Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro

Wednesday. 23:00. Barra da Tijuca. The so expected day has finally arrived for the students. Vacations? Well, yes and no. Well, the last event of the year in fact represents the end of the school season, the freedom of the summer vacation. Three whole months - there are controversies - of rest and without the slightest concern for studies and school work. But before delivering the key to the prison, the school demanded a little "must". The students must attend the ball, which could possibly mean some problems. To starters, a ball requires a partner. And getting one is not always an easy task. It requires courage, a little tact, and timing. 

- Hey Regina, who are you going to the ball with? - Sophie, one of the school's students, asked. 

- With Douglas. - Regina replied. - I've been talking to him all week. 

- But he hasn't called you?

- No. But he will.

- How can you be so sure?

- Oh, I know. It's instinct.   

Instinct, maybe. But is it enough? 

- I'm thinking of calling, Enzo. - Sophie revealed. 

- Who is Enzo? 

- That cute boy from class 2. 

Nope, nothing.

- I don't know who that is yet.

- Enzo Carvalho. 

- I'm sorry. Is he one of the stupid kids who plays on the football team?

- Yes, yes!

- The Captain? 

- No. The striker. 

- Left or right?

- I think he is right-wing. I heard him talking about capitalism and how absurd he thinks it is in the 21st century that people dare to call themselves "communists". 

- No, you dummy! Does he play left or right? His position on the pitch!

- Oh, I think right. Isn't he right-handed?

- Yes, he is.

- Then he's the one I'm talking about.

Regina made a funny face and Sophie noted it.

- What's the problem? You don't like him?

- Not that I don't like him, but Enzo is a womanizer. 

- What are you talking about?

- You know the Europe sisters?

- Yes. 

- Can you believe that Enzo has been out with almost all of them?

- Get out!

- That's right. I don't like to spread the word, but he slept with Russia and Albania while dating Italy. And he also dated Belgium. 

- Holy shit! The boy dominated the East and the West. He did what Hitler and Napoleon failed to accomplish.

- Stop being a weirdo. And what's with the fucking pink hat? Are you Legally Blonde?  

In a certain way, Regina was right. Sophie would be doing a terrible mistake if she wanted to go out with Enzo. But still... At the end of that day, with 48 hours to the ball, Sophie went to Enzo. Or at least attempted to. Don't get me wrong, Sophie might be called beautiful. But when compared to Regina Flores, Sophie cannot be considered more than a Fiat in the 24 hours of Le Mans. And it doesn't end there, as Sophie was also friends with Belgium Banks, girlfriend of Vinicius "Vini" Valverde, Enzo's best friend. Months ago, the three returned from Saudi Arabia after an insane and surprisingly successful mission to rescue Enzo's ex-girlfriend Ana. Enzo's response could set off an unprecedented series of events. And of course this worried Belgium, for two primary reasons: she didn't want to see her friend distraught, and Enzo was an idiot. 

- Vini, darling, have you seen Enzo?

- No, I haven't seen him. - Vini replied. - He disappeared during the last class. Maybe he's getting a date for the ball. 

- That's what worries me. 

Vini became curious. 

- Why?

- Because I have a friend who is interested in going with him, but I'm afraid of his reaction. And hers too.

- Why is that?

- Are you genuinely asking me this question?

- All right, I got lost in character, I apologize. 

- He said he wanted to take Daphne Logan. 

- Enzo! - Vini muttered. - That psychopath!

- Oh, come on, Vini. He's not all bad.

Oh, Belgium defending Enzo? Very suspicious.

- Are you now defending him? - Vini didn't understand.

- Honey, I know how it sounds. Yes, yes, Enzo has a peanut in his head instead of a brain, but you see. It's not your decision. 

- I just wanted him to think that his decisions affect everyone around us. Me, my aunt, you, your sisters. It is a completely unthinking thing to expect something thoughtful from him!

- Yes, I agree. - Belgium started to laugh.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Still, it could be worse.

