𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 , 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬.

𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐚

' make me, walk away and forget about it. hush.' — hush , the marías

"oh come on, i know you missed me." victoria joked, passing paige the ball roughly. the sounds of their palms meeting with the leather slamming into the skin as each chest pass got harsher.

"you wish. i missed when you were gone." paige retorted defensively. her lips rubbing together as she smoothed the skin along her bottom lip. lightly biting down as she bounced the ball, passing it back towards victoria at full force. her teeth peeling back the thin layer of skin.

"oh i'm sure. don't you miss me blocking your shots? stealing the ball? without me here you're a good player." victoria missed playing with paige. it healed her soul to know that this was the only thing she knew that would never change. that this hatred, their constant demise for one another will always remain the same. the only thing unwavering.

"i think the medicine they gave you fucked with your head. remind me, who are you always compared to?" paige shrugged with a cocky smile. the proudness in her face as she stood with her hands at her hips. watching carefully as victoria stood at the three pointer line.

"the fact you think i'm being compared to you when you know who's name always comes first in ever article, interview, video." the ball clings in the air for a second, sinking into the net with a crisp swish.

"oh yeah, it's victoria hart and paige bueckers." paige felt the movement in her chest stagger, her knuckles in her hands began to swell as she clenched the ball tighter. nails lightly digging into the ball but just enough that marks show up on its material. victoria always knew what to say to press paige in all the wrong ways. the condescending tone she uses to carry conversation as if paige was far too inferior to understand any other complex topics.

"bro just go back to iowa already." paige passed the ball back with more aggression this time. her eyes rolling to the side every few minutes. paige was practically allergic to being around victoria. her throat would close up, trying to avoid any extreme conflict that would get her into any form of trouble. her tongue would inflame with the amount of times she would bite down on it, causing it to swell. by the end of training her jaw would be swollen.

"is that your only comeback bueckers. c'mon i know you can do better than that." victoria held the ball between her arms letting it sit against her hip. ice and kk beginning to make their way to the net as victoria made her way towards paige.

"just say what you wanna say." leaning in just enough so that only paige was able to hear her words. the side of their faces close as victoria stood at her side, waiting.

"fuck you." paige seethed, voice blunt and curt. ensuring that every level of her tone receded with anger. sending a strong message to victoria who smiled at the comment.

"woah, take me out on a date first." victoria raised her hands in the air theatrically. moving backwards towards the benches were azzi and caroline sat. the two girls had been watching attentively at their conversation. trying to read their lips as it only seemed to get more heated.

"you guys all good?" caroline questioned, looking back and fourth between victoria and paige as the two avoided eye contact. paige remained standing beside the hoop, refusing to return to the bench where the rest of the team sat.

"yeah." victoria said casually, not wanting to start a fuss over something little. luckily for her no one seemed to question further. only because this was too normal for the two to fight. the only thing that mattered was at the end of the day they played as a team.

even if you could feel the separation between the two even when they were inches apart. both far too stubborn, incapable of apologies. the words 'i'm sorry' foreign to their tongues as it numbed there teeth into only that of malicious comments and hostility.

"alright you all can go... except you two, you stay." geno pointed between paige and  victoria just as expected. the clear deflation in their faces and monotonous responses could only declare their frustration. it was their fault that they were in this predicament, they knew that but that didn't stop them from continuing their disputes.

"i need you two polish the court until it's reflective. if i come back tomorrow and it still looks the same, your gonna stay back until it's up to my standards." geno barely let them fit in a groan before he handed the two girls mops leaving the centre before things could get heated into another argument which was bound to happen at this point.

"this is why you need to learn to shut your mouth." paige scoffed, placing herself on the other side of the court. rolling her sleeves higher up her shoulders as she readjusted her shirt, dropping the mop under her arm.

"maybe you just need to learn to maintain that temper." victoria said. which was a funny statement considering that paige was often patient and sickeningly sweet to everyone, including strangers. when it came to victoria whom she's known since high school. patience becomes non existent.

"just shut the fuck up victoria? please, just for once?" paige begged, the mop dropping from her grip as it fell to the floor with a loud clang, echoing against the empty walls that now felt hollow with broad space. blue eyes deepened into the lines drawn thickly onto the glossed court, directly leading to victoria who stood staring at the blonde with that typical smile she always did. a smile only victoria could perfect with her plump lips creviced upwards into a grin, patronising and imperious. 

victoria let her hand fall loosely over the cleaning equipment. her chin resting over the back of her palm as she watched the small puddle of water spread across the floor and almost meeting with her shoes. taking no notice of paige who shamelessly took the time to analyse her physique. the way her short hugged tight over her legs rolled just enough to show off her long legsl. shirt hanging baggy over her torso. her once slicked back ponytail sat messy as strands began to fall from behind her hears.

"do you have a cleaning rag?" victoria asked, not bothering even a glance as she kept her eyes on the growing puddle. paige stammered looking at her surroundings to distract from the fact she had been checking victoria hart out.

"no, sorry." paige coughed, brushing her arm over her mouth as she turned herself around. too afraid that her cheeks might be glowing a certain shade of pink. not that she could tell, but victoria definitely would.

"why don't clean it up with your mop?" paige barely turned her head, barely seeing anything within her peripheral vision.

"it's dirty mop water, i don't want to make the floors look even dirtier and then have to stay back later tomorrow." victoria huffed, slipping off her shirt as she wiped away the muggy water. sighing as she kept stern palms over the shirt ensuring the water had been absorbed just enough.

paige may have not seen clearly but clear enough to see the sight of victoria in her nike sports bra and basketball shorts. long torso toned and tanned, carved and dipped in all the right places as her waist curved and hips wide.

"just because i'm not looking doesn't mean i can't feel you staring paige."