Coding is Easy, Loving is Hard

CHAPTER ONE

December, 2015

The bell for last period finally rang and I couldn't be happier. At last, my misery was coming to an end.

I lightly skipped my way inside Mrs. Clark's Advanced Computer Architecture class as chirpy as a bunny. As I settled into my desk, I suddenly started to feel overwhelmed. It was when it hit me that that was the last time I would see Mrs. Clark's genuine smile and wrinkled glittering brown eyes, always so tender and filled with concern for her newly grad students. Despite the hateful professors that we have, some in which I despised fathomly, I was really going to miss Mrs. Clark's warm and cozy classroom. She was unquestionably my favorite teacher among all I had.

Today was the last day of the school year, and it was also the day that teachers told us if we had passed their class and were able to graduate, or if we had failed and were obligated to endure another hell-wrenched semester. Of course this information was given to us on our school website, so it was explainable why more than half the class was absent. But me, being the anxious freak I was, couldn't stand to sit at home all day doing nothing.

"Are you going to the lecture tonight?" Ethan asked beside me.

Since class hadn't started yet, I turned and gave him my full attention. His bright green eyes and curly brown hair came in great contrast with his sheepish smile. It was adorable.

"What lecture?"

"The one that's happening at the ANU Theater tonight at seven. There are posters all over campus, Zoey," he pointed out.

I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand. I knew I was forgetting something.

"Can you pick me up, then?"

"Well, that depends..." he dragged.

"On what?" I snapped.

"Are you going to be ready when I get there? 'Cause otherwise I'll leave you behind this time."

I pursed my lips at him. "I'll be ready," I said defiantly.

He rolled his eyes chuckling. "I'd pay to see that."

"Wanna bet?" I taunted.

"Hell yeah!" he exclaimed. "Twenty bucks that you'll make me wait until you finish putting make-up on."

"You are so on," I said threateningly.

"I'll pick you up at six thirty, then."

I simply nodded, turning forwards in my seat while Mrs. Clark called the class' attention to talk about our future, give us her blessings and say goodbyes.

Time flew away quickly and I felt ecstatic as I emptied out my locker, shoving my things into my bag and hurried out the front gates of the Australia National University (ANU) where I had won a scholarship to study computer science and, after four agonizing years, was leaving it more confused than when I had entered.

I was born and raised in Valencia, Spain. My mom and dad worked hard to give me a good education so I studied English since I was a little girl. And ever since I had decided what I wanted to major in, I dreamed of studying in a university in the U.S.A. Not only are the exchange programs there much better than any other place on the planet, but I am also aware that prejudice and sexism towards women working with any kind of engineering there was almost nonexistent. Almost.

Unfortunately, though, due to the immensely great number of students competing for a space in all of the best universities in the U.S.A., high grades meant nothing. So, I had to settle with another English-speaking country - and Australia was the next best thing.