The parents where swarming into the gymnasium, like flocs of sheep. Some came together in groups, a few came alone and others as a pair. They all took their seats excited and a few even proceeded to boast of their child to anyone unlucky enough to be sitting nearby. Amid the flock came a small woman who went ahead and sat on one of the middle seats. She was wearing old ragged clothing and looked completely exhausted. She sat there silently, wondering how she would spend the remaining time until the play started. Talking? But she hardly knew anyone there. Then she caught a glimpse of a child peeking out trough the curtains. The child quickly looked around until he finally spotted her in the middle rows. He shyly waved at her, and she waved back with a smile on her face. Her tiredness unnoticeable. At the same time came a couple wearing nice branded clothes. They took an ugly stare at the seemingly poor woman before taking their seats at the absolute front. A few seconds later the school´s principal came up to them and gratefully thanked them for their contribution to the school. The husband smiled and said it was all for his daughter’s happiness. After a lengthy but subtle conversation the principal finally left to go help the teachers. The wife then took this opportunity to ask her husband when the driver would take them to the airport for their grand tour tomorrow.
Backstage standing by the wall was a little girl dressed in beautiful decorative majorly red clothing and a golden leaf tiara with red berries to top it off. In front of her was a teacher sitting on her knees desperately trying to fix the girls clothes to absolute perfection. The little girl didn’t even flinch by the pulls but stood there in a trance like state. With blank eyes looking into nothingness she stood, like a mannequin being fixed for the glass monitor. The backstage was chaotic, teachers ran left and right trying to prepare the kids. The passer-byes occasionally smiled at her, and a few even said “good luck”. She was obviously going to play the main role of tonight’s play. Everyone probably thought she was filled with nervousness and excitement, but those where far from the feelings she felt.
On the opposite end of the hall was Cate, standing ready besides the curtain puller. Her hair was braided into two simple braids and she was wearing a dark brown dress. She stared at the other girl with a ferocious stare. Pondering over how she could stand there without feeling any regret over what she had done to them. Cate had gone through much hardship to get the main role, and she actually had it for a while. But later on, the girl´s parents barged in demanding their child to have the main role. Cate then of course got a new role, but a mediocre one. At the time she fought to keep back the tears and wasn’t first that angry about it. After all, she was excepting something like this to happen anyway, accomplishing her dream was too good to be true. So, in exchange for ceasing her sadness, she traded it with another emotion; anger. So, there she stood, the angriest she had been in her whole life. Not at the girl, but herself.
A young teacher looked at the girls with confusion. He remembered seeing them two in class. Friendly, talking and giggling together. Playing outside together and being the perfect example of good friends. Then one day they weren’t friends anymore. Because of their naivety. But how would children know that. The cause of blame is of course themselves. One filled with rage and sorrow, the other with emptiness and confusion. He knew they had learned something they were far too young for.
The girl stood there, blank with mixed emotions. She didn’t know whether to feel sad or angry. Her head was filled with countless questions, but she had no one to ask. She was standing there numb wearing heavy expensive clothing. Her body jolted from side to side due to the teachers freakishly perfectionism. She felt heavy but yet so empty. Because she realized that the world was ugly. She was living in her own bubble and was happy; until someone popped it. Thinking it was no deal to be rich and having all she wanted. She remembered giving money to a beggar and being severely punished by her parents. After being told how filthy beggars were her thoughts for them gradually disappeared. Most people would think her dream was to be as rich and successful as her father, but that was hardly the case. Most kids would definitely have dreamt of being born into a rich family, however she wasn’t one of them. She didn’t want riches and fame, but a happy life filled with joy and laughter. That was all she wanted, nothing more.
Her homeroom teacher called her to get ready to go on the stage. But she wasn’t ready, her head was full of complex thoughts a child at her age couldn’t comprehend. But she threw them all away. Thinking that this was how life is, and forever would be for her. She proceeded to walk towards the stage like a doll, with only the script in her vocabulary. People were whispering “good luck” or “break a leg” to her as she walked by. But this was hardly a situation she would interpret as good luck, and she would gladly break a leg, literally if she could. Further back, she heard some teachers whispering over how the girl would manage in a hostel next year. Then Cate pulled the curtains, and the play was in process.
When arriving on stage she was quickly blinded by stage lights focusing on her. She quickly closed her eyes for protections and the technical crew suddenly realised their mistake. An old teacher quickly toned down the light and nervously apologized. After her eyes where back into action she suddenly saw the faces of everyone around her. The faces of the happy parents, expecting parents, exited kids, a sad friend, proud teachers, greedy parents and a man smiling from the back rows raising a paper cup. She could feel their trains of emotions and thoughts. She completely froze up at the middle of the stage. Her conscious was competing at that moment on either focusing on the play or her emotions at hand. The room was silent. People were staring at her waiting for her to do something. But she didn’t, neither did she care. Because she had realized something important; that she wasn’t living in one world, but two. She cast away the useless emotions inside of her and threw away her stupid golden crown. Not as a doll but as a human she walked ahead. Then a light sparked; and she ran away.