Capítulo 1
I woke up, checked my phone for a few minutes, stretched, and then got up. I got ready for school, put my things in my bag, and sat down in the living room of my room.
“5, 4, 3, 2...”
“Pao, come down for breakfast, love, your father and I want to talk to you!” —and there it was, my mother’s shout.
I went downstairs and greeted my parents with a kiss on the cheek.
“Little one.”
“Efra, could you please not call me that?” I complained.
Efraín, my older brother, is the perfect guy: black hair, tanned skin, 1.92 meters tall, intense blue eyes. He’s literally the ideal guy for everyone. He’s super chivalrous, smart, and of course has a well-defined body. All the girls die for my brother.
“You know that’s not going to happen. Anyway, I’ll go ahead. I’ve got basketball practice in 15. Will the driver take you, or are you coming with me?”
“I’ll tell the driver to take me, don’t worry.”
“Perfect.” Efra got up, kissed me on the forehead, grabbed his things, and left. Efraín is my twin brother, but he considers himself the older one. He only beat me by a few minutes, but to him, it feels like years. You could say he and I have the perfect relationship—we’ve been inseparable for as long as I can remember.
“Princess, your mother and I will be leaving for an indefinite time. We’ve got work to do... but we didn’t want to leave without asking you first: do you want to come with us?” said my father. My parents travel a lot. My mother is a cardiologist and my father is a politician. They’re both always busy. Ever since I was little, I got used to their trips; they’re often not around much.
“No, Dad, thanks. I’ve got an important debate on Friday, and the Harvard inspectors will be there. I want them to see my potential and consider me.”
“Daughter, we know you’re super smart, and honestly, you’re going to beat everyone in that debate. We’re sorry we can’t be there to support you... but sweetheart, I want you to know that we’ll always be proud of you,” added my mother. I smiled.
“Sorry to interrupt, but the plane is ready. Just say the word and we’ll leave,” added Mr. Jorge. My parents said goodbye and left. I grabbed my things and went to the car; the driver was already ready. I got in, and he dropped me off at school.
When I arrived, my brother was with the basketball team, and he came over to me.
“Come on, give me your bag.” He grabbed it and carried it to my classroom, placing it in my usual spot.
“Thanks, but you know I can handle it.”
“I know, but you also know I’ll never let you carry your things. Now I’ve got to go, training’s starting. See you later.” I nodded, and he left.
I sat down, pulled out my MacBook, opened a Word file, and started reviewing some parts for my Friday debate. Then two people walked in. I turned and saw them. Illy and Hunter.
Illy Nashville, the school’s popular girl. And Hunter Corsetti, the school’s bad influence. To be honest, it didn’t surprise me at all—everyone knows they’re the typical on-and-off couple.
They started kissing, and Hunter lifted Illy and sat her on the teacher’s desk.
“Sorry you have to see that, sweetheart,” interrupted a familiar voice. I turned, and there he was. Travis. Ladies and gentlemen, Travis Albani—one of the richest boys in the city. He’s also my competition in everything. There’s a constant rivalry between us for first place, especially academically.
“Hi, Trav. Don’t worry, they used to do that even when we were younger, so I’m used to it.”
“Hahaha, do you still remember that? It was disgusting.”
“Shut up, Albani!” shouted Illy.
“Why? He’s right,” interrupted Alexandra.
Alexandra Torreblanco—she’s the most straightforward person you’ll ever meet. If she has something to say, she’ll make sure you know it.
“Defending your boyfriend? Get over it, Alex, that was back in kindergarten,” said Illy, walking toward us.
“Hahaha, you talking about getting over things? I’d love to give you examples, but come on—it’s pretty obvious you’re here with Hunter, right?”
“Umm, I sense some tension here,” said Dom as he walked in with Tyler.
Dominic Artur, the shy one. He doesn’t talk much, only when he’s really uncomfortable or someone asks him something. He’s usually the listener who doesn’t give opinions. Beside him was Tyler Zúñiga—she’s the most laid-back person you’ll ever meet. Her only concern in life is her books. Since she was little, she’s wanted to be a screenwriter; now I’m not sure if that’s still her dream.
Dominic and Tyler came closer.
“Hey, prince—uh, what’s going on here? Group meeting? Because I didn’t get the memo,” said Ragnar, confused. Behind him was my brother.
