since i left: paige bueckers

8. asleep¬

saturday may 25 2019 (5 months since last flashback)
paige's perspective

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" We simultaneously exclaim, my hand in the shape of a rock and hers as scissors.

"Ay!" I cheer. "I'm finally making you watch Love and Basketball."

"Please, Paige. That movie sucks." Taylor begs.

"You've never even seen it dumbass." Taylor scrunches her face in response to my curse. "Sorry." I cover my mouth.

"I'm just saying that I've gone 16 years of my life without that movie, I think I'll be okay without it for the rest."

I open my mouth to argue, but get cut off by Taylor's mom shouting.

"Girls! Dinner's down here!" She screams from the lower floor.

"We are so watching it when we're done."

"You can't make me."

"Oh yes I can." I gloat as I grab Taylor by her side and push her out of her room.

"Hi, Mrs.Jackson." She shoots me a small smile and waves.

"Hey, Paige. She sighs. How's basketball been going?"

"We ended the year almost undefeated." I reach into the freezer for a spoonful of ice.

"I've been so busy or I would have come to see one. Maybe next season." Jenny is a volunteer at our church and Taylor's dad works in finance. He's not around much but Jenny is definitely not that busy. Let's just say she's never been my biggest fan.

"How's Ben doing?" I change the subject.

A wave of pride comes over Jenny. Ben has always been her favorite child. I truly believe I know her own daughter better than she does. "He's excited for high school, I think. The football coach has already been talking to him about being on varsity next year."

"That's good to hear." I take a bite of my salad.

"I'll leave you girls to it, then." She nods and gives Taylor a look that I can't quite make out.

"How do I get a new mom?" Taylor rolls her eyes and picks up her pizza for a bite.

"You've only got like two years left with her and then you can be long gone."

"I guess." She murmurs into her slice.

"Plus you'll be busy this summer at the pool and you'll barely see her."

"You have to come visit me at work or else I'm gonna be miserable." She pauses. "You're so lucky you don't have a job."

"Seeing as I'll be in Thailand for two weeks playing and we have practices before that, I'm gonna be pretty busy."

"I still cannot believe they picked you. I mean have they seen you play basketball?" Taylor snickers.

"Shut up. Seriously shut up. When I win all of our games for us, you'll be cheering."

"I saw every home game this year and I'm still not on the Paige Bueckers basketball train."

"What about when I'm at UConn?"

"Of course I'll watch all of the games, but not for you. There's much better people on that team."

"Like who?" I challenge.

"Diana Taurasi." Taylor states in a matter of fact tone.

"Diana Taurasi is 37 years old. She was at UConn like 20 years ago."