since i left: paige bueckers

3. all of my self control¬

saturday october 20 2018 (2 months since last flashback)
taylor's perspective

"You ready?" Paige asks, passing the basketball to me from only a few feet away.

"You know this is so unfair, right?. You just wanna flex on me." I rolls my eyes jokingly.

Today Paige has been trying to teach me how to play basketball. To say I'm good would be a stretch, but I can occasionally get some distance shots.

"Just turn around." Paige laughs and places her left hand on my right hip, and reaches her right hand to hover above the ball, her body pressed against mine from the back.

I feel goosebumps appear on the bit of skin that my tank top doesn't cover where Paige's hand is. It's starting to get colder here in Minnesota. It's probably just that.

"Ready? Set. Go!" Paige announces.

I turns out of her grasp and head to the very center of the three point line, which I've found to be my sweet spot and dribble once before jumping and shooting the ball: which Paige blocks.

"Paige!" I whine. "You can't just block my shots."

"I definitely can. That was completely legal."

"You're like 5'11. I'm barely 5'5."

"Excuse you, I'm 6 feet tall, and you never said I couldn't block you." She snickers while I grab the ball rolling a couple feet beside me.

"6 feet is really pushing it." I say, knowing this will surely make her mad.

"I was gonna not count that, but I think I will start with the ball now." Paige rebuts while grabbing the ball from my hands. Her fingers graze mine along the way.

If I'm going to be completely honest, I thought that Paige might been gay when I first met her. Which was only like a month and a half ago. This school has heard its fair share of rumors about Paige being like that, but I think they're just rumors. I mean, our families go to church together every Sunday, and last week we literally read parts of Leviticus. "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."

Being gay is fine, I don't have a hatred for people who are. But I just probably wouldn't want to be friends with someone who was. When Avery, Paige's friend, had to switch her lunch period for one her classes, I can't exactly say I was sad.

Paige rips me from my thoughts when she palms the small of my back and points to the ground for me to get set up.

Defense is the one thing I'm actually kind of good at in basketball. I start behind her, mirroring her position from the first round. I have to bend my knees a lot less and reach my hand up her side to get a good grip on her.

"Ready? Set. Go!" I start the game and Paige immediately starts dribbling slowly.

She picks up her pace as she turns to face me a little more. My hands run across her toned stomach as I try to prevent her from getting closer to the hoop. Paige dribbles the ball behind her, spins around to get it and shoots a left sided layup effortlessly. Of course, my attempt to block the shot fails because I can't even jump to 6 feet, let alone be taller than Paige when she's jumping.

"1-0." Paige reminds me of the score and sets herself back up to the starting position. "You wanna keep going?"

"Fine, but I get to start with the ball and it counts for two points."

"Okay, New York." The familiar nickname that somehow stuck from the first day of school rings in my ears. I'd never tell her, but I like when she calls me that. It's cute, is all.