Lontana Da Me 2

Hope Is Gone

"Are you sure that this plan is going to work?", Valeria asked me nervously while I was trying to fix the camera. Valentina had the perfect idea to make a video with Valeria for my Channel.
"I am sure! Really!", I answered quickly, "You just have to say what you are feeling."
That was the plan. We wanted to make a video so Valeria could tell the whole world about her problems with Mirko and ask them for help. She would tell the whole wolrd what she was feeling for Mirko and I was sure that Mirko would watch this video. Because we were best friends and he had always watched my videos. And if he didn't answer our calls or messages or didn't want to talk to us either he had to watch us on the Internet.
"Don't be nervous, sweety", Valentina said to build her best friend up. Valeria was more than nervous. And also Valentina couldn't change that.
Excited Valeria was sitting on her bad line Mirko had done when we had made his video for Valeria. She wanted to do it the same. She wanted to show him that she had never forgotten about this video and the time they had spent together.
"Okay, everything's okay", I said and pointed the camera on Valeria, "Ready?"
Slowly her head nodded and I really hoped that she was ready to do this. This video was her last chance to get Mirko back.
"Three, two, one...Action!"
I turned on the camera and Valeria breathed one last time before she started the video bravely: "Ciao a tutti! It's me, Valeria...Valeria from the story between Mirko and Valeria that was shown on this Channel last year...Ehm...There is something really important I have to tell you, ragazzi..."

Mirko was sitting at home and tried to study but his mind did not want to concentrate on this freaking maths-stuff. This subject was the most horrible one in the world. Really, there was nothing else he hated more.
He had always thought that this subject would be about numbers. But no! Suddenly they had to use and to fill in letters! What the hell?! Who needed this shitty subject?
Frustrated he laid down his pen and looked out of the window. The summer was so beautiful this year. As beautiful as the one last year. But for Mirko the last summer had been the best one anyway. No summer could ever be better! Because last summer he had met Valeria. The first time he had seen her riding her bike...her hair had flown through the wind and her smile...This perfect day of summer. It was the first time he had felt this perfect day of summer.
He remembered the day when the had visited this amusement park. It had been one of the best days of his life. Valeria had been on his side. The whole day. They had got a lot of fun and...she had looked so beautiful whit wet hair.
An inner voice caught Mirko's mind and told him to wake up! He had to concentrate hisself on school and his future. Next year he would have the chance to graduate at another school. It would be a school where nobody knew him and he could do a new start. He had given up on fighting against his father. Because he had always been right. This art thing wasn't Mirko's future. He had less inspiration and creavity. He would never be able to be an artist one day. So he accepted it and decided to do what his father told him: He would graduate and go to an university. That's what his future was about. A future without art. A future without Valeria. That was the main aspect. He had to forget about Valeria! Because she was the reason why he was sad and down. His heart had been broken by her and he didn't want to have this girl on his mind any more. He had to forget her. Even if it would be the hardest thing to do...Because he still loved her. Something he was sure about.

While Mirko was out of space I was standing in front of his house and was waiting for someone to open the door for me. We had made the video this morning and it had already been uploaded. So I wanted to be sure that Mirko saw it. It was really important.
But when Paolo opened the door - like he had done the last times when I had wanted to visit Mirko in the last weeks - I was sure that I would not be able to see Mirko.
"Giovanni, what are you doing here again?", Mirko's father asked me annoyed because he had also told me a thousand times to stay away from Mirko because Mirko didn't want to see me or anyone else. He had to study blablabla...I wasn't sure if it was Mirko's opinion or the one of his father.
"I have to talk to your son! It is very important!", I said quickly and little bit louder so maybe Mirko was able to hear me.
"Mirko doesn't want to talk to you or Valeria or anybody else. Like I just told you. He has..."
"He has to study for school! I know!", I completed his sentence aggressively, "But...I tried to call him. And he didn't even see my messages. Is he okay?"
I had been right! Mirko heard the convwersation between me and his dad while he was in his room. And only he knew why he wasn't answering our messages and calls. He turned off his phone. He didn't want to be conntacted by Daniel or Giulia or me but especially not by Valeria. I was able to understand that. But I wished he wouldn't do this.
He had not even seen our messages and calls...He had not even seen that Valeria was worried and...Now it was very important to make him seeing this video.
"Yes, Mirko is okay", Mirko heard his father saying and had to smile. His father knew exactly that there was nothing okay with his son.
"So please go now, Giovanni!"
"Wait! Let me say one last thing", I said before Mirko's father could close the door, "There is a new video on my channel! Please tell him that he has to watch it. He has to!"
"Okay...I will tell him but only if you do me a favor too."
"Everything! I do everything, Signore", I answered excited and waited for his favor. He turned around and grapped a whole box filled with spray cans, sketchbooks, papers, pencils and other equipment for drawing.
"These are Mirko's things. He told me to throw them way because he doesn't need them anymore."
"What?", I asked irritated and watched him disgusted. When I had first entered Mirko's room all this stuff had been lying on the ground and on the table. He loved to draw, he loved to do skatches and...Now he didn't want to do it anymore?
"Yeah, seems like this boy is becoming an adult now", Paolo said proud, "So he wants me to throw it way but I paied a lot of money for this stuff and it would be a pity if I throw it away. So please take it with you and give it to someone who needs it. Okay? Thank you?"
He gave me the box and then closed the door. There I stood. With Mirko's dream in my hands. This could not be the end of it! No! I wouldn't accept it!
Without thinking about it any longer I turned around and went home again. Okay, I went to Valentina's house. Valeria needed to know about Mirko's decision to forget about his dreams. Or maybe about his father's decision. I really didn't know but I knew that we had to stop this! As fast as we could.
"What?!"
Valeria's reaction was the same like mine when I had found out about this. She looked at me shocked and couldn't believe Mirko wanted to give up on his dreams. Valeria knew that has always been his dream to become an artist. And now he wanted to destroy it?
"No...I can't believe this, Giova."
"Me either!", I answered, "But it is the true! Even if his father forced him to give up...Mirko would never give up on this dream!"
That was a sign: He felt worser than ever. He had lost all his hope...
"It is all my fault! Everything what happened is my fault", Valeria said angrily, "And you know what? I will not accept his decision to give up on his dream! Becaus ehe was the one who inspired me and who gave me hope when nobody else did...Now it is my turn to do it. It is my turn to help him."
"But how? You have already made the video, what do you want to do next? There is nothing you can do because he is not answering our calls and messages and he doesn't want to see anyone of us! It is senseless, Valeria. Nothing will convince him!"
"No, there is something that will convince him. I have a plan to make him believe in hisself again. And maybe also to make him believe me."