Daylight - Paige Bueckers

cheering you on

January 13th, 2024

Alex's POV:

The high from seeing Paige didn't wear off. I don't think it ever would. The way she surprised me in Orlando, the moment when she appeared out of nowhere and I ran into her arms-it felt like everything in my world had clicked back into place.

We'd made it to finals. The team was buzzing with excitement. We were so close to finishing what we'd started, and last night had only amplified that energy. The video of me jumping into Paige's arms had already gone viral on TikTok. Fans were going crazy in the comments, saying how cute we were. Some were just reacting to the surprise, the shock on my face when I saw her. Honestly, it felt surreal seeing it all play out on social media.

I sat in the hotel lobby with my teammates, scrolling through the video for what felt like the hundredth time, while the team took turns passing my phone around.

"Dude, the way you jumped at her. It was like straight out of a rom-com," Naomi teased, nudging me in the side.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop smiling. "Shut up."

Paige sat across from us, her feet propped up on the coffee table, looking as amused as ever. She caught my eye and shot me a wink, which only made me blush harder.

"Everyone's freaking out," Maggie said, her eyes glued to her phone. "Like, they're seriously obsessed with you two."

"Yeah, it's wild," I muttered, still feeling the buzz from last night's moment.

"Not to mention the routine you guys hit," Paige said, leaning forward with that proud grin of hers. "You were so good, Al."

I could feel my face flush again. "Thanks."

But there wasn't time to dwell on the TikToks or the fan reactions. We had another performance coming up, and as excited as I was about Paige being here, I had to get my head in the game.

"Alright, enough fangirling over TikTok," I said, standing up and clapping my hands together. "Let's focus. We've got finals tomorrow."

The team groaned but followed my lead. Tomorrow was going to be huge. We'd placed second last year, and we wanted more than anything to get that first place. We deserved it.

** * **

January 15th, 2024

The next day came in a blur. The hours leading up to our final routine felt like a dream. Our rehearsals were sharp, our stunts were on point, and the energy was electric. As we got ready to hit the mat one last time, I felt the familiar nerves kicking in, but they were different today. There was a calmness underneath the anxiety. I knew we could do this.

Paige was sitting in the stands again, giving me that reassuring smile she always had. Just knowing she was there was enough to keep me steady.

"Alright, this is it," I said, gathering my team in a huddle before we took the mat. "Let's do what we always do. Let's hit clean, let's stay sharp, and most importantly-let's have fun. We've worked too hard to let this slip. Let's give it everything we've got."