Snøflakene falt mykt over den gamle internatskolen, som et teppe av ro.

The snowflakes fell softly over the old boarding school, like a blanket of calm.

Korridorene var fylt med forventning.

The corridors were filled with anticipation.

Elevene pyntet ivrig til vinterarrangementet.

The students eagerly decorated for the winter event.

Glitterstjerner hang i taket, og lysene i vinduene glødet som varme lys i vintermørket.

Glittering stars hung from the ceiling, and the lights in the windows glowed like warm candles in the winter darkness.

Det var post-nyttår, og snøfnuggene fanget lyset som små juveler.

It was post-New Year, and the snowflakes caught the light like small jewels.

Eirik sto ved vinduet i sitt lille, men hyggelige rom, fylt med tankene sine.

Eirik stood by the window in his small, yet cozy room, filled with his thoughts.

Utenfor så han på de andre elevene som lo og kastet snøballer.

Outside, he watched the other students who laughed and threw snowballs.

Han ønsket å være med, men det var noe annet som presset på i tankene hans.

He wanted to join them, but there was something else pressing on his mind.

I hendene holdt han et lite hefte med sine egne dikt – ord han aldri hadde delt med noen.

In his hands, he held a small booklet of his own poems—words he had never shared with anyone.

Eirik var en reflektert type, ofte mistet i egne tanker.

Eirik was a reflective type, often lost in his own thoughts.

Han beundret Astrid, som alltid var midtpunktet, lett å snakke med og full av ideer.

He admired Astrid, who was always the centerpiece, easy to talk to and full of ideas.

Bare tanken på å lese diktene foran henne fikk magen hans til å vri seg i nervøsitet.

Just the thought of reading the poems in front of her made his stomach twist with nervousness.

Mikkel, en vennlig og positiv klassekamerat, kom inn i rommet.

Mikkel, a friendly and positive classmate, came into the room.

"Hei Eirik, blir du med på å henge opp mer pynt?" spurte han med et varmt smil.

"Hey Eirik, will you join us in hanging up more decorations?" he asked with a warm smile.

Eirik nølte litt, før han viste Mikkel heftet.

Eirik hesitated a little, before showing Mikkel the booklet.

"Jeg har noen dikt," mumlet Eirik. "Men... jeg vet ikke om de er bra nok."

"I have some poems," Eirik muttered. "But... I don't know if they are good enough."

Mikkel tok imot heftet og bladde forsiktig gjennom sidene, nikket med oppriktig interesse.

Mikkel accepted the booklet and flipped through the pages carefully, nodding with genuine interest.

"Disse er gode, Eirik! Du må lese dem under arrangementet!"

"These are good, Eirik! You should read them at the event!"

Men Eirik var ikke sikker.

But Eirik wasn't sure.

Hva om ingen likte dem?

What if no one liked them?

Hva om Astrid ikke likte dem?

What if Astrid didn't like them?

Senere, mens de satte opp dekorasjoner i aulaen, kom Astrid bort.

Later, while they were setting up decorations in the auditorium, Astrid approached.

Øynene hennes lyste opp som stjernene i taket.

Her eyes lit up like the stars on the ceiling.

"Hei Eirik, Mikkel sier du har dikt du vil dele. Kan jeg se?"

"Hey Eirik, Mikkel says you have poems you'd like to share. Can I see?"

Hendene hans skalv litt, men han ga henne heftet.

His hands trembled a little, but he handed her the booklet.

Hun leste ivrig, og et stort smil spredte seg over ansiktet hennes.

She read eagerly, and a big smile spread across her face.

"Disse er nydelige, Eirik. Du burde absolutt lese dem!"

"These are beautiful, Eirik. You should absolutely read them!"

Arrangementet nærmet seg.

The event drew closer.

Korridoren var full av spente elever, og scenen var satt i aulaen.

The corridor was full of excited students, and the stage was set in the auditorium.

Eirik sto bak kulissene, helt i sine egne tanker.

Eirik stood behind the scenes, completely absorbed in his own thoughts.

Skulle han virkelig gjøre dette?

Should he really do this?

Angsten rev i magen, men han visste at dette var hans mulighet.

The anxiety tugged at his stomach, but he knew this was his opportunity.

"Neste er Eirik med et dikt," annonserte Astrid fra scenen.

"Next is Eirik with a poem," announced Astrid from the stage.

Hennes oppmuntrende blikk fanget Eirik, og han tok et dypt pust før han trådte frem mot mikrofonen.

Her encouraging glance caught Eirik, and he took a deep breath before stepping forward to the microphone.

Rommene var stille mens han leste.

The room was silent as he read.

Ordene, som han hadde fryktet, fløt lett, nesten som vinterens egen poesi i snøen.

The words, which he had feared, flowed easily, almost like the winter's own poetry in the snow.

Da han var ferdig, slo applausen mot ham som en varm bølge, og Astrid så på ham med stolthet.

When he finished, the applause hit him like a warm wave, and Astrid looked at him with pride.

Eirik smilte, uventet styrket av handlingen.

Eirik smiled, unexpectedly strengthened by the act.

Han hadde funnet stemmen sin.

He had found his voice.

Stoltheten i øynene til klassekameratene, og Astrids stolte smil, fortalte ham at hans ord betydde noe.

The pride in his classmates' eyes, and Astrid's proud smile told him that his words meant something.

Ikke bare for ham, men for alle rundt ham.

Not just to him, but to everyone around him.

Winterarrangementet ble livlig, fylt med latter og glede.

The winter event became lively, filled with laughter and joy.

Men for Eirik, hadde noe viktigere skjedd.

But for Eirik, something more important had happened.

Han hadde overvunnet sin frykt og funnet motet til å dele sin indre verden.

He had overcome his fear and found the courage to share his inner world.

Det var den beste gaven vinteren kunne gi.

It was the best gift winter could give.