starting university was supposed to be a fresh start for ariana. new city, new people, new opportunities. yet, as she stood in the middle of the bustling campus, clutching her schedule like it was a lifeline, she couldn't shake off the nerves. this was nothing like high school.

"ari, come on! we're going to be late!" her best friend, tara, grabbed her arm, pulling her through the crowd. her excitement was contagious, but she had no clue where she was taking ariana. "tara, where are we going?" she asked, trying to match her pace.

they ran through the campus until they reached a large building with a banner that read "welcome freshmen!" lily pushed the doors open, and they stepped into what looked like a gymnasium. the sound of sneakers squeaking on the polished floor and the thud of a basketball could be heard

"basketball practice?" ari asked, raising an eyebrow. "not just any practice," tara replied. "this is the women's team. they're awesome, and I'm friends with a couple of them."

ariana is forced by her friend to go to these girl's practice, even though she dreads spending her time watching sweaty girls running around on the field. ariana was never much of an athletic person. she would rather much spend her time in her room with a book and with taylor swift songs in the background. as she slumped on the bleachers, her annoyance grew with every minute. 

"why did i had to come here? i know nothing about sports." ariana whined. "would you rather rot in bed all afternoon instead of spending time with me?" she questioned. "yes, i would love to." ariana sighed, leaning back against the bleachers. she watched as the players moved fluidly across the court, their energy filling the room. drespite her initial reluctance, she found herself getting slightly interested in the game. the team was good, really good. they moved with a grace and precision that was mesmerizing, even to someone who didn't care much for sports.

"see that girl over there?" tara pointed to a player with dark, brunette hair, which was tied up into a ponytail. "that's evina who i'm always talking about." she is a junior and is a guard. trust me, you will love her."

ariana nodded, though her eyes were drawn to another player. a tall girl with long, blonde hair, which was also tied up into a ponytail and with 2 braid on both of the sides of her head. she moved with a quiet intensity that made it hard to look away. "who's that?" ari asked, nodding towards the girl. tara followed her gaze and smiled. "that's paige. she's a freshman, like us. evina told me about her."

when the practice finally ended, tara jumped up and waved evina over. "come on, I'll introduce you," she said, pulling ariana along. she was never that outgoing type. even though she liked having friends, she found it hard get some. she felt awkward whenever she had to introduce herself, and actually talk to people. but once she gets close with them, she is completely out of her shell.

evina jogged over, wiping sweat from her forehead. "hey, tara! glad you could make it." she turned to ariana and smiled. "and you must be ariana. nice to meet you." 

"nice to meet you too," ariana replied, feeling shy under evina's friendly gaze. just then, paige walked up, a towel slung over her shoulder. up close, she was even more striking. her eyes were a deep blue, and there was a warmth in her smile. "paige, this is ariana," evina said. "ariana, this is paige."

"hi," paige said, extending her hand. "nice to meet you, ariana." 

"i can say the same," ariana said, shaking her hand. her grip was firm, but at the same time gentle.

tara started chatting with evina, and ariana found herself standing awkwardly next to paige. "do you play?" paige asked, nodding towards the court. "me? no, I'm more of a spectator," ariana admitted with a laugh. "but you were amazing out there."

"thanks," paige rejoiced. "I've been playing since I was a kid. it's kind of my thing."

"well, you're really good at it, i couldn't take my eyes off of you" ariana giggled. paige looked surprised, then smiled. "thanks, that means a lot."

just as we were about to leave, another came rushing in. she was really tall, had afro hair which suited her so well. "i'm so sorry. did i miss everything?" she asked, out of breathe. "lowkey" paige replied with a smile on her face while on her way to greet this girl. "guys, this is aubrey." paige stated as she pointed the girl standing next to her. she greeted us with a friendly smile. "and there, next to evina is tara and her best friend -i'm assuming- is ariana."