BALLER FROM BULGARIA // a UCONN story

1. New beginnings

Nataliya's POV

I take a deep breath as I step off the plane, as if I was expecting the American air to smell different than back home. Pulling my hood over my head, I go to collect my luggage. If someone would see her luggage, they wouldn't assume the brown haired girl was moving here; most people took more luggage for a two week vacation.

Looking around I see a tall man with a paper in front of him: Natalia Gabrova.

Great, not only did they misspell my name, people are looking.

If someone asked me to name one thing I hate, it would be attention.

It was bittersweet that I committed to the most talked about basketball program in the country. It was an amazing opportunity to leave home with a full ride scholarship, and a great path to the W, but I would definitely have to learn how to deal with attention.

I focus on the man in front of me and extend my hand; Miss Elena sure taught me manners.

"I'm Nataliya, you almost got my name right." I smile at him to ensure him I'm not mad.

The man looks down at the paper and laughs; "I'm sorry miss Gabrova! My name is Gerald and I'm here to take you to school! Do you need help with the luggage?"

After assuring the man, or Gerald, I'm fine taking my two bags to the car, I follow him outside.

The car ride to the facility is quiet. Gerald makes some attempts at conversation, but my short yet polite answers tell him I am not looking to talk.

When we reach the campus, Gerald pulls up to the apartment building I'll be living in. He hands me a key: "All the way upstairs, the basketball kids get the nice apartments." He smiles warmly and gives me another hand.

"I look forward to seeing what you can do on the court, miss Gabrova."

The apartments look nice from the outside. I had gotten a letter with information and knew I would be sharing my home with a few teammates. I didn't care about that all that much, I was used to sharing with a lot of other kids back home.

Reaching the final floor, I look around. Unit B, with a small huskies sticker underneath. Another deep breath. Here goes nothing.

I knock two times.

The door opens and I see a girl with braids and a big smile. "Hey!" Her voice is loud. "I'm KK! You must be the other freshie in the apartment!"

I smile back. "I must be indeed," I reply. Even though I wasn't here to make friends, and I wasn't known for making friends back home, I couldn't kill me to be nice to my teammates. I needed to work with them, in order to prove everyone I'm good enough for this program, and stay in it.

KK takes a bag from my hands and leads me through the door. "You got an accent." I slightly scrunch my eyebrows. "So do you?" This makes KK looks at me confused. "No I don't?"

Before I can reply, two girls walk through my new front door.

"Gangs all complete!" KK immediately calls out. Slightly cringing at KK's loud voice that would've earned her at least two days dolu back home, I look at the girls that just entered.

I recognise them, ofcourse. I had done my research before moving countries, and Paige Bueckers and Nika Mühl were household names in Conneticut.

Paige looks at me like she is trying to read me like a book, while Nika actually introduces herself.

"Hi, I'm Nika and this is Paige. You must be Nataliya?" I nod, before realising that that is not a proper way to introducing yourself. "I am, nice to meeting you all!"

"It's nice to meet. Not to meeting" Paige speaks up now. I scold myself. I taught myself English after learning I would go to UCONN, and although I would never say it aloud, I was proud of it. However, I never had to actually speak English before, and being nervous, I messed up. Not a big deal, but it felt like one.

"Sorry, nice to meet you ofcourse." I keep my head down a little.

"Nah don't worry about it, P doesn't know what it's like to have to learn another language. Where you from?" Nika says while giving Paige a look. KK snickers at Nika's words.

"Bulgaria." Not wanting to say more.

After a short silence, that I would definitely describe as awkward, Paige tells KK to show me my room.

"Bulgaria seems nice, that's Europe right?" KK says making me do a slight, amused eye roll. "Yes KK that's Europe."

"That's cool! Anyway this is the living room and kitchen kinda in one. And over here is my room, this is Paige and there is Nika's. One bathroom is there, over by the kitchen. Other one is next to Nika's. End of the hall is you." She points at a white door at the end of the broad hallway.

"Wait, we have our own rooms?" I didn't mean to sound as surprised as I did, but this was very new to me. I had never shared with less than at least five kids.

"Yeah? What did you think?" Before I can reply she talks again: "You have two different colour eyes."

This makes me laugh. My first genuine American laugh I guess.

"KK it's sad you're in college, you would kill in pre school."

KK laughs with me and I push my bag toward the room I would have to share with absolutely no one. I open the door and look around.

It wasn't necessarily big, but it had it all. The bed was slightly lofted, with storage space underneath. As I had moved from another country, and didn't need to bring bed linen, the bed was already made. Underneath the window stood a desk, and over on the wall was a wardrobe. On the ground laid a small rug.

With a smile creeping up my face, I put my bags down. I would take my stuff out later, but I did rescue my two teddies from my bag. The brown stuffed animals proudly sat on top of the pillow, both wearing a small bandana, one with an N on it, on with the B.

Still smiling about my own room, I go back to the living room.

"You look happy." Paige's voice from the couch.

"I am. I like my room a lot." this earns a look from Paige, who ignores the statement.

"Coach asked me to take you to him, you ready?" I swallow while nodding my head to the blonde senior.

I didn't feel ready, but I don't think I ever will. Geno, here I come.