Chapter 01: Scholarship

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It was a beautiful day for a special occasion at the Cesteras family home as they celebrated their youngest child's high school graduation with highest honors.

They were delighted that their child had graduated with the help of their sibling who tirelessly supported their education. Inside the house, there were many guests, friends of their child, and mostly neighbors who were friends of the Cesteras family.

Their graduated child was in her room with her close female friends, who were all beautiful with smooth skin and attractive bodies. Their friends had noticeably smaller chests, fitting for their age of nineteen. These girls were gathered and seemed to be discussing something.

"Daisy? The green dress looks better on you!" said the girl next to her, who was wearing a green dress.

"Daisy, you just want to match dresses with Cleyia; you should know how to behave!" remarked the girl in the violet dress, with a noticeable crystal blue pendant, a gift from her aunt living abroad.

"Stacy, if you're suggesting violet, why not go for red for Cleyia! It's more suitable for her! Red lips, flawless skin, and her sexy body. The boys will definitely swoon over her when they see her," added another girl holding a red dress, handing it to Cleyia, who now had light makeup because she didn't need much, knowing her own beauty but having no reason to boast about her body figure.

Throughout her high school life, she had only had one boyfriend who lasted only a year because he left for Italy for reasons she didn't know. Perhaps it was just an excuse, but regardless, Cleyia managed to study well and achieve the highest grades, thanks to the unwavering support of her family. Her goal was to finish her studies, and now she had accomplished that. She had graduated from high school, full of confidence that she could lift her family out of poverty, especially her brother who worked in Manila.

As an employee of a company with a decent salary to support her education, she looked at her friends Daisy, Stacy, and Joyce, who were now admiringly looking at her.

"Bestie? You look so beautiful!" Daisy exclaimed, hugging Stacy, who seemed slightly annoyed.

"Hey, are you a jealous leech?" Stacy retorted, with a smirk on her face.

Daisy seemed envious of her friend who wore a white dress with a simple plastic necklace design, which matched her outfit and was complemented by sparkling earrings given to her by her aunt working abroad.

"Come on, let's go downstairs; they might be waiting for us!" Cleyia suggested, prompting her three friends to stand up and leave the room. As they exited, they were greeted by guests sitting in chairs and children playing around.

"Ate Cleyia!" shouted one of the kids, waving at the young lady in the white dress, which accentuated her porcelain-like skin. Cleyia waved back.

The girls continued walking and saw their other friends who had been waiting for them: Kate, Denise, Jelay, Miya, Haruna, and Lexly. They were all equally beautiful as Stacy, Daisy, and Joyce.

"Wow, Bestie! You look stunning in your outfit!" Jelay exclaimed, nudging her friend Kate, who was a bit preoccupied with her phone. "Huh?" Kate responded, slightly surprised, and then she looked at Cleyia, pointing to where she was sitting.

"Oh? Our Valedictorian is here!" Kate announced, catching the attention of others. On the other side, the boys, Cleyia's classmates, could be seen.

"Congrats, Cleyia!" they greeted her as she entered in her white attire.

Months passed...

Cleyia was at home when someone knocked on her door. At that time, she was in her room, so she peeked out the window and saw two people standing outside her house.

"Is anyone home? Are you there, Miss Cleyia Zhea Cesteras?" a woman in a black suit, typical office attire, called out.

Cleyia quickly went out of her room and went to the living room to open the door.

"Creak!" The door opened, revealing a woman in office attire and a man carrying envelopes.

"Who are they?" Cleyia asked.

"We're from Phoenix Ceita University, and by the way, let us introduce ourselves. I'm Teacher Lourdes San Pedro, and with me is Sir Ryan Pascual, also a teacher at our university," the woman said, smiling at Cleyia.

"Please come in," Cleyia said, inviting them inside. "What do you need?"

The man handed her some envelopes, and Cleyia was surprised to see that her name was written on one of them.

"We're here to inform you that your school has recommended you to our university, and fortunately, you've been chosen as one of the fortunate students to receive a full-time scholarship," Miss Lourdes said, surprising Cleyia.

"I-I'm the one?" Cleyia couldn't believe it, and after a few seconds, a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

"Thank you so much, Ma'am Lourdes, for choosing me!" Cleyia said with joy, and the two were pleased to see her reaction. They rarely saw a girl react like this.

After a few minutes, the guests left, taking with them Cleyia's signed acceptance letter for the scholarship.

Cleyia's POV

"Ring! Ring! Ring!" My alarm clock rang; it was October now, and today was my first day at Phoenix Cieta University. My bag was ready, and I was getting ready to leave.

I looked around my room, feeling a bit strange because I was not used to living alone in the dormitory where I now reside. It had been a week since I moved here. This dormitory was within the school premises, and I still couldn't believe that I would study here.

The whole school was vast; they even managed to build many dormitories for their students. And I was one of them. My dormitory had its own kitchen, living room, and bedroom with two beds. I didn't know why there were two; maybe I would have a roommate soon.

I walked out of my room and down the hallway. Then I descended the stairs. As I reached the bottom, I saw students walking in one direction. I joined them, walking towards our destination.

I stopped walking when I saw where we were all heading: the huge gymnasium, with a sign that read, "Welcome to Phoenix Cieta University..."