Nika P.O.V
"Did you hear a new girl is getting brought onto the media team?" I over Ice talking to Azzi who shakes her head before looking over to me.
"Did you have any idea Nika?"
"No." I answer with my curiosity peaked. So far last year the media teamed consisted of all bald, white men. So hearing a girl was getting added was definitely interesting.
"Coach G says it's a student here." Paiges voice sounds next to my ear, making me flinch a bit before I feel the blonde's arm around my shoulder.
"Shit, my bad." Paige laughs, laughing even harder when I move to elbow her slightly.
"Next time you decide to make your presence known, can it not be right next to my ear?"
"You got it, twin." Paige stands rimrod straight suddenly in a saluting position. I roll my eyes at the action, scoffing out a laugh and glancing at Azzi.
"That's your friend."
"Not today it's not."
"Hey!"
"Hey girls! Circle up! I think a few introductions are in order." Coach Geno says, walking out of the coaches office with a few girls behind her. A redhead and a girl with jett black her and brown eyes, my gaze lands on the latter for too long until Aaliyah elbows me in the side.
"You're staring." She whispers, instantly making me look elsewhere.
"Now you guys know the freshmen recruits, obviously." He nods towards the freshmen that recently joined, KK giving a wave as he does so before Geno steps aside, letting the two girls behind him step forward. As he does that I just notice the height difference between the two, the one with black hair being almost if not the same height as me.
"Wait... " KK suddenly speaks up before either of the two others do, "Girl, I know you. You're Alyssa Knight right?"
The girl with black hair, Alyssa I guess, smiles a bit with a small chuckle.
"Yeah that's me."
"Oh, do you two know each other?" Geno looks between the two as KK just shakes her head.
"Nah, I just follow her on Instagram. She's a beast at volleyball and softball. Girlie boo literally slays."
"Never say that again, please KK." I laugh at Quadance's voice as do the rest of the girls, even Geno joining in.
"Alright well girls, I'm sure you've heard we're bringing a new member onto the media team." He gestures towards the redhead, "This is Maia Parker."
A choruses a 'Hi's' fill the gym as Maia waves before speaking up with a clap.
"Hi everyone! It's so good to meet you all." The girl, Maia, I remind myself as the light green gaze washes over my team, the way the photographers eyes stay a little longer on the blonde on my shoulder doesn't escape me, I smirk.
"I'm Maia Parker as Coach Geno said. I'm 21 and a junior here. I'm majoring in film and digital media so thats a little bit about me. Um... what else, I used to play basketball as a kid but as you can see," She gestures to herself, "In the end I wasn't blessed with the height genes, this beanstalk over here was." Maia points to the girl next to her making our team laugh.
"But yeah, I'm hoping we can all become really good friends! I promise you guys I'll get some amazing shots and videos of you. Oh and I'll definitely make our tiktok blow up." She says with a wink.
"I like her already." Kk announces making everyone laugh again.
"Did you have Psychology with Bennett last year?" I hear Paige ask next to me, directed towards Maia and I raise an eyebrow.
Maia looks over, her eyes connecting with Paiges for a second before I see her look at me. Her eyes staying in my direction despite responding to Paige.
"Yup I did, you were in that class too right I think? Near the back."
"Yup. It's good to see you again."
"Likewise." The girl says with a smile and I can hear Paige quietly cough next to me.
Definitely asking about that later
Maia suddenly nudges the girl next to hear, making her step forward.
"Oh uh, shoot I didn't know I needed an introduction to?" Alyssa looks towards Geno who just shrugs with a nod towards us. "Uh, shoot alright then. Hey everyone. I'm Alyssa Knight but I'm guessing you guys knew that alright." She motions towards a smiling KK.
"I'm 20, well I will be like in a month. But yeah, I'm a freshmen here and I'm playing both volleyball and softball for Uconn. If any of you are thinking how I'm turning 20 my freshmen year well I started school later than usual because of my birth month and I also took a gap year between college and highschool to play with a semi-pro volleyball team over in Europe."
The team let's out mumers of slight amazement at that, which makes the tall girl blush a little. The action made her look cute.
