On the streets of Rio de Janeiro, a young woman is being followed by a stranger; with every step she takes, the footsteps behind her echo closer and closer. She grows desperate, trying to move faster, but he seems relentless in his pursuit.
Her bag swings violently on her shoulder as she runs without looking back, while he quickens his pace—like a leopard closing in on its prey. Suddenly, she stumbles and falls to the ground. He slows down, walking deliberately toward her; vulnerable and terrified, she is about to become yet another innocent victim of a senseless crime.
She begins to scream for help just as he pulls out a revolver. But her screams aren't enough to resolve the tense, perilous situation immediately. The criminal approaches her, preparing to sexually assault her. Tears begin to well up in the young woman's eyes.
Two days later...
"Have you read today's paper?" Ingrid asks her daughter, Jéssica, who is having her morning coffee.
"What happened this time, Mom?" the young woman asks, immediately picking up the newspaper.
"Another young woman was sexually assaulted. You know what that means, right? Rio de Janeiro has changed; it's becoming more and more dangerous."
"It sure has, Mom! But this is happening everywhere—not just in Rio—and you know that perfectly well."
"I worry about you, sweetheart. I'm afraid something might happen to you out on the streets."
"Mom, I have to work and study... I can't just stay locked up at home. Nothing bad is going to happen to me, okay?"
"You're my pride and joy, Jéssica! I love you so much, you know?"
"Oh, Mom! I love you too." She gives her a tight hug.
Amaury is surprised when he sees the scene. — Can I join this hug?
— Dad, come on in! — says Jéssica, smiling and making Ingrid smile too.
— What are we celebrating, then? — Amaury interrupts.
— Just a hug. A hug that shows how important the two of you are to me. — the young woman replies, bringing a smile to both their faces.
Meanwhile, Gracindo is arranging the pastries in his bakery's display case when his wife, Bárbara, arrives and asks about their son, Edmílson.
— He must have gone to school, *amore mio*.
— So early? Hmm. Something fishy is going on here!
— Here we go again!
— When Edmílson leaves this early, something's wrong. I know our son very well.
— You think he didn't go to school?
— I don't know. I just know he's probably up to no good out there.
— You're always so suspicious!
And Edmílson isn't at school at all. He's at Eleonora's house, feeling happy.
— If your mom finds out you're skipping class to hang out at my place, she'll kill me. — she says, lying next to him on the bed.
— Relax! She won't find out. Aren't you enjoying this moment?
— Of course I am, love. I like it when you come visit me.
— I'll visit you all the time.
— That's great! I just hope I don't bring trouble to your family, seeing as your parents hate me.
— Don't worry! They have no idea I've started seeing you again. — the young man says, kissing her on the lips.
— You're really sweet, you know? And crazy, too!
— Sure am! I've been crazy about you for a long time.
— You know I only stopped going to your house because of your family, right? If it weren't for them, I'd still drop by now and then.
— Forget my family. Let's focus on us! — That's why I love you, Edmílson. You're the best!
Danilo falls asleep right in the middle of Physics class and is woken up by Mr. Juca. The class smiles when they see his sleepy face.
— Very well, Mr. Danilo; while everyone else is paying attention to the lesson, you're taking quite a nap.
— Oh, Teach, I'm sorry!
— No excuses. What are Newton's three laws known as? Tell me!
He's confused and doesn't know the answer; the teacher then turns to a female student and says: — Tell me the answers!
The student answers confidently:
— Teach, the first law is known as the law of inertia; the second, the fundamental principle of dynamics; and the third, the law of action and reaction. — She winks at Danilo, who looks annoyed.
— Bravo! That's exactly right! Well done! — He turns back to Danilo. — See? We have a dedicated student in this class.
Danilo ignores the teacher's comment, and the student smiles confidently.
— As for you, young man, you'd better start paying attention in class, because I won't go easy on you come exam day. Either you get a ten, or I'll give you a big fat zero so your parents can see just how little you care about your studies.
The bell rings, and the teacher dismisses the class.
Danilo storms out of the room with his backpack, and Júnior follows him, teasing him.
— Are you going to keep teasing me until I get home?
— Man, you're crazy! How can you sleep in class? Hahaha — He grins broadly.
— I don't like Physics, okay? I'm not a nerd like you, always with your nose in a book.
— Whoa! What's got into you? Problems at home?
— To hell with my problems. That's none of your business.
— Ohh! you're not going to tear into me now, are you? I'm just messing around. Relax!
— And I'm sick of everything. I'm going to pack my things and leave for a place where no one knows me.
— And you're just going to forget your friends here? Wow! You really don't value us at all.
— I'm fed up with everyone—including you. You're always glued to my side, acting like a nice guy, but the truth is you talk about me behind my back.
— Have you lost your mind? I don't talk about you, okay?
— Right. Admit it to yourself: you've always been jealous of me.
