Vero Code: Vero's Deception

Chapter Two: The weight of dreams

The clock on the wall mocked Ali with its relentless tick-tock as she slammed the last plate into the soapy water. Midnight loomed, mirroring the dark mood clinging to her like a second skin. Still no word from RSA. Her stomach churned, a cocktail of frustration and fear. Summer stretched before her, a vast, empty canvas where everyone else's dreams would be splashed in vibrant colors. Hers, however, remained stubbornly blank, overshadowed by the looming expectation of following the path her parents had meticulously paved.

A sharp rap-rap-rap on the window startled her. Relief washed over her as she saw her brother Jeremy's familiar grin plastered outside. He wasn't just a friend; he was the escape hatch from the carefully curated chaos that was her life. Jeremy, with his broad shoulders and perpetually windblown hair, understood the storm brewing beneath Ali's carefully constructed facade, the simmering rebellion against the life she wasn't supposed to want.

"Finally," Ali rasped, her voice rough with suppressed emotion. "Thought I'd dissolve myself into sudsy oblivion before the existential dread swallowed me whole."

Jeremy, with a playful glint in his eyes, hoisted himself onto the windowsill. "Alright, Mrs Shakespeare. What's got you scrubbing away like a cleaner trying to get promoted?"

Ali hesitated. This carefully built exterior, the tough persona she presented to the world, felt flimsy under Jeremy's gaze. Yet, with him, vulnerability wasn't a weakness, it was a secret handshake.

"It's RSA, Jeremy," she admitted, her voice low and tight. "The silence is deafening. Summer's coming, everyone's got plans, and I'm stuck here...nowhere."

Jeremy, ever perceptive, noticed the storm brewing beneath her facade. He settled beside her, a silent promise of support. "I'm listening."

Taking a deep breath, Ali poured out her heart. She described the agonising wait for RSA's answer, the fear of being left behind while the world kept spinning. She even mentioned Ze, his enigmatic return, and the strange distance that now separated them. However, she downplayed the curiosity that gnawed at her, focusing instead on the frustration of his brooding demeanor.

Jeremy listened patiently, his brow furrowed in concern. When she finished, a thoughtful silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant wail of a siren.

"Ali," Jeremy finally said, his voice thoughtful, "sometimes you gotta create your own opportunities. What about other schools? Maybe a summer design program somewhere interesting?"

His words sparked a flicker of hope in Ali's eyes. Maybe RSA wasn't the only answer. Maybe the path to her dreams wasn't a straight line, but a winding road filled with unexpected detours.

The next morning, the tension in the house hung heavy as Ali's mother entered the kitchen. Her usually sharp gaze held a flicker of something...unsettled. In her hand, like a ticking time bomb, was a tightly sealed envelope. Ali's heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs. This was it. The answer. Acceptance, or rejection. The future, hanging precariously in the balance.

But as Ali's mother reached out to hand her the envelope, Ali's gaze drifted involuntarily towards the window. Through the sheer curtain, she saw a flicker of movement – a flash of dark hair disappearing around the corner of the house. Ze. The unanswered questions about his presence, his secrecy, lingered in the air.

However, they were a fleeting thought compared to the weight of the envelope in her hand. With trembling fingers, she tore it open, her breath catching in her throat as she scanned the first line.

"Congratulations on successfully receiving a place at the Royal Summer Academy for Fashion Design..."

A giddy smile spread across Ali's face, threatening to split it in two. She looked up at her mother, expecting...something. Relief? Excitement? But her face remained a mask of conflicting emotions. A flicker of pride battled with a well of disappointment that threatened to spill over.

"Well," Her mother finally said, her voice tight, "Looks like you're going to chase your fancy dreams, then."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken disapproval. Before Ali could respond, her mother turned on her heel and disappeared out the door, leaving Ali with the bittersweet taste of victory and the looming shadow of a fractured relationship.