章 5: 5. April
I had been in the training room for hours, stretching, running, and managed to put a microphone in my backpack. The only person that came to mind was Daniel Rock, turning my body in every possible direction. Despite the intensity of my routine, I couldn't help but wonder how someone had but I found it hard to believe; he seemed like a nice guy, and I had never told my friends about him.
"What happened on that day?" I asked myself as I did cartwheels in the air and ran back and forth across the room.
Exhausted, I decided to take a break. At that moment, Dulce, approached me with a towel and a glass of water.
"Thank you, Dulce," I said with a tired smile as I grabbed the towel and glass. I dropped to the floor and, after taking a drink of water, put on my headphones to block out the outside world. I began humming the trendy songs that filled my ears, allowing myself to slowly relax until I lay completely flat on the floor, settling in like an armadillo.
"Could it really have been Daniel who put the bug in my backpack?" I wondered again, as I mentally went over every detail of our interaction.
"Maybe I'm being too paranoid," I said to myself, trying to convince myself that Daniel had nothing to do with the bug.
After I had settled in like an armadillo and enjoyed my moment of relaxation, I watched as the seconds began to move on the wall clock.
I got up from the floor and headed to my room, I knew that the Zeus School entrance exam results would be waiting for me on my computer.
When I got to my room, I turned on my computer and opened my email with some trepidation. There were two hundred students who had made it into the prestigious institution. My eyes widened like saucers when I saw that my name was in second place.
"This is new" I muttered to myself, feeling a mixture of envy and confusion. Then, I looked at the name at the top of the list: Daniel Rock. Not only had he gotten the highest score, but he had also achieved a perfect score. My heart pounded as suspicions about him returned to my mind.
"Who are you Daniel Rock?" I thought, trying to find a connection in all of this.
I decided I needed to do a little more research on him, so I pulled out my cell phone hidden in my desk. Even though it was forbidden to use them in my house for fear of being tracked by GPS, Sophie had installed a program that prevented detection. The only problem would be if my parents discovered me.
I started browsing my cell phone, looking for clues that might reveal his true intentions. On the one hand, he seemed like a nice guy and I didn't want to believe that he was responsible for planting the bug in my backpack. But on the other hand, his recent victory in the entrance exams only heightened my suspicions.
With my heart pounding a mile a minute, I opened Instagram. I was determined to find out more about Daniel Rock, that red-haired boy who had unseated my position as valedictorian at Zeus School. I typed his name into the search engine and came across several profiles.
"There you are" I said as I entered his profile. There he was, working on a farm surrounded by animals and greenery. Sliding my finger across the screen, I saw pictures of his childhood: Daniel walking among pumpkin patches, smiling innocently in the sun.
"Boy, are you cute" I mused, but I couldn't help suspecting that he had been the one who planted the bug in my backpack. I kept going through his photos until I found one where he was swimming in a river with a group of friends. Daniel showed an athletic body with muscles all over the back of his body; I couldn't help but feel a certain attraction to him.
"Focus, April!" I mentally scolded myself and continued exploring his profile. There were pictures of what appeared to be his first date with a pretty girl, both of them enjoying a grilled fish in an outdoor setting. I also found pictures of his graduation, where he proudly held a diploma that credited him as number one at his previous school.
"He's definitely someone brilliant" I admitted with some bitterness. But what struck me most was a photo of Daniel studying at night, with a tired smile and dark circles under his eyes that betrayed his effort. The caption read, "Let's go for the scholarship."
"You've made it," I thought, feeling my envy mingle with a renewed respect for him. Finally, I saw a picture of Daniel hugging his parents, who looked proud of their son.
After meticulously reviewing every single photo and video Daniel had shared on Instagram, I felt my cheeks turn red at the thought of him. I couldn't help it; something about his sincere smile and blue eyes appealed to me in a way I didn't quite understand.
He can't be responsible for the bug, I thought as I went over the images in my mind. But in trying to get a scholarship to Zeus School, he has inadvertently gotten himself into trouble.
I didn't blame Daniel for wanting to study at Zeus School, after all, it was one of the best institutions in the country.
"Will they put us in the same classroom?" I wondered, considering that we had both scored the highest marks on the exams. The thought of sharing classes with him excited me and, at the same time, filled me with nervousness.
I turned off my cell phone and tucked it away in the secret hiding place of my desk before plopping down on my bed, hugging my pillow tightly. I closed my eyes and, although I knew I had to stay alert, I couldn't help daydreaming about meeting Daniel again, perhaps in one of the school hallways or in a quiet corner where we could talk without being interrupted.
"He's different" I admitted in my thoughts, thinking that while he had had a secret life in the field, I had the task of assassinating people.
...
The next day, I woke up with an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I knew better than to tell Ethan and Sophie about Daniel, fearing they would misinterpret my intentions and turn against him. Still, I needed to investigate who had planted the bug in my backpack. In a school like ours, full of killers and children of mobsters, anyone could have been responsible.
Suddenly, several knocks sounded behind my door.
"Come in" I said in a firm voice, trying to hide my nervousness. The door slowly opened and Dulce appeared, carrying a tray of food. Her face showed some nervousness, which made me wonder if she had heard anything of our previous conversations.
"Thank you, Sweetie," I said as she placed the tray on my desk. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Miss April," Dulce replied.
"Hey, Sweetie, have you ever been in love?" I asked suddenly, driven by a desire to change the subject.
Dulce blinked in surprise, but then looked down and replied, "I can't afford to think about loving anyone, Miss April."
"Why can't you afford to love someone, Sweetie?" I asked somewhat concerned.
"My lifestyle doesn't allow it, Miss April" she replied sadly, as she fiddled nervously with the corner of her apron.
"I'm sorry, Dulce, I shouldn't have asked," I said sincerely, feeling guilty about the role my family and I had played in her life.
"You're not to blame, Miss April," Dulce said quickly, raising her hand to stop my apology. "Not even your parents. It's just the way things are in this world we live in."
I remembered then that Dulce had grown up with me. Her parents had been servants in our house and, when they died, Dulce had carried on the work they had left behind.
Before leaving, Dulce paused for a moment, thoughtful. Then, with a determined look, she said, "If you ever get the chance to love, don't waste it. But also consider who to love, Miss April. Because no one can enter our world thinking they'll be able to get out alive."
Her words echoed in my head as Dulce walked away.
"Thank you, Sweetie," I muttered under my breath, even though I knew he could no longer hear me. Her advice had come just when I needed it, and I was determined to follow it. Because if there was one thing I learned at Zeus School, it was that love was a luxury few could afford. And if I ever had the chance to experience it, I had to be sure to choose the right person to share it with.
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