Paige and Dione had known each other since middle school. They always had an unspoken rivalry between them, both being star athletes in high school. When they both get accepted into the same college, will everything stay the same or will the two sta...
As the plane touched down in Connecticut, a blend of anticipation and nervousness raced through my heart. The journey from the airport to our new apartment was a mix of unfamiliar streets and buildings, noticeably contrasting the places I had grown up in.
When we finally arrived at our new apartment complex, a wave of exhaustion hit me, a result of the cloud of emotions and the early morning rush. Jada and I navigated through the halls until we reached our unit, and as we opened the door, a sense of excitement bubbled up within me.
Our apartment was cosy, a blend of both our personalities. The living room was decorated with mismatched furniture, and our belongings were scattered everywhere as we began the process of unpacking and settling in.
"We did it," Jada said with a satisfied grin, collapsing onto the couch.
"We really did," I replied, a mixture of pride and relief in my voice.
After a few hours of unpacking and arranging our things, Jada turned to me with a mischievous smile. That's never good coming from Jada.
"You know, there's a summer party happening tonight. It's a great way to meet new people and kick off our time at UConn."
I hesitated for a moment. The idea of a party sounded both thrilling and overwhelming. "Are you sure? I mean, we just got here..."
Jada playfully rolled her eyes. "Come on, D. It'll be fun, I promise. Plus, we deserve a little celebration after today."
With a sigh, I relented. "Fine, let's do it."
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow across our apartment, Jada and I got ready for the party.
I took a quick shower and put my hair into a loose bun for now. I swarmed through the boxes of clothes yet to be unpacked for a black mini-dress that hugged my curves just right. After what seemed like forever, I finally found it.
After changing, I quickly did a blowout on my curly hair and curled it. I did a cute makeup look and put some silver jewellery on to complete the look. Jada was wearing a cami top with some low-waisted jeans and she looked fab.
After taking a few cute pictures for Instagram, we made our way outside to the car park and we hopped into my car. I decided I would stay sober tonight since I would be driving us both home. A couple minutes after we left our apartment I could hear the faint thumping of music coming from a house. I parked a few places down and we got out of the car. Once we actually got into the house I felt overwhelmed by the amount of people and the music.
Jada already knew some people here so she quickly wandered off to say hi to them all, leaving me alone. I navigated around the drunk people trying to find the kitchen. Once I found it, I grabbed a soda from the cooler next to the counter. After taking a few sips I sat down on the counter with my phone in hand. Everyone seems to be having fun but I'm just not in the mood.
"Dione?" I hear a voice say. I was confused as to who it could be seen as I had just transferred here and I didn't know anybody. But the voice seemed scarily familiar
I look up from my phone without saying a word to be met with a stoic stare from none other than Paige Bueckers.
"Paige" I deadpanned.
As if my night couldn't have gotten any worse, now I see Paige Bueckers standing in front of me, looking at me like she's trying to read my expression.
-
Lost in my thoughts, I wasn't fully aware of my surroundings. As I turned a corner, I collided with someone, sending both of us stumbling. Papers scattered to the ground, and I felt a flush of embarrassment rise.
"I'm so sorry," I quickly apologized, bending down to help pick up the fallen papers.
I looked up to see a girl standing there, her expression being one of annoyance. The girl had striking blue eyes and an air of confidence that was hard to ignore. I recognized her as Paige Bueckers, a junior and a prominent figure in the school's basketball team.
Paige glanced at me with a dismissive look, her lip curling slightly. "Watch where you're going next time."
My cheeks flushed even more, irritation building within me. I had been rushing, yes, but the collision had been unintentional, and Paige's response felt unnecessarily harsh.
"I said I'm sorry," I replied, my tone sharper now.
Paige's gaze lingered on me for a moment as if sizing me up. Without another word, Paige turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, a mix of frustration and confusion swirling within me.
As I continued on my way to the gymnasium, the encounter replayed in my mind. I had expected a more understanding response, maybe even a simple acceptance of my apology. Paige's reaction had caught me off guard, and the way Paige had looked at me with such apparent disgust fueled a simmering anger within me.
Over time, that single encounter grew into a deeply rooted negative perception of Paige Bueckers. My initial irritation festered into something stronger, an unwavering dislike that colored my perspective whenever Paige was mentioned or seen. The incident had become a defining moment in my high school experience, leading me to cast Paige as someone who is judgmental and unkind.
"I didn't know you came here, I've never seen you around," she says, still with an unreadable expression on her face.
"I just transferred from LSU," I say bluntly.
"Did you come here with anybody?" She asks.
"Yeah, I came with my friend Jada," I answer.
"Jada from high school?" She asks.
I hum in response
She must've been able to tell by the tone in my voice that I didn't want to be there, at the party or talking to her, so she just gave me a short glance before walking away to meet with her friends.
Nothing has changed between us since the last time we saw each other and I'm not even surprised.
~ @therealdidi
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