Are You That Somebody? - Paige Bueckers

02

Being wheeled out of the hospital had to have been one of the Top 3 embarrassing moments of my life. Chloe with one hand on my wheelchair's handles, one hand on my shoulders, as the cameras flashed. I could practically see what the newspaper headlines would be tomorrow.

THE DOWNFALL OF LSU'S STAR PLAYER

KIMORA LAURENT: DISAPPOINTING END TO BASKETBALL CAREER

THE DOWNFALL OF LSU STAR KIMORA LAURENT

I hated the paparazzi. Depsised them even. Of course, I currently majored in photography, alongside basketball. But I liked photography because of the way you could capture the beauty of the world. The beauty of someone's soul. With the right camera, and the right mindset, one picture can speak a million words. The paparazzi however? After trolling, hunting you down, and traumatising you, they then take their picture for their 15 minutes of fame. And that's the kind of photography I don't like.

With all of the weight on my shoulders, and the bandages on my right leg, it took everything in me not to cry right there and then.

"It's okay Kiki. You'll come back from this. Don't let them get to you. It's okay, it's okay." Chloe whispered into my ear, as we passed the paparazzi and entered the car park.

Chloe has been my best friend ever since I stepped onto the LSU campus. Dorming together our freshman year, and then every single year following. Moving onto senior year, we were hoping to move into an apartment together. She'd been there for me more times than I could count. When basketball was kicking my ass, when my assignments were kicking my ass, or even when I would be disgustingly hungover from a party that she convinced me to go to!

The car ride back to the dorm was completely silent. I didn't dare move a muscle in fear of breaking down into tears. I couldn't let this define me. I couldn't let this take over my life. And yet, as soon as we made it back into the safety of our room, I did everything different to the voices in my head. Immediately I curled myself up into a ball, sobbing until I couldn't breathe, with Chloe instantly by my side, rocking me until I fell asleep.

Fortunately I woke up in my bed, rather than the beanbag on the floor. Chloe put me to bed, how sweet of her. Turning to my bedside table, the clock read 5:30PM. I knew training started at 6, and as much as I couldn't bear to go, I knew I couldn't hide forever.

"CHLOE!"

"What."

"I need to go to practice!"

Immediately Chloe was stood by the bed, the worry visible in her eyes.

"A-Are you sure? You don't need to force yourself to, I know it's hard for you to face them, knowing...what happened. You know what I mean, I'm not saying you should be ashamed or anything I'm just-" Chloe chattered.

"Chloe! It's okay, I'm good."

Being wheeled into the basketball building and onto the court, literally could not have gone worse. The silence, the gasps as soon as I entered. The immediate fearful, upset look on their faces. Because they all knew what happened. And there was nothing I could do to change that.

"Dear oh dear." Coach Mulkey said with her head in her hands. "Kimora, meet me in my office would ya?"