"Enter the talent show, they said. It'll be fun, they said."
Are you sure about that?
Kostya wanted to run away. Far, far away. But it was a little late for that, as he stood backstage, tugging nervously at his tie. "How did I get myself into this mess?" he muttered as he watched the act that was currently performing. "I can't compete with that..." Elizabeta, one of the most popular girls in school, was on stage with her two best friends, Lili and Bella, and their act was GOOD.
The three girls were singing "Caramelldansen", accompanied on the piano by Elizabeta's boyfriend Roderich. Bella had made them costumes, complete with cat ear headbands. To top it all off, they had learned the dance that went with the song and were performing it in perfect sync. Kostya sighed and began twisting one of the buttons on his coat. "I'm going to look even more like an idiot than I already do," he whispered.
Kostya tended to get bullied- a lot. His family had just moved to the States from Russia the previous summer (although Kostya himself had been born in Ukraine bedcause his mother was Ukrainian, his father was Russian) and even though his English was fine, he had a heavy accent that made him hard to understand. Not only that, he'd gone through a huge growth spurt that rendered all his clothes very ill-fitting, and due to the family's strained financial situation, his father and stepmother couldn't afford to buy him very many new things just yet to replace them. But perhaps the biggest problem was that he was painfully shy, nearly having a panic attack whenever someone he didn't know approached him.
Because of all this, he soon became a target for the in-crowd's scorn and ridicule. The worst among them were three boys known as the Bad Friends. Even though Kostya was at least a head taller than all of them, his crippling shyness rendered him nearly helpless in the face of their attacks. Gilbert, the youngest of the three, was usually the first one to spot him, and the first to call him out, but it was Francis, the oldest boy,who was the cruelest. He was the ringleader and often the driving force behind their unpleasant interactions.
Every day, Kostya found himself pinned against the hallway wall by Gilbert while Francis and Antonio, the third member of the group, raided his pockets for his lunch money... or tripped in class as he made his way to his seat... or dragged under the stairwell and just plain beaten up.
One time he was even forced to stand outside the locker room in his underwear after gym class because they had pushed him outside while he was changing and locked the door. That was humiliating. He had to stand there, right across from the girls' locker room, enduring the stares and whispers of his classmates, until Coach Beilschmidt came back in from the athletics fields with his keys.
(Fortunately, that only happened once because the next day, Mr. Fred the janitor came and took the locks off the door. Then Coach Beilschmidt gave the class a lecture about "people that can't behave themselves".)
True, he'd made a few friends, but all of them were misfits just like him: an Estonian exchange student named Eduard who practically lived in the school's computer lab, Eduard's cousin Raivis, a nervous kid who jumped at his own shadow and collected Matchbox cars, and a Polish boy named Feliks that had an obsession with cosplaying. He also had a girlfriend, a Canadian girl named Madeline who was as painfully shy as he was. Having them helped... a little.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Kostya was having a progressively harder time hiding his troubles at school from his parents, despite his best efforts. They noticed his frequent bruises and other injuries, as well as his constant upset stomach and headaches, and questioned him on it regularly. But he kept putting them off with protestations that he was just clumsy from growing.
He hated to bother them about anything, really, because he knew that he wasn't the only one with problems. Besides, his home was his safe haven and he didn't want to bring his school problems into it. Even though life was tough, his family loved each other and were close-knit.
His dad, Ivan, was a good hearted man who worked two jobs to support his family- one as a delivery driver for a local bakery, the other as a janitor at Mercy Hospital in town. His stepmother, Chun Yan, was disabled with back problems after an accident in a factory she worked in while she lived in China (Kostya's mother Katerina had died when he was nine), so she maintained the home to the best of her ability and took care of the family.
He also had three siblings: his younger sister Natalya that followed him around everywhere and could be annoying, but really was a good kid, his younger brother named Tolys who had been adopted by his parents when his birth mother abandoned him,and rounding out the family, Chun Yan's son from her first marriage, Kaoru, or Leon as he insisted on being called (no one knew exactly why). All in all, they had a happy home.
That, precisely, was the reason Kostya refused to openly admit that he was having any difficulty in school. Papa and Mama had enough on their minds already... Many times at night he could hear his parents talking through the thin walls of the small apartment they lived in.
"Well, I get paid by the hospital on the seventh... the power bill is due on the twelfth..." his father's voice.
