When two academic rivals agree to help each other and end up falling in love, what happens?
Tito, a girl struggling with sickle cell disease, and Benjy, a popular jock at Cherry High School, have always been the top students, with Tito consistently...
"What?" Mom glanced at the television and faced her brothers. "Would one of you reduce the volume please?"
Pero scrambled for the remote. "Sorry, mom."
Mom turned to face her. "Young girl, I didn't buy these drugs for you to reject them. You don't reject drugs."
She stretched her legs, sighing loudly. "Drugs, drugs. I am tired of them. I just want to be, mom?"
"Are you hearing yourself? You need these drugs."
Her eyes were beginning to tear up and by the time she managed to clear her tears, all she could manage was. "I missed the competition, ma."
"So? It's just a competition." Her mother used her hand to lift her face. "You've won many competitions and that's okay."
Her mom didn't understand how special this competition was. "Not like this one. This is different."
Her mom raised a brow. "What is so different about it?"
"I was going to get the scholarship and even a cash prize. I had it all planned out. I failed, mom." She could feel the tears threatening to fall.
"Oh, baby. You didn't fail. You were just sick."
She sobbed this time. "I don't like being sick. I hate this."
"Look at me." Concern drenched her mother's face. "Honey, competitions, debates, grades. There is more to life than that. Look at your brothers, they aren't the best but they have good grades."
She looked at her brothers. Each had a smirk on his face. "That's because they aren't as smart as I am."
"Ouch," Pero said.
Demola frowned. "She didn't just say that."
"It is the truth," She said.
"Sweetie?" Her mother called.
"This has gone. You'll win another competition. I'm sure of that. You can't always be the winner. Let others shine, too?"
She nodded and returned her mother's smile.
She had better not see Benjamin tomorrow.
------------------------------------
"On a scale of one-ten, how angry are you?" Abby had asked her after Chemistry class. Their Chemistry teacher, Ms. Jones had asked them to help clean up the lab and help pack the apparatuses used for the determination of the boiling point of water.
Tito clenched her fist around a boiling tube. "100."
"100 isn't on the scale." Abby received the boiling tube from her, rinsing it in the sink before placing it into the tube rack.
"Well, it should be."
Tito threw her eyes around the empty lab. "Benjamin doesn't know what he is getting into, tho. Competitions like that are hard. They deserve total commitment. It's not about what they teach you in school. It's about what you have learned outside school."
"I think he can handle it if you can."
"Whose sides are you on?"
Abby held up her wet palms. "No one. Just saying the truth as it is. Moreover, he didn't choose this. You weren't around, babe."
"I know." She sighed. "I guess I am just angry I missed the chance. That's all."
"Hmm, I know something that would cheer you up." Abby looked at the door and when their gaze met, her friend winked.
She whispered. "What?"
"Did you see Dare today?"
Tito blushed. She'd had a crush on Dare for a long time now. It all started in Junior class three when she noticed how gorgeous his side profile was. Girls squealed over him and as much as she hated cliché things like that, she realized she had a huge crush on him.
"Abby, someone might hear you."
Abby waves her off. "No one is here. Just you and I."
"Yes. I saw him, okay?"
"And?" Abby urged, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Gosh, he is so handsome."
Abby giggled. "And muscular too. Tito, why don't you just tell him how you feel?"
She'd thought about it but no. It would be a distraction and she wanted no distractions. "I've told you, I can't."
"I don't understand why."
She lifted three fingers. "I have three reasons."
"Spill."
"First, I can't get into a relationship now. Too busy building my grades. Second, He is Benjy's friend. I can't stand that guy. We argue about everything. Dating him means I will have to be around Benjamin. No, thank you. Third and last reason, He doesn't like me."
"You don't know if he likes you." Abby shrugged.
"He doesn't and you know it."
Abby sighed dreamily. "Just imagine a world where you can have him and your grades."
She smiled. "It will be bliss."
Tito looked at her friend and the two of them burst into laughter.
Just then, the door of the lab creaked open and the devil himself walked in.
She felt some kind of weakness in her legs. Was Benjy at the door the whole time?
Abby's expression was a replica of hers.
He grinned. "Tito, nice to see you. You miss me?"
The guts! She was going to kill him.
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