𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 , 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬.

𝐢𝐢. 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

' i think i need your abuse, baby. girl, you do damage to me. '— poison , brent faiyaz

"thank you guys." victoria sighed as she brushed her palms together, leaning back on her elbows as her legs splayed out in front of her.

noa lancaster smiled as she took the spot beside her on the floor of her new bedroom. after various hours of constant work and unpacking of the countless boxes that victoria hart had brung. the three roommates were glad to say they had successfully furnished their house plus a new addition.

victoria, noa and isa had been friends since high school. though she had already always been friends with noa since they were kids, that being because their mums had been best friends since they were kids. so you could imagine how excited victoria's mum was when heard that her daughter would be reuniting with noa.

"it actually feels like home now." isa's eyes wandered over the bedroom. how empty it used to feel. now feeling the comfort of the old painted walls filled with posters and photos. it was refreshing.

"thank you guys so much. i've miss you both so much." victoria tightened her arms around the two girls who welcomed her with open arms as they always did. a warming moment and the first as roommates.

"so did we." noa pushed victoria's hair from her eyes. letting her fingers run down her hair as she pulled it to the behind her shoulders gently.

"how's basketball going ms. star player." isa winked as she migrated to the bed. the two following pursuit as they curled up between the pillows.

"i'm doing my own training for a bit until the rest of the team comes back since school hasn't technically started yet. but it's been good...mostly." victoria grimaced at the reminder of paige. a constant reminder that never failed to bombard her thoughts in attempts to ruin her day.

victoria had thought about the consequences of coming to uconn. not that there were many. just one, having to see paige all the time. it didn't help that the media was practically pleading to be fed more content of the two together. it was a blood bath for paige and victoria to be anywhere near each other.

like hands wrapped tightly around their necks forcefully feeding them the words everyone wanted to hear. to act and say all the right things to please the reporters that cared nothing for what the players felt. even as they resisted the offers they still managed to incase them into a room. like an experiment of which would break first.

—"mostly?" isa lifted an attentive brow sensing the hesitation in victoria's voice as she shuffled uncomfortably in her spot.

"don't tell me this is about paige?" noa had a smug smile on her face upon seeing the clear dissatisfaction on victoria's face at the sound of the name. the crevices of her lips downturned into an upsetting grin as if she had just bit into a lemon.

"it doesn't matter. at the end of the day i my priority is basketball. but it would help not seeing her all the fucking time." victoria uttered the last part in an exhale. though her two friends didn't cease to pick up on her antics as they usually did.

noa and isa were very aware of this feud between paige and victoria. after all they had been each others comparisons since high school. always one upping one another in whatever they did. it was a forcefield that never failed to keep the two separated.

"you never know, you guys could become good friends." isa shrugged as victoria internally screamed at the suggestion. her eyes squinted as she covered her hand over her mouth in dramatics. though she wasn't really joking.

"i think i just gagged a bit." victoria monotonous as she stared at isa with tired eyes. isa loved to joke with victoria, making comments on paige she knew victoria would hate. hoping that one day it would root some type of suggestion for the girl who was far too stubborn to be told anything else.

"you both need to for real grow up. hug—or handshake things out and be team players." noa shook her head as victoria already was shaking her head before noa had even finished her sentence. it was hopeless trying to get victoria hart to resolve her problems with the blonde.

"i'll be civil on the court and on the cameras. but i owe her nothing beyond that." victoria stated.

"whens your next practice?" isa questioned, eyes wandering towards victoria.

"i'm going to the gym." victoria sighed as she scooted off the bed. head thrown back with a groan.

"you basically did your work out with carrying all those boxes." noa said simply, attempting to convince her friend to stay.

but trying to avert victoria from her schedule would always be a losing battle which noa and isa had to learn the hard way.

though this year was different. there were more people to prove. she already knew that she was a great player but she wanted to be the best.

"i won't be too long." victoria swung her bag over her shoulder. making a b line towards noa and isa as she hugged her two friends goodbye before descending down the corridor.

"tell paige i say hi!"

"shut the fuck up."

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

even though paige loved her teammates, she had to admit that an empty gym workout was the peace she needed.

it was the perfect setting. night nearing in as darkness cascaded over the glass windows. the halls dulled to silence as not even a footstep could be heard within it's concrete walls. all the equipment was easy to access without causing a fight with anyone.

paige especially needed the peace after spending numerous days around victoria. granted they would barely spend an hour in each other presence before leaving in a rush. regardless they were the most tiring, draining and exhausting hours of her life.

paige had never met someone so blunt and bland with not an ounce of personality. but as soon as the cameras were rolling victoria was somewhat funny, happy and kinda tolerable. she was a master at perfecting the fake smile. how her teeth lifted at all the right angles even the way she laughed seemed so calculated as each one projected differently than the last. victoria knew which words to nod to and when it was a good time to chip in. which preferably would be never it paige had it her way.

just thinking of her infuriated paige until her skin felt hot beneath her fingertips. as if the mere mention of victoria had quite literally made her go red.

as if on cue victoria hart walks into the gym with her headphones wrapped around her neck in her uconn t shirt and basketball shorts rolled high at her waist.

it was as if everything was testing her nerves. waiting for that breaking point until she crashes.

"you just missed me that much— huh hart?" victoria turned at the obnoxious voice. the only voice that felt like fingernails to a chalkboard for her ears. it wasn't hard for her to guess who it was.

"no i just came here to get some dumbbells so i can neck myself." victoria retorted, giving everything in her to ignore paige. breathing in deeply as she continued with her stretched. disregarding the blue eyes that continued to trail her every move.

"you have no shame do you?" victoria turned, tongue rolling against the inside of her cheeks. eyes narrowed to the blonde who let out a small chuckle in response.

"don't flatter yourself. i wasn't checking you out. you just have such shit form its hurting my eyes."

lie count: 1.

"than why didn't you look away if they hurt your eyes so much, bueckers?"

"you are insufferable."