cheek as he speaks, "Then why can't you support me now, when I'm playing tennis?" I whisper, trying to keep my voice from cracking.