Daylight - Paige Bueckers

wouldn't miss it

January 12th, 2024

Alex's POV:

As I walked into Gampel Pavilion for the send-off, there was a familiar buzz in the air—the kind that always came before big events. Nationals was finally here, and this year, it felt different. Better. I couldn't help but feel like everything was falling into place, not just with cheer but with Paige too.

I glanced toward the stands, scanning for her, even though I knew exactly where she would be. Paige and the rest of the basketball team were already there, mixed in with other athletes, cheering us on. She caught my eye immediately, flashing me that small smile she always gave, the one that told me everything was okay. And it was. For the first time in a while, things were normal between us again. We weren't walking on eggshells or tiptoeing around our feelings. It felt like... us.

"Hey, there's your girl," Naomi whispered in my ear, nudging me with her elbow.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face. "Shut up."

Naomi smirked, obviously enjoying how flustered I got whenever Paige was around. "I'm just saying, you two look pretty cozy again."

"Yeah, yeah," I shook my head, a small chuckle escaping from my lips. "Looks like your girl is here too," I said, motioning to Nika in the stands. 

"Okay, shut up immediately," she says, her face turning a shade of bright red. 

I didn't respond, but Naomi wasn't wrong. Ever since we finally talked things out, things between Paige and me had been easy, the way they used to be before everything got complicated. It felt like the weight of the last few weeks had finally lifted.

"Okay, team!" our coach called out, pulling us all into a circle. "This is it. Last push before we hit the big stage. Let's give them a good send-off, and then we've got a plane to catch."

As we huddled up, I could still feel Paige's eyes on me from the stands. I gave her a quick glance, and she stuck her tongue out at me playfully. I tried to bite back my laugh, but failed. Naomi, of course, noticed.

"God, you two are sickening," she teased under her breath.

"Focus," I shot back, but I couldn't help but smile.

We broke the huddle and did a quick routine for the crowd, hitting all of our stunts perfectly. It was nothing too intense, but enough to get the adrenaline going. As we finished the last stunt, the crowd roared, and I couldn't help but search for Paige again. She was clapping along with the rest of her teammates, but when our eyes met, she gave me a look—one of those playful, knowing ones that made my heart do a stupid little flip.

After the routine, we had a few minutes to say our goodbyes before heading to the bus. I made my way over to Paige, who was leaning casually against the railing with her arms crossed, like she hadn't just been watching me the whole time.

"You're lucky you didn't mess up," she said with a smirk. "I might've had to revoke my support."

"Please," I scoffed, stepping up to her. "You'd still cheer for me even if I fell on my face."

She raised an eyebrow, pretending to think about it. "I don't know. Might have to start rooting for Maggie."