Amaya Donahue is new to the Merrier University dance team after being convinced to try out for her sophomore year. Inconveniently, Amayas ex-boyfriend, Troy Kitchens, is the cornerback on the football team and is dedicated to making her come crawlin...
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FIVE MONTHS PRIOR
I sat on the beach listening to the sound of the ocean and the wind meet. I could only hope the sound of the waves crashing against each other combined with the loud bass-thumping music was covering the sound of my uncontrollable sobs. I had been crying for only a short while, but I could feel my head start to pound from the sheer force of the tears.
I looked across the horizon as the sun set and suddenly, everything hit me again.
Troy Kitchens, Merrier University's golden child, and my boyfriend of almost two years had just broken up with me at a party, then left me to have sex with a white girl in the car we drove together in.
More sobs came out of my mouth as I remembered the words he had told me, not even twenty minutes prior.
"I just don't think we mesh well anymore, Amaya."
"I'm going into bigger and better things and don't want to leave you in the shadows."
"What a fucking asshole." I thought.
I wished I could be invisible, just for the rest of the night. So that way no one would have seen me hysterically crying.
While the sun was dipping lower into the horizon, a feminine voice came into earshot.
"Y'all, relax I'm just going to check on her and make sure she's not here alone."
I could feel the girl moving closer to me and I knew I should've acknowledged her in some way before she reached me, but I couldn't bring myself to move.
"Hey girl, are you okay?" She stood over me and asked.
I looked up at her, "Oh. Hey, Olivia." I said, "Yeah, I'm all good. Just tired."
Olivia was Andrew Lincoln, an offensive lineman's girlfriend. We'd met before at parties and hangouts but never talked personally. She was a tall and thin girl with jet-black hair, bright green eyes, and tanned skin. She was also on the Ravenettes, the MU competitive dance team.
She was dressed in a white triangle bikini top that popped against her olive-toned skin with a pair of tiny ripped jean shorts and brown leather sandals. Her ankles were adorned with silver anklets, almost the same as the ones I wore on my ankles that I bought after being influenced by a girl on TikTok that I "needed them in my life".
"Oh my gosh, Amaya? I didn't recognize you. Why are you crying? Where's Troy?" She bombarded me with questions as she sat down next to me, not caring about her friends waiting for her.
