meet again? - paige bueckers

4th of july

FLASHBACK CONTINUED ------------------------------------------------------------

Hopkins, MN

3rd July - 4th July 2018

The next day was July 3rd, and the morning felt strangely quiet. It was just me, my dad, Imani, and her dad, my Uncle Adam, hanging around their house. Since the rest of the family was scattered across the country, dropping off our sisters at college or visiting friends, it felt like a very different kind of holiday this year. Just me and my dad, and the two of them.

I was wearing a mismatched pyjama top and a pair of old, faded sweatpants. Yeah, not my finest fashion choice. But it was so hot, the kind of sticky warmth that soaked through your clothes and made you wish you could just stay in air-conditioned rooms all day. Minnesota summers were nothing like the dry heat I was used to back in California. There, the sun felt like it was burning you from above. But it was bare able with the beaches and all. 

I glanced down at my outfit and sighed. I hadn't even bothered to put on a real shirt. The pyjama top I was wearing had a faded print of Spider-Man, something I'd grabbed out of the laundry basket that morning. Definitely not a "look." But it would survive one grocery trip, right?

When we arrived at the store, the place was buzzing with people grabbing last-minute groceries for the 4th of July. Imani and I walked ahead of my dad and Uncle Adam, my eyes scanning the aisles, when I spotted her. 

Paige.

She was standing outside the entrance, her long blonde hair shining in the sunlight and her blue eyes were scanning the shelves with a young boy, I assume is Drew based on the cute pictures she showed me last night. He was clutching a basket filled with snacks and looking a little lost, while Paige stood there, casually leaning against the shopping cart as if she owned the place. 

For a second, I froze, surprised that I was seeing her here.

"Oh hey, Paige," Imani called, waving casually.

Paige turned around, her face lighting up when she saw us. "Imani! Mahalia! What are the chances?" she said, stepping forward with a small grin. Her gaze flicked to me, and I could see her lips twitch into a smile, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. I suddenly became acutely aware of my pyjama top and sweatpants.

"And... Spiderman, huh?" she teased, her voice light and amused, with an eyebrow raised.

I rolled my eyes, feeling my face heat up. "Yeah, well, it's too hot to care," I said, trying to sound casual. 

Drew, who had been standing there quietly, looked up at me with wide, curious eyes. "Wait, are you the girl Paige took to Chick-fil-A last night?" he asked, sounding a little more excited than I would've liked.

Paige's face instantly turned red. "Drew!" she hissed under her breath, reaching down to mess with his hair. "That was... not a big deal."

I could barely hold in my laughter at the awkwardness. "Uh, yeah, that was me," I said, trying to sound casual. "It wasn't all night, though." I shot Paige a playful look, but I could see she was clearly embarrassed.

Drew didn't seem to care about the awkwardness. "Paige said you two had fun. You know, all night!" he said loudly, clearly not realizing how embarrassing that was. 

Paige groaned, pulling him closer. "Drew, you need to stop running your mouth."

Imani and I exchanged amused looks, biting back our laughter.

Before any more awkwardness could happen, both our dads appeared. Imani's dad, had been walking behind us, pushing a cart, while my dad was still a little behind him, trying to get used to the slower pace of Minnesota life.