Alyssa's P.O.V
It's been about an hour and a half since Maia left already and I'm not going to lie, I was already getting bored and anxious about my first game tomorrow.
Caitlin, for whatever damn reason wasn't responding to my text messages which didn't help me at all either with her location off, my anxiety getting the best of me as I worried to myself if something was wrong.
I texted Nika as well, asking if the girl wanted to hang out with me since Maia was out, but sadly the girl was tied up with last minute assignments. I was even up to date with all my work, so it's not like I could do that.
"This fucking sucks." I groan, laying upside down on the couch, feet on the back rest as my head hung over the side. The living room now upside down in my eyes. Grumbling to myself, moving to sit upright and grabbing my phone. I scroll through spotify before putting my airpods in, closing my eyes as I let the music of Trevor Wesley and J.Cole take me to another place.
Aka zone out.
"You see the clout, you don't see the real me." J.Coles, the climb back, blares in my ears as I notice the doorknob shaking as if someone was trying to open it. My eyes widen as I hurriedly check the time, it wasn't even two hours since Maia left, 30 minutes since I started listening to music. She couldn't be home right?
My body still going through flight or fight suddenly calms when I see three figures walking in.
"Hey Paige, Maia. Something happen?" I smile in greeting to them before tilting my head seeing Nika. "What's Nika doing here? Didn't you have homework?"
The Croatian smiles at me sheepishly, not saying anything but just following behind Paige. I notice the bag of food Maia drops on the kitchen counter as the shorter girl comes next to sit next to me, Paige and Nika sitting on the couch across from us.
"Close your eyes."
"What?"
"You heard me Knight, close your eyes." Maia stares at me while playfully grinning, I lean back slightly from her before looking at Nika and Paige.
"Should I be concerned?" The twins shrug.
"Great talk I guess." I sigh out before closing my eyes, a few seconds pass by before I feel someone covering my eyes.
"I know how to keep my eyes closed, Parker. I'm not a kid." I grumble, slight annoyance making its way into my voice from not knowing what the fuck was going on.
"Mmm.. Last time I checked I wasn't 5'4." A raspy voice speaks out, instantly recognizing the owner as they move their hands I turn around quickly, not before a 'fuck you' from Maia gets out, seeing Caitlin standing behind the couch with a shit eating grin, Kate Martin standing behind her as well.
"No way!!" I yell, bouncing up from my seat and running around to the back of the couch, tackling a now laughing Cailtin into a bear hug, laying my head on her shoulder before I move away and hug Kate, still laughing before going back into Caitlin's arms.
"Hey Lyz." Caitlin says softly as I look up at her with a happy grin, my brain working miles per minute to figure out when the hell, how the hell and what the hell the two Iowa athletes were doing here before I suddenly pull away with a frown, making Caitlin tilt her head.
"You ass!" I hit her on the back of her head gently as she starts laughing again, knowing why I was upset now. "You had me seriously worried when you turned off your location, bitch!"
"It's the only way I knew the surprise would have been kept safe." She holds her hands up in surrender infront of me as I cross my arms, faking my anger with a pout that I can't hold long before I move to hug the taller girl again, Caitlins arms instantly enveloping me.
"They helped me and Kate come out for your first game tomorrow." She nods to the trio of Uconn girls sitting on the couches, each one of them throwing a smile my way as I laugh softly into Caitlin's chest.
"You fuckers were all in on it." I say, pulling away to go and hug Maia. "You made me think you guys were going out." I motion between her and Paige before looking at the food on the counter, "Wait if you guys didn't go out then how?"
As I'm asking the question I go to hug Paige to thank her for bringing my other two best friends to me before the blonde points to Nika.
"Miss Muhl bought the food for you." Nika gives another sheepish grin as I laugh, launching myself to her and tackling her in a hug much like I had done Caitlin earlier. The only difference being that instead of her holding her ground, she just falls against the back of the couch with a laugh as I hold onto her.
"Thanks Nika." I smile up at her, eyes watching her own chocolate orbs as the corner of her eyes wrinkle with her own smile.
"You got it lovely." She says in Croatian, making me blush at the simple phrase, because lord what her accent when speaking in her native tongue does to me. I back away slightly, letting the basketball player get up. Kate and Caitlin having gone to drop their bags in Maia's room.
"Are you guys staying with us while you're out here?" I say, not being able to hide the excitement in my voice as they nod.
"Yayyyy." I make a happy noise, rocking next to Nika on the couch as the girl laughs at me, covering hee mouth.
"It's like watching a kid in a candy store." Kate comments, pulling out one of the stools from the kitchen to sit on, Caitlin doing the same with the second there.
