"The Ass"

Sophia watched from afar as Nathan Scott swaggered down the hallway, his basketball teammates trailing behind him. She had seen him around school a few times, and from what she could tell, he was everything she didn't like about Tree Hill's popular crowd. Arrogant, entitled, and clearly more interested in himself than anyone else. As she observed him, Sophia couldn't help but think about how different he was from the people she had grown up with. In her old life, she had learned to avoid drawing attention to herself, to blend into the background and avoid her mother's wrath. But here in Tree Hill, she was trying to start fresh, to leave her past behind and make new friends. Haley had introduced her to Lucas, and Sophia had been surprised by how easy it was to talk to him. He was kind and genuine, and he seemed to actually care about getting to know her. But Nathan was a different story altogether. As Nathan caught her eye, he flashed her a brief, dismissive smile before turning back to his friends. Sophia felt a surge of annoyance. Who did he think he was, anyway? She had heard rumors about his bad boy reputation, about how he was always getting into trouble and pushing people's buttons. But despite his arrogance, Sophia couldn't help but notice the way he moved with a quiet confidence, the way his eyes seemed to light up when he was talking about basketball. It was like he was a different person when he was on the court, like he was able to let his guard down and just be himself. Sophia shook her head, chiding herself for noticing. She wasn't going to let Nathan Scott get to her, not with his entitled attitude and his bad boy reputation. She was better than that. As she walked to her locker, Sophia ran into Haley, who was bubbling with excitement. "Hey, Sophia! I saw you watching Nathan Scott. Don't mind him, he's just a big ol' softie on the inside." Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't see that." Haley grinned. "Trust me, he's got a heart of gold. But he can also be a bit of a jerk sometimes. Just ignore him and he'll leave you alone." Sophia nodded, making a mental note to steer clear of Nathan. But as she turned to leave, she caught sight of him watching her from across the hallway, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. For a moment, they just stared at each other, Sophia feeling like she was under a microscope. Then Nathan looked away, flashing her a quick smile before turning back to his friends. Sophia felt a flutter in her chest, which she quickly dismissed as annoyance. She was not going to let Nathan Scott get to her, no matter how hard he tried. As she walked away, Sophia couldn't help but wonder what it was about Nathan that made him so confident, so self-assured. Was it just his basketball skills, or was there something more to him? She didn't have the answer, but she was determined to find out. Little did she know, Nathan had been watching her for a while now, and he was starting to see her in a whole new light.