Wait what?
"But um yeah, I'm also Maia's roomate and best friend so if I'm not at practice or at my games I'll probably be helping her around here or getting dragged here by her anyways haha. I also played basketball with her when I was little so I have some understanding of the sport." She ends, rubbing the back of her neck before backing away, her eyes catching mine.
I give her a small smile and wave to which she returns. I can hear Paige snickering next to me as my cheeks grow faintly warm.
"Shut it Bueckers."
"I didn't say anything."
The rest of the team introduces theirs elves before our practice starts.
__________________
"Nika, can you please talk to your friend over there? I don't think she would know how to defend today if it was programed into her." Geno jokes, however making the blonde run suicides for each failed attempt she tried to guard Azzi.
"You got it." I answer back with a laugh before walking over as the drill had ended, tilting my head towards my friend. "So what's up with you? You're never off like this. Not even when you came back from not playing from your ACL.
Paige looks around as the girls chatter, bringing me slightly alway from the team as we continue on our water break.
"Remember the I met at the party sophomore year, drunkenly made out with and then couldn't work up the courage to talk to her after?"
I remember her telling the story vaguely, but she never spoke about it too much.
"Yeah...?"
"Well that same girl was a redhead who happened to be in my psychology class last year... And also is now our social media manager." She whispers harshly, ending the sentence with a grip on my shoulder. The pain not even registering as her grip tightened because I was dying with laughter by the time she was done.
"What the hell is so funny? Nika shut up people are looking at us!" Paige panics before putting her hand over my mouth which I instantly lick to make her let to. The blonde does but not before pouting at me.
I try to stop laughing which semi-works, the cackles turning into small giggles.
"Sorry.. Actually not really but now I know why you were having a coughing fit when Maia was introducing herself." I grin at the blushing girl infront of me.
"Why don't you ask her out? We're all juniors ." (For the sake of the story and of me loving KK please just imagine she was a freshmen during their junior year LMAO)
"One, she's super smart. That scares me like okay I'm smart but she's like SMART SMART like she wasn't even paying attention half the time and she was getting questions crazy right smart. And two have you seen her? It's like I'm staring at some kind of Greek goddess."
"Whoa there, put some brakes on that horse there." I say, pushing the girl back from me slightly who had gotten closer to me during her rant. I love Paige but we are both too sweaty and it is too hot to have that much body heat near me right now.
"We can talk about this mater twin, G wants us back on the court." I say with a nod towards the rest of the team who was huddled up, starting to jog over. I hear Paige sigh behind me and her footsteps following.
This is going to be an interesting season
_______________
Alyssa's P.O.V
"I didn't think he was going to have me speak. Infront of everyone, what the hell!." I whisper harshly to Maia who I'm sitting behind, the smaller girl sitting on the floor as she snapped some pictures of the team's current huddle.
I can see her shoulders shaking in laughter but I can't hear her. Once she lowers the camera however to check the shots, I hear her giggles.
"You literally played in pretty much professional level settings with thousands of fans before, and yet you're nervous speaking infront of like 20 people? You never cease to confuse me girl."
I blush, "I mean yeah but when I do I'm in the zone! And if I'm interviewed after I'm prepares and also running on adrenaline that's different!"
"Whatever helps you sleep at night pookie." Maia says with a laugh as I pout before she continues to speak. "Hey, come over here for a second, which shot do you think is better?"
I climb down from the bench I was sitting on to look over my best friends shoulder. The girl swiping between two pictures. One of Paige and number 10 standing near each other as they listened to their coach speak
Nika
I remind myself of the dark haired girls name, a slight accent still in my mind from when she spoke, lord am I gay or what.
The next picture was of the two guarding each other, Paige was laughing a bit while she held down a guarding stance while Nika was mid dribble, a smirk on her face.
"That was is a sick action shot." I comment, pointing at the picture as swipes to it. Trying hard as hell to not let the blush I felt making its way to my cheeks show.
A pretty girl, who's athletic, and with confidence? Where's the sign up sheet.
"I thought so too." Maia hums, looking at the picture for a while longer before turning the settings back to take more.
