The Story of a "No" (Storia di un No)

"The Story of a No" tells of a first kiss that doesn't turn out the way you dreamed it would, of families that aren't quite what we'd like them to be, and of love that is mistaken for possession. It is the story of Martina, who decides to set boundaries. Translated into German by Brigitte Korn-Wimmer Martina is 14 and lives alone with her father, who is always there for her and makes great lasagna. She’s doing well in school, throws sleepovers with her friends, and dreams of her first kiss with Sebastian. It has to be totally romantic. But she experiences her first kiss with Alessandro, a good-looking boy in designer clothes who spends 20 minutes every morning styling his quiff. And this moment is very different from what she expected. The two meet when Martina is harassed by a man in the park. Alessandro helps her and walks her home. They look deep into each other’s eyes, and neither of them knows what’s happening to them. Butterflies in their stomachs—they can’t stop thinking about each other, holding on to each other, and making out. Is this what love feels like? Alessandro is absolutely certain of it. He doesn’t want to be without Martina for a single moment longer. When he’s with her, he forgets the stress at home, where his father is constantly yelling at his mother. Martina likes him a lot too, but she soon feels suffocated. He gets jealous when she spends time with others, stops her from going to school, and demands one proof of love after another. It all becomes too much for Martina, but she can’t bring herself to say “no.” "The Story of a No" tells of a first kiss that isn’t what one had dreamed of, of families that aren’t what we’d like them to be, of love that is mistaken for possession. It is the story of Martina, who decides to set boundaries. By Annalisa Arione and Dario de Falco