“Two Cheeseburgers to go, please!”“Matt, two cheeseburgers!”Matthew was in a corner of the kiosk trying to read an Economics book, but with the order given by his superior, he patiently left the book with the marker on the page where he stopped and got up to go to the hot plate.Grabbing cheese and hamburger meats, Matthew began the preparation. After cooking so much, Matthew could make snacks with his eyes closed.While preparing the order, Matthew began to reflect on his life so far.The customers who eagerly awaited the order were university students, attending the famous and private Sterling University, the most popular and referenced Higher Education institution in the state of Espírito Santo. The two-story university was built with the same appearance and architecture seen in the world’s most famous universities.For someone to say they would study at Sterling was the same as saying they would study at Harvard or Oxford.The building was erected by the famous Rocha Constructio

Matthew felt a mixture of surprise and disappointment. Cindy was reacting as if they were strangers or as if they had broken up years ago. He observed Ricardo and saw how he smiled mockingly.“What’s going on here?” Matthew asks, not so sure he wants to know the answer.Ricardo steps in front of Cindy and responds on her behalf, “Look, my friend, I don’t know what Cindy said – or what she didn’t say – the point is that we’ve been dating for months. I think we should dissolve any misunderstanding before the situation becomes more embarrassing than it already is.”Matthew’s eyes widen. He tries all the time to face Cindy, but she doesn’t have the guts to face him.“Ricardo, allow me to resolve this...” Cindy asks in a low voice.“No, darling. As a gentleman, I can’t let you expose yourself.”Matthew finally says, “Cindy, is this the journalist who is investigating a corrupt politician? What if he puts you in danger?”“Matt, I already told you that’s not going to happen!” Cindy speaks in

Abner leafs through Matthew’s academic record very carefully. He nods with a calm but observant look. Matthew just wonders what the old man must be thinking.“Your grades are very good and your class attendance is above average.” Abner finally speaks.Matthew allows himself to smile. At least someone is saying something nice, “Thank you, Mr. Sterling.”Abner continues to flip through and read, “No internships in the field yet?”“Like I told you, I’m working at the square kiosk here,” Matthew responds with a touch of pride.“But you’re wondering if you’ll be able to buy your mother’s medicine. In other words, that means you’re not earning enough income.” Abner has a worried expression.Matthew starts to find something strange. This is not the talk about someone who will be expelled from an educational institution...“Mr. Sterling, I know you care and I appreciate that. But can we formalize my expulsion once and for all? I think I’ve learned my lesson.”Abner, however, raises his head a

The doctor informs Matthew what happened in a normal tone, “Your mother is medicated, under control. She stopped coughing and is now sleeping.”“What’s wrong with her, doctor?” Matthew is a little relieved to know that his mother’s life is not in danger.“We still don’t know for sure. When she showed up, paramedics said they found her coughing violently, with her hands on her neck.” The doctor states, “Does she have any allergies?”Matthew swallows hard, understanding why, “No, doctor, but we’re residents of Lion’s Den. Our house isn’t the best example of cleanliness.”“It’s necessary to maintain a certain standard of cleanliness even if you don’t live in a mansion.” The doctor patiently advises him, “Your mother probably has pneumonia or tuberculosis. With the definitive diagnosis coming out, we will know how to treat her.”“Thank you, doctor.” Matthew smiles yellowly.“She won’t wake up for now. If you don’t want to stay here overnight, you can come back early in the morning.” The d

Ricardo becomes jealous as Cindy’s friends insinuate that she should have continued dating Matthew because of the apparent influence he has with Abner Sterling.Cindy, however, recovers from her shock and laughs. Wanting to reassure her boyfriend, she brings her cell phone to her mouth and records another audio, “You’re crazy. Don’t you realize that I was the reason Mr. Sterling banned gossip in the university forum? The fact that Matthew was mentioned was pure formality. After all, you were talking about him too. And be thankful that my current boyfriend doesn’t demand any compensation for having his name involved in sordid rumors.”Cindy finishes and puts her cell phone in her purse, “There, honey, problem solved. Thanks to your influence, Mr. Sterling took matters into his hands and ended the gossip.”Ricardo, however, keeps insecure and severe, “Are you sure that the dean and the owner of the university don’t have a strange fondness for the poor guy? His name was mentioned first,