— Why are you saying that? Just because I wanted to hook up with your girl? Sure, I intended to get her into my bed, but I haven't done it yet because I'm not the kind of guy who steals his friend's girl.
— You son of a bitch!
He threatens to punch him in the face but doesn't follow through.
— That's exactly it, Danilo! You've always had the prettiest girls at your feet and never appreciated them. I'm different. If one of them is into me, I'm going for it.
— Listen here! If you go near Victória, you'll have to answer to me—got it?
— What are you going to do, Danilo? Hit me?
— I'm going to smash your face in.
— Then appreciate Victória, bro. If you don't value her, I'll steal her from you!
— Don't provoke me, man! You have no idea what I'm capable of.
— Oh, I do. I know you very well. You know, Danilo, you think the world revolves around you, don't you? I feel sorry for you!
He walks away, leaving the other guy fuming. The principal watches the scene unfold in silence.
Jéssica arrives at Suzane's house, and the two decide to talk in the living room. Suzane had been messaging a guy on a dating app; curious, her friend asks who the guy in the photo is when she sees his picture on the screen. Suzane decides to introduce her friend to the app.
— Online dating? — Yeah, girl! I'm into that too.
— Hmm... I'm not really into that. I think trying to meet someone online is silly. At least, I've never cared for it.
— You really should give it a try. This chat is great. I've made some good friends through it. Let me explain how it works.
She starts sharing some tips with Jéssica, who pays close attention to everything. A few minutes later, Jéssica finds the chat interesting and is encouraged by her friend to sign up for the app.
Danilo enters his room and turns on his laptop. While browsing, he comes across an ad for a very popular dating app—one people are talking about and that has great reviews. Curious, he picks up his phone and searches for the app. As soon as he downloads it, he signs up.
He decides to log into the same online dating chat just as his younger brother, Jordan, walks in.
— What are you doing here, dork?
— I came to see if you could spot me some cash. I need to go to the basketball game with my friends.
— Did you ask Dad?
— He said *you* have money.
— Of course, right? Hang on, let me take a look.
He moves away from the laptop just as the boy glances over.
— What's that?
— Oh! That's for adults. Here's the money. Get lost!
— Come on, you won't even tell me what it is?
— Go on, kid! Go to your game and leave me alone.
The boy leaves the room, annoyed, and Danilo goes back to typing on his laptop.
Suddenly, a sound alerts her to a new message, and Jéssica—who is now in her room, lying on her bed—decides to check it.
"I wonder who that is? Well, I'll reply."
She types "Hi." Then: "How are you?"
And so, the Q&A game begins. They take turns replying to one another, until they reach the question: "Single?" Jéssica says yes, and Danilo says the same. A smile spreads across both their faces.
"We could arrange a meeting sometime in the future."
Now she falls silent, unsure of what to say. But suddenly, her fingers type out the letters that spell "Yes."
"That's great! I'm happy you want to meet up. Can I see you on a video call?"
Jéssica hesitates and declines the invitation. Danilo is disappointed, but he understands.
Days go by, and the conversation between them flows wonderfully. When Danilo doesn't reach out via chat, she takes the initiative herself. And vice versa.
Jéssica smiles when she receives a message from him.
Danilo, for his part, sometimes takes a while to reply because he's thinking about what to say.
They share life experiences and advice, sometimes tease each other, and talk about their dreams—even the country's politics. In doing so, they learn about each other's lives, building a friendship.
"Girl, you're in love!" Suzane tells Jéssica, who is taken by surprise.
"Oh, come on! I barely know him."
"But you like him. I can see it in your eyes! See how the chat helped you?"
"You're something else, you know that? But I'll admit it: I *do* like him. He seems like a nice person."
"Those are symptoms of love, Jéssica!"
"Stop it, okay? Danilo is just a friend, and the distance between us makes things really difficult."
"Do you think distance stops two people from loving each other?"
"I do. We live far apart. It just won't work out."
"Love knows no distance, Jéssica. If you two grow close and really want it having something serious, the distance won't get in the way at all. Think about it!
Jéssica falls silent at Suzane's words.
Victoria visits Danilo at his home, and the two talk. She senses a change in him and questions him.
"You *are* different. Can I know what's going on?"
"It's nothing, Victoria. You're imagining things," he denies.
"Alright then! Shall we go out today?"
"Where to?"
"I don't know... somewhere special, just the two of us."
"A motel?" he suggests.
"Sure. I actually like the idea of spending the night with you."
"The thing is, I don't feel like going anywhere today."
"And why not?" she asks, intrigued.
"I just don't feel like it. I just wanted to be alone."
"There's another woman in the picture, isn't there? Tell me her name."
"Victoria, don't exaggerate! I haven't met anyone!"
"Danilo, you're acting strange and you don't even want to go out with me. Something is wrong, and I want to know what it is, okay? Who is the tramp stealing you away from me?"
Danilo felt a tightness in his chest. For a few seconds, he avoided looking her in the eye. He knew that a single word could give him away.