Chapter 2 An Unfair Decision
Amelia stared at the notice board again and again.
She leaned in, close enough that her breath fogged the plastic covering, and read the line slowly, like the words might rearrange themselves if she gave them time.
Hartley, A. - Miller, Nathan.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then she laughed. Unbelievable! She straightened abruptly, stomped her foot against the tiled floor like she was shaking off bad luck, and turned away from the board.
“I can't do this, not with that son of the devil,” she muttered, already walking away.
The hallway buzzed behind her, voices overlapping, names being celebrated or groaned over. Amelia pushed through it, phone already in her hand as she dialled Mira’s contact.
It rang once.
Mira picked up breathless. “Tell me you got someone hot.”
Amelia burst out laughing. “Guess who I’m attached to.”
There was a pause.
Then Mira said, smug, “Connor? You got your ex?”
Amelia laughed again, the sound echoed down the hallway. “God, no. Try again.”
“Don’t mess with me.”
“The king of playboys himself.”
There was silence for a few seconds.
Then Mira screamed. It was so loud, Amelia yanked the phone away from her ear, wincing.
“Amelia Hartley,” Mira yelled, “Do you know how insane that is?”
Amelia shook her head, forcing a smile. “It’s a joke. A cruel, unnecessary joke.”
“That’s good, girl!”
“In what universe?”
“In this one. You, Nathan Miller? That's the content. That’s power. You get to meet the most handsome, popular, and talented athlete in Fairview.”
“If sports journalism wasn’t my major, and if I didn’t actually love it, I’d have dropped this course right now.”
Mira snorted. “Liar. You’d never quit.”
“I’m serious. I’m going to see the lecturer.”
“Wait, like right now?”
“Yes. I'm going to make him realize what he’s done.”
“Don’t threaten him too hard,” Mira teased. “I want updates.”
Amelia smiled faintly. “I’ll call you.” She hung up and slipped her phone into her pocket.
As she walked down the hallway, her smile faded.
The best? she thought. What do they even see in Nathan Miller?
Girls were always around him, laughing cheerfully, touching his arm like it belonged to them. He walked like the world bent to him, like attention was his birthright. Everything about him felt loud and reckless.
He's not a serious type and his personality matches his attitude.
Amelia adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she stopped in front of a wooden door near the end of the corridor.
Dr. Victor Grant
Department of Media & Journalism
She stared at the nameplate for a moment, then knocked once.
“Come in,” a voice called.
She opened the door and stepped inside.
Dr. Victor Grant looked up from a stack of papers, glasses perched low on his nose. His office smelled faintly of coffee and old books. The walls were lined with framed certificates and newspaper clippings.
“Ah, Amelia,” he said, smiling. “Right on time.”
She closed the door behind her forcefully and crossed her arms. “Good afternoon, sir.”
“Please, sit.” He gestured to the chair across from his desk. “I assume you’ve seen the assignment list.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Amelia said, dropping into the chair.
Dr. Victor leaned back slightly, studying her. “And?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I’d like to be reassigned.”
His eyebrow lifted. “Already?”
“Yes.”
“Because?”
She exhaled. “With all due respect, Dr. Victor, Nathan Miller is not”
“to your liking?” he finished mildly.
Amelia blinked. “I wouldn’t put it that way.”
“How would you put it?”
She chose her words carefully. “He’s distracting. He has a reputation that doesn’t align with the kind of journalism I want to do.”
Dr. Victor smiled like she’d just proven a point. “Do you dislike him?”
“I don’t know him,” Amelia said quickly. “And I’d like to keep it that way.”
He tapped his pen against the desk. “Interesting. Most students are thrilled and wish to be assigned Nathan Miller.”
“Well, I’m not most students.”
He chuckled. “That much is obvious.”
Amelia leaned forward. “Sir, I’d like to exchange athletes. There are plenty of others. I can suggest three names right now.”
Dr. Victor shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Sir.”
“It’s not possible.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“Because,” he said calmly, “you are the best person for this assignment.”
Amelia let out a breathless laugh. “That’s not true.”
“It is.”
“You could give him to anyone else. Someone who actually likes..”
“idolizes him?” Dr. Victor cut in. “Exactly why I didn’t.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
Dr. Victor leaned forward. “Nathan Miller’s coach approached me personally.”
Her stomach dipped. “His coach?”
“Yes. He begged me to assign someone capable. Someone who wouldn’t be dazzled. Someone who would see the person beneath the headlines.”
Amelia stared at him. “You’re asking me to babysit an adult.”
“I’m asking you to do journalism.”
“Babysitting, that's the problem row” she repeated flatly.
He ignored that. “Nathan’s reputation is unstable with numerous tabloids and rumors. It could ruin his chances of being scouted.”
“And that’s my problem because?”
“Because,” Dr. Victor said, voice firm now, “if you do well, really well, you’ll earn an A for the course.”
Amelia hesitated.
“And,” he added casually, “I’ll personally send a recommendation to the sports journalism firm you’ve been speaking to about an internship.”
Her breath caught.
“That’s..” She stopped herself. “That’s not fair.”
“It's an opportunity for you to grow..”
She shook her head. “I’m not the right fit.”
“You are.”
“I don’t even like him.”
Dr. Victor smiled. “That’s the point.”
She looked down at her hands, fingers twisting together. “How long will it last?”
“A few weeks.”
Her shoulders slumped. “And what exactly do you expect me to do?”
“Observe, report, and humanize him. Just a few things to fix his reputation.”
She scoffed softly. “Good luck with that.”
“Amelia,” Dr. Victor said gently, “you see things others miss. That’s why you’re here.”
She looked up. “I’ll try my best.”
“You have a meeting with him today.”
Her eyes widened. “Today?”
“Yes, just a brief introduction. Nothing more.”
She stood abruptly. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
She stared at him, jaw tight.
He met her gaze calmly. “This assignment stands,” he said. “So trust me.”
Amelia turned toward the door, head spinning.
As she reached for the handle, she muttered under her breath. “This is going to be a disaster.”
