After the groping incident, Hikaru and I grew closer. Obviously through his name, Hikaru was a Japanese man. It's his second time in Italy so he's pretty good in Italian. He's been to my house a few times because I continuously insist that he has dinner with us.

Currently, I was in school, eagerly reading a sheet that our teacher has handed out.

Next to me is my best friend Nicoletta. She was a fairly pretty girl with very dark, almost black, brown hair and deep blue eyes. Her cupid bow lips had a very nice shade of red that enhances her pale skin.

Which is a bit unusual for an Italian to have light skin, but I can't say anything because I'm a pretty pale myself.

Seeing my excited expression, she leans over and asks, "You gonna sign up, Dolce?"

She also had a habit of nicknaming me sweet because she says I'm a sweet girl, affectionate and lovely.

I look at her with excitement. "Hell yeah I'm signing up! I'd love to study abroad!"

"Che cosa?! And you're just gonna leave me alone?!" she started to flail in her seat.

"Eh? You're not signing up?"

"Oh, hell no I'm not. Three paragraphs containing at least fifteen sentences about why you wanna study there? Pffft, no. I'll go traveling that doesn't include me learning as an adult."

"Hah, suit yourself. But this thing is free and I would like to travel for free while learning the culture."

She just pouted and begins kicking my seat. "But you're finishing your high school year there! We're not going to graduate together! Or what if you like the place so much you chose to finish college there? Or what if you fall in love there? You're gonna want to get married there and I won't be able to come to your wedding because it's so far! Then our kids won't be best friends like that and I can't become a god mother or visit for your kids birthday or-!"

"Calma, Nicoletta! It's only for maybe a year or two considering which school I might go to. After those years are up, I'm coming back here."

She feigns a sniffle. "Promise?"

"Promise," I agree.

She brightens up instantly. "Great!"

The bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. Teens all rush out the front gate, eager to get home.

A familiar ginger was leaning against the wall, a couple feet away from the entrance of the school.

Nicoletta met Hikaru before, so she didn't hesitate to call him out. "Hikaru! How's my favorite tranny doing?"

Hikaru smirks at the brunette. "I'm doing fine. How's the troublemaker?"

She pouts. "I'm not a troublemaker... all the time."

"Riiiiiiight."

"Can you two have your lover's spat later?" I interrupt, feeling impatient. "Hikaru, guess what?"

He raises a brow. "What?"

I shove the flyer into his face. He flinches, but takes it anyway and reads through it. "A chance to study abroad?"

I squeal. "Yes! And look at what countries I can attend school in."

He does and his eyes widened. "Hinode High School? That's the school three of my siblings are attending!"

My eyes widen. "Really?! I was planning on going to Japan anyway, but now I have to get in! I'd love to meet your siblings!"

"Pffft, I wouldn't. They'd probably be exactly like you," Nicoletta teased.

The ginger huffed and pinches her cheek. "Now, now, saying stuff like that will only hurt someone's feelings. Being cold will only prevent you from getting a boyfriend."

She swats at his hands and he chuckles before turning to me. "So, you're going to apply?"

I nod my head. "Yup! I'd love to study in Japan and learn the customs."

Hikaru smiles and pats my head. "Well, good luck. Unfortunately, I need to go, so I'll see you later." With that, he walks away.

Nicoletta turns to me. "Now that that's out of the way, let's go to Piazza San Marco! I heard they opened that new clothes shop and I wanna see!"

A laugh escapes my lips. "What is it with you and clothes? Ah, whatever, let's go."

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE!" I yell in frustration.

It was already 7:00 pm. The assignment due date was really short. It was due in two days. Apparently, it was to see if the students were efficient enough to not procrastinate and prove that they really wanted this.

The essay was simple: Give reasons as to why you would like to study abroad and why the school should choose you.

It was a persuasive thing, and my issue is finding the words to write down, to make it sound like I really want it with all these technical terms.

I sigh, feeling the frustration welling up. I get up to take a breather. Sitting here will only aggravate me instead of helping me.

I trudge into the kitchen, and I see my mother sitting on the table with a cup of tea. She looks up and sees me, her face turning into one of concern. "What's wrong, tesoro?"

I sighed and sat down across from her, resting my head on my arms. "Nothing. I'm just...stressed. I don't know what to write for my essay."

Mom's eyes softened. "Well, Aurelia, why don't you just write down what you really feel and how much that trip will mean to you."

"It's a bit difficult than that, ma. They want technical terms like, 'This trip will benefit me to help cure cancer and solve world hunger'. Stuff like that."

Mom narrowed her eyes. "Then it makes no sense. If that's what they really want, then what's the point of this? I bet if you write down how much this trip will mean to you, they'll let you in."

She got up and kisses my head. "I'm going to my room, but think carefully of what I said, amore."

Leaving me alone in my thoughts, I just sit there. After a few minutes, I straighten up.

"Oh well, it's worth a shot."

With that being said, I went back to my room.

I was clutching the essay close to me, feeling a bit nervous if I'd get accepted.

Like always, Nicoletta walked to school at me. She furrows her eyebrows in concern for me. "Aurelia, stop worrying so much. It's not like you. I'm sure you'll be fine."

I look at her. "You don't understand, Nicole, this is the one thing that I really want. It will be a wonderful opportunity for me."

She put a hand on my shoulder and smiles reassuringly, her blue-gray eyes soft. "You'll be fine. If they don't choose you, then they're just a bunch of bastards."

I smiled back at her. "Yeah." We arrived at school, and I took a deep breath. "Let's do this."