"Soooo... Lyz.." Maia says with a teasing tone as she lifts the camera back up once more, catching more shots from the 5v5 infront of us.
"I don't like that tone of voice."
"Number 10 huh?"
I freeze, "What about her?"
"Oh nothing you know... except for the fact that during half of the introductions your eyes kept going back to her before you would try to look somewhere else before failing. That's what."
"And how would you even know I was doing that?"
"I have my ways," Her camera goes off, taking a few more shots before she lowers it, looking at me with a grin. "So, yay or nay?"
I look at her for a second before sighing, she could read me like a book no point in lying.
"Definitely a yay. But one we don't even know if she likes girls-"
"Not too hard to find out."
"AND two," I say, rolling my eyes at my friends eagerness to try and set me up without someone, "You forget I'm a awkward social anxiety riddled mess."
"You do just fine with me and your teammates."
"I've known you since I was 7 and two, again teammates are when I'm playing and I'm in the zone, then I become comfortable and close and that's just all out the window. I'm not teammates with them hell I'm not even on the social media team I'm just here as your day to day helper whenever I'm free."
"Mmm, Geno seems to like you. It'll be fine."
"Yeah sure whatever... It'll be fine and you'll have Paige's hand down your pants soon." I sneak in, watching as the girl infront of me nearly drops the camera, sputtering. Thank God that the team was too far from us and it was loud in the gym from play calling and ball dribbling so our conversation couldn't be heard.
"What the fuck Lyz?"
"Are we just going to ignore the way Paige was literally looking at you with fuck me eyes when you introduced yourself?"
"She did no- wait was she?" Maia fully turns around at this, canera forgotten as the instrument hangs around her neck freely, I laugh.
"Oh definitely, I know you have that crush on her so you were probably looking everywhere but her really but-"
"Fuck you."
"Name a time and place baby," I shoot back with a smirk, raising my eyebrows and laughing when Maia rolls her eyes. "But no really... That girl was looking at more than just your face."
Maia's face grows red, almost starting to match her hair. "Oh...."
Yeah I think that broke her.
___________________
"Hey Alyssa? Maia?"
I look up at the call of my name, not before zipping up Maia's camera back and handing it to her. I see KK walking towards us.
"Oh hey KK, whats up?"
"Some of the girlies and I were wondering if you wanted to do a Chipotle run with us?" She smiles and motions back to the already changed girls, having already taken showers in the gym's locker room.
Have we been cleaning up that long?
Like I knew Maia's media equipment was a lot but damn, maybe we were just slow.
"Sure, after I get this stuff back into my car. Lyz?" I blink looking at Maia and back and Kk.
"Oh yeah, I'm down." I shrug watching as KK's smile grows, making me smile myself. "I'm going to help Maia with this too and then we cab meet you there?"
"Bet! See you there!" Kk says before running off, I assume to tell her team.
I turn around, preparing to grab the two tripods and bag of different lenses that Maia had brought.
Curse me for being the taller eand stronger one cause this equipment is HEAVY. I'd be damn if I had to make two trips though.
I was halfway through lugging one of the tripods over my shoulder before I heard quiet laughing behind me.
"Here let us help you with those?" I turn around again, being met with Nika and Paige and those beautiful brown eyes....
Lord help me.
Paige steps forward to take one of the tripod from me as Nika takes the other, leaving me with just the camera lenses as Maia carries her camera bag.
"Shit. Is it only you two lugging this around most of the time?" Paige says, adjusting the tripods in her grip as Nika and I laugh at her, the blonde struggling for a second before getting a good angle to hold it.
Nika held it without an issue I saw in the beginning but who's taking notes.
"Mostly. Mostly also equals to Im usually the blunt brute of the duo." I laugh as Maia makes a scoffing noise infront of us, the first sound she's made since the two had joined us. Probably to avoid looking at Paige and stumbling over herself.
Maia could definitely hold up a front with a good amount of people around her, but with only us four I knew she'd struggle if she would look at her crush.
Hey, she had some gorgeous blue eyes I had to admit. But I liked the chocolate ones from Nika better.
