Episode 1

It was Monday, and Nicolas, 17, was getting ready to go to school, missing the friends he hadn't seen in a while. That day marked the beginning of his senior year of high school. In his room, he was closing his backpack when he heard his father's voice echo through the hallway.

"Nicolas, you need to understand something... you have to be the best. Always! And that starts with being punctual," said his father, with his usual firm and dry tone. "You can't let anyone pass you, especially a girl."

Nicolas stopped for a moment, his hands still holding the backpack zipper. He knew that his father had high expectations regarding his academic performance, but his father's prejudiced remarks always bothered him, although he had never admitted it.

"Don't worry, Dad. I am the best!"

Nicolas' gaze shifted to the old camera that was on the desk, a valuable gift from his grandmother, the only person who seemed to see Nicolas beyond the expectations imposed by his father.

The camera given by his grandmother was in the center of the many cameras Nicolas had. He picked up the object, running his fingers over the cold texture of the metal and feeling a comfort that few things brought.

Before he could get lost in thought, his father's voice echoed again, as he entered the room without knocking.

"Leave that aside, Nicolas. Art, photography... these things won't give you a future. A position in a big company is worth much more than that."

Nicolas pursed his lips, taking a deep breath. He put the camera back in place, but something in his gaze showed that that silent passion was still alive inside him.

"I know, Dad. It's just a hobby," he replied, as if he were convincing himself more than his father.

As he went down the stairs to leave, Nicolas carried with him his father's words and the pressure they brought. Being the best came at a high price, and he was willing to pay the price, or at least he thought he was.

On the other end, there was Rafaela, about to turn 17, starting her senior year of high school at the new school.

She arrived at school with her worn backpack on her back. Rafaela lost her mother early and was raised by her father, Carlos, who never managed to choose clothes or take care of her hair, but he was a loving and dedicated father, who liked to ensure quality time with his daughter, and who made her way of dressing resemble his.

Rafaela grew up accustomed to simplicity and loved being with her father. The baggy shirts and loose pants were her daily uniform, and she didn't seem to care about the others' looks at her short haircut that she had always worn since childhood, remembering how she made a fuss when her father tried to comb her hair, so they opted for a cut that didn't require work, as they had no support network in the city that could help him in that regard.

In the hallway, Nicolas, or just Nick, as everyone called him, soon noticed the new student at the school. Nick was the best student in the class, and also the most popular boy, smiling, mocking, and always surrounded by a group of noisy friends, something his father didn't know. He had that air of superiority typical of someone who had never known rejection in life.

"Look, guys!" Nick called, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I didn't know we had a new colleague..." He laughed, looking directly at Rafaela. "Are you John Doe?" he joked.

Rafaela stopped, staring at Nick with a raised eyebrow. She was used to comments like that, but they never affected her.

"Idiot!" she replied, staring at Nick, before moving on.

The group let out muffled giggles, while Nick, surprised, raised his hands.

"Whoa, the 'bully' is fierce!" he provoked, following her with his gaze.

In the first few days, Rafaela felt a bit isolated, since everyone in the class knew each other, but soon she became friends with Ava.

Rafaela was a bit shy, and her presence went unnoticed most of the time, which didn't seem to bother her. During recess, while most of the students gathered in groups scattered around the yard, Rafaela preferred to sit in the most remote corner, with a book open in her hands.

It was on a day like that that Ava approached her for the first time. Ava, with her extroverted manner and easy smile, always had a word for everyone, but she also had a unique ability to see beyond appearances. Curious, she approached and sat next to Rafaela without asking permission.

"What are you reading?" Ava asked, leaning in to see the book cover.

Rafaela looked up, surprised by the unexpected presence. She hesitated for a moment, but replied softly:

"The Hour of the Star, by Clarice Lispector."

"Really? That book is awesome," Ava exclaimed enthusiastically, making Rafaela raise her eyebrows.

"Have you read it?" Rafaela asked, still suspicious.

"Of course!" Ava replied, smiling. "Macabea's story is so sad and beautiful at the same time. It's like she's screaming, but nobody hears her, you know?"

Something in that unexpected approach made Rafaela smile for the first time in days. It was rare for someone to really be interested in the same things as her.

In the following days, Ava continued to approach, striking up conversations, inviting Rafaela to have lunch together or even to study. Little by little, Rafaela opened up, and the friendship between the two grew stronger. Ava never cared about the way Rafaela dressed or what others thought of her, on the contrary, she admired her friend's authenticity and made a point of reminding her of that whenever she could.

"You're much cooler than you seem," Ava joked once, making Rafaela laugh.

"And you're much more annoying than you seem," Rafaela replied, teasing her friend, but with affection. The friendship between them was born in a simple way, but it became one of the most important things in both of their lives.

But besides Ava, another person was paying attention to Rafaela, Nick. In the following days, the provocations continued. Nick always found an opportunity to poke Rafaela, especially when he realized how intelligent she was and that she threatened his reign as the best student in the class, and he started to see her as a rival who couldn't take that position from him.

And whenever he found her on the court playing soccer, a sport in which Rafaela stood out, Nick shouted:

"I'm not sure if I should call you to my team, but one thing I know, you shouldn't play with the girls!"

Rafaela rolled her eyes, but each of Nick's comments irritated her deeply. As much as she tried to ignore it, she felt like he did it on purpose, as if he loved to provoke some reaction from her. The worst thing is that, as inconvenient as he was, Nick knew how to be funny and had a natural ability to make people laugh, including her, in moments when she preferred not to admit it.

"It's easier for you to admit that I play better than you, and that I'm also smarter," she provoked, seeing him wanting to smile, and Nick also started to feel different near her despite the teasing.

"Better than me?" Nick laughed, returning to his provocative tone. "Let's see that when you play against me, bully, or will you chicken out?"

And, once again, he left, leaving Rafaela with a mixture of anger and a hint of satisfaction.

As much as Nick irritated her, she began to notice something curious, he seemed to have more fun teasing her than talking to the others, and she wondered why.

What Rafaela didn't know was that Nick, as the weeks passed, began to notice details that he had previously ignored.

Rafaela seemed to like studying, and not because someone forced her to be the best. He watched her from afar, sitting with an open book during breaks, really focused. It wasn't like him, who studied to be the best because of his father's pressure. There was something genuine in the way Rafaela approached her studies, as if she really wanted to learn.

This bothered him in a way he didn't understand. Why was she like that? She didn't have the best appearance, she didn't try to impress anyone, and even so, she seemed satisfied with herself.

"But she's not ugly..." He said, looking at Rafaela

Nick started paying more attention to the answers Rafaela gave in class. She always had something interesting to say, something that made the teachers smile with approval. He, on the other hand, responded strategically, always focused on impressing.

She was someone different from everything he knew, someone who didn't seem to carry the weight of others' expectations, only her own choices.

And that, somehow, made him question his own.

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