Last but not least, Ragnar Salvattore. The surname says it all—Ragnar is the son of mafia boss Sebastián Salvattore. Ragnar has been my best friend my whole life. He’s the typical bad-boy-looking guy everyone loves: tanned skin, 1.91 meters tall, brown hair, and unique cold blue eyes.
Seeing the eight of them there reminded me of last year. I started feeling bad, like I couldn’t breathe. I got up and headed toward the door, but I bumped into someone.
“Sorry, Pao, I didn’t see you,” Dylan apologized.
“Love, be more careful. Sorry, Pao, it’s just Dylan is super absentminded,” added Laura.
Laura D’bianco and Dylan Artur. Dylan is Dominic’s twin brother. He and Laura have been dating since they were seven. I remember Dylan asking her out with an ice cream cone. They’re the school’s perfect couple.
“Don’t worry, Dy,” I said, and left the classroom.
“Princess, I’ve got them here.” Ragnar grabbed me by the waist and stopped me. He gently turned me around so we were face to face, handed me my drops and my pills, and hugged me without saying a word. I calmed down instantly.
“Ragnar, thank you so much, and—”
“Princess, could you please speak a little slower? I can’t quite understand you,” Ragnar added.
“Yes, sorry. I said tha—”
“Students, to class,” the principal interrupted angrily. We both went to class.
The day passed, class after class, hour after hour, until finally it was time to leave. I went to my locker to drop off my books. When I opened it, an invitation fell to the floor. I picked it up.
“8. You’re invited to the most exclusive party in the city. Today at 8:00 p.m. Don’t miss it. I promise it’s a party to die for... don’t forget it’s exclusive, so don’t say a word. Cooper’s house.”
I didn’t think much of it, put the invitation in my bag, and left. I left my things in my brother’s car and went to the court. They had an important game today, and of course I was going to support my brother and my best friend. The game started.
“And that’s how we wrap up the first game of this important tournament, with the home team winning.”
“Congratulations! You guys played really well,” I told Ragnar and Efra.
“Thanks, little one. I’ll grab my things, and then we’ll go eat.” Efra left.
“Thanks, princess. Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, sorry, it’s just tha—”
“I know. Seeing us all together affected you. You don’t have to explain—I know. I know it gets to you, and you know I’m here for you. Bear hug?”
“You’re sweaty,” I said with a small laugh.
“So what?” He hugged me anyway.
“Ragnar!” I complained. We both started laughing. Efra came back, we said goodbye to Ragnar, and went to eat.
We ate and then went home. I checked the time—it was 6:28 p.m. I sat at my desk and opened my debate document. I read it over and over, again and again. I wanted to check every single detail a thousand times. This debate was my chance to get into Harvard with a scholarship. Thank God I don’t actually need one, but it would mean the world to me to get into Harvard on a scholarship.
(Knock-knock) The door sounded.
“Come in!” Efra walked in.
“Hey, little one, I’m going out for a while. I’ll be back at 12. Call me if you need anything. Love you.”
“Yes, thanks.” He closed the door and left. I went back to working on my debate. A few minutes later, my head started hurting, so I shut my Mac.
It was 8:17 p.m. My brother wouldn’t be home until midnight.
I grabbed my bag, went downstairs, took the keys to a car, and drove to the Cooper house. When I arrived, I parked. To be honest, the party didn’t look very lively, but whatever—I’d just go in for a bit and then leave.
I went in, and everything was kind of ugly, messy, and the vibe was off. I turned around, ready to leave, but I couldn’t—the doors had closed. I pushed hard, but nothing happened.
“Great, Paola. Clearly, this was a bad idea. Who in their right mind walks into a house that’s abandoned to begin with, and besides, if this was supposed to be a party, there should’ve been people? Oh, Paola, seriously, only you—”
“Well, looks like there are two of us,” interrupted the last voice I wanted to hear.
“What are you doing here, Hunter?” I asked.
“Same as you. I guess you came here because of a stupid invitation... well, I’m sorry to say, but it’s a trap.” When I heard him say that, my heart started racing. I couldn’t breathe. This had to be a joke—it couldn’t be real. “Hey, pretty, what’s wrong?”
“I-I need...” I couldn’t finish. Everything went black.
“RAGNAR!” I heard Hunter yell.
A few minutes passed. I opened my eyes and was lying on Ragnar’s lap. I sat up.
“Thank God you’re okay,” said Laura. I was surprised—they were all there.
“We said we’d never get together again,” was all I could say.
“I know, but we got the invitation too,” said Trav.
