about you | c.c & k.m

one

Present time
Indianapolis

"Oh man...I really needed this," Caitlin says almost out of nowhere as she tilts her head back on the couch. I can hear the relief in her words and see how her shoulders move in a "I'm so chill" kind of way.

We are finally hanging out after she got drafted. After a million "we should hang out soon" text messages, Caitlin finally had a day off, so I flew myself to Indiana.

Caitlin and I have been friends since high school, but we went to different colleges, so seeing each other wasn't very easy, especially since Caitlin became a basketball superstar. The last time I saw Caitlin was at the party after the draft ceremony. I was incredibly happy for her from the moment she told me she was the number one pick; I knew she was going to shine on any team. At the after-party, I didn't get the chance to spend much time with her because her family, her boyfriend, and her teammates were all there, so she was all over the place. Also, and this is something only I could tell, she was incredibly overwhelmed with all the attention on her. Since then, we both have been trying to spend some time together, which was more than necessary.

"I know, me too. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages," I say, turning my head to her, imitating her tilted head. We are sitting on the same couch, drinking cheap beer and eating the junk food I picked up, which Caitlin almost cried over when she saw it. She hasn't had any non-nutritious, healthy food in a while.

"Yeah...it's been pretty rough. My schedule is full three years in advance," she says, rubbing her face and giving me a tired smile. "But we are together now, and you'll come to my next game, so we'll have plenty of time!" Now she sounds way more enthusiastic. "Plus...we hung out at the party after the draft; it wasn't that long ago. You just love me so much that you need me all the time," she says in a cocky tone.

And it's true.

I miss her, like a lot.

Lately, it's been hitting me more than usual. Maybe it's because I hear about her all the time but not directly from her. Caitlin Clark this and CC that on the news or Instagram or TikTok, and I know her. I really know her. More than anyone else, but suddenly it's like all these new parts of her life are unknown to me. I'm not living it with her; I'm just watching her live this new life.

"It's true, dude, I miss you. So much," I admit with words full of honesty, looking at her. "Plus...we didn't hang out at the party. I barely saw you," I didn't want to get all sentimental. I'm not that drunk. Yet.

"Nah, I think we did, but you were entertaining yourself with someone else..." Cait moves her eyebrows up and down. "Yes, young lady, I was watching you all the time. Maybe we didn't talk that much, but I was watching," she says this last word with an unusual tone. "Kate hasn't shut up about you," Caitlin almost sings in a suggestive tone. "She said that she never noticed how 'interesting,' 'funny,' and 'hot' you are when you visited me back in Iowa." All of the adjectives come from her mouth in a playful tone.

I roll my eyes.

That night at the draft was full of surprises, but Kate Martin being drafted to the Las Vegas Aces was the most exciting one. She knew there was a chance for her to be drafted, but when it actually happened, it was very emotional. And of course, she had her moment, and her friends and family were there, but nothing compared to the attention that Caitlin received that night.

So of course, I had the chance to interact with her more and have an actual conversation with her.

I met Kate on my very first visit to Iowa University. Caitlin and she became friends very quickly, so sometimes when I went there to visit, she hung out with us. Not so many times, but enough to know that she is a nice and very kind person, and I immediately noticed why Caitlin bonded with her.