Flashing Lights || J.B / N.B

Sweetheart, Really?

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"Seriously? I'm just here to drop off my brother's cleats!" I threw my hands up in frustration. Why the hell do I even bother to be a good sister? I grumbled internally.

"Sorry, miss, but we can't let anyone in without a badge," the guard said firmly.

"A badge? I've never been here before! If you need ID, I can show you that. Both our last names are Hubbard, for crying out loud—there's not exactly a crowd of us around," I said, raising my eyebrows.

"We'd still need a badge," he repeated, unfazed.

I clenched my jaw, trying to keep cool. "My brother's not answering his phone, and he really needs these cleats for the game. Can you just make an exception, or... I don't know, send someone out to him?"

This was such a waste of time. I could've been at home relaxing or getting boba instead of stuck here arguing with a guy who wasn't even listening. Even Ja'Marr and Mixon had walked past me without a second glance.

"Jeez, seriously?" I muttered under my breath.

"I'm just doing my job, sweetheart. No badge, no entry," the guard said, flashing a smirk.

"Sweetheart, really?" I snapped, my irritation bubbling over. Before I could get another word in, a deep voice broke through the tension.

"Yo, what's going on here?" Tee Higgins, one of Sam's close friends, appeared like a hero in a jersey.

"Thank god, Tee! Can you please tell this guy to let me in? I've got cleats to deliver, and I'm about to melt out here," I said, dramatically waving my arms.

Tee gave the guard a look, then turned back to me with a grin. "Chelsea, what did you do this time?" His eyes sparkled with amusement as he addressed the guard. "It's all good, man. She's really Hubbard's sister. I'll make sure she gets a badge next time."

The guard blinked, suddenly looking a little less confident. "Oh, uh, sorry about that, Miss Hubbard. See you next time."

"Don't count on it," I muttered as I walked past him, trying to shake off the irritation.

Tee's laughter followed me as we made our way toward the locker room. "Man, I swear, you get into the weirdest situations."

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Meanwhile, in the locker room:

"Yo, did anyone else see that girl outside?" Ja'Marr asked, leaning back against a locker with a half-grin. "She had this... intense vibe, you know? And she was hot. Definitely not your average fan."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "A fan? How would she even know about the back entrance?"

"No clue," Ja'Marr replied with a shrug. "But I'm telling you, she had it all— confidence, looks. Hell, maybe I should head back out there and check if she's still around."

Joe smirked but shook his head. "Come on, man. You know how rumors get started. You don't want that kind of attention again."

Before Ja'Marr could respond, Sam entered, slapping both of them on the back.

"What's up, guys? What are you talking about?" Sam greeted.

"Chase is going off about some fan he saw outside," Joe explained with a chuckle.

"She was fine as hell, man. Said she was your sister, too—probably just trying to get in," Ja'Marr added with a grin, shaking his head with amusement.