Between The Lines! (not complete)

part 1/ description

Chapter Two: Different Worlds

Zaliyah

Nothing in my life had ever been handed to me.

Not my grades.
Not my spot at Grand Valley University.
And definitely not my dream of becoming a doctor.

I grew up middle class—comfortable enough, but never careless. My parents worked hard for everything we had, and they made sure I understood the value of effort early on. Excellence wasn't optional; it was survival. I learned how to balance school, responsibilities, and expectations long before college ever entered the picture.

Grand Valley wasn't just a school to me—it was a chance.

Every early morning, every late-night study session, every sacrificed weekend was a step closer to the life I was building. I couldn't afford distractions, not when med school waited on the other side of this degree.

That was why Destiny and Jasmine mattered so much.

Destiny was calm, observant—the type who saw everything before speaking. Jasmine was bold and loud, always ready to defend me whether I asked for it or not. They were my balance, my reminders to breathe when the pressure got heavy.

Together, we kept each other grounded.

Because no matter how overwhelming things became, quitting was never an option.

⸻

Cooper

Privilege was a double-edged sword.

I'd grown up in a house big enough to echo, with parents who never worried about money and expectations that followed me like a shadow. The Smith name meant something—on campus and off. Alumni events. Donor lists. Booster meetings.

And football.

Football was the one thing that made everything make sense—until it didn't.

I'd been built for the game since middle school. Trained. Coached. Watched. At Grand Valley, I was the star wide receiver, the one everyone expected to go pro. My future was already planned in other people's minds.

Sometimes, I wondered what it would feel like to choose something for myself.

Kyrell was the only one who ever called me out on it. He didn't care about my last name or my stats—just whether I showed up. Then there was Dyl, my teammate, always joking, always loud, living fully in the moment.

They fit into the world I was supposed to want.

Still, there were moments—quiet ones—when I felt like I was just playing a role I'd never auditioned for.