And so it was. Because the very next day, Enzo met with Sophie, very early in the morning of the following day. Whilst the girl looked like a bundle of nerves, Enzo had no idea what was really up. Watching the scene from afar, Vini and Belgium couldn't help but spy on them, just wondering what one was saying to the other. All they could see were their mouths moving and some confused facial expressions. 

- Uh-oh, this is it. - Vini announced. 

- I can't even look at it! - Belgium covered her eyes with her hands. - Tell me what's going on.

- Okay, Vini began to narrate. - Vini began to narrate. - "It's going to be Dale Earnhardt Jr.! Using lessons learned from his father to go from 6th to 1st and score the victory in the Pepsi 400!"

- What's that?

- Oh, you asked me to narrate Enzo and Sophie? I thought I was supposed to narrate anything, such as Allen Bestwick in the final laps of the 2001 Daytona 400. 

- Very funny. 

- No, wait! - said Vini.

- What? - Belgium tensed up, but with her eyes closed. - Did she kill him? The school exploded? Aliens invaded the Earth?

- This doesn't happen in this book. Only in the other chronicle book, which wasn't that successful. 

- Oh my God! Enzo killed Sophie! That maniac! 

- Wait, everything seems to be going well.

- Really? What are they saying?

- If you could keep quiet, I could try to read their lips.

Belgium seemed impressed. 

- Do you know how to do this?

- The basics.

- So what are they saying?

- Enzo is saying: "It's not you, it's me. 

Hearing this did not please Belgium one bit. 

- Are you kidding me that he used this excuse?

- Usually he already has something hooked up for the refusal, Sophie caught him by surprise. He's improvising. 

- And how is he doing?

- Terrible. It would be nicer if he killed her and dumped her body in the river.

- What a horrible thing to do, Vini!

- Uh-oh. - Vini said. - It's getting worse. He said his cousin is going to his house and he might not go to the dance.  

- Dance, little monkey, dance! 

- Enzo doesn't even have cousins!

After the talk, everyone was still alive and no earthquake was detected on the Hitcher scale. Vini and Belgium rushed to ask Enzo what he had said to Sophie and how she responded.

- Nothing. - Enzo replied. - I just said I wasn't going to the ball.

- Oh, quit it, you're such a liar! - Belgium complained. 

- What? - Enzo didn't understand.

- Forget it, Enzo, we know. - Vini announced. 

- Oh, really?

- Yes! - The whole school shouted together. 

- Well, what can I do? - Enzo shrugged his shoulders. - Sophie is not my type. 

- Not your type? - Belgium felt offended - Beautiful, intelligent and sweet are not your type? What is your type?

- I certainly would not ask that question, Belgium. - Vini advised.

- You are such an idiot! 

- Look, what do you want me to say? You want me to take Sophie to the ball even though I don't want to? As far as I know, this is a free country and I have the right to take whoever I want to the ball, Belgium Banks! I don't live in a feminist dictatorship, otherwise this country would be called the Federal Republic of Twitter!

- What do you think? - Belgium asked Vini after Enzo's tantrum.

- I think he's going to do a stupid thing as big as our country. 

- Like what?

- Calling Regina to the ball. 

Belgium started to laugh. 

- Come on, Vini. Even Enzo isn't that dumb. 

Vini didn't say anything. He just stared at his girlfriend for a few seconds, as if his silence was more representative than words.

As it turned out, what Belgium had feared came true at the end of that day, because Enzo went to Regina to ask her to the ball. A thoughtless and rather foolish attitude.   

- She used the cousin's excuse. - said Enzo.

- But that's your excuse! - Vini replied.

- Yes, it is!

- You invented it!

- I need inspiration to come up with new excuses. And the worst is that now I have nothing!

- Enzo, if you thought about meeting someone nice and non-judgmental you would have had a prom date a long time ago.

- And how would that help anything, Vini?

With that answer, there was only one more thing to say.

- Well, I take that back.