Where stars collide

First Sight

Chapter 3: Fight sight

Kiana's pov.

The parking lot was already crammed, as usual. I circled slowly, scanning for an open space. Finally, I spotted one. Relief spread through me as I turned toward it, but before I could pull in, a motorbike screeched past, cutting me off. It slid into the spot, its rider parking with an effortless arrogance.

“Great. First day of school, and I’m already stressed out,” I muttered, gripping the steering wheel. “What kind of maniac drives a bike like that?”

I bit back my frustration, maneuvering toward the other side of campus. The lot reserved for teachers and staff loomed ahead. Normally, I’d never consider parking there, but today, I didn’t care. Sliding my car between two sedans, I sighed, sinking back into the seat.

The mirror reflected my perfectly styled red hair and expertly applied makeup. I smoothed my lip gloss across my pout, but something about my own reflection made me hesitate. My mind flickered back to breakfast—Mom’s sad expression, the tension in her voice. Dad had done something again. I didn’t know what, but I didn’t need details to feel the weight of it.

Pushing the thoughts aside, I forced a smile onto my lips. The world didn’t need to know my family wasn’t perfect. I didn’t need anyone’s pity. I walked out of my car, letting my heels click confidently against the pavement, and made my way toward the entrance.

“Kiana!”

The shrill voice belonged to Lisa, my best friend—or the closest thing to it. She strutted toward me, her long blonde hair shimmering in the sunlight. Her outfit was classic Lisa: a tight crop top that barely covered her chest, skirts so short they were practically lingerie, and sleek knee-high boots that screamed “look at me.”

“You look so good!” she squealed, pulling me into a hug. Her strawberry-scented perfume hit me like a wave, and, without meaning to, I hugged her back tightly.

“Hmm, you smell nice,” I said, stepping back with a small laugh.

“I know, right? Guess who came crawling back to me this summer, begging for another chance?”

I arched a brow, feigning curiosity. Lisa’s love life was exhausting to keep up with, but I played along. “Let me guess… Caleb?”

“Ugh, no! Caleb was forever ago.” She swatted my arm lightly. “It was Michael. I told you about him, didn’t I?”

I had no idea who Michael was, but Lisa didn’t seem to notice—or care. She launched into a detailed account of his groveling and the diamond bracelet he’d given her as a gift.

“See?” she said, shoving her wrist into my face. “Real diamonds.”

I highly doubted that, but I wasn’t in the mood to argue. “They’re pretty,” I said with a polite smile.

“I know, right? Oh, and he got me this perfume too. Isn’t it amazing?” It wasn’t like Lisa’s parents were poor—far from it. She’d grown up surrounded by wealth, but it seemed to me that money had shaped her view of love in peculiar ways. Lisa wasn’t one of those girls who pretended material things didn’t matter; for her, they were everything. Maybe it was her way of measuring devotion, or maybe it was just habit—who knows? She’d move from one guy to the next with unsettling ease, collecting lavish gifts along the way like trophies from some twisted game of affection.

She called them exactly that: trophies. Each one represented a guy she’d been with, like proof of their fleeting importance. I found it amusing sometimes, imagining her with some average guy—a regular Joe who couldn’t afford her diamonds or designer handbags. What would she do then, I wondered? Would she even notice him? Or would she toss him aside, a prize she couldn’t claim?

The funny thing was, despite all her trophies, Lisa always seemed to be chasing something just out of reach. She was never satisfied.

She kept talking, her voice high-pitched with a mix of excitement and vanity. I nodded along, but my focus had already drifted. Something—or someone—had caught my eye.

Leaning casually against the motorbike that had stolen my parking spot was a tall, dark-haired guy. Dressed in black leather pants and a matching jacket, he exuded a rugged confidence that made him stand out from every other guy I’d seen.

And then, I saw her.

She stood beside him, her long black hair flowing like dark ink down her back. She wasn’t beautiful in the polished way I was or the overtly sexy way Lisa was. Her beauty was raw, unrefined, and maddeningly effortless. She wore black pants and a loose shirt, the kind of outfit that should have been forgettable but somehow wasn’t. She looked… powerful. Self-assured. Everything I suddenly realized I wasn’t.

They were talking, and whatever she said made him laugh. It was a deep, a deep, rich sound that cut through the hum of passing cars and idle chatter. It was carefree, unrestrained, and so utterly captivating that I hated it. Or maybe I hated how much it resonated with me, like I’d been waiting to hear it all my life. I found myself wanting to move closer, just to hear her voice or catch the words that made him laugh like that.

But before I could linger any longer, Lisa yanked my arm, dragging me through the hallway. “Come on, Kiana! We’re going to be late!” She drags me off.

As I walked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he had noticed me staring. Something was stirring inside me. Waking up this morning, I’d felt empty, like something was missing. But now, as I replayed that moment by the bike in my head, I knew this year would be different.

Something was changing.