When Nika moved to the US during high school, she never expected her life to intertwine so tightly with Lauren's. From the moment they met, there was a tension between them, an off-the-court rivalry that neither could shake off.
Years later, during...
The few seconds after Azzi interrupted us were incredibly quick but slow. Nika practically sprints out of the little station I have set up, but Azzi stands there awkwardly, waiting for her turn for pictures.
"Just right over there," I say pointing to my set up, blushing terribly.
I take Azzi's pictures and then fly through the few girls I have left, basically throwing all my equtiemnt in bags when I'm done and getting the fuck out of this gym. I almost kissed Nika fucking Muhl. I repeat it to myself, over and over again in my head, making sure I remember. Why would I be rushing home, you ask? I have to call Lexi. Like now.
As soon as I get in the car, I tap her contact clicking the call button. She pick's up after a couple rings, "Hey, what's u-"
"I just almost kissed Nika," I say exsasperateldy.
"You what?" Lexi exclaims, switching the call to facetime so I have to prop my phone on the dash while I drive.
"Yup," I nod crazily. "Uh huh, and I have no idea what to feel or think,"
"What how did you almost kiss her?"
"Azzi interrupted it," I say, rolling my eyes. I love that girl to death but she could've picked any other moment to walk in. "I mean we were this close to touching each other," I hold up pointer and thumb, placing them very close together.
"Guess you're just gonna have to try again," Lexi says, smirking.
"Again? There's no 'agains' with Nika, this was my one chance,"
"You never know," Lexi says, shrugging.
The next day...
I scramble around my room trying to find an outfit for the game tonight. It's the first regular season game, so I want to look somewhat nice considering there are people that actually matter there tonight. My room is an absolute mess as I throw clothes on, then discard them and start over.
I have about 15 minutes until I'm supposed to be there when I actually leave and the arena is about 15 minutes away. Shit. My dad always said 'on time is late and early is on time', so I basically live by that rule and right now, I'm breaking it.
~~~~~
I sprint through the doors when I arrive, not even bothering to take my coat off because the girls are already warming up. Shit shit shit. I unpack my camera, setting up as quickly as possible and starting to take pictures, ignoring the confused looks I'm getting from Nika.
The first half of the game was intense, the crowd's energy electrifying every moment. My camera lens was trained on Nika, capturing her every graceful move and fierce drive to the basket. Despite her words insisting she hated me, my heart beat faster every time she was near, especially after our almost-kiss yesterday. I could still feel the ghost of her breath on my lips, the moment replaying in my mind like a precious secret. Suddenly, a player gets pushed down on her way to the hoop. It's Nika, and she went down hard. The sickening sound of her fall cut through the noise, followed by the crowd's collective gasp. My heart dropped, and my camera slipped from my hands as I saw her clutching her arm, pain etched across her beautiful face.
I sprinted across the court, my mind racing with fear and concern. I dropped to my knees beside her, ignoring the curious stares of the spectators and the players. "Nika," I whispered, my voice trembling. She looked up at me, her eyes glossy with tears. For a moment, the world faded away, and it was just the two of us. I wanted to hold her, to tell her everything would be alright, but I could only watch as the medics surrounded her. My heart ached seeing her in pain, and I felt an overwhelming need to protect her.
The medics gently lifted Nika onto a stretcher, and I followed closely as they carried her to the medical room. She glanced back at me, and in her eyes, I saw a mixture of pain and something else—was it fear? Vulnerability? I wanted to reach out, to hold her hand, but I knew I had to stay out of the way. The medical team worked quickly, assessing her injury before deciding to take her to the hospital. I watched helplessly as they wheeled her away, her face contorted in pain.
Standing there, feeling utterly helpless, my emotions swirled in a tumultuous storm. The realization hit me like a freight train—would Nika be able to play again? Seeing her hurt was unbearable, and I couldn't shake the image of her in pain. As the team continued the game, I gathered my equipment, my mind not on the photos but on Nika.
*A/N*
Sorry this was so short but I'm just so tired and on vk right now. But anyway, their relationship is progressing??? Let me know what you think and I was also wondering if you wanted to see more social media stuff?? Remember to vote and add to your library so you don't miss any updates! ❤️L
PS (ALSO NIKA MADE THE FINAL ROSTER!!!??)
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