FRAT LINE|Year 2&3-KNJ✔️

+33+

+MALIA+

Nisha was right.

There will be sponsors at the game tonight. There are sponsors here. My hands have been feeling a little damp since we got here. The girls and I came in for practice last night and our coaches told us about the sponsors. I assume they saw the nervousness on all of our faces because they went right into calming everyone's nerves. They did the same thing tonight at our pre game rehearsal.

We're confident in our skills, that's not the problem. It's more so just the pressure of them being there. Luckily, we don't know what they look like. We can't identify any of them. That makes it a little better. If we knew who they were, we'd be searching for their faces or constantly looking to check for reactions.

That is stress that we do not need at the moment.

The crowd cheering draws me back in to the game going on around me. Sitting on the bleachers for the basketball game, I've been keeping an eye on Namjoon. He's so happy that he gets to play again. It was written all over his face when the game started.

As soon as the whistle blew, he was on it. He smiled while he while he stole the ball from an opposing teammate. He was grinning while he sunk a shot from the three point line. And he's still smiling as he passes the ball to Tyrell.

Watching him play reminds me that not only are sponsors here for me but for him as well. He's clearly been on peoples radar but he has to stay on the radar now. Getting there is the east part. It's keeping the attention that proves to be difficult. Sponsors can be very picky, especially about men's sports.

Namjoon sitting out a game worried both him and me. Thankfully, it was just one game. That can be chucked up to anything. He wasn't injured nor did he look injured.

He's showing his ass tonight. I've been taking pictures and videos to send to our parents. I'm so proud of him.

I smile at him as he walks to the sideline for his water bottle. He sees me holding my phone up and holds up the peace sign as he drinks his water. I take more pictures and blow him a kiss. He quickly blows me one back before he walks back onto the court.

The sponsors being here seems to have no effect on his or any of the guys' performance. They're up by three points by the time that the buzzer goes off for half time.

At that time, the girls and I are in the locker room for our usual pre performance pep talk. Our coaches don't want us to be too worried about the sponsors. They want us to perform like we always do but just with the knowledge that they're there.

That we can do.

As we walk out of the locker rooms, my heart beats a little faster. My skin feels a little warmer. The crowd seems a little louder. Walking into the gym, I start to loosen up a little. Xavier and Janae are sitting in the bleachers behind the basketball team watching. Namjoon gives me a small smile for reassurance.

The girls and I get into formation and ready to dance as the music starts. I tune everything out but the music and focus on choreography. Expressions too. Those are very important. Even if, by chance, I ever did slip up, I could keep a smile on my face and be good.

Dancing this distance from the bleachers, I can hear and see Janae yelling. In between transitions and steps, a glance is all it takes to see her. Xavier is holding her phone recording with a smile on his face, laughing at her outbursts.

Flipping out with Camryn, she smiles at me to take center. Standing to her left, I get a different angle of the bleachers. It's there that I see them..

There's two of them in the the crowd. It has to be them. It's like they've made themselves stand out on purpose. With judging and scrutinizing eyes, they're watching us dance. One of the women makes eye contact with me and my heart skips.