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𝕄𝕒𝕪 𝟙𝟚𝕥𝕙, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟛, 𖡡 𝕍𝕚𝕝𝕟𝕚𝕦𝕤, 𝕃𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕦𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕒
I stared at myself in the mirror, toothbrush in hand, lost in thought. My reflection looked different, more determined and resilient than the girl who had first arrived in Vilnius. Today was an important day, and despite the nagging pain from the cut on my finger, excitement bubbled inside me. It was May 12th, and in two days, we would have the formal party to kick off the tour, followed by the band's rehearsals starting on the 16th. Tonight, the crew was invited to witness the opener of the tour being played—just the backup music—but it would be the first time we'd see the stage come to life in all its glory.
As I brushed my teeth, I replayed the events of the past weeks in my mind. The grueling work, the camaraderie with Lea and Aurora, and the thrill of seeing the stage come together. My finger throbbed, a constant reminder of how stupid I had been, but it didn't dampen my spirits. This was what I had dreamed of, and I was finally living it.
My phone, resting on the sink, buzzed loudly, pulling me out of my reverie. I glanced at the screen and felt a jolt of surprise and anxiety. It was Richard.
My toothbrush dropped in the sink as my hands fumbled with the phone, dropping it to the ground before picking it up. "Hello?" I said, my mouth still filled with toothpaste, to afterward spit it out--on my toothbrush, in the sink... A sigh escaped me.
"Hey, Anna," Richard's voice came through, confusion at the way I picked up more than noticeable. "Did I interrupt something?" he wondered.
"No no no," I rambled as I put him on speaker to fish my brush out of the sink and rinse it off. "Was just brushing my teeth, I'm sorry... hi," I said, almost awkwardly as my stomach got tied in a knot. To think that at some point I was so comfortable around him.
"Oh," he chuckled, "Okay... I just wanted to call really quick because you've been on my mind," he said simply, as if those words weren't a filthy lie. He had been nothing but distant. "I was wondering how you're doing. I saw you get hurt when we came to look at the stage."
"I'm fine," I lied, not wanting to worry him. "Just a small cut in my finger."
There was a pause on the other end. "I'm sorry I didn't come see you earlier. Things have been... hectic."
"I understand," I replied, though I couldn't hide the hurt in my voice. "But I'm okay. Really."
"I'll be there tonight," he said, his tone softening. "I was hoping to maybe see you."
"Tonight?" I wondered, "At the test run?"
"Mhm," he answered almost playfully.
"And--does the team or management know this?" I wondered because as far as I knew, the band would not show up for such a small test.