"But will there be enough to buy groceries, Vanya?" His stepmother answered. His father sighed as she continued, "We have four growing kids and I don't want any of them to go hungry."
"They won't go hungry, Chun Yan," Papa replied, a faint weariness in his tone. Kostya put a pillow over his head. He hated to hear the anxiety and strain in their voices. He knew his parents loved each other and were doing all they could to make a decent life for the whole family. Compared to this, his run-ins with the Bad Friends and their lackeys were minor.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
It was his history teacher, Mr Vargas, who had suggested that he enter the talent show one afternoon after he had to be rescued from the Bad Friends yet again. Gilbert and Francis caught hold of his arms as he walked down the hall to his locker...
"Pants look a little baggy there, Braginsky," Francis commented with a smirk. Gilbert giggled and snickered as Kostya's face turned bright red. He knew where this was going.
"I wonder if I just happened to pull on them, if they'd stay up," Francis continued. "Toni, come here and see..." Antonio aprroached smirking and grabbed the waistband of the too-big jeans Kostya was wearing (they were his Papa's hand-me-downs). He was just about to tug on them when the door to the history classroom swung open and Mr Vargas stepped into the hallway.
"Ah, Mr. Braginsky," he said pleasantly. The Bad Friends, caught red-handed, jumped back and grinned nervously. "I need your help with something... it seems this projector weighs more than what it looks like. Can you help me move it?"
"T-tak... I mean yes," Kostya replied, fairly rushing into the classroom and leaving the Bad Friends behind.
When Mr Vargas closed the door again, he said to Kostya, "Having a tough time making friends?"
"H-how did you know?" he replied, startled. Mr Vargas shrugged.
"I had the same problem in school when I was young. We came here from Italy when I was about your age... and at least your English is good, mine was terrible... and I got tormented constantly. Telling the teachers didn't help... trust me, I understand."
"I have a few friends," Kostya answered quietly. Mr Vargas smiled.
"Well... you know what I did? I entered the school's talent contest. I knew how to play the guitar, so I wrote a song for the girl I liked. I played the song, won the talent contest and got the girl."
"Really?" Kostya replied, eyes wide. He didn't need a girlfriend, because Maddie was perfect for him in every way, but still it would be nice to make new friends.
"Um... no, not really," Mr Vargas laughed. "I used my Nonno's old wooden puppets and did a puppet show. Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time. The other kids laughed at me, and the girl I liked ended up dating the captain of the baseball team." Kostya's heart sank. "But," Mr Vargas continued, "I learned something important. Whether or not they liked what I did, at least I had the guts to get up there on stage in front of them and do it. And if they made fun of me, the problem was with them, not me."
Mr Vargas sat on his desk and looked appraisingly at Kostya. "Later on, some of those kids that laughed admitted to me that they would never have been able to do what I did because they didn't have the nerve. So, you never know if you don't take a chance..." Kostya thought about it for a minute. It was funny that Mr Vargas mentioned a talent contest because the school was actually having one in a few weeks. Maybe he should enter and see if he could make new friends, or at least boost his confidence some.
"... should enter," Mr Vargas was saying. Kostya blinked and realized that he was talking about the talent show.
"Maybe I will," Kostya replied. "Was that why you told me the story?"
"Si," the teacher replied, then smiled sheepishly. "Also, I'm the advisor for the contest, so we need a few more entries..."
In a spur of the moment decision, Kostya grabbed the form and filled it out, giving a cursory glance to the theme of the contest... Internet Memes and Viral Videos.
"The student committee chose it," Mr Vargas replied when he noticed the boy reading that portion of the form. Kostya nodded and finished filling out the paper, handing it back to the teacher. "Molto bueno," he exclaimed. "And good luck."
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
For the next few weeks, Kostya was consumed with his act for the contest. He found the video on Youtube that he wanted to base his performance on (it was one that reflected something he was quite proud of, his heritage) and studied it endlessly, to the point of annoying Mama, making Papa chuckle and causing Natalya, Tolys and Leon to burst into song at the dinner table. He stood in front of the family's one computer and practiced, imitating the moves, looking in the mirror to perfect his facial expressions and growling in frustration whenever he got bumped from the internet because the phone rang.
His friends, too, joined in the efforts. Eduard pulled the audio from the video and put it on his MP3 player for the contest. Feliks dragged him from consignment store to consignment store, in search of all the components needed for his costume and the simple backdrop he'd need (old canvas drop cloths scrounged from a paint store's dumpster by Raivis finally filled the role). And Maddie, through it all, helped him any way she could... critiquing his actual performance, sitting him down and working on his hair (it was an important part of his costume) and generally encouraging him.
