sun to me

Two

Oh, I couldn't stop it
Tried to slow it all down
Crying in the bathroom
Had to figure it out
With everyone around me saying
"You must be so happy now"

Florence had always been content to sing in the quiet of her room, her audience limited to the walls and the stars outside her window. But the world had other plans. By the time she woke up the morning after her performance, her phone was buzzing nonstop—texts from friends, notifications from social media, and even emails from strangers who had stumbled across the video.

"You're a star!" one text read.
"Who knew you had pipes like that?!" said another.

Florence's hands trembled as she opened the link her friend sent. There it was: the clip of her singing at the school concert, her voice raw and powerful, the kind of performance that made you forget to breathe. The view count ticked upward before her eyes. She couldn't believe it.

Meanwhile, across town, Geno was in his office watching the same video, swarmed by a group of his players who had shoved their phones in his face.

"Coach," one of them said, wide-eyed. "How did you keep this from us? Your daughter is unreal!"

"That's Florence?" another chimed in, scrolling through the comments. "She's got talent, Coach. Serious talent."

Geno sat back, his usual quick wit replaced by something softer, something proud. "She's been hiding this from us," he said, shaking his head.

By the end of the week, Florence's name was everywhere. A local radio station played her performance, calling it "the voice of a generation." Producers started sliding into her DMs, offering studio time. Her inbox was flooded with requests—collaborations, interviews, and offers to record her first single.

By the time summer rolled around, Florence had released three singles with in one month, each one more successful than the last. She recorded them in a small, no-frills studio downtown, pouring every ounce of her soul into the music. She wasn't just writing songs; she was telling her story, a story of feeling out of place, of finding her own light in a world of giants.

Her songs resonated with people, especially young women who felt like they didn't quite fit the mold. Florence had become a voice for the overlooked, and she wasn't just singing—she was connecting.

But as her fame grew, she felt the world was crashing in on her that it was all to much. It was then she decided to take a break from music, the one thing that gave her peace was now eating her alive. During her break over the summer, Geno ran his annual workout camp for his players and incoming recruits, and Florence found herself back in familiar territory: the backyard cookouts and gym practice helping out on the courts.

Most of the team already knew Florence. They'd seen her grow up, tagging along to practices, sitting on the sidelines with a sketchpad or humming tunes under her breath. But this time, she wasn't just "Coach's kid." She was Florence—the singer.

The team welcomed her warmly, but it was Paige who made her heart skip a beat. Paige Bueckers, one of UConn's rising stars, had been a household name long before Florence's own star began to shine. Florence had admired Paige from afar, her charm, her grace on the court, often hearing her father brag about her choosing UCONN. But she never expected Paige to fangirl over her.

"You're the Florence," Paige said the first time they crossed paths in the gym that summer. She was grinning ear to ear, her basketball tucked under one arm. "I've been listening to your songs on repeat. You're insane."

Florence felt her cheeks burn. "I could say the same about you," she stammered. "You're amazing out there. My dad never stops talking about you."

Paige laughed, the sound warm and infectious. "I guess we're mutual fans then."

Over the next few weeks, Florence and Paige grew closer. Between workouts and scrimmages, Paige would sneak into the small music room Geno had helped Florence set up in the back of the gym. Florence would play the piano, Paige lounging nearby, listening in awe.

"You know," Paige said one afternoon, "you're not just a star—you're a damn comet. You light up everything around you."

Florence laughed, her nerves melting away. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like she was standing outside the world of greatness. She felt like she belonged, in her own way, shining just as brightly as the people she'd grown up watching.

And maybe, just maybe, Paige had a little something to do

So that night she decided after a 2-month break she would release her next single that would not only push her further into the spotlight but get her signed to Universal Music Group