The Jock's love for the Dancer (under rewrite)

Zayla Vivian Garcia was a ghost in her own life. Invisible. Years of her father's drunken rages had etched themselves onto her skin, scars hidden beneath carefully chosen clothes. One night, the silence of his absence was the final push. Zayla, fueled by a quiet desperation, packed a few bags, gathered the money she'd painstakingly saved, and slipped away into the darkness. The smile she wore, a constant fixture on her face, was a carefully constructed shield. No one suspected the ache beneath, the pain she refused to reveal. Her mother, a dance teacher, had left her a legacy: a small building with a dance studio on the ground floor and a cozy apartment above. Zayla's secret, whatever it might be, was locked away behind those bright, ever-present smiles.

Vincent Jack Carter was the school's golden boy, the star athlete. He lived in the warm embrace of a loving family, a stark contrast to Zayla's solitary existence. But Vincent was no typical jock. Beneath the easy charm and athletic prowess lurked a dedication few witnessed. He was a regular in the after-school hours, either on the field practicing relentlessly or in a classroom, seeking help from a teacher, determined not to let his grades slip. The image of the carefree athlete was only part of the story.