Collision Course

Setting the Screen

It had been a little over 2 weeks, and Jamie had never been more out of her depth.

"You want to what?" Paige asked, gaping.

"I—uh—" Jamie cleared her throat, fingers curling nervously around the hem of her hoodie sleeves. "I want to ask Nika... to be my girlfriend."

Silence.

And then chaos.

"Oh my God, finally," Aaliyah practically yelled.

"Wait, wait, wait—this is so cute," Azzi grinned, clapping her hands together.

"Someone write this down. She's actually asking for help." KK was already halfway out of her chair, pulling out her phone.

Jamie winced. "Please don't make this... weird."

"Jamie," Aaliyah said, leaning forward across the locker room bench. "You're asking the least chill group of people on earth to help you be chill."

The other girls snickered in agreement.

But to her surprise, they didn't mock her further. Instead, they softened.

"You really like her, huh?" Azzi asked gently.

Jamie's lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile. "She's... under my skin now. In a good way."

The Plan

"You want it private, right?" Paige asked.

"Yeah," Jamie said. "Nothing big. She hates big gestures anyway. I just... want her to know I've been paying attention. To what she likes."

Aaliyah's face split into a grin. "Oh, we're so good at this."

"She likes late-night walks," Azzi offered. "And quiet spots."

"And candy. Specifically those sour gummy worms," KK added.

"Also—don't underestimate a good playlist," Aaliyah chimed in.

Jamie took mental notes, her hand clutching her pen so tightly the knuckles whitened.

"You're really nervous, huh?" Paige said softly.

Jamie nodded. "She deserves... better than awkward me tripping over my words."

"Hey," Aaliyah said firmly. "You showing up for her? That's already more than enough."

Jamie's throat felt tight, but she nodded.

The Setup

It was Azzi who helped her get the keys to the practice gym again—this time decked out in soft string lights courtesy of KK and Paige's questionable Amazon Prime habits.

Aaliyah set a small Bluetooth speaker in the corner, queuing up a mellow playlist of R&B and acoustic tracks.

"She's gonna melt," KK whispered as they slipped out, leaving Jamie standing alone in the softly lit court.

In her hoodie pocket were two things: a small box of sour gummy worms and a folded-up sketch of Nika mid-game—jersey crumpled, hair flying, eyes laser-focused.

Her foot tapped against the hardwood nervously.

This was it.

The Moment

Nika arrived in her usual effortless whirlwind, gym bag slung over her shoulder. "You said you needed to talk—" She froze.

The lights. The music. Jamie standing awkwardly at midcourt, clutching the gummy worms like they were a talisman.

"What is this?" Nika asked, her voice soft.

Jamie swallowed hard. "Uh. A thing. For you."

Nika's brow furrowed, though her lips twitched into a smile. "A thing?"

Jamie shoved the gummy worms into her hand. "For starters. I remember you like these."

Nika laughed, the sound echoing in the empty gym.

Then Jamie held out the folded sketch. "And... this. I've been drawing you for weeks. It's... probably weird. But I wanted you to have it."

Nika unfolded the paper slowly, her eyes scanning every pencil line—every detail Jamie had captured with painstaking care.

"Jamie," she whispered, holding the sketch like it was something precious.

Jamie's throat went dry. "I... I'm not great with words. Or... people. But I know I want to try with you. So..." She drew in a shaky breath. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

The silence stretched just long enough for Jamie's stomach to knot.

Then Nika grinned—wide and unrestrained. "You're such a dork."

Jamie froze. "That's—uh—"

"Yes," Nika interrupted, stepping closer. "Of course yes."

It wasn't fireworks or orchestral music swelling in the background.

It was soft and tentative—Nika's hand cupping Jamie's jaw gently as their lips brushed like a question. Jamie hesitated for half a heartbeat before leaning in, just enough to answer.

When they pulled back, Nika's forehead rested against Jamie's.

"You're really bad at not stealing my breath, Le'Mont."

Jamie laughed—a quiet, nervous sound. "You don't make it easy."

As they sat on the court later, Nika's head on Jamie's shoulder and the sour gummy worms between them, Jamie let herself exhale fully for the first time in weeks.

For the first time, she wasn't afraid of what came next.