"I'm surprised you don't show more muscle from how heavy this stuff is." Paige laughs as Nika and her walk next to me, I look at the blonde at that and shrug.
"I also wear oversized clothing a lot though so." I use my free hand to smack my stomach softly. "Don't let the pump cover fool you."
"Damn, I know that's right." Me and her laugh at that, Nika smiling at our antics. I could already tell Paige and I were going to be good friends.
"That's my car right there." Maia speaks up, pinning to the gray 2023 jeep wrangler in the parking spot to the right of us, showing Nika and Paige where to put the stuff as she opened her truck.
"This is a nice ride... Riding in style I see?" Paige smiles at Maia as she puts the camera equipment in the trunk. Maia smiles back, the blush on hee cheeks noticeable even from where Nika and I stand a bit away. Paige having come to take all of the stuff over to, and I quote, "Lessen the load."
She's gay as hell for Maia too and they don't even know it.
"Thank you. For the comment and the help by the way." Maia gives one of her signature smiles to Paige and damn, that girl is a flirt and she knows it, even if she's not trying to be at that moment it still somehow comes out.
"N-No problem."
I look at Maia for a moment, looking eyes with her as I motion towards the two, she just nods. That's what almost 13 years of friendship gets you, unspoken communication.
"Do you guys want to ride with us since you're already here?" I ask, watching as the athletes look at each other before nodding and smiling.
"If it's not too much trouble that'd be awesome." Nika says
"Yeah for sure." Paige agrees.
"Alright then, hop on in. Yall got shot gun whoever gets there first." I laugh getting in the back, watching as Nika and Paige look at each other before racing for the front.
I loved sitting shotgun in Maia's car but I always let guests take the spot most times, I'm always with Maia so 9 times outta 10 I'm sitting in that spot anyways, always nice for a change.
I laugh as Paige pretty much body blocks Nika from the front, the blonde hoping in the passengers seat as the brunette curses in a language I couldn't fully understand but definitely recognized. Nike sat next to me in the back as Maia and Paige talked about the Aux, Playlist and directions.
"Was that Croatian?" I asked, the girl next to me blinking before glancing over at me.
"Yeah? How'd you know?"
I laugh at that, how didn't I recognize the accent earlier? Albeit their was little to none, but if you listened hard enough you could still tell with the husky nature of her voice.
"Remember I said how I played over seas?
"Yeah."
"I played for HAOK in Zagreb for the year. I definitely needed a translator for the most part but I came to understand a good amount of it during my stay there. I loved it." I grinned as I saw Nika's eyes light up.
"Zagreb? That's my home. I'm from there and got recruited from G when he flew out to see me."
"Really? That's awesome, he seems like a really nice guy so I'm not surpeised."
"He is and he's even a better coach, I can't thank him enough. It really changed my life and career for the better."
"I'm glad to hear it.. and I'm also glad to have even more familiarity here." I laugh as she nods saying same. I smile while looking at her before trying something, holding out my hand which she questions.
"Bok, ja sam Alyssa Knight. Nadam se da možemo biti prijatelji." (Hi I'm Alyssa Knight, I hope we can be friends).
Nika's eyes light up again at the phrase, making me confident I had said the right thing as the girl shook my hand.
"Bok Alyssa. Ja sam Nika mühl, jedva čekam da te upoznam." (Hi Alyssa, I'm Nika Mühl, I can't wait to get to know you). The Croatian native responded with a grin, firmly shaking my hand before laughing.
Her laugh was beautiful, she was beautiful.
Paige looks into the back seat after picking a song, Maia driving us to the destination she had gotten from Paige.
"The hell are yall speaking back there? Gibberish?"
"Croatian idiot." Nika shoots back with a laugh, Paige putting her hands up in a surrendering motion.
"Not even gonna lie, I forgot you were from there girl. Do your thing." Paige laughs turning around before starting to yell out the lyrics to a Mariah Carey song. Causing me and Nika to start dying with laughter as Maia's shoulders shake, the girl focusing on the road but also joining into the off-key singing.
Yeah this is about to be an interesting first year, I can feel it.