In the relentless spotlight of fame, Jocelyn West (rising pop princess) and Paige Bueckers' fiery romance ignites, but their struggle with toxic tendencies threatens to consume BOTH their careers, and each other. Who knows if they'll come out alive.
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Stella is the LA Sparks' new social media girl—a 5'1" bundle of wit and basketball expertise who's quickly catching everyone's eye. With a playful smile and a deep love for the game, she's a dream to the WNBA world, but might be Jocelyn's worst nightmare.
Jocelyn's heart pounded as she paced the hallway outside the locker room. She had a clear view of the door Paige would soon emerge from, but that did little to calm her nerves. She couldn't believe she had missed the shot—the game-winning shot—because of some meaningless conversation with Kendall Jenner for gods sake. The buzz from the arena was still in the air, and Jocelyn could hear faint cheers echoing through the halls as fans lingered, celebrating Paige's heroics.
She checked her phone for what felt like the hundredth time, hoping for a message from Paige, but there was nothing. The waiting gnawed at her. Every second felt like an hour, and the guilt was suffocating. Paige had worked so hard for this moment, and Jocelyn had missed it.
As Jocelyn prepared to approach her, she watched as Paige turned a corner and suddenly collided with a petite girl, causing the girl's coffee to spill all over the floor and her belongings to scatter. The girl had dark, wavy hair that framed her face, with large, expressive brown eyes. She wore a shirt that said "everyone watches women's basketball" with the cutest ripped jeans that Jocelyn had ever seen.
"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry!" Paige exclaimed, immediately kneeling to help pick up the girl's things. The girl looked momentarily startled, but then smiled up at Paige, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"It's okay, really," the girl said, her voice light and breezy. "I think I needed an excuse to get another coffee anyway."
Paige let out a small, relieved laugh, handing over a few papers and a slightly crushed granola bar. "I should've been watching where I was going."
"No harm done," the girl replied, standing up as Paige handed her the last of her things. Paige stood as well and, almost instinctively, reached out to give the girl a quick, soft hug. "Sorry again, it's a bad habit," Paige said, chuckling as she pulled away.
The girl looked surprised by the hug but didn't seem to mind. "No worries, I could get used to that kind of apology," she teased, earning a smirk from Paige.
"I'm Paige, by the way," Paige said, offering her hand.
"Stella," the girl replied, shaking Paige's hand. "I just got hired as social media for the Sparks. This was my first game."
Paige's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Really? Well, welcome to the team."
"Thanks! And, oh my God, that shot at the end?" Stella's face lit up as she started to ramble excitedly. "You were all the way out on the wing, the clock was ticking down, and you just—bam! Drained it like it was nothing. Seriously, the way you read that defense was masterful. And the spin you put on the ball? Perfect arc, nothing but net. It was a textbook finish. You really know how to keep us on the edge of our seats. I think I might've peed a little."
