the indy city (cc + ns)

& soon enough you're best friends

Here's the thing, Caitlin isn't afraid of commitment. She's committed to a lot of things. From her friends and to basketball, to her parents' expectations, and of course to various brand deals. She's even committed to her fake boyfriend, to an extent at least. Maybe commitment is afraid of Caitlin. Maybe that explained the absence of a real relationship. She had people she tied herself to briefly, yet it never panned out to be anything serious. 

The aforementioned fake boyfriend clearly didn't count as anything real. Truthfully, he was practically a brand deal. Most days they got along as friends though, which certainly took the edge off. Connor was very much the antithesis of what Caitlin wanted in a relationship. He was funny sometimes though, which gave him some credit with her.

Her situationship with Paige would never amount to anything more. It could never be something real. They were convenient initially. Sharing hotel rooms and clothes and friends, it was never more than casual. They never discussed what they were, because it went without saying that it could and would not ever go further than it already had. Paige always wanted someone else and Caitlin was always bored. It was an arrangement that suited them both through their late teens, but they both agreed to call it quits once Paige had finally gotten who she truly wanted. Caitlin was happy for her, truthfully, however, she couldn't resist listening to the bitter voice from within that questioned why she wasn't worthy of anyone wanting to have a relationship with her.

Then, of course, there were the various young women in Iowa City's bars. The ones who immediately recognized her face when she offered to buy them drinks. The recognition was usually followed by a short stint of confusion, then acceptance. Caitlin couldn't drink during the season, so instead she typically got herself a Shirly Temple to drink or a mediocre overpriced appetizer to take bites of, She always introduced herself as Elizabeth, which wasn't completely a lie. Then, Caitlin would start a conversation that usually ended with them agreeing to go elsewhere. It wasn't healthy, not in the slightest, but it helped her feel needed. It also wasn't an every weekend thing. Instead, it was a last resort. If Caitlin had a bad game or an extremely rough practice, you could find her in downtown Iowa City. If being around her team didn't diminish her insecurities enough to quell her need to be needed, she'd visit different bars and look for someone who would. 

Upon turning twenty-two, Caitlin had an epiphany. Maybe that was drastic phrasing for the simple realization that she was tired of not having somebody in her corner, but it felt revolutionary for her to realize she needed someone more than she wanted certain accolades. Caitlin always wanted to prove herself athletically, but celebrating her successes with her team was not as fulfilling as it had been eighteen, nineteen, twenty, and even twenty-one. She had always wanted a relationship, much like any other girl, but it was never a priority. She never wanted someone more than she wanted victory in the past, yet the winds were clearly changing. 

Caitlin wanted someone who wanted her when it wasn't convenient. Someone who she didn't only want out of boredom. The only problem was the timing of it all. There was no time to date during the height of her collegiate basketball season. She also had already agreed to do the stint with Connor until she graduated in May. Now, in training camp, a few weeks shy of her graduation, she felt the growing pains of loneliness again. 

Caitlin had found platonic love time and time again, in Iowa and now in Indianapolis, but she'd yet to fill the void left by her shortcomings in reaching romantic love. 

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Katie Lou Samuelson was what teenage girls would call a 'girls' girl.' It was her aura, naturally, to gravitate towards other women in support of them. Maybe it was growing up in a house full of girls, or maybe it was years of playing with and against the best, but Katie Lou loved supporting those around her. The trade to Indianapolis threw her for a loop. She knew she was lucky for their opportunity to play again after having her daughter, however, she also knew she was luckier to have the opportunity to get close with another great group of women.