soul ties-a paige bueckers story

FIVE

TW: Homophobia 

***

PAIGE

five hours later

"Bueckers, wake UP!" Coach G snapped his fingers in front of my face for what had to have been the tenth time since I'd gotten to the court today. "40 straight, from the paint. Now. Or else no one here leaves and we'll be here all night. And I'm just fine with that," he said, crossing his arms and raising one eyebrow. "Unless you have somewhere you'd rather be?"

"Nah, Coach," I lied through my teeth, determined to play down the fact that there very much was somewhere I'd rather be. For the first time in my life, I didn't want to stay on the court for hours on end. Bryce was coming over again tonight. So I had to make these 40 from the paint. I dribbled the ball, beginning to feel my form heat up as my hands found their perfect position and my body instantly turned and leaned into the shot.

Bounce. Bounce. Swish.

One.

"Paige," Nika said, but I blocked her out.

Bounce.

Bounce.

Swish.

"Paige," she said again, urgently.

"In the middle of my 40," I shook my head. "One sec."

"Paige." Her voice was sharp now. Urgent. "You need to see this."

"Fine." I slammed the ball down, making Aaliyah and Azzi jump. Geno started to storm over, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ice and Aubrey say something to him in a low voice, one that made his expression one of concern and not anger. "What is it that's so important right now?" I was annoyed, because Nika of all people knew not to get in the middle of me and my 40-run. Her eyes, however, made me freeze, realizing that this was definitely not something stupid on TikTok. "I'm so sorry." Her voice was barely above a whisper as I pulled the screen of her phone towards me. "Let me see."

A blurry photo of me and Bryce, standing in line before we ordered coffee. My arm around her, her leaning into me.

A photo of us talking, tucked away in the corner booth.

A photo of us, taking a photo with Kaylee and her mom.

A blurry photo of me, hugging her in my arms, looking at the camera directly, as she sobbed in my lap.

Paige Bueckers and Minnesota Transfer Bryce Richards photographed together in Storrs this morning, it read. Just Friends, or Something More? From Richards' Tears, Looks Like Bueckers Only Wants a Championship Ring...

"You guys went out? How stupid can you be? You had to know that was goin' to start something." Azzi asked me, sounding half as frantic as I was feeling. I knew she wasn't trying to be cruel, but I wanted so badly to be mad at her. To make this anyone's fault but my own. "We just grabbed coffee," I pleaded, throwing my hands up as it felt like the room was closing in. "The comments," Nika said, as I whipped my head to face her. Her eyes beseeched me worriedly, and I tried to ground myself in my best friend. "Nika...." I trailed off as I opened the floodgates to the angry Internet mob.

best not be a traitor messing w paige for the szn. it's time for a husky chip

ACL and now this? U got bigger fish 2 fry @paigebueckers

@bryce_richards11 dating her way through storrs ig

@paigebueckers @bryce_richards11 lesbians confirmed??????