Chapter 2: A City of Stars
New York City was everything Santana had imagined and more. The towering skyscrapers, the constant buzz of people moving with purpose, the cacophony of car horns and street performers — it was alive in a way that made her heart race. And yet, as she stood in the middle of Times Square, suitcase in one hand and her phone's GPS in the other, she felt a pang of loneliness.
"So this is the big city," she muttered to herself. Her words were drowned out by the din around her.
Her apartment, or more accurately, the shoebox she'd found on Craigslist, was a few blocks away. Santana steeled herself, navigating the crowd with the same determination she used to master cheerleading stunts back in high school. Each step was another reminder that she was here. She'd made it.
By the time she reached the building, her legs were aching, and her mood had soured. The building was old and a little run-down, with peeling paint and a rickety staircase that creaked ominously as she climbed to the third floor. The door to her new home stuck when she tried to open it, and she had to shove it with her shoulder to get inside.
The apartment was...small. A single room with a kitchenette crammed into one corner and a bed that folded out from the wall. The air smelled faintly of mildew, and the single window offered a view of a brick wall. Santana dropped her bags and sighed, running a hand through her dark hair.
"Home sweet home," she said sarcastically.
Her phone buzzed, and she eagerly grabbed it, hoping for a text from Brittany. Instead, it was a group chat message from her new classmates. They were planning a meet-up that night at a coffee shop near campus. Santana hesitated. She wasn't exactly in the mood to be social, but she knew she couldn't afford to start this new chapter of her life as a loner.
She quickly texted back: I'll be there.
The coffee shop was everything Santana thought a New York City hangout would be. Exposed brick walls, mismatched furniture, and a barista with a nose ring and an attitude. The group of students she'd joined were loud and full of energy, talking over each other about auditions, professors, and the best pizza spots in the city.
Santana chimed in occasionally, but her thoughts kept drifting to Lima. She wondered what Brittany was doing, if she was looking at the same stars Santana could barely see through the city's light pollution. She missed the way Brittany's hand felt in hers, the way her laughter made everything seem a little brighter.
"Santana, right?" a voice broke through her reverie.
She looked up to see a girl with bright red hair and a confident smile sitting across from her.
"Yeah," Santana said, sitting up straighter. "And you are?"
"Riley," the girl said, extending a hand. "You've been pretty quiet. New to the city?"
Santana nodded. "Yeah. Just got here today."
"Well, welcome. It's crazy, but you'll love it," Riley said. "Stick with me. I'll show you the ropes."
Santana smiled, the first genuine one she'd managed since stepping off the train. Maybe this place wouldn't feel so lonely after all.