The Game We Play

Chapter 4: Shadows and Spotlights

Sophia had always known that this school was divided into two worlds: the one she lived in and the one ruled by Liam Carter.

It wasn't all about popularity.

Liam wasn't just any attractive guy that people liked; he was untouchable.

Everything about him suggested effortless dominance. He didn't need to try to be admired or wanted. It was simply a fact of existence.

He was a golden boy in every sense.

Athletic. Liam was the school's top soccer player. He wasn't the team captain and didn't need the title. Everyone knew he was the true leader on the field.

Smart, but not in the nerdy sense. He didn't ace every test, but he had a natural charm that made teachers feel comfortable with him. He could skip assignments, miss deadlines, and still receive good grades. The type of intelligence that stemmed from confidence rather than effort.

Girls adored him. So why wouldn't they? He had the looks, the charm, and the cocky grin that made people forget how annoying he truly was.

And Sophia?

She had spent years pretending she didn't care about any of this.

However, the more lies you tell, the more difficult they are to believe.

Sophia never intended to watch Liam Carter.

But it was difficult not to—especially since the whole school revolved around him.

She sat on the far side of the cafeteria, her lunch tray barely touching, pretending to listen to Noah talk about his latest book obsession.

But her gaze kept wandering—to the center of the room, where Liam sat.

Where he always sat.

He was surrounded by others. Always.

The athletes, the popular girls, and the children who laughed too hard at his jokes.

Then there were the girls who remained. They leaned in when they spoke to him, twirling their hair around their fingers and whispering things that made him smirk in that effortless, arrogant way.

Emily Sinclair was the worst of the group.

Blonde. Tall. Perfect.

She was practically glued to Liam's side, laughing at something he said and casually resting her hand on his arm.

Sophia despised that it bothered her.

Because it should not.

Liam Carter wasn't her type. He was arrogant, entitled, and exactly the type of person she despised.

But…

God, he was gorgeous.

She despised admitting it, even to herself.

The way he leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed. His golden-brown hair always looked perfectly tousled. The sharp angles of his jaw, the way his blue eyes sparkled when he smirked.

He looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine, as if he were born to be admired.

Sophia would never be one of those girls who fit in with someone like that.

She shifted in her seat, pressing her lips together as her gaze moved downward.

Because that was the main issue, wasn't it?

Not only was Liam surrounded by girls. That was the type of girl he was surrounded by.

Thin. Graceful. Beautiful in an effortless way.

Girls who appeared to belong in his world.

Not all girls like her.

"You're staring."

Sophia almost choked on her water. She turned around to see Noah watching her with raised eyebrows.

"I am not," she replied, too quickly.

Noah smirked. "Right. "And I am the King of England."

She groaned and pressed her hands to her face. She despised his keen sense of observation.

"I wasn't staring," she muttered. "I was just—" "—Observing?" Noah finished for her with a wide grin. "Yes, sure. Observing Liam Carter as if he were the last piece of cake at a birthday party.

Sophia kicked him beneath the table. "Shut up."

Noah laughed and shoveled another fry into his mouth. "I am just saying. If you're going to spend so much time looking at him, you might as well admit you think he's attractive."

Her stomach twisted.

"Thinking someone is attractive and actually liking them are two different things," she said quietly.

Noah hummed. "Mmhmm. "Keep telling yourself that."

If school was hell, home was not much better.

Dinner was another battleground.

Her mother sat across from her, cutting her salad with delicate precision. Every movement is calculated, and each word is carefully chosen.

Sophia, as always, was a disappointment.

"You didn't eat much for lunch," her mother said, not looking up from her plate.

Sophia could barely resist rolling her eyes. "I wasn't hungry."

Her mother's gaze flickered upward. "You should watch your diet more closely, Sophia. "Especially now that you're in the game."

Her hand tightened around her fork.

She should be accustomed to this by now. Constant reminders. The small injections disguised as "advice."

Her mother had spent years reminding her that her body was a "problem" that needed to be fixed.

"Not everything is about how I look," Sophia said, her voice flat.

Her mother raised a perfect brow. "In this world?" It is."

Sophia clenched her jaw. There was no way to win with her.

So she did what she always did: she bit her tongue, finished her meal, and left as soon as possible.

That night, she stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself.

She was not ugly.

She knew that.

But standing there, looking at herself—the curves, the soft stomach, the parts of her body that didn't fit the mold that society adored—she realized why she would never be like the girls in Liam Carter's universe.

She exhaled and stepped away from the mirror.

Perhaps it did not matter.

Perhaps she did not want to be in his world.

… Right?

Sophia did not expect to run into Liam the next morning.

However, life had a twisted sense of humor.

She was walking down the hall, minding her own business, when suddenly a warm, solid body collided with her.

Her books slipped from her grasp, and papers scattered.

She barely had time to process what had happened before a familiar voice said, "Wow, you really need to watch where you're going, Bennett."

Her whole body stiffened.

Of course.

Liam.

She looked up, and he was already watching her.

His usual smirk was present, but something was different about his expression today. Something overly intense.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.

Then, just as quickly, his expression changed.

Smug. Teasing. This is safe territory.

"Try not to fall for me too soon," Liam advised, bending down to pick up her book. "We've still got months of rehearsals left."

Sophia snatched it from his grasp, scowling. "You wish, Carter."

He grinned. "Guess we'll see."

And just like that, the war continued.

Sophia hated Liam Carter.

She despised his arrogance, teasing, and the way he always seemed two steps ahead of her.

But most of all?

She despised the fact that a small, ridiculous part of her wished she were the type of girl he would actually look at.

And this was the most dangerous thought of all.