Acting On Love

Three Months Ago

"No, I'm not going," I moaned, when my mother tried to shove the application forms for university in front of my nose again.

"I have had it with you, Kristen! You can't just waste your life like this because some boy dumped you 2 years ago!" she shouted back.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "It wasn't just "some boy", mom..." I mumbled.

She crouched down in front of me and looked into my eyes. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "I just don't want to see you waste your life like this. Please at least consider. For me?"

I looked at her and sighed. She was right - as always. "Alright, but I wont get in - you know that."

"Weren't you listening to me this morning?" she laughed. "I already called - the place is your's."

I should have known that she'd find a way of beating the system...

"My little girl's going to be an actress," she sighed, standing up with a huge grin upon her face.

"I don't know about that...for one, I'm not a little girl, and secondly, my acting sucks."

"You just need to have faith in yourself," she smiled.

I remembered that day clearly - the day I regretted now more than ever. As I dragged my suitcases down the pavement that lead up to the entrance of the university, I was half tempted to turn around and simply head back to the train station. I'd been so used to doing nothing with my time that the thought of this new life seemed even more daunting.

After twenty minutes of searching, I finally found my room in the hall of residence. The room was much smaller than my one back home - almost claustrophobic. I sat down on my bed, which didn't give much under my weight. Not a comfy bed.

Before unpacking, I pulled out the picture of my parents which I kept in my purse, and pinned it next to my bed. I lay on top of the covers and gazed at the picture, feeling my eyes begin to burn with tears. I fought them back, telling myself to act more grown-up.

After unpacking for what felt like hours, my eyes had finally dried up. My rumbling stomach ordered me towards the door, in search of the dining hall. I checked my phone for the time - it was almost six o'clock. I had no idea when dinner would be, but I wasn't going to wait. On my way downstairs, I heard footsteps approach from behind me.

"Excuse me? Are you Kristen?" a girl called after me.

I turned around to see a girl with curly, fair hair run down the stairs to keep up with me.

"Yeah, that's me," I replied, still wondering how she knew my name.

She spoke breathlessly when she explained that she was just next to me in the halls. I started to wonder just how long she'd been chasing me for.

"My name's Lisa, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. Do you know where the dining hall is?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do," she smiled. "But they don't serve dinner until seven."

"Oh..."

"I can show you where the expresso bar is, if you like?"

"Ok, thanks. I'm starving..." I smiled, following her into the cold, sharp air outside.

I found it hard to believe that someone so pretty could also be so kind. Already I had a better feeling about being there.

"Low fat, decaf latte, please," she said to the guy behind the counter.

I looked up at the menu, wondering how she could resist all the other beverages on offer. I guess I just wasn't as weight-conscious as her...

"I'll have a soda and a cream cheese bagel, please," my stomach rumbled, "and a blueberry muffin," I added.

I couldn't help but notice the shocked expression Lisa tried to hide when she heard my order.

"I guess I'll skip dinner tonight," I noted, beginning to blush as the guy behind the counter passed me my food.

We both paid and went to sit down at a table in the small room. I bit into my bagel just as the door swung open, and a tall man walked in. He couldn't have been a student. He looked around the café before he noticed us and walked towards us. He was wearing a long, black coat which immediately told me he was a teacher. He had brown, shoulder length hair, and a smile which looked like it could melt ice with it's warmth.

He stood just in front of our table and looked at both of us. "Are either of you acting students?" he asked, grinning, obviously proud of his profession. One thing was for sure - he wasn't from New York. At least, not originally. He spoke like a gentlemen, only with a very faint accent. I couldn't put my finger on it.

With a mouth still full of bagel, I chewed twice as fast, feeling my cheeks turn redder with every passing second.

"I'm not," Lisa answered, sipping her coffee. "I'm studying medicine."

He nodded, and smiled, before turning to me. He chuckled when he noticed how much food was in my mouth. I probably look like a pig, I thought. Though I couldn't help but laugh when he laughed - his laugh was infectious. I put a hand up over my mouth, to try and save the last shred of dignity I had left, for when I answered him.

"I'm taking acting," I said - the words were muffled.

He nodded and smiled. I couldn't help but notice how he looked away, and at the table. Did I look that disgusting?

"Well, I'm Mr. Valo - head of the acting department. Here's what we'll be studying," he said, passing me a sheet of paper from his shoulder bag. I briefly looked at it, swinging down a mouthful of soda so the next thing I said wasn't muffled.

He nodded, as if to bow out of the situation, and headed for the door.

"What's your accent?" I blurted out.

He stopped with his hand pressed against the door, and laughed. "I didn't think it was that noticeable."

"Obviously only to me," I blushed.

He nodded, looking confused. "It's Finnish," he said, leaving the café.