𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝.

𝟎𝟐.

caitlin's pov.

i was visiting UConn as we had a summer game, our coaches knew eachother pretty well since they had been coaching so long together. i was rooming in the hotel with kate as we got ready in the bathroom for tonight. "can you straighten the back of this?" i ask handing her the iron. "well don't you look cute!" kate giggles as she finishes off my hair. kate never really dressed up but she had that fresh, almost clean look to her. "hold on, emma's calling!" she says as she leaves the bathroom to answer her girlfriend's call. i sigh and look in the mirror. it stings being here as this was my dream school. but geno never even scouted me. he came to one of my game's, but not for me. it was the USA game my sophmore year. he was there for paige. she and i were some of the best in our class but geno never saw me after watching one of her game's. i knew i had talent, just had to prove it. i remember our one conversation as if it was yesterday.

 geno told me i had talent, and continued to leave to talk to paige. as i watched him walk away, a y/h/c (hair color) girl appeared from behind him. "hi!" she smiled at me with the kindest eyes. i looked down at the girl, wearing a UConn cheerleading shirt, "hey! i'm caitlin." she shook my hand which was far bigger then hers. 'i'm y/n auriemma. you're really good by the way! like your three's are amazing." she said as she went to pull out her phone. "here's my number, you should text me sometime! maybe my dad will end up coaching you!" she gave me her number, which i was quite shocked at. i had really never met anyone so friendly in the basketball community. especially at this level, but i was happily shocked at. she smiled at me and brushed my hand as she walked away to go follow her father. 

"caitlin! let's go!" i hear kate yelling from the hotel door, snapping me out of the memory. we had ubered to a local bar, praying our fakes would get us in. i opened snapchat, seeing a snap from y/n, what a coincidence. she was with the UConn's basketball team. i looked closer at the snap and realized we were at the same bar. i scan the room, and see the same girl from so many years ago. "kate, wanna go say hey to the competiton?" i playfully nudged her as we walked over to the team. "caitlin!" y/n yells with excitement as she leaves her seat to come hug me. in my opinion she looks even more gorgeous as she's gotten older. she pulls me into and embrace as she her arms wrap around my neck. i feel myself blush at her touch. "hey y/n!" i say as i watch kate order drinks with i presumed was nika. 

i see the star herself, bueckers leave her seat that was once next to y/n, to approach us. "well look who it is." she says dryly. i smile at her, trying not to give into the tension. we had been friends but i think the competition both goes to our heads. "auriemma, how do you know caitlin?" she says leaning onto the bar besides y/n. "oh, we go way back. i think i only have known you for about 3 months when i met her." she smiled sipping her drink. i think i was picking up on the situation. "yeah, at the USA game right?" paige nods and takes a swig of a drink.  "too bad that was our last time on a team together." i can almost hear her smirk. "too bad." i awkwardly chuckle. 

y/n's pov.

i had about 3 drinks up to the point, so i did feel a little tipsy. "i am just so glad my favorite girls are here together!" i say to cait and paige. i had always texted and chatted with caitlin whenever i saw her at basketball events and such. she had always been a little celeb crush for me, and probably helped with my gay awakening junior year. "absolutely." paige groaned, i felt her touch my arm. i didn't know if it was because i was drunk but i felt like paige was making a move on me. "so cait, where are you staying?" i was inbetween the two, it was quite intimidating being this short next to basically pro basketball players. "oh at the hilton with kate, and the rest of the team." she smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. 

"omg! come stay with me in my dorm, i'm sadly in a single but we are on the same building as paige and azzi!" i said, currently sipping on my fourth drink. i hear paige mumble something but not loud enough to hear. cait's eyes light up, "well if you don't mind, sure." cait smiled and walked up to the rest of the team.

paige's pov.

i watched caitlin walk away after blatantly flirting with y/n. i didn't want to be jealous. i'm just choosing to blame this feeling on not liking her. i was friends with her until coach told me not to be. i was supposed to be driven and against the competition. so i was. i watch y/n sit down, chugging her vodka soda. "hey, auriemma. maybe you should slow down. how many drinks have you had?"  i slowly remove the glass out of her hand and give it to the bartender. i didn't plan on drinking when we came due to the fact we played a summer game tomorrow. "hm, 5?" she slurred out, looking up at me. "lucky number i suppose." i laugh as i looked down at the shirt i was wearing with my number 5 embroidered into it. she had slowly leaned into me, drunkenly slurring. "paige, your eyes are so blue. i love them" she slurred out, now her full body weight on me. "sure, y/n. how about i take you home." 

i had to pretend like that didn't make me red in the face, hearing her compliment me. i brushed it aside knowing she was drunk and probably didn't mean it. "hey Z!" i shouted to azzi across the room. i motioned to leave, as her eyes shifted to the drunk y/n on my arm. before i could say anything, azzi and caitlin walked over. "oh! i can help you with her, i planned on staying with her anyways." caitlin pulled her off of me, picking her up bridal style. i rolled my eyes, but went along. "okay, paige. you have to drive." azzi giggled as she downed her last drink. 

y/n's pov.

why was everything so loud? my head's pounding. wait, who's holding me? i look up to see cait's brown eyes looking down on me. "hey, sunshine. let's get in the car." i smile and feel warm at the nickname. i flop into the backseat. i feel so tired. caitlin sits nexts to me, and i shift to lay down with my head in her lap. "everyone good?" a familiar voice booms. it was paige, i think she's driving. i hear azzi give her the go and the car starts to move. there's indistinct talking but i can only focus on cait's hair. i move my hands to play with her long, silky hair. "it's so pretty" i mumble, twirling her hair between my fingers. "thank you." she smiled. all i saw before drifting off was cait's big grin.