𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 ||The Girl Behind The Act||

Chapter 4

Ariana

School's finally done, and I headed straight to the girls' locker room to freshen up before hitting the field for tryouts. Walking down the hallway, I spotted the new guy, Tristan, coming out of the guys' room.

"Hey, Tristan!" I called and waved.

He glanced at me and hurried down the hall toward the guys' locker room without a word.

I stood there, surprised and baffled that he didn't even acknowledge me.

What just happened?

As I made my way to the locker rooms, I thought about Tristan's odd behavior. It bothered me how he ignored me.

The guys I know would never do that. They're the ones who always seek my attention and go to extremes to get my number.

But then it hit me—I know nothing about Tristan. I just met him today, for fuck's sake!

Stepping onto the field, I noticed the lineup of girls and some stretching in front of a table set up by the bleachers. Three chairs were taken by Shay and Joanna, leaving the middle one for me.

A large music box sat at the table's foot, waiting for the girls to choose songs for their tryouts.

A loud voice from my left caught my attention. A group of half-naked football players, along with some new faces for the football tryouts, were there.

Tristan appeared beside me. Before I could wish him luck, he jogged off to the football team's setup.

Suppressing a frustrated groan, I walked off in the opposite direction. I'd never been ignored like this before. Tristan was clearly not interested.

Fine!

If he wants to play hard to get, he's in for a surprise. I walked over to the table, took a seat, and immediately the lineup of girls waited for my signal to start their display.

My old cheerleaders were set, but a few seniors had left, leaving five spots to fill.

"Alright, newbies, show us what you've got!" Joanna yelled, and I motioned for the first girl to begin.

The music started, and we watched her moves closely, waiting to see any cheerleading skills in her routine. A split or a cartwheel could seal the deal.

We then started reviewing the profiles of the girls who signed up, trying to decide if they were good fits.

Tristan

Football tryouts went well—or at least I thought. Soon, we were all on the bleachers awaiting the coach's decisions. Nervously fidgeting with my fingers, I listened as he called out the team's finalized positions.

"And last but not least, our new quarterback for the Sterling Knights, give it up for Tristan Fontanillia!" Coach Max announced, met with applause.

Bro hugs and pats on the back enveloped me. I grinned in relief, hoping for that quarterback position.

"Training starts tomorrow, guys. Don't be late, or you'll be benched during the whole practice," Coach half-joked, and we all laughed, knowing he was playing around.

"Congrats! You nailed it," Josh exclaimed, and I chuckled.

"Thanks." We headed back to the locker rooms when a teammate, Alex, approached us, grinning. I think that's his name.

"Check them out. Baby Ari's not taking any bullshit when it comes to cheerleading."

He chuckled, and we turned to see the cheerleaders on the other side of the field. Only the three girls I'd met earlier were there.

Guess their tryouts finished just in time for ours.

A table was set up by the bleachers. Her friends Shay and Joanna sat on either side. The middle seat seemed reserved for their leader, who paced in front of them with papers in hand, clearly frustrated and serious.

I furrowed my brow, realizing how easily captivated I was by her. A tendril of hair fell on her face, and she swiftly brushed it back.

"She's seriously hot when she's like that—so sexy," Alex commented, and some guys agreed, a few even whistling, catching her attention. She frowned upon seeing the ogling and flirty gestures. Then, her gaze landed on me.

For a moment, our eyes locked in a staring contest. She shot me a flirty smile. I shook my head and walked away.

I won't let her get to me. She won't be coming near me anytime soon.

Others might find her irresistible, but I see her as someone who falls for guys easily and lets them call her nasty names.

Girls like that irritate me the most. When I say I don't like someone, I mean it, no matter how pretty or popular they are. It's about their true character.

From my perspective, Ariana Blake is the kind of trouble I need to avoid.