It's Bigger Than Basketball

10

It had been two weeks, and I still hadn't seen Camila. I was finally back in town after another road trip to Houston, where we got two wins. One against the Rockets, the other against the Maverick. I had great games, and Camila was so busy we barely spoke. I'd check in on her every so often, hoping she'd have some time off or at least catch the game, even just the highlight reel, but it felt like she was either writing or in the studio with her team anytime I tried to talk. At least she hadn't disappeared. That was until two days ago. I finally got back from Texas and had a two-day break before a home game, and I hadn't heard or seen any social media news on her. I was frustrated, feeling played all over again. I was slowly accepting she might've disappeared again.

"You want to hit up tootsie after the game?" My homie on the team asks me as I lace up my Nike shoes tight.

"Nah, man, I'm good," I tell him, denying him a second time this past week alone.

"Bro, what the fuck? You've been in your head this week. Let's go pick up some bitches." He tries and convinces me.

I didn't want any girl in my face, and I wanted Camila. Why? I stopped trying to answer that question and accepted that I was drawn to her no matter the reason or what I did to get away from it. I couldn't. So I accepted it. Would she be pissed off if I hung out with girls? I mean, we weren't official, but that last time I saw her, she sure as hell kissed me like I was hers. Hers. That sounds nice.

Fuck there was something wrong with me; I've gone soft! I walked out onto the court and scanned the floor as always. My mouth dropped for a few seconds when my eyes connected with her anxious ones already on me. She's wearing jeans with beige high heels. Something about that girl in high heels could make my knees turn into jelly. Her top was cropped, and she had buns up top as the rest of her hair flowed down her shoulders and back. She looked breathtaking enough to get my head out of the game completely. I bounced the ball over to her shaking my head and trying to hide the smile on my face from seeing her again.

"Surprise," she says as her hands wrap around me desperately, making me forget why I was even upset in the first place.

I lowered my head as close to hers as possible without being too weird and inhaled her sweet vanilla mixed with coconut scent in her hair. She was intoxicating, and I forgot how much I missed the feeling I got around her.

"I thought you were playing games with me all over again," I mumbled into her ear to tune out the crowd getting hyped up by the DJ.

She pulls back, her head shaking quickly.

"We made a deal," she reminds me, wrapping her fingers against my jersey.

Our eyes glance at each other's lips, but she tears away and looks nervously at the huge crowd around us. I wasn't sure what we were or if she'd even be open to becoming a thing. Is she ready for that? Am I even prepared for that? I've never even had something serious, so what makes me think I can handle it? Either way, it was apparent it was too much pressure for us to figure out now. We both weren't living everyday lives. People living normal lives were tuned in to the lives of people like us. Not that I wasn't anything close to her level. I had to remember Camila might be this extraordinary girl because she managed to do the one thing I had worked so hard since I was a kid to avoid. Distractions. She was a force to be reckoned with, but I wanted to be the one to poke her fire till she let me in. Shamefully, as recently, I wanted to be around her even more than basketball. I kept forgetting everyone else; Camila was a pop star. She was extraordinary in so many ways beyond the ones that had me wrapped around her fingers.