VALERIE RIVERA and PAIGE BUECKERS, best friends since they learned how to dribble. They had the same dreams of being basketball stars, even having a promise to go to UCONN together. They were inseparable leading Hopkins to an undefeated season their...
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"why can't I say that I'm in love? i wanna shout it from the rooftops"
valerie
past- January 18th 2020; narrative
Film Sessions. Usually my least favorite part of playing basketball. I mean why would I ever want to watch back clips of me sweaty, running and looking stupid all while we had a bad play. It was honestly embarrassing, especially with how Coach reacted but today was different. Not different in the sense that we weren't watching film because we were but no one could focus on it, all of us too focused on the surprise we had waiting for Paige afterwards.
I sat with my best friend who still had no idea, watching her face. Her eyebrows furrowed while Coach talked, I tuned him out like most times, all my attention on the girl next to me. I only payed attention when the room went quiet and Coach let out a big sigh, pointing to the camera man on the opposite side of the room.
"Do what I gotta do?" Coach asked the camera man, his nervous expression almost make me laugh. We never saw him nervous, he was probably only worried because he said some corny stuff about Paige.
"Show her." The guy replied with sass, I rolled my eyes. If one of us said that we would've been running suicides.
"Alright I think I can do that." Coach replied, clicking around on his computer struggling for a bit. We all split into separate conversations while Coach struggled with technology like usual.
"P, bro. You're so amazing bro. You're so crazy. Like what you've done for women's basketball, you've affected the game. You're changing the game, literally changing the game." Paige's friend appeared on screen and Paige's face lit up.
"I'm gonna start crying." Coach interrupted and Paige laughed. After that I didn't focus on the video, only watching Paige's reactions, I was the one who organized the video anyways I didn't need to rewatch it.
Paige started tearing up early in the videos, attempting to laugh it off to seem stronger in front of her team. We did this for her, she deserved it.
I could recognize her moms voice when it came on screen and Paige watched in admiration. She didn't live with her mom but they still had such a close bond.
"She's got the snapchat filter on." Paige laughed, her voice shaking from the tears. Ever since Paige and I went over to Montana one summer and taught her mom how to use snapchat she never stopped, any pictures she took had a filter on them now.
Paige started crying during her moms part, putting her head in her shirt to hide and wipe her tears. I put my hand on her leg, squeezing it gently.
"You deserve this and I could not be prouder. Love you." Her moms voice faded out while I rubbed my thumb across Paige's thigh. Paige deserves all the praise she was getting, after everything she's done I was so happy to see her finally get acknowledged for it.
