Pacify Her | Paige Bueckers

two | fanclub

Ava had spent all summer stalking the UConn's women's basketball team on TikTok, making as much assessment of them as possible. Though the only surefire way of knowing these women would be to befriend them, Ava was certain that she had certain aspects of their personalities sorted out.

For instance, Ava notably picked up on Azzi's more quiet, introverted behavior compared to Paige's free-spirited, extrovert demeanor. Ava understood that her observations indicated that she was more likely to get Paige to open up than she was Azzi, and would probably see Paige on campus more.

She sighed as her reality set in, realizing that this was a stupid, stupid idea. She laid on her bed horizontally, her head hanging off the side. She clasped her hands together as they rested over her phone, which rested on her stomach. As she started to blink slowly, the hours drawing and noon near, a ding startled her. "Shit!" Ava slid off the bed head first, just narrowly avoiding injury. She sat up and grabbed her phone, looking at her screen. It was just a useless email from the counselor about clubs.

"Nobody cares about fucking clubs," Ava mumbled, before a lightbulb went off in her head, suddenly. "Wait!" She scurried to her feet. "That's it!" It was almost as if she'd just won the lottery. Her golden ticket to getting Paige's attention would be to create a fan club run by the students. With all that Ava knew about Paige, like the fact that she seemingly enjoyed the attention and was a subtle flirt, this club would definitely get Ava in her good graces.

Ava hated waiting, but she knew that waiting was key in developing ideas. But, what the hell was there to develop anyway? Ava put on some black Nike sweatpants, some white crocs, a black, cropped tank top and tied her hair in a low bun. Her hair was the same curl pattern as Azzi's, oddly enough. But unlike Azzi, who was half white, half black, Ava was fully Haitian.

Ava followed the map that led her to the guidance center, then requesting to speak to the name of the counselor who had emailed her. The process took about twenty minutes, due to how populated and big UConn's campus was. Ava also did not realize that she could have just put the building into her GPS.

                                          ***

"S-so let me get this straight" Jeanne Clause, Ava's counselor began. Jeanne was in her late thirties but looked a little older due to one too many suntans. She had straight, brown, armpit length hair with curtain bangs and pores on her face so big that they were visible. She was very slim, about five-foot-seven inches, and wore a beige jumper. "You would like to create a fan club for Paige Bueckers only?"

Ava nodded, "mhm."

"And," Mrs. Clause went on, "not like... you know... the whole entire UConn Women's Basketball team?"

Ava was growing impatient. "Right," she nodded.

"You understand that Paige is a student here, right?" Mrs. Clause asked Ava. "Not just a fascination."

"Meaning?" Ava turned her head slightly.

"Meaning we need to be mindful that she is a human who may value privacy to a degree. Though I am sure she won't mind, but unfortunately we need Paige's permission to carry out with the club first. I can look through files for her number and reach out to her if you'd like" Mrs. Clause made Ava aware.

Butterflies filled Ava's stomach, thinking in extremes about how this could turn out. But, she already boldly walked out of her room and made her way here, then boldly declared her intentions. So, what choice does she really have? She's just got to boldly stand by what she decided now.

"Call her," Ava smiled warmly, emotions of excitement and apprehension filling her. The phone rang twice before Paige's mid-ranged voice answered. "Hello?" she asked, "who's this?"

"Good evening, Paige," Mrs. Clause greeted the basketball star, "it's Mrs. Clause here. I have a student looking to start a fan club for you. Is there any way that you could please come by my office within the next fifteen minutes? I know you're a busy woman." Paige chuckled at that last line, which Ava could hear through the phone.

"I've got time," Paige confirmed, "on my way."

As popular as Paige was, she was still shocked at the mention of her own personal fan club. She ran names of people in her head, wondering who it could be. Though, in truth, Paige never really remembered fans' names. It wasn't that she did not care about them, but there were just so many of them. She did better with faces in general, so she'd probably get a flashback memory the second she saw this individual's face.

As Paige made her way to Mrs. Clause's office, she couldn't shake the curiosity about who could possibly be starting a fan club for her. The idea both intrigued and amused her. She arrived at the door and knocked lightly before entering, her presence filling the room with a vibrant energy.

Ava's heart skipped a beat as Paige walked in, her eyes meeting Paige's in a moment of silent connection. Paige's gaze lingered on Ava for a moment longer than necessary, a subtle smile playing on her lips as she took in Ava's appearance.

"Hello, Paige," Mrs. Clause greeted her warmly. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Paige flashed a charming smile. "No problem at all, Mrs. Clause. You know me, always up for a little mystery and intrigue," she said with a playful glint in her eye before her gaze drifted back to an awestruck Ava. The one and only Paige Bueckers was staring at Ava?! Is this real life?

Of course, Ava felt a rush of warmth at Paige's attention, her cheeks flushed slightly under Paige's gaze. There was something undeniably magnetic about Paige, and Ava found herself drawn to her in a way she couldn't quite explain.

As they all settled in, Mrs. Clause explained the purpose of the meeting to Paige, who listened attentively, her eyes flickering between Ava and the counselor. When Mrs. Clause directly revisited the fan club idea, Paige's eyes lit up with interest.

"A fan club, huh?" Paige mused, her gaze lingering on Ava once more. She looked the new student up and down, slowly. "That's a pretty cool idea" Paige confided. "I'm flattered, to say the least."

Ava could not help but smile at Paige's reaction, her heart was fluttering with a mix of excitement and nerves. The chemistry between them was palpable, and Mrs. Clause, as out of the loop as she normally was, could not help but notice the subtle flirtatious energy in the air between the two women.

Paige turned to Ava, a mischievous look in her eye. "I'd be more than happy to give my approval for the fan club, Ava. It sounds like a fun way to connect with the students here. Plus, it's always nice to have a little extra support from fans," she admitted. Her smile was warm and inviting.

Ava's heart soared at Paige's approval, her admiration for the basketball star growing with each passing moment. As they wrapped up the meeting, Paige turned to Ava with a playful smile again. Well, if Ava was right about anything, it was that Paige had no problem getting cozy with others.

"Before we go our separate ways," Paige said slowly, almost as if she were nervous, "would you mind...exchanging numbers, maybe?" Ava nodded without a single thought in her mind processing. .

"I'd love that," Ava beamed, trying to keep her voice steady despite the swirling in her stomach.

As they exchanged numbers, a sense of new hope sprouted within Ava's spirit, and intense intrigue formed in Paige's. Mrs. Clause, observed the interaction with a knowing smile, silently acknowledging the budding friendship between the two young women. Is it too early to say that Ava might just be a genius?