Acting On Love

The next morning, I was too tired to pick out a decent match of clothes. I threw on one of my old band t-shirts, and a denim jacket, since it was cold. I walked with Lisa towards the main building, hoping she could point me in the general direction of where acting was being taught, since I really had no idea.

"I really don't know," she said, biting her lip, thinking. "I'm sorry - I feel bad. I don't want to leave you until you know where to go..."

"It's fine - I don't want to make you late. I'm sure I'll find my way somehow," I laughed.

Unlikely, I thought.

"Hold on, I think I have a map..." she said, digging into her bag.

"Ok," I smiled. She was so helpful...what was I going to do without her?

"Need some directions?" a familiar voice asked, making my head snap up in attention.

There he was, standing little more than a metre from us. Of course I recognised his voice - his accent was so charming. Wait, charming? No, don't think like that, Kristen, I thought, telling myself off.

He was smiling, just like he had been when we'd met, and was wearing practically the same clothes - the same long coat, and the same leather shoulder bag. Only this time he was wearing a black beanie, too. God, he could pull off the look. I felt myself begin to feel slightly self-conscious again as I remembered the night before. He'd seen how much I'd eaten. Now he was probably just wondering where I managed to put it...

"Oh, Mr. Valo," Lisa smiled, putting away her map. He broke his eye contact from me for a moment, making me feel relieved. I felt my cheeks burning with every second he'd spent waiting for me to answer his question. "Could you show Kristen to her acting class?"

"Of course," he nodded. "You're with me," he added, making me smile. I didn't know why I had such a warm feeling hearing him say that.

"Bye, Kristen," Lisa smiled, and began to walk away.

"Bye," I echoed, feeling my stomach wind up with nerves as I looked back to Mr. Valo.

"We're a little late," he noted, keeping his eyes away from mine.

He began walking, and I followed him, staying a little behind him, just so I was a little out of his peripheral vision. We both remained silent, staring ahead, for a couple of seconds. Though, to me, it felt more like excrutiating hours.

"I'm sorry - I forgot to get your name yesterday..." he said, almost as if he was talking to himself. He kept his eyes ahead.

"Kristen Puller," I replied, keeping my eyes fixed ahead, too.

Silence provailed once again. I bit onto my lip nervously - the building was still a fair walk away. I needed to say something.

"Uh, Mr. Valo-"

"You call me Ville," he smiled, looking back at me, from where he was half a step ahead.

"Ok," I said, forgetting what it was I'd planned on even asking.

Eventually, we reached the door of the acting department of the school. What should have felt like relief soon turned to despair - pretty soon he would see me for what I really was - a girl who couldn't act.

He paused at the door. I waited for him to open it. Instead, he turned to me, with a puzzled look.

"I...I just have to ask - you don't look eighteen, like the other girls..." he trailed off.

"No, I'm not," I shook my head, "I'm twenty."

He nodded and smiled slightly. "That makes sense, then."

"So...how old are...you?" I asked, immediately regretting it. Who asks a teacher how old they are?

He looked stumped, like someone had just hit him over the head with a frying pan.

"I'm 29," he replied, looking down at me, as if it was none of my business.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked something that personal," I said, apologising immediately.

He nodded in acceptance, and pushed the door open. "That's a nice t-shirt, by the way," he commented, with his back to me, as he walked down the small corridor, and disappeared into a classroom.

I stood in the corridor, suprised at his sudden compliment. I looked down at my t-shirt. It was my faded Bon Jovi one which I'd owned for years. Not a nice t-shirt, in my opinion. But all the same, he was entitled to believe so.

I laughed, remembering when I'd bought it - it was back when I still had my crush on Jon Bon Jovi.

I sighed and took a step towards the classroom he'd disappeared into.