Love On The Court

𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪-𝔼𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥

📆: September 15th, 2022- One Week Later
📍: Community Youth Center, Brooklyn, NY

Reuniting with the team didn't fulfill Toni's heart as she thought it would before. Well, before she and Cheryl got into an argument. One, that she admits, was dumb. She knows that it was stupid to get so worked up about earrings. Toni just caught PTSD from all the times her ex-girlfriends have done her wrong. When she saw Lucy's name on the tag, she just immediately thought the worse and went into defensive mode.

The athlete knows that Cheryl will never do that to her.

Yes, it has been a week and she could've just gone to Cheryl to let her know that she is sorry. But she feels as if the redhead wants to be away for a few, despite the miss calls and unread text messages that files on her phone shamefully.

Toni admits that she is stubborn. She's avoiding her girlfriend like a plague because she is embarrassed and ashamed. The way she blew up on the model made her stomach churn with guilt. She wishes so badly that she was brave enough to face this the way her mind is telling her to.

But she's not. And for now, she has to leave it up to the universe or whatever...to its job because she has a game to play.

Sabrina wraps her arm around Toni's shoulder with a smirk. "Are you ready for me to beat your ass, Topaz?"

"As if." Toni scoffs, coming back from her thoughts. Sabrina only chuckles and pats her shoulder roughly before walking away. "Yeah, it's good to be back," she mumbles to herself.

Penelope blows her whistle to gather everyone around and she smiles at the faces of her team. "It's so good to have each other back in the same room, doesn't it?"

"Hell yeah!" the women replies excitedly. "I missed you guys." DiDi ruffles Stephanie's now shortened hair.

"I'm sure we all missed each other." their coach chuckles while the rest of the coaching staff sits on the sidelines. "Okay, so today we're practicing shooting skills. I know most of you can shoot already, but we need to be more improved for next season."

"Gotcha," Toni confirms while the others nod.

"Great, so the balls should be filled with air..." Penelope turns to look at her co-workers and one nods. "Yes, the balls are free to use. We're only reserved for 30 minutes so make that count." she hands Michaela the ball she has in her hands.

Then, the team is disputed, scattered across the community center's gym. Toni does some stretches before getting involved with the shoot-around her teammates established.

She sits on the ground and leans over to touch her feet before doing the same with the other. She takes her time, despite their time limit. She is just so out of it today.

She misses her girlfriend. This is their first ever fight and she doesn't know what to do to make it all right. The brunette is nervous to confront the situation which only makes it worse. She doesn't know where to start.

Toni takes notice of a shadow standing over her and she looks up to see a concerned Penelope. The older woman offers her hand and the athlete accepts it. "She's pretty torn up too, you know."

"What?"

"Cheryl. She's been staying at my place for a week now. She says she needs the comfort, which I don't mind at all, but all of her moping is giving me the blues."

"Oh..." is all Toni says. "I can explain, Pen. It was–"

"I know. Cheryl knows too. She had to take some time to think about why such a little act made you feel that way. Your past relationships weren't ideal."