**Past**
Vasil stepped out of the magnificent building and entered the large yard of his future school. Of course, nothing was certain yet. Everything depended on the result of the exam he had just taken and the performance he would give in an hour.
The exam was definitely not easy, but Vasil felt he had managed it. He should thank Stefan for that.
He stretched and looked around for his friend among the other kids. Finding a blond boy among all the students wasn't easy, but if you were looking for a blond boy sitting alone with a green notebook in hand, it became much easier.
Less than a minute later, Vasil was sitting next to Stefan on the bench.
"How did the exam go?"
Stefan leaned back against the bench and sighed. "I think I can get that damn scholarship. What about you?"
Vasil replied, "I think I'll be accepted. I'm not sure about the scholarship yet."
Stefan said, "Well, it depends on your performance today."
He glanced at Vasil. "Are you ready for the performance?"
Vasil forced a smile. "I thought... I am!"
Stefan asked, "What changed?"
Vasil raised his hands. "Well, first of all, I can't stop my hands from shaking."
Stefan looked at Vasil's long, trembling fingers. A worn-out Band-Aid was still on one of his fingers. Vasil looked around and then at the gate of the school yard. "Neither Ms. Harmon nor my mom has arrived yet!"
Stefan asked, "Ms. Harmon? Is she coming too?"
"Of course! Did you forget I don't have a violin? She agreed to lend me hers."
"Oh..."
Stefan tried to comfort him. "I'm sure they'll be here soon!"
Vasil sighed. "I hope so!"
Stefan pointed at Vasil's hands. "Maybe if you interlock your fingers and hold them tightly, the shaking will lessen."
He made the motion so Vasil could understand what he meant. Vasil tried it and said, "This... is a bit better..."
Still, Stefan noticed that one of Vasil's feet was shaking up and down at a consistent frequency.
Stefan understood. This was Vasil's first performance. "I'm sure you'll do fine! I heard your practice sessions, and they sounded really great!"
Vasil looked at him. "Yeah, but have you heard the others' performances? How do you know they're not better than me?"
Stefan said, "How do you know they're better than you?"
Vasil answered hopelessly, "I don't know..."
He squeezed his hands tighter. "But this scholarship is really important to me! I have to get it, no matter what!"
Stefan said sarcastically, "The way you're talking, it's like getting a scholarship is a joke for me or anyone else!"
Vasil stared at him, his eyes trembling. "You don't get it! If you don't get the scholarship, you'll still get into this school, but if I don't get it, I'll have to give up music altogether! This is the only future I can imagine for myself! Besides... if I fail, I won't be in the same school as you anymore!"
Stefan looked at him with wide eyes. As someone who intended to slowly distance himself from Vasil, he could have seen this as an opportunity, but for some reason, thinking about it made his chest feel heavy.
He put his hand on Vasil's shoulder and, with seriousness, said to him, who was now staring at his trembling hands, "Look at me!"
Vasil lifted his head and gazed into his blue eyes. Stefan continued, "Ms. Harmon will arrive on time, and you will go and give the best performance possible, and you'll get that damn scholarship. We both will! Got it?"
Vasil stared at him in silence and shock. Stefan frowned. "I said, got it?"
Vasil nodded, the sparks returning to his eyes. "Yeah!"
Stefan quickly removed his hand from Vasil's shoulder. "Good!"
He pointed to the school gate. "Because they just arrived."