Hello, Privet! #1: Hello/Привет

Chapter 22

SOPHIE

After the press conference, Anton, Kirill and I go back to the hotel. Kirill goes on to his room and Anton goes to his, and I stand in the hallway wondering if I should remind him about the event at the children's hospital. He hasn't said a word and he's been quiet the whole fifteen-minute ride back to the hotel that I am afraid to even bring it up.

He doesn't seem to notice that I follow him into his room.

This is what he does. First, he sets down his bag, and then sits on the couch, and checks his laptop, which he left on. Then he turns on the TV, and Groundhog Day is on. I've have seen it many times before, and it's hilarious, but Anton isn't even reacting. He probably doesn't get the jokes. It is after five minutes when I cough to remind him that I am still there with him.

He glances at me, as if he's like, really bored, and then turns his gaze back to the screen.

"Hi," I say.

What did I just say?

"Um, Anton, I'm sorry, but—"

He lowers the volume of the TV. "Do you have the tickets to New York? I want to leave."

"Okay—but—"

"Shto? Why are you still standing there?"

"You have that thing—"

He frowns. "What?"

"You know? The thing at the children's hospital?"

"You want me to go there after what happened?"

"I'm—I'm sorry. I know you must feel awful right now—"

He interrupts me with this cold as hell gaze and says, "You do not know how I feel."

I shrug helplessly. "Okay, that might be true, and I cannot possibly even try to know what you feel because I am not you and you have different ways of reacting to pain stimulants and so do I, but I can only try to understand how terrible you feel after losing your match—"

He looks straight at me and says, "You talk too much."

I shut my mouth quickly, biting my lower lip. "Okay, I'm sorry I have a tendency to babble, but I was just trying to explain myself."

"I am not stupid. I understand," he says, annoyed.

I wait for a moment before speaking again. "Anyway, the thing is, it's really important that you show up for this event."

"Why?"

"Because you've made a commitment to attend. What will it look like if you don't show up—it would only seem like you couldn't handle losing. And people would respect you more if you show up, you know?"

He stares at me blankly. "I do not feel good—to go out."

"But you already said yes. People are waiting for you, Anton."

He slaps a hand to his thigh, which makes me jump a little. "You are not listening to me. I am tired. I just lost a match." He glares at me. "You don't care about anything but yourself."

I frown, "This isn't about me. This is about the kids."

"You don't even care that I just lost my match, and I want to be alone. But here you are, bothering me."

I breathe in deeply and then I say, "That's true, Anton, and I sympathize with you. You don't know how worried I am about you and if there was anything I could do to make you feel better, I would do it. But you have a responsibility. You're a celebrity and, you know, some of these kids may not even see the week after this, and it would make them so happy if you showed up and talked to them."