one more chance - p. bueckers

03

July 31st

Charlie

Classes haven't even started yet, but I am still getting up at 8am every day. I decide to just walk around campus and explore since my meeting with Coach Geno isn't until 6pm. I got an email from him last night asking to stop by his office just so I could meet him and the other staff before I start attending practices tomorrow.

I decided to get breakfast at the dining hall and I ended checking out the training facilities. I can see why UConn Has such great athletes they literally have a masseuse.

But anyway after touring practically the whole campus, I decide to head back to my room and take a nap. I don't wake up until 4pm, in my meeting with Geno is in a couple hours so I should start getting ready.

I'm definitely not getting dressed up in case I see her.

Since the gym isn't far from my dorm I decided to leave at 5:40, that way I'm still early to our meeting but not too early where I'm going to have to wait around for a while.

It's 5:54 when I enter the gym and I immediately spot Couch Geno, I mean he's pretty hard to miss as he waving his hands through the air and screaming at the girls.

I can't hear exactly what he says as he walking towards me, but It must be something bad because I see one girl stop in her tracks. In fear I'm assuming. Remind me never to get on Geno's bad side.

As Geno is walking towards me I quickly scan through the rest of the girls, hoping that she isn't there.

Hope is bullshit.

We make eye contact for a split second, but It feels like hours. I probably would have been staring at her for hours if it was for Couch's voice breaking me out of my trance.

"You must be Charlotte Andrews. I'm Coach Geno, it's a pleasure to met you." He says extending his hand.

I just shake it and smile, unable to speak. I can feel her gaze on me.

"Please follow me to my office." He says ushering me towards the stairs.

I look back, and she is still there. Burning holes into my head.

I forgot how good she looks in her uniform. She's definitely been working out a lot more, she looks like she could bend me in half. God I miss her so much.

My meeting with Coach went surprising well. He introduced me to the other coaches Daily and Elliot and two others I already forget the name of, and the other members of the staff like the trainers and program directors.

The meeting was fairly quick, only lasting about 45 minutes. He then gave me a tour of the facility, and it was even better than it was in pictures. Maybe I should have taken up basketball with Caitlin.

After the meeting I head back to my dorm room. I haven't really made any friends yet because there is quite literally no one here besides "athletes" and it's not like I see them anyways. I've been here for 3 days and I managed to avoid Paige. Until today that was.

I wonder if she knew it was me. I mean my hair is darker since the last time she saw me, and I think I may have even grown a bit.  Paige must have grown like 3 inches at least.

I may hate her guts but I can't lie, she looks good. Really good. She's lot all her baby fat in her face, and her cheekbones have become a lot more prominent. She was always in shape in high school being an athlete and all but she looks even more in shape now if that's possible.

She was wearing a compression shirt but you could see her abs perfectly through them. Are arms have definitely gotten bigger too. She definitely doesn't skip leg day. She probably could just throw me over her shoulder.

No no no. I should not be thinking these things! This would be so much easier if she had gotten ugly the past 4 years. But typical Paige she's only gotten better with time.

Paige was always just naturally gifted, at everything. She always has great grades and didn't have to study for tests and stuff. She basically lives basketball, but even that came easy to her. Obviously she has worked for everything that she has now but when she started playing, it's like she had the rule book imprinted in her brain.

I wouldn't be surprised if she could recite it from memory now. I don't know how it's possible but she actually is amazing at basketball. I mean she was amazing in high school. She was the #1 recruit from our graduating class. But now, especially after coming back from her injury. She is just flawless.

Not that I would ever tell her that, or anyone for that matter.

I wonder what she was thinking when she saw me. I mean she was in love with my for 5 years, she has to know it was me. She probably thinks I'm a stalker or something.

I mean we haven't spoken in 4 years and I just randomly show up at her school. Yeah I'd probably think I was a stalker too.

But that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what she thinks. She's just a girl on the team that I do photography for. I don't love her anymore, and I don't care what she is doing or who she is with.

Just as I think that I get a notification from Instagram. I swear my phone like can read my mine or something.

@paigebueckers posted

Great. Who the fuck is is she hugging like that.

—Yay! They saw eachother! Sorry this chapter is kind of rushed I'm writing in art class😭 But I love you guys and hopefully i'll post another chapter today! My goal is like one a day!