love language. | paige bueckers

Nine.

Paige and Selah entered the apartment, arms full of snacks, and Aubrey immediately chimed in, "Took y'all long enough. I'm starving!"

Paige shot back, "Damn, y'all should've thought about snacks before planning game night for y'all big back asses!" Her tone was playful, earning some laughs from the others.

Everyone welcomed them back, and soon enough, the snacks were spread out on the coffee table. Bags of chips, candy, soda, and, of course, TruFru were set up. With everything in place, they were ready to kick off the night with their first game: Monopoly.

Azzi, Aubrey, Paige, Selah, Nika, and Ice were the ones willing to risk friendships for the sake of Monopoly bragging rights, while Jana was off to the side, focused on building a Lego set.

Selah, dead serious about her Monopoly game, cracked her knuckles and smirked. "Y'all better be ready to get your asses beat."

KK, who had been watching from the sidelines, waved her off. "Girl, boo, you ain't about to beat nobody."

As the game kicked off, the banter was immediate. Azzi landed on Boardwalk first, but instead of buying it, she passed up the opportunity. "Nah, I'm saving my money. I'm coming for that orange set."

Paige, shaking her head, laughed. "You're trippin'. That was your win right there."

Selah didn't hesitate to scoop up Boardwalk on her next turn. "And that's how you play the game, folks. You see an opportunity, you take it." She gave Azzi a side-eye. "I appreciate the donation, though."

The game went on with everyone competing for properties, houses, and hotels. Ice and Nika kept getting sent to jail, which only fueled the back-and-forth trash talk. Aubrey and Azzi teamed up to try and make trades to block Selah and Paige from getting full sets, but it didn't take long before everyone started going bankrupt, one by one.

Eventually, it came down to just Paige and Selah, both with a decent chunk of properties and cash. The room was quiet as they locked eyes, both determined to win.

Paige, always the negotiator, leaned forward. "Alright, I'll trade you these two red properties for your Boardwalk."

Selah raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Hell no. You want Boardwalk? Add 500 on top of that, and then we'll talk."

Paige hesitated, knowing that extra cash could put her at a disadvantage, but finally relented. "Alright, deal." They made the trade, and Paige completed her set. The game went on for a few more intense rounds, but in the end,

Paige couldn't hold on to her cash flow. Selah outplayed her with strategic hotels, and Paige went bankrupt.

As Selah threw her hands up in victory, she smirked. "What did I tell y'all? I said I was gonna win."

Nika groaned, "Nah, you just got lucky."

Selah grinned, leaning back in her seat. "Nah, y'all just gotta learn how to be strategic. It's a mind game."

They played a few more rounds of other games—What Do You Meme? and Cards Against Humanity—before everyone started calling it a night. The energy was still light and fun, but exhaustion was setting in. Selah began packing up her things, ready to head out.

"I'll see y'all tomorrow at practice," she said, waving goodbye to everyone.
Just as she was about to head for the door, Paige called out, "Hey, I'll walk you to your car."

Selah paused, a small smile forming on her lips. "Yeah? Okay." She nodded, waiting for Paige to grab her keys and jacket before they headed out together.

The cool night air hit them as they walked down to the parking lot. They talked about random things on the way down, mostly about practice and what the week ahead looked like. When they finally reached Selah's car, she turned to Paige, her smile soft. "Thanks for walking me. I appreciate it."

Paige, leaning casually against the car, smiled back. "Of course. Can't risk you getting kidnapped or something."

Selah laughed. "Oh yeah, what would I do without you?"

She didn't even realize how long they were holding eye contact until her face started to flush. She quickly looked away, clearing her throat. "I should get going. Got a long day tomorrow."

Paige stepped forward and opened the driver's side door for her. "Yeah, no problem. Drive safe."

Before Selah got in, they shared a quick hug—warm and familiar. As she got in her car and started the engine, she waved goodbye and drove off. Paige stood there for a moment, watching her go, her thoughts a mix of curiosity and confusion. There was something about Selah that was pulling her in, and it wasn't just friendship anymore.

As Paige walked back up to her dorm, she couldn't help but think about their connection. She was definitely feeling something more for Selah, but she didn't know if Selah felt the same way.

That uncertainty hung in then air, leaving Paige with more questions than answers.