Hate Is A Strong Word

31.

My parents can't go to the theater together. Separately, yes, together, no. Because if my dad sat in the very front row, no one could see behind him. If they sat in the back row, my mom wouldn't see. So when we go to the theatre as a family, we sit differently around the theatre. But my dad gave up on the theater after one of the lights almost fell on him.

But my mom and I love the theater and musicals. Big fans of Shakespeare. This summer, like every year, we're going to the Summer Shakespeare Festival and we're going to go see a play with an actor, I had crush since first grade. The first row will be purchased. At least I'll get to see the actor who is supposedly going to play Sebastian in a popular hockey series.

Speaking of Sebastian. We got back from skiing trip a week ago, I got myself together over the weekend and have been going as usual since Monday. Our experiences have remained in the mountains and we are forbidden to talk about them. If anyone says one sentence about ski trip, they'll end badly. I spent the whole week practically only at school.

After school, Sebastian and I met for an hour and a half in the gym, where we danced and I got blisters on my feet. Afterwards, I rolled to rehearsal at the theater we have at school and he flew off towards the stadium. His dad has individual training sessions with him every day now, he's keen for him to be the best he can be. I was always flying between school and home.

Today is the day we finally get to play our spectacular Frozen show, hence the part about my parents. Mum will be sitting with Juraj and Gran in the front and Dad in the back with the hockey players. We don't start for another hour, but I'm nervous. I know I know all my lines, I know all the songs and we'll all get through it together, but I'm nervous.

I'm sitting alone in the dressing room because the rest of them are practicing or running all over the school. I told you our principal likes the American style high school. Lots of events, leisure activities, sports teams and stuff. Those are the only things in which our school is similar to those in the US, we don't have other things here and we don't want them.

Sebastian comes here straight from practice and should bring his stuff here, since he's definitely not going to stuff it in his locker. Maybe it's a surprise now, but he won't be sleeping with us tonight. Mom promised to drive him home, but I won't be home. I go to Victor's after every show and tonight will be the first night with Ema in a long time, so I can't wait. Plus, Victor has the nicest parents, you only meet such nice people once in a lifetime.

Someone knocks on the door and Nina sticks her head through the crack. She's the one who makes sure we're ready, that the tech is in order, the costumes are in order and all that. She's kind of in charge, actually. "Hi, Nini." She smiles because she likes it when I call her that. An awful lot of people tell me they like what I call them.

"Hi." She sits down in the chair next to me and puts her clipboard and phone in her lap. Something is going on and I don't like it much. Just don't let him tell me now that something's gone wrong and we'll have to postpone the show. That would cost me my life, because I really love playing. I'm very much into the arts, especially theatre, cinema and literature. That's what I love.

"What? Did something go wrong?"

"No, not at all. Everything's fine." She crosses her legs and leans back against the backrest. So something personal. Often someone will come up to me and tell me what's happened in their life, even complete strangers I saw in the hallway once. Nina and I have a lot of trust between us. She's a year older, but we understand each other, mostly because we spend a lot of time together, both in the theatre and in the student board.

Her parents divorced a year ago and she took it hard. When it was at its worst, we'd spend all day together and she'd often sleep over. Eventually she started seeing a psychologist and now she's doing well. She's an incredibly dedicated and supportive girl. With her kind heart, everyone will love her right away. "This is a little personal."