𝐷𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝑂𝐹 𝑌𝑂𝑈 | 𝐽. 𝑃𝑂𝑂𝐿𝐸

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐹𝐼𝑉𝐸: 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐹𝐼𝑅𝑆𝑇 𝐶𝑅𝐴𝐶𝐾 𝐼𝑁 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐺𝐿𝐴𝑆𝑆

TIME SKIP: Five Months Later...

Good Stuff Eatery, 3:15 P.M

Jordan Poole

My life has never been better. That's for sure, and I wasn't lying to anyone or myself when I said that. Everything about my life at this very moment is perfect. Sometimes, it seemed too good to be true at different moments, but I knew that was only because I landed the most perfect girl in the world at my side with the most accepting family—y'know minus her father who still doesn't know about us might I add.

I asked Luna to be my girlfriend four and a half months ago at Anacostia, where we had our first, well, "somewhat date" if that's what you want to call it, but I call it our "meet-cute". I got her favorite flowers, which are white tulips, and played her favorite song which just so happens to be A Couple of Forevers by Chrisette Michele. I had a picnic date set up and everything and asked her to be my girlfriend.

She cried and said yes, of course. Sure, we've still been kind of sneaking around although I've met her mother and her siblings and her sibling's boyfriends, and they all love me. She's met my friends and teammates, and soon, she'll be able to meet my family, which I'm excited for. But, I'm mostly excited for the day that we no longer have to hide anything anymore.

Luna still works at her father's restaurant, but instead of serving tables, she sings full-time, even though she swears that she's happy and loves singing at the restaurant and working for her father, I can tell that she's unhappy and still thinking about that guy from five months ago that offered her a record deal. Now and then, I catch her looking at the card and looking as if she's gonna make the call, but she never does.

On top of that, tonight is a huge night for myself and even for the team. We've been on a good winning streak for the preseason games to kick off our season—seeing as though we're 2-0, and tonight we play the New York Knicks, and I need the team to push through because this is the first game that Luna will be attending. I need to make a good impression in front of her.

Ever since I got traded here, it's safe to say that my confidence has been a little low. Sure, I've made friends here and I've kind of made myself somewhat at home here with the help of Kyle, Luna, and her family, but still, my confidence wasn't up to par. Everyone was constantly throwing the Draymond situation in my face and how after that I was the reason that the Warriors sank, at first, I didn't truly believe it, but now...when you see it more and more, you start to believe it.

The more you start to believe it, the more it gets into your head...the more it gets into your head, the more your confidence falters...and that's exactly what I was going through.

"What's going on in your head, Poole?" Luna asks.

Her soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts, bringing me back into reality. We were on a lunch date her and I, at Good Stuff Eatery, her favorite place to get burgers aside from Five Guys. Her hair is out, falling down her shoulders like waves cascading onto a beach's shore. Her face was make-up free and she had on clear lipgloss. She had on one of my hoodies, a pair of light denim ripped jeans and her Panda Dunks.

"What do you mean?" I asked, popping a fry into my mouth.

Luna grinned. "It's obvious that you're in your head," she says, reaching out to touch my hand. "Is it about tonight's game?"

I let out a sigh and nodded my head. "Yeah, it is," I admitted. "I just...I want to...I want to show you that you're not dating some bum excuse for a basketball player, y'know? I want you to be proud of me."

"I am proud of you, Jordan," she assures me. "No matter what happens or what the score is, I am always proud of you. You're the most hardworking person I know, and I'm always gonna be in your corner."