Keeping busy had another effect on him, too. With so much on his mind, it became easy to block out the other kids' constant taunting... and even though the Bad Friends continued to accost him, he could walk away from the unpleasant encounters and shift his mind to thoughts of, "Papa said he'd help Raivis and Maddie paint the backdrop... I wonder if he will... Mama is altering my suit..." He began to smile more... who knew that a stupid talent show could give him purpose in life? Mr Vargas' idea really was a good one...
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
.. or not. "Why am I doing this?" he asked again, wringing his hands nervously as he watched act after act on stage. He didn't think the one he had chosen was very good by comparison, even after all his hard work. The Greek kid and his Japanese best friend had done a live action version of Nyan Cat... it actually turned out better than what it intially sounded like. Nicolae, the exchange student from Romania, had set up a desk and full backdrop (complete with curtains) and done his impression of the Numa Numa guy.
Maddie's cousin Alfred had performed the entire dance from the "Evolution of Dance", and Kostya had to admit he was a great dancer. Briefly he wondered if he could back out now, when he turned around and ran right into Maddie. She grinned and wrapped her arms around him.
"You look great!" she said enthusiastically. "You're going to do just fine." Eduard, Feliks and Raivis joined them, crowding him and whispering encouragement... he drew a deep breath and smiled nervously. No, he couldn't back out now. He didn't want to disappoint the ones he loved.
"Elizabeta and Alfred's acts will be hard to beat," he finally managed to say. His friends looked at him incredulously.
"Come on!" Feliks exclaimed. "You're, like, the best. And even if you don't win, you totally worked hard on this! Be proud of yourself!"
"Braginsky," a voice taunted him. He looked up to see the Bad Friends bearing down on him. "Oh, no," he said defeatedly. Eduard and Raivis looked frightened, because they too had been subjected to the trio's bullying. Maddie's eyes widened... Feliks strode forward and stopped them.
"Like, what is your problem?" he asked them, hands on his hips and glaring at them. Francis snorted.
"We just wanted to compliment Braginsky on his suit. Is it his papa's?" The older boy said mockingly.
"Hey, Bonnifoy pretty boy, like, what act are YOU doing in the talent show?" Feliks retorted. Gilbert and Antonio stepped forward. The Polish boy stood his ground.
"I don't have an act, Princess Pony," Francis replied, referring to the My Little Pony shirt Feliks wore. Feliks growled and shook his head. Gilbert and Antonio started to grab Feliks when someone cleared their throat behind the group.
Everyone turned around to see Mr. Oxenstjarna, the algebra teacher, standing there with a clipboard in his hand. "'F y'r not 'n the t'lent show 'r h'lping w'th 'n act, y' need t'leave," he told the Bad Friends, who didn't hesitate to follow the teacher's instructions. Mr Oxenstjarna was easily one of the most intimidating teachers in the school after Coach Beilschmidt... no one dared cross him.
The teacher turned to Kostya and consulted his clipboard. "Br'ginksy, y'r last... one m're act th'n y'r up." Kostya nodded nervously and adjusted his cuffs.
The students in the act before him filed off the school's stage and lights went dark. In the darkness, Raivis and Feliks scampered out and hung the backdrop: plain yellow, except for what appeared to be wavy gray metal screens painted on it. Kostya took his place at the side of the stage, while Eduard prepared to start the sound. Maddie sneaked up and kissed Kostya on the cheek one more time. "You'll be fine," she whispered, then slipped back behind stage to wait. Kostya took a deep breath, glanced at Eduard, and nodded. Here goes...
A brass instrumental started up, and the lights brightened to reveal the painted backdrop. All the students watched intently as there was no one on stage... until Kostya came walking jauntily onto the stage, dressed in a brown tweed suit and yellow tie, his hair slicked to the side and a huge grin plastered on his face. A few of the kids chuckled as they recognized the scene...
"Aaaaa yaa yaa yaaaa... yaa yaa yaaaa yaaaa yaa yaa..." The boy concentrated on what he was doing as he strutted out onto the stage. He really couldn't see anyone's faces, which was a good thing... his heart was still pounding furiously, but he was doing this. He was really doing this.
