𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ౨ৎ paige bueckers

𝐢𝐱. 𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬

๛ ๋ ׅ ˖  𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝  𝅄 ׂ⭒

real life, present (maia's POV)

Inside the limo, everything was quiet.

There was a light hum coming from the engine - and I'm pretty sure the driver had the radio on - but it felt far away, muffled. The tinted windows and muted interior created calm, almost suspenseful silence. The only interruption was Caitlin's finger tap-tap-tapping rhythmically on her leg, a routine she'd had since we were kids.

My head was situated between her shoulder and her neck, just leaning on her. She was dressed head to toe in white Prada, a suit jacket and matching skirt slightly covering her rhinestone top. For the first time in forever, she had forgone her signature Bath & Body Works perfume chosen in sixth grade. Instead, she smelled expensive - distinctly Gucci, very elegant.

When I left Iowa for Stanford, both our families said goodbye at the house. I spent thirty minutes hugging everyone, promising to visit on weekends. Caitlin alone drove me to the airport; music playing low, the sound of an invisible clock counting the seconds until goodbye. It was only when we reached my gate that she broke, sobbing into my arms.

I couldn't help but feel the same pit in my stomach as I had that day, despite not being the one leaving.

The car rolled to a stop, and my vision unblurred. The cheers of hundreds of fans outside filled my ears, their phones and cameras all on, all recording. I turned to Caitlin, her eyes already trained on the crowd. There were no words left to say, no time left to spend reminiscing - this was it. I hugged her then, as tight as possible, before the driver motioned for me to step out.

The door swung open, and I was immediately blinded by flashing lights. I held out my hand for the doorman, who led me out of the car and into the sea of cameras. It took all of five seconds for the scared girl in the car to morph into my "confident actress" persona, posing and prancing about. The dress I had on was showstopping - it was custom Louis Vuitton, a simple yet elegant black gown. The dress fit my body perfectly, hugging all the right places and emphasizing my curves. The hem just barely skimmed the floor, and the dress itself was moderately sheer - enough to turn heads, but not enough to be overly scandalous. My favorite part? The thousands of little sparkles adorning every inch of the dress. Each sparkle glimmered and gleamed when I spun, reflecting the camera flashes with the grace of the sun. Caitlin joined me after her own little catwalk, and we walked in together.

I'd be lying if I said I remembered what the next thirty minutes consisted of. I know there were interviews, photo ops, and a lot of small talk, but my memory stopped at the camera flashes. It only started again when I saw her.

She was dressed head to toe in Louis Vuitton, same as I was. The white suit, albeit mildly baggy, fit her incredibly well, to the point where I couldn't tear my eyes away. Her hair was braided back in an intricate hairstyle I had never seen her sport, yet somehow framed her face perfectly. Every time I saw her, it felt like we were meeting again. I didn't notice I was staring. I didn't notice I was speechless. All my thoughts, all my focus - everything rested on her. And she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen.

Fuck.

Her eyes met mine, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth - she had definitely seen me staring. Caitlin nudged me with her shoulder, bringing me back to the present with a jolt. She whispered something—probably a joke of some sort—but I didn't hear it. Paige began to walk towards us, that tiny, smug little smile still on her lips. She stopped a few steps away, looking me up and down.