Ronny

Chapter 1

Adelina Celine Torres

Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes tightly and try to calm myself down.

It's well past midnight, and I can't seem to understand a single thing.

The letters jump around on my computer screen as I try to focus my eyes on them, causing me to become extremely frustrated.

My eyes start to water as I slam my computer shut. I lean my head back, trying my best to take deep breaths.

Tomorrow I have a huge exam, one that I can't afford to do anything less than perfect on.

Nursing school is hard in general, but at Stanford? I'm used to long nights of cramming information into my brain, then praying it sticks. Add in my severe dyslexia and it's almost too much to bear.

I look to my phone as the clock ticks to two in the morning, and I tell myself I will just rest my eyes for a little, then continue studying.

I swear I only closed my eyes for a second, but when they open to light shining into my bedroom, my heart stops.

I jump out of my desk chair, frantically checking my phone to see that it's 7:04 AM.

My exam is at 8:00, so I hurriedly put on a sweater and jeans, and brush my hair and teeth before rushing downstairs to get something to eat. It's already 7:30, so I grab a banana on my way out the door, hoping I don't run into my siblings or parents.

Most people have good relationships with their families, I don't. My brother is the best lawyer in the country, and my sister is a famous supermodel. Let's just say, I'm the let down of the family, and they always let me know it.

The drive to the university is only fifteen minutes, leaving me another fifteen to get to my classroom and calm myself down before the test.

Mama and Papa both oppose me staying on campus, they say women prostitute themselves in college, and they won't allow it.

I wanted to argue that Avery, my sister, was allowed to stay on campus at Berkeley, before she dropped out, but that would surely make them punish me. I'm not allowed to bring up Avery's failed college career, they pretend it never even happened.

Between you and me, she only got into Berkeley after Papa called the board and threatened to sue them. I on the other hand got into college completely on my own, if anything Mama and Papa were disappointed when I was admitted to Stanford, since they couldn't yell at me for once.

My parents are extremely well known lawyers, which just adds pressure to being their least successful child.

I make my way to class, going over everything I need to know in my head.

As Professor Angelo starts to pass out the tests, my hands start to shake with anxiety, and the thoughts of what will happen if I fail creep into my mind.

Two hours later, I give my professor a tight smile before leaving the room, my head feeling like it's about to explode.

A short week later, it all comes back useless when I check my score to see an 85.

I refresh the screen multiple times, hoping my eyes are playing tricks on me, hoping my dyslexia is making me see incorrectly.

"Yikes" I hear Avery giggle from over my shoulder, peering at the screen to my grade. I shut the computer, feeling my stomach twist into knots.

"What?" Papa walks into the room, giving me and my sister a questioning look.

I look to Avery, pleading her not to tell Papa. She gives me a wicked smile, "Oh nothing, I'm just feeling so bad for Lina"