Chapter One-1

Chapter One Nina's POV I was fifteen when I entered as a freshman at Rio International School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When I took the entrance exam, I was aiming to get a high score in order to be in the pilot or first section, where the smartest students belong. "You have to get a 90 plus score in your entrance exam, so you will be in the first section." My sister, Claudia, kept on telling me. "I only got 87, that's why I was in the second section in my first year and got stuck in it 'til my senior year. Being valedictorian in grade school didn't help me at all." Claudia just graduated high school at Rio International School. She had a "Type A Personality". Outgoing, ambitious, impatient, and highly status conscious. Just like Papa. She was going to study in a university in Chicago to take up Business Administration. "Claudia, you don't have to pressure your sister. Nina is a very smart girl, she can nail it. She was also a Valedictorian in grade school." My Papa, Luiz Fernando Peres, one of the wealthiest businessmen in Brazil, defended me but it just escalated my fear. When I took the entrance exam at Rio International School, there were almost fifty incoming freshmen in a classroom. It was seven-thirty in the morning, my hands were shaking that I could not concentrate. A dark-haired cute teenage boy with amazing blue eyes was seated next to me. He was tapping his pencil on his desk. Although it was not so loud, it distracted my concentration. "Hey, what's your answer in number 2?" He asked me but I ignored him. The nerve! Asking questions during the entrance exam. He'll get me in trouble. I pretended not to hear him. I did not want to be scolded by the examiner and be humiliated in front of everyone. "Pretty girl, what's your answer in number 13?" What is wrong with him? He's so annoying, asking questions. He's cute and yet so dumb. I ignored him again, pretending that I didn't hear him. I was hoping that he would stop asking for the answers. It was a two-hour exam, more of an IQ test and abstract reasoning. After an hour of answering the questionnaires, my stomach gurgled. I became so hungry. I remembered that I had not eaten my breakfast because I was almost late. Luckily, I was able to grab a chocolate milk box from the fridge and put it in my bag. The examiner allowed us to eat in the classroom. So, I took my chocolate milk and sipped on it hungrily. I almost drank the whole thing when I realized that the taste was so sour. I looked at the expiry date at the top of the box. My gosh! Two months expired already. I tried not to throw up during the remaining time of the exam. Luckily, I was able to hold it. The moment I submitted my answer sheet, I grabbed my bag and ran to the ladies' room. Unfortunately, I collided with someone delaying my urgent situation. "Hey, what's the hurry, pretty girl?" The same teenage boy seated beside me during the exam asked. I could not help but stare at him. He was not only cute but also strikingly gorgeous. Tall, lean with an athletic body. Suddenly, I was stunned, and I could not move. "Still pretending not to hear me? Such a waste, a deaf mute with a pretty face." He chuckled. Wait. Did he just call me deaf mute then laugh at me? He was salty that I did not give him the answers to the exam. It was not my fault that he was a dumbass. My anger escalated from zero to one hundred percent real quick. I was about to lecture him with good manners and right conduct when suddenly, my stomach gurgled, and nausea hit me. The worst thing happened. I was not able to hold on to my vomit any longer and threw up over his shirt. "Holy shit!" He exclaimed in shock. Oh-oh what have I done? I was so embarrassed that I immediately left him and ran towards the ladies' room. I wished the floor would open up and swallow me deep down under at that moment. And I really hoped that I would never see that teenage boy again. *** After a month, school started. I was at the corridor, facing the bulletin board. The list of students and their respective sections was posted, and I was looking for my name. My heart throbbed so fast. I was disappointed that my name was not in the first section's list. But I was still hoping that it was in the second section. Peres...Peres...but still nothing. Where did they put my name? I was enrolled, and I took the entrance exam, right? I found my name in the third section. I was very disappointed because I wanted to be in the pilot section where all the smart students were. Room 208. That was the room number for the third section⁠—Jade. I turned around and bumped into someone, sending my notebooks flying. "Ooops, sorry." A dark-brown haired teenage boy said. He automatically bent down and picked all my things on the floor. "It's okay, my fault, too." "Did I hurt you?" "Nope. I'm fine." I looked at him and realized he was a cutie. "Are you a freshman?" He asked. "Yeah. Actually, I'm looking for my classroom. Do you know where Room 208 section Jade is?" "Absolutely. I'm on my way there. By the way, I'm Leandro." "I'm Nina. So we'll be classmates?" I smiled at him. I was so glad I found a new friend in my section. "Yup." He smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. "In fact, we will be seatmates." "Sure." I smiled back at Leandro. As we walked towards the stairway to go up, I saw the guy that I accidentally threw up on during the entrance exam. He was looking at me directly. His eyes followed my every move. He recognized me! I hurried my steps and Leandro caught up with me. Leandro was cute but that guy was way cuter, taller, and...ugh! So annoying. Finn's POV "She looks so sad that she's in the third section. I thought she's so smart?" Ben Murphy, my American best friend, said. "Of course she is. She was sick when she took the entrance exam. She threw up all over my shirt, remember?" I defended my long-time crush, Nina Peres. "You sound like you know too much about her. You're not even friends." Ben laughed at me.