Futility [girlxgirl]

Basketball Camp

Rina and I met the summer before high school at a basketball camp. I ended up there by mistake. I'd intended to go to dance camp, but my dad accidentally signed me up for basketball instead, and they decided it would be best for me to go anyway. So at camp, I always chose the bench, and no one questioned why.

Except for Rina.

I saw her approaching, thinking she was coming for water, anything but me.

"Why don't you join our team," she said, along with some explanation about how relaxed the game was, and sat beside me on the bench. Her long, black, shiny ponytail which curved down like a waterfall, and I could almost hear the sound of the water instead of what she was trying to tell me.

"Thanks but that's okay," I replied, and made some silly joke about bonding with the bench. But we laughed together. It felt good. I'd had friends since Devon, but none as genuine as her. The girl sighed before me.

"Come join us when you're ready then," she said. As she ran, her ponytail bounced back and forth. I watched someone pass her the ball and with no hesitation sink a basket. I obviously was not going to join.

---

After camp, I noticed Rina having an argument over the phone. I could tell she was sweaty and exhausted, which should have been signs not to approach someone, but it felt right in the moment, and so I did.

"Hey," I said. She turned to me with a smile.

"Hey."

We exchanged names and she recounted her confusion with her parents, who weren't able to come get her anymore for a reason they wouldn't tell her.

"How far do you live?" I asked, and learned we were basically neighbors.

"Would you like a ride? My mom's already here, and she wouldn't mind."

She thought for a moment, and then the panicked worries approached, the ones that'd gone away for a moment, the ones that prevented me from making any friends to begin with: Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. I barely know her of course it's too soon to be in the same car as each other. She doesn't know me, why would she trust that I would be safe? What if she doesn-

"Would you have room for two? I'm waiting on my friend to come out of the bathroom," she interrupted my thoughts. Phew.

"Yeah of course," I said, though I worried about having another person who can perceive me so closely.

"Symphony," she called out. A light-skinned girl walked out of the school at the perfect timing. She had her curls pulled into a fluffy ponytail.

"This is Zinnia, she's gonna give us a ride home," Rina put her hand on my shoulder. I gave a small wave and looked at the floor, and managed to make out, "nice to meet you."

—

They sat on the bench for a moment while I went to talk to my mom.

"Do you mind if we give my friends a ride home?"

I noticed a spark in her eye, a small smile on her lips. So she was ashamed I didn't have friends, I concluded, she must be so grateful that I'm finally talking about someone else. That a loser like me finally managed to make a few friends. I'll bet they'll be gone within the hour.

"Of course, honey."