Chasing Dreams

The First Day Continues (Chapter 4)

Sophia's POV:

I smoothed my uniform, straightening the blazer as I glanced at my reflection in my locker mirror. The first day of school always had that electric buzz, like the world was watching to see what move you'd make next. But today felt different—there was something in the air, a newness that had me on edge.

"Alright, girl, focus," I muttered to myself, closing the locker door and turning around to find Ariana waiting for me, a mischievous smile on her face.

"You hear about the new guy?" she asked, leaning against the locker next to mine with her arms crossed.

I raised an eyebrow, already expecting this conversation. "New guy?"

Ariana grinned, clearly excited. "Yeah, Christian Valcosta. The basketball prodigy from Texas. Bryce was telling me about him, said he's supposed to be, like, the next LeBron or something."

I gave her a little smirk, pretending to be uninterested, but inside I was a little curious. "Basketball prodigy, huh?"

"Mmhmm." She pushed off the locker and turned to walk with me down the hallway, students parting like waves as we made our way toward the courtyard. "And guess what? He's in your first period."

I blinked. "My first period? How do you even know that?"

Ariana shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Bryce told me, duh. They're tight. Apparently, Christian's already causing a stir—everyone's talking about him."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Well, we'll see if he lives up to the hype."

Ariana giggled, nudging my arm. "Oh, come on, you know you're curious. I mean, have you seen him? He's hot. And you could use some new eye candy."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Ari, you know I don't fall for athletes. They're all the same—cocky, arrogant, and think they can get whatever they want just because they're good at a sport."

Ariana shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. "Yeah, but maybe this one's different."

I shook my head, laughing at how predictable she was. "I'll believe it when I see it."

As we walked out into the courtyard, I could feel the usual stares and whispers as people noticed us. Being Sophia Kardashian had its perks, but sometimes it felt like I couldn't go anywhere without being the center of attention. People watched my every move, waiting to see what I'd do, what I'd wear, who I'd talk to.

I sighed inwardly, trying not to let it get to me. It came with the territory.

Ariana and I found our usual spot under the large oak tree where we liked to hang out between classes. She pulled out her phone, already scrolling through Instagram, while I leaned back against the tree trunk, letting the cool breeze brush against my skin.

"Any big plans for the rest of the week?" I asked, glancing over at her.

Ariana shrugged. "Not really. Bryce wants to hang out later, maybe go to that new café downtown. You should come. It could be fun."

"Maybe," I said absentmindedly, my mind drifting back to this Christian guy. Was he really as good as people were saying? And why did it feel like everyone was making such a big deal out of his arrival?

Before I could dwell on it for too long, the bell rang, signaling the start of the first period.

"Time to meet your new classmate," Ariana teased, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes again but couldn't hide the small smile creeping up on my lips. "Let's just hope he's not another arrogant jock."

We headed toward our classroom, Ariana chattering about her weekend while I kept my eyes on the students milling about, trying to mentally prepare for the day. As we entered the classroom, I scanned the room, spotting familiar faces. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.

Christian Valcosta.

He was sitting in the middle row, leaning back in his chair with an easy confidence, but there was something different about him. He wasn't trying to stand out or make a scene. He wasn't loud or obnoxious like most of the athletes I'd known. His dark hair was slightly tousled, his jawline sharp, and his eyes focused as he talked with Bryce, who was sitting next to him.

I couldn't help but notice how comfortable he looked, despite being new. Like he belonged here.

Ariana nudged me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Told you. He's cute, right?"

I bit my lip, refusing to give her the satisfaction. "He's... alright."

"Please, I saw you look," she whispered, barely containing her laughter.

I rolled my eyes, fighting back a grin as I made my way to my seat in the front row. As I walked past Christian's desk, I felt his eyes on me, just for a second. But I didn't turn around. I wasn't about to make it that easy for him.

I sat down and pulled out my notebook, trying to focus as the teacher walked in and started talking about today's lesson. But no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I could feel the weight of Christian's presence behind me, like a silent pull I couldn't quite shake.

It was strange. I'd met plenty of guys before, guys who tried to impress me, who wanted my attention for all the wrong reasons. But Christian didn't seem like he was trying. He wasn't chasing anyone's approval or looking for attention.

Maybe Ariana was right—maybe he was different.

But I wasn't about to let my guard down just yet.