Valentina Finds Her Voice | A Blushington Book

Chapter 9

I couldn't wait to get out of this school for the next two and a half weeks. Winter break was finally here and I was happy to see it. I sat down at my desk to finish our civic project of writing letters to the senior citizens home nearby and wrapping toys for the children in the hospital in the next town.

Once I finished and dropped them off at the front desk I went back to my room and packed hurriedly. Mom and dad would be here first thing in the morning and I couldn't wait to see them. Just as I finished packing everything my laptop made a ding sound; a new message was waiting for me. It was my grades.

Blushington even excelled at delivering grades. At my old school we would've waited until two weeks later to receive our grades. I opened the message to find three A'S four B's and one C.

That's just great I thought angrily where could I possibly have received a C; the C came from intro to music.

"Are you kidding me," I asked out loud?

Was I really doodling that much in that class? I slammed my laptop shut and proceeded to yell into my pillow until I was lightheaded. I felt like I'd hit rock bottom, nothing seemed to be going well for me.

Between that C, what happened at the placement audition, my so-called friends judging me and being concerned about Jalissa I was spent.

I climbed under the blankets, covered my head and went to sleep.

I awoke to the sound of my phone buzzing. I'd overslept, I guess my body just gave up last night and put me under. I rolled over and answered it.

"Hello," I whispered groggily.

"Uh yeah hi," dad said, "I'm looking for my daughter. She claimed to want to leave this place bright and early and here I am, but she's nowhere to be seen."

"Mmhmm," I mumbled, "I'm on my way down."

Walking out front with my tote bag and suitcase my body felt so heavy. Dad met me halfway to the car and took my bag. He immediately looked concerned but didn't say anything until we got in the car.

I got in the front seat because dad came alone.

"Where's mom," I asked?

"She's home, wrapping presents and hauling out the decorations for us to put up," dad said simply. Then he added, "We can spend the next hour and a half in silence or you can tell me all about it."

I took a deep breath and told him everything, knowing that I'd have to retell these events to mom later. I told him all of it, even the bit about not knowing if I wanted to sing anymore.

Dad has always been a great listener and while he jokes a lot, he's definitely all about logic and reasoning. So I understood his pause and quietness when I laid everything out.

After a while he stated simply, "I wish you would've told me some of this stuff. I thought you looked kind of worn out but I just thought it was the rigorous standards they uphold. It makes sense now why your friends were so chatty on the way to the festival and so quiet on the way home."

"But honey," he said glancing over at me, "let me tell you a few things that we need to acknowledge. One, you know your intentions. And if your intentions were pure towards your friends it's not your fault if they were misconstrued. Yes, you should've confronted them when it happened and that would have squashed the situation, but it's not too late."

"The bullying can be summed up in one word, jealousy. No one attacks anything unless they feel threatened by it. These girls sound so insecure they gave themselves the worst name ever, gifted six," he laughed while he spoke.

I had to laugh a little too it was an absurd name and would they become the gifted five when one graduated or would they induct a new girl. And to think I thought I might one day join them. I don't even care to be around them, so yeah the absurdity was pretty funny.

"And what wisdom can you give for the placement performance," I asked?

"Do you feel like the dean knows what he's talking about, was it the best you could do," dad asked? "Before the audition did you feel like you could trust his musical judgement?"

"I did," I replied, "and it was the best performance I could give. I specifically tailored it to what I thought he would like."

"Well, maybe you just need more training than we thought or had the opportunity to give you. You do remember that the headmistress told us high school was a bit of a late start for an opera singer," dad prodded.

"Yes, I remember, but everyone kept telling me how insanely talented and unique I was," I shot back, I thought my talent alone would take me where I needed to go."

"But you just said you tailored it to something you thought he would like, so it wasn't really you was it," dad asked?

"I guess not," I said quietly.

"And is it that why you received a C in the easiest class on your course load," dad asked with a smirk?

"Valentina," he softened, "you have an amazing gift but your gift isn't who you are; no matter who says it. You are a good student, sweet and obedient daughter, loyal friend, kind cousin, avid reader, pizza lover and fun girl, who happens to be a great singer."

"You don't need to reduce your entire being to one part of who you are or try to change it to fit whoever is judging that day. If you truly don't want to sing anymore, all I ask is that you think of how you'll feel having made that decision in the next ten minutes, ten months and ten years."

"Thanks dad," I whispered. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He encouraged me to think about what he'd said and promised I'd be just fine. He thought a break and a chance to collect my thoughts was just what the doctor ordered.

He told me about everything that had gone on at home while I was at school and we sang Christmas songs the rest of the way home.

Thanks for reading!

X B

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