Chapter 8 - First Blood

NYU - Freshman Year

The First Week

Sophia Reyes had shown up to NYU's School of Business with one goal: be the best.

She didn't have legacy connections or a trust fund safety net. She had student loans, a battered laptop, and a desperate need to prove to herself and everyone else that she belonged in those marble-floored halls.

She got to class early, took obsessive notes, and raised her hand first every time. Some of the other students found her intense. She didn't care. She wasn't here to make friends. She was here to win.

But there was him.

Bobby Knight strolled into the first lecture late, Starbucks in hand, sunglasses still on, and dropped into the seat directly behind her. He leaned back, stretched his legs out like the whole room was his personal lounge, and barely looked at the syllabus.

Sophia hated him on sight.

Entitled. Privileged. A legacy kid coasting on his last name. One of them.

The professor started class with an icebreaker: a paired group exercise where students had to pitch a fake business idea to each other. Sophia's stomach sank as the professor rattled off names, and sure enough—

"Knight and Reyes."

Of course.

She turned in her seat, forced her best professional smile, and stuck out her hand. "Sophia Reyes."

He gave her a lazy grin and shook her hand without sitting up. "Bobby Knight. Pleasure."

She ignored the fact that his hand was warm, or that he had the kind of smile that probably got him out of trouble his whole life.

"Let's get started," she said coldly. "I was thinking something in the renewable energy sector. Maybe an app that connects eco-conscious consumers with local green businesses?"

Bobby blinked at her. "That's… a lot."

"Yes but It's smart," she said defensively.

"Sure," he said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. "But what if we make it fun? Gamify it. Like, users get points for visiting green businesses or cutting down their carbon footprint. They could compete against friends."

Sophia's brow furrowed. That was… actually not terrible. But she wasn't about to admit it.

"That's gimmicky," she said instead.

"It's effective," he countered. "You think people change their habits because of apps? No. They do it because they want to show off. It's social proof."

Sophia opened her mouth to argue, but the professor called for volunteers to pitch their partner's idea.

Before she could stop him, Bobby stood up.

"Our app," he said, loud and confident, "turns eco-conscious shopping into a game. Compete with your friends, earn badges for reducing waste, and discover local green businesses along the way."

Sophia froze.

He made it sound like his idea. And he didn't credit her once.

The class clapped politely. Sophia's hands stayed firmly in her lap.

When Bobby sat down, she turned to him, voice low and furious. "You just stole my pitch."

"I improved it." He popped a mint in his mouth, like it was no big deal.

Her fingers curled into fists under the desk. "I did all the work."

"You came up with the basics. I made it sell."

Sophia's cheeks burned. "You are exactly the kind of guy I can't stand."

"And you're exactly the kind of girl who takes herself way too seriously."

"Because I have to," she hissed. "Not all of us have Daddy's connections to fall back on."

Bobby's smile faltered for half a second, but it was back before she could register it. "Guess that makes me your first real competition."

"I'll crush you."

"I'd like to see you try."

And just like that, it was war.

A Few Weeks Later

It escalated fast.

Every group project became a battleground. If Sophia raised her hand first, Bobby's went up higher. If Bobby made a point in class, Sophia countered it like a courtroom lawyer. They got paired on another project—an internship pitch competition—and Sophia thought maybe, just maybe, they could work like adults this time.

She was wrong.

They both wanted the same internship at Valor Capital, a rare golden opportunity for first-years. They were supposed to submit a joint pitch for an investment strategy—something to show teamwork and innovation. They agreed to work separately and compare notes.

Sophia spent three nights perfecting a plan centered on minority-owned businesses and local investment hubs.

Bobby submitted a completely different pitch behind her back. One that leaned heavily into high-return, high-risk tech startups—the kind that made flashy headlines and attracted big money fast.

His pitch won.

She never got the interview.

The night Sophia found out, she sat on her dorm room floor with Priya, clutching a bag of frozen peas because they were out of ice cream.

"He's a snake," Priya declared. "A hot snake, but still."

"Not hot," Sophia muttered.

"Liar."

"He stole my pitch."

"Technically, he just ignored your pitch and did his own thing."

"Same difference."

Priya slurped her bubble tea. "So now you hate him?"

"Now I hate him."

Priya leaned back against the bed, eyes twinkling. "You sure it's just hate?"

Sophia threw a pea at her.

Present Day - Sophia's Apartment

Sophia stared at the ceiling, headphones in, playing some lo-fi beats to drown out her own thoughts. She hadn't thought about that stupid first week in a long time. How quickly she'd decided Bobby was her enemy. How quickly he'd proven her right.

But there had been that flicker. Before the rivalry calcified into something sharp. Before they both forgot how to be anything but adversaries.

For a minute, they'd been two ambitious kids who maybe could have been friends. Maybe more.

That minute didn't last.

Her phone buzzed.

Priya: Still on for wine night tomorrow?

Sophia: Definitely.

Because if there was one person who'd witnessed every step of the Bobby and Sophia feud—and survived to tell the tale—it was Priya. And Sophia had a feeling her best friend was going to have some opinions about the fact that, against all odds, she was back in Bobby Knight's orbit.