Crush - Paige Bueckers

4 - Spin the Bottle

Violet
*Flashback* (Senior in high school)

I sit on the old couch in Chris's basement, feeling the rough fabric under my fingertips. The air is thick with the smell of popcorn, soda, and the faint hint of sweat.

Around me, the chatter of my friend group fills the room, their laughter mixing with the sounds of a movie that is playing in the background.

It's one of those nights that feels suspended in time, a fragment of high school existence that seems to never end.

Paige is sitting across the room, her long blonde hair falling in waves across her shoulders. She wears a black hoodie and grey nike sweatpants. How could such a simple outfit make her look so good?

She's laughing at something Jalen said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. I can't help but stare. She looks so carefree, so different from how she's been lately. I wonder if she knows i'm watching her. I wonder if she feels the same knot in her stomach that I do every time our eyes meet.

"Hey, Violet, you in?" Chris's voice cuts through my thoughts. I blink and turn to face him. He's holding an empty bottle in his hand, a mischievous look painted across his face.

"Huh?" I ask, confused.

"Spin the bottle" he says, smirking. "You in or out?"

I glance around the room. Paige is looking at me now, her expression unreadable. My heart skips a beat at the sight of her eyes meeting mine. I nod slowly. "Yeah sure, i'm in."

We all gather in a circle on the floor, the bottle placed in the center. My palms are sweaty, and I wipe them on my jeans, trying to calm my racing heart.

This is stupid, I tell myself. It's just a game.

Chris spins first. The bottle lands on Layla, who giggles and leans in to give him a quick peck on the lips.

The circle erupts into cheers and teasing comments. I force a smile, but my eyes keep going back to Paige.

She's sitting directly across from me, her legs crossed, her fingers playing with a hair tie on her wrist.

One by one, the bottle spins, pairing people up for an awkward kiss. When it's my turn, I take a deep breath and reach for the bottle, giving it a firm spin. It twirls around for what feels like an eternity, until it starts to slow down.

Please, not Paige. Anyone but Paige, I think desperately.

The bottle stops, pointing directly at Jalen. Relief and disappointment flood through me simultaneously. I glance at Paige, but she's not looking at me. Instead she's looking down, her face not visible enough to see her expression.

I walk over to Jalen. He leans in with a grin, and I give him a quick kiss. There are cheers and whistles throughout the room, but I barely hear them. All I can think about is Paige.

The game continues, but I'm hyper aware of Paige's presence, the way she stiffens slightly when the bottle lands on her. When it's her turn, she spins it hard, and it whirls around, finally coming to a stop pointing directly at me.

The room goes silent for a moment, everyone staring at the two of us. I look at her, my heart racing, searching for any sort of emotion beneath her face. I meet Paige's eyes, and there's something there. Something I can't quite read. Fear? Longing?