"AIIIEEEEEEEEE... EEE EEE EEE... la la laaaa laaaa lala..." He spun around, then pointed to the students with an I-mean-business expression on his face. "Ohohohohooo BOP a duh duh duh duh duh duh duuuuhhh..." A funny thought crossed the boy's mind. The late Eduard Khil... the Trololo guy... king of the trolls... This one's for you, Bad Friends, he thought. You guys didn't even attempt an act...
"Trololo lo lo lololo... AHAHAHAHA! OHOHOHOHO! AHAHAHAHA! OHOHOHOHO!" He pointed and laughed, still grinning, but it was a real grin this time. He had done this. The haters could hate all they wanted, but like Mr Vargas said... at least he had the guts.
As his performance came to a close, he strode off stage, giving a cheeky wave, just like in the video. He was soon surrounded by his friends, gushing compliments... but there was silence in the auditorium. Kostya felt a little disappointed. He'd worked so hard, and sure, now he was glad he did it. But it would have been nice if someone...
APPLAUSE! Loud applause from the auditorium. Mr Oxenstjarna motioned Kostya back out on stage. "T'ke a bow, Br'ginsky," he said with a rare smile. "Y'did great."
When he stumbled out on stage, his eyes widened... he'd gotten a standing ovation! Even the judges: Ludwig, the student council president, Arthur, president of the honor society, and Kumar, president of the Key Club, were on their feet, clapping enthusiastically. Alfred was standing on his chair, waving his arms and whistling until Mrs. Hassan, the geography teacher, scolded him to get down.
There was another big surprise waiting for Kostya as he stood, somewhat dumbfounded, looking out over the auditorium: Papa, Mama and his three siblings were at the back with the other families who had come to watch. Papa was still wearing his work uniform, Mama was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, Natalya was waving a sign she'd made with her big brother's name on it, and Tolys and Leon were bouncing around like rubber balls and cheering. Kostya grinned and waved. That made it all worth it...
Mr Vargas came on stage after consulting with the judges. Taking to the podium, he opened the envelope that Ludwig had handed him and spoke. "Our judges have made their final scores..." all the students in the show joined him, waiting eagerly for the results.
"In third place, Alfred Jones..." Alfred grinned and stepped forward.
"In second place, the Caramell Girls and the Piano Man!" A few surprised whispers came from the student body as Elizabeta, Roderich, Lili and Bella stepped forward to stand next to Alfred.
"And... the winner of Ridgecrest School's 2012 Talent Show..." Mr Vargas paused. "Kostya Braginsky!"
Kostya gasped. He won? He... won? He felt himself being pushed forward... everything was a blur... the other students were mobbing him. He vaguely remembered Elizabeta telling him he did great... Alfred giving him a "hero man-hug" as he called it... Coach Beilschmidt coming to congratulate him... Mr Vargas making a comment about him really winning the show and getting the girl... Maddie kissing his forehead and telling him she was proud of him... his family crushing him in a group embrace.
But the one memory burned brightly into his mind was that of looking out at his peers after he was announced the winner and seeing the Bad Friends in shock... speechless... gawking, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.
And that was something he'd never forget.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Ohhhhkay. So...
I love the Trololo guy. (I love a lot of viral videos, but he's the best. Really. RIP Eduard Khil, father of modern trolling...)I kinda deliberately was ambiguous about Kostya's act at first so that you would have to guess. Because I'm just like that.
I also intentionally didn't attempt to write the accents into the story. It wouldn't have added much, in my opinion...
A little primer for the characters that you might not be familiar with or share a last name with others:
Kostya: male!Ukraine
Chun Yan: fem!China
Madeline: fem!Canada
Kaoru/Leon: Hong Kong (probably knew that already, but still)
Coach Beilschmidt: Germania
Mr Vargas: Rome
Kumar:India
Mrs Hassan: Ancient Egypt
Fred the janitor: as himself :P
Bullying sucks. I was bullied in school... I know how it feels.
Cliched feel-good ending baby! Oh yeah! (Hey, I had Napoleon Dynamite as my inspiration... vote for Pedro...)
I've wanted to do a male!Ukraine story for a while. I hope I got him right... I don't see him crying like his female counterpart, but I do imagine him as very shy... and him and fem!Canada are as cute a couple as their regular gender counterparts.
I spelled Lithuania's name Tolys on purpose... Toris isn't actually a Lithuanian first name.
Required disclaimer: I own none of this stuff. All content is property of the respective owners.
I hope you somewhat enjoyed my craziness. Please review...