Daylight - Paige Bueckers

let's see how quiet you can be

October 4th, 2023

Paige's POV:

The anticipation had been building for weeks, and as we all piled into the SUV for our road trip to New York, the excitement was palpable. Azzi was at the wheel, with Ice sitting in the passenger seat, her phone plugged into the aux cord as she curated the perfect playlist for our journey. KK, Nika, and Aubrey were crammed into the back seats, which left Alex and I in the third row, laughing and chatting as the city skyline grew closer in the distance.

"Are we seriously about to see SZA live?" KK asked, her voice practically vibrating with excitement.

"I've been counting down the days," Nika added, adjusting her seatbelt as she leaned forward to get a better view of the road ahead.

"Same," Aubrey chimed in. "This is gonna be insane."

I couldn't help but smile, the energy in the car contagious. I glanced over at Alex, who was sitting beside me, her hand resting casually on my thigh. She caught me looking and grinned, giving my leg a playful squeeze. My heart did a little flip in my chest. We had been keeping our relationship on the down-low, but moments like this—where it was just us and our closest friends—felt like our own little world.

"Totally gonna loose my voice tonight," Alex said, her voice low enough that only I could hear.

I leaned in closer, our shoulders brushing as I whispered back, "Totally worth it."

The drive into the city was filled with music and laughter, everyone singing along to the playlist Ice had put together. It was the perfect mix of hype songs and SZA tracks to get us in the mood for the concert. As we finally pulled into the parking lot near the venue, the energy in the car went up another notch.

"Let's go!" Azzi shouted, unbuckling her seatbelt and jumping out of the car as soon as we parked.

We all followed suit, quickly gathering our things and heading toward the entrance. The air was electric, the streets filled with other concert-goers, all buzzing with the same excitement we felt. We weaved through the crowd, and once inside the venue, the energy was almost overwhelming. The lights were dimmed, the stage was set, and the anticipation in the air was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

"Let's try to get closer to the stage!" Ice suggested, already leading the way through the sea of people.

We followed, weaving our way through the crowd until we found a spot with a perfect view of the stage. As we settled in, I felt Alex's hand slip into mine again, and I couldn't help but smile. I squeezed her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine, and suddenly, the world around us seemed to fade into the background.

"This is gonna be insane," Alex whispered in my ear, her breath sending a shiver down my spine.

I nodded, unable to contain my grin. "I can't wait."

When the lights dimmed even further, signaling the start of the concert, the entire venue erupted in cheers. The intro to "Good Days" began to play, and the moment SZA stepped onto the stage, the crowd went wild. Her voice was like magic, wrapping around us and pulling us into the music. It was everything I had hoped for and more.