Moving Stories for the Soul

A name to remember

It's the summer of 2019. A 13-year-old girl from a small Bulgariantown is the happiest in the world because she just got acceptedinto the best high school in the region. 'I will have moreopportunities, I will find people like me and finally have realfriends!' she thought, but little did she know that not everythingis black or white.

When school starts, she is confident and full of excitement. Newschool, new luck - a chance to break the curse of loneliness.Everyone but her has friends from a previous school and that's fine - that's exactly what she desired the most - a newbeginning. With time she makes contacts, yes they know eachother from before, but she can fit into their groups. Or can she?

It's all fun and games, a dream come true, but something doesn'tfeel quite right. Others talk and go out and enjoy time withouther. They are her friends but they wouldn't choose her in a roomfull of people. It's January, on one of her closest friend'sbirthdays when, by accident, she understands that others have aMessenger group, which she is not a part of. The explanation?

'You can't expect us to trust you with everything, we don't knowyou for as long as we know each other and we could never havethis kind of connection with you.' These words stuck with her fora while. She tried everything to get closer to them, but theywouldn't accept her. And you shouldn't stay where you are notappreciated.

COVID-19 started in March 2020, and everything is still great sinceshe has her best friend - Mishel. They chat and talk almost 24/7,they study together, train together, and watch TV series together.Mishel is everything to her, but is she that important to Mishel?Three days before her birthday, Mishel cuts all contacts - shedoesn't reply to any messages anywhere and doesn't pick up thephone. The following day they meet early in the morning in therhythmic gymnastics hall. None of the questions 'Did I dosomething wrong? Did I offend you somehow? Is it my fault?'receives an answer. The only thing Mishel says is that she is tootired of bouncing between her and her old group of friends andthat it will be better to put an end to this 'toxic' relationship.Heartbroken doesn't even start to explain all the emotions goingthrough her head. She's lost the only person she trusted in herlife, the most important one to her. The next day she ishospitalized with a mental breakdown.

Summer is the time she spends at her dad's. Evenings are longer, the weather is warmer, and friends on the street are closer. Yes, but thisharmony cannot last forever. Two days before she was supposedto go back to her mum for the school year, she received a phonecall from her. When she went to see her, she was introduced toher mum's new boyfriend whom she intended tospend the 'rest of her life' with. But there was one problem - helived outside of town. Her mum told her to make a decision, butwas there any choice? There was no way to travel back andforth for school and training, the conditions were unlivable... Herdad also didn't wanna take the responsibility so there she is - a14-year-old girl starting to live on her own. Confused, lonely,hopeless, desperate. Neither time nor desire to do chores,what's left for cooking. She begins eating only fast junk food. Heralways-perfect grades turn into failed exams.

And there comes the turning point: in March of 2021, the schoolcalls her mom to warn her that if things don't get better, herdaughter will be kicked out of school. Not any school - her dreamschool that she spent years fighting for. That simply could nothappen. After this waking call, she realizes that if she doesn'tcare about her life - no one will. If she does not write a happy ending to her story - there won't be one. Her parents, herclassmates, her teachers - everyone is constantly repeating'You've lost your fire','I don't see this fire in you any more', butshe knew it was in her. That made her angry.

First, she took herself together and successfully finished theschool year - something that many doubted. She quit rhythmicgymnastics - a decision she never regretted because it was theright thing to do and the best time to do it. Yes, it might havebeen hard distancing from something you love, but your futureand dreams should always come first. A few months later she wonher first medal from an international mathematics competition.

Although it was silver, she didn't think even for a moment 'I lost' -everything going through her mind at that moment was 'I made it,I'm here and that's more than enough'. This medal will forever beclose to her heart even when she doesn't wear it because itsymbolizes a win over people's opinions, loneliness, and herself.

And with that began the best year of her life, full of setting'impossible' goals and then reaching them, full of brave dreamscoming to reality - a year of proving the world wrong and makingit yours. A year after which she could honestly say 'I am proud ofthe person I have become'. This girl's name is Vanesa Fudulska.Remember that name. She is now 17 and in her last year of highschool. She's still living alone, but not afraid of it anymore. Shestill doesn't have many friends but has learned to enjoy her owncompany. She still struggles to make ends meet, but she istravelling the world and meeting new people all the time. She isbrave, confident, and beautiful. She is an overthinker, but also adreamer. She is not afraid to speak her mind and to defend heropinion. She achieved her biggest dream - to become a Nationalchampion of her country, but she never stopped dreaming biggerand bigger. She wrote her motivational letter for one of the 50best universities in the world while lying in a hospital bed withkidney failure. She sometimes cries, and that's okay. She knowswhat she wants and is not afraid to wish for it, neither is shescared to fight for it. She will be a president one day. So... youbetter remember that name.