Chapter 10

Julie Vaz

It was strange, how quickly things could change.

A month ago, I’d barely spoken to Alexander Carter. Now, I found myself texting him more than I ever thought I would. Not about school, not about the project, but about random things—the weather, our classes, even a dumb meme I’d seen that I thought he might find funny. Sometimes, he would respond with something witty. Other times, it would be a one-word answer, and I’d have to remind myself not to overanalyze it.

And yet, the more we talked, the more I found myself wondering about him. Alexander Carter—the untouchable golden boy with the perfect life, the one I had spent most of high school resenting from a distance—wasn’t as perfect as I’d thought. Sure, he was still charming, still popular, but now I saw cracks in that polished exterior. He had his own struggles, his own pressures, his own fears.

It was strange to think that I—Julie Vaz, the shy, bookish girl who barely spoke in class—could be the one he confided in. He’d even texted me about his college dilemma—how his parents had been pushing him toward Yale, but how it didn’t feel like the right fit for him. He didn’t know what he wanted, and for someone who always seemed to have everything figured out, that had to be terrifying.

I could relate more than I liked.

Today, we were meeting up again. Not to discuss a project, not to analyze an essay, but to just... be. There wasn’t an agenda. We had agreed to grab lunch at a local café, the same one where we’d first hung out a few weeks ago. I didn’t know why I’d agreed. Maybe I was just curious. Maybe I was starting to feel like I had an actual friend in him. Maybe it was because I liked how it felt to just exist without the weight of expectations.

I stood in front of my mirror that morning, staring at my reflection for longer than I cared to admit. I had no idea why I was overthinking what to wear. It wasn’t like this was a date. It wasn’t even close. It was just two people meeting up to talk about... whatever.

I settled on a simple blue sweater and jeans. Casual. Comfortable. It was probably the safest choice, but I couldn’t deny that part of me wanted to look nice. To somehow look... different. Even though I had no real reason to.

By the time I reached the café, I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. Not because I was nervous—at least, I didn’t think I was—but because everything with Alexander had started to feel a little... unfamiliar. It wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just new. And new could sometimes be more unnerving than awkwardness.

When I walked in, he was already there, sitting at a corner table with his usual casual ease. He looked up as I approached, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He was dressed simply, in a hoodie and jeans, but somehow he still managed to look effortlessly cool. The kind of guy who could wear anything and make it look like a fashion statement.

“Hey,” I said, sliding into the seat across from him.

“Hey,” he replied, his voice warm. “How’s the book you’re reading?”

I blinked, surprised by the question. “Oh, um... it’s good. It’s called Fourth Wing. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s pretty captivating.”

He nodded, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve heard of it. You’ve got good taste.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. Alexander Carter, of all people, complimenting my book choices. It was the kind of thing I’d always dreamed of, but never in a million years expected to actually happen.

“Thanks,” I said. “What about you? Reading anything interesting?”

He shrugged, looking down at his coffee. “I don’t really read much for fun. Too busy with... other stuff.”

That “other stuff” was his life, the one I didn’t know a whole lot about. The one that was filled with pressure from his parents, the unspoken expectations that came with being the golden boy, the soccer star, the future Yale student. It wasn’t something I could pretend to understand, but I could see the toll it had taken on him.

“Well, when you do get a chance,” I said, “you should try it. There’s something about getting lost in a good book that’s... different from anything else.”

He looked at me, his eyes thoughtful. “Maybe I will. Maybe I need to take a break from all the other stuff.”

For a moment, there was a strange silence between us, but it wasn’t awkward. It was just... quiet. Comfortable. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about what I had said—or if I was just reading into it too much.

We ordered our food, and for the next few minutes, we fell into an easy rhythm. We talked about school, about our favorite movies, about the ridiculous things that happened in class. It wasn’t anything profound, but it felt real. It felt like I wasn’t just Julie Vaz the outsider anymore. I was just... me. Just Julie.

“So, what’s next for you?” he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. “I mean, after graduation. You’ve got NYU, but what’s your plan for the next few years? Any big goals?”

The question surprised me, and I hesitated for a moment, unsure how much I should share. I’d never been one to make grand plans for the future. It always felt safer to just take things one step at a time.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, taking a sip of my water. “I mean, I’m excited for NYU, obviously. But it feels a little overwhelming too. There’s so much I still want to do. I want to write, of course. Maybe publish a novel someday. But I’m not exactly sure how to get there.”

He studied me for a moment, his gaze intense. “I think you will. You’ve got the passion for it. That’s the hardest part. The rest will come.”

His words caught me off guard. They weren’t just flippant compliments; they felt genuine. Like he really believed in me. And that meant more than I cared to admit.

“Thanks,” I said softly, glancing down at my hands. “I just... I don’t know. There’s always this voice in my head telling me I’m not good enough. That no one will care about what I write.”

He reached across the table, his hand pausing just above mine. “Don’t listen to it,” he said quietly. “That voice? It’s just fear. Don’t let it control you. You’re good enough. And I can’t wait to see what you do.”

The sincerity in his voice left me speechless. I’d never expected him—the Alexander Carter, the guy who always seemed to have it all figured out—to be the one giving me this kind of advice. But in that moment, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I was starting to see him in a completely new light.

The rest of the conversation passed in a comfortable blur. We talked about the upcoming summer plans, about the uncertainty of what came next, about the little things that didn’t seem important but somehow meant everything.

By the time the check arrived, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was shifting between us, but I didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t the same as before. There was something deeper now, something that felt like the beginning of something more than just a passing connection.

As we stood up to leave, Alexander gave me a half-smile. “We should do this again sometime.”

I nodded, feeling a flutter in my chest. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

And just like that, I realized that maybe the biggest change of all wasn’t about getting into NYU or facing my own fears—it was about this: the fact that I was starting to trust someone I never thought I would.

Starting to trust him... Alexander Carter.

And for the first time, it didn’t feel like such a scary thing. It felt like the beginning of something new. Something good.