"I literally haven't seen you guys since I was 17... sue me." I laugh, and I notice I've been doing that in the last 20 minutes, oh well.
"Oh and guess what a little birdie helped me out with?" Caitlin says with a teasing voice and I tilt my head, my shoulder brushing against Nika's as I move to sit up straight.
"What?"
"Not only are we able to stay for you game tomorrow now. But on our way over here Paige and Nika called Geno, and he's going to talk to my coach and help us get out of practice to be here until your birthday on Friday."
"Hell yeah!" I squeal, that's right, I fucking squealing but can you really blame me? Again, I haven't seen one of my best friends for almost 3 years and now I get to spend my birthday with them too, again, sue me.
I move towards Nika again, crushing the laughing athlete in a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you." I repeat missing the way that the other four girls look at each other with knowing smiles.
"Best surprise ever."
@LysBeHonest: BESTIE CAIT AND KATE ARE HERE, the girls getting back together, ft. Nika giving the best hugs and crackhead energy during our movie night tn <3
Liked By @AllAboutNika, @NotASniperClark, @TotesNotKate and 76 others
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@BucketNIce Lysbehonest @YouHaveMaiaHeart your friend is trying to seduce me
@YouHaveMaiaHeart BucketNIce LysBeHonest please Paige, take her off my hands 🙏
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@AllAboutNika I ain't never seen two pretty best friends
@LysBeHonest AllAboutNika they never saw us fr 💅
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@LysBeHonest NotASniperClark LMFAO
____________
Alright, I underestimated the fake confidence I had going into my first college game. Definitely did.
As our team exits the locker room, making our way to the court floor to start warm ups, I could definitely hear the noise of cheering despite the loud blaring of music and announcers conversing over the speakers.
No matter how many spotlights I get put in, I have no clue how I never get used to them. My eyes scan the building and the multiple faced within them until my eyes land on a familiar group of girls, Kk waves as she notices my eyes on them as I return a tight lipped smile back watching as the 5'9 freshman in turn gets the rest of the girls attention to turn to me.
Great.
I instantly look for Paige before seeing Maia and Caitlin next to her, the two girls grinning while Caitlin gives me a thumbs up before motioning towards her own chest with a tilt of her head. I nod.
She already knows how fucked up my breathing is getting from nerves.
My eyes drift from her to the person seating below, Nika's eyes lock on mine as she copied the move she had seen Maia use before with me, telling me to slowly breathe as she brings her hand from chest, to her mouth and slowly back down. I try to copy the movements but eventually my coach calls us to the floor to start warming up. My thoughts drifting to last night however.
Caitlin and Kate had crashed early, jett lag and having woken up early for an earlier flight catching up to them. I offered them both my bed for the night as I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep, if any at all.
"Lyz you need to sleep.." Cailtin mutters laying a hand on my shoulder as I look at her.
"I will I promise, I'm just going to be asleep later than you guys so I'll take the couch for tonight. It's fine."
The girl had looked at me, looking like she wanted to retort but just sighed, knowing how stubborn I could be.
"Alright... Night guys." She waved to Paige, Maia, Nika and myself as they walked to my room.
Paige and Maia were the next to fall asleep. Paige pretty much already having clothes in Maia's room in the apartment as the duo had eventually retreated to the short girls room after Paige's nonstop yawning. Everyone agreeing they would spend the night for my game tomorrow.
"No I'm fine, I can watch the rest of the," A pause in the blonde's speech as she yawns, "Movie." Causing the rest of us to laugh as Maia just shook her head, tugging on the girls shirt to bring her to bed.
"Night Nika, Night Lyz." Maia waved to us, pretty much tugging a half asleep Paige behind her.
"Are you alright?" Nika suddenly asked once they were gone.
"Yeah I'm just fine, why wouldn't I be?"
"You're playing with your pajama bottom strings. You do the same thing with your hoodie strings when you're worried about something."
'Shit, had she picked that up already about me?' I think as I look up to meet her eyes, her worried brown ones looking right back at me as I sighed.
"I'm nervous, Nika. Scared even."
"For tomorrow?"
I nod, "I know it sounds stupid. I've played in crowds before, I was one of the top players at my highschool, I played overseas in crowds, but every time in the beginning I always let my nerves get the best of me until someone calms me down. Until I can actually get myself lost in the game and just not really pay attention." I ramble on, the grip my fists have on my strings getting tighter as my hands turn pale slightly.
"I don't know why, I should be used to this by now Nika but I'm not and I'm so fucking scared, what if I fuck up? What if I really don't belong here? What If I'm really overhyped like everyone says What if I get expo-"
"Hey, shh, shh come on now breathe for me ljubav (love)." She says to me in a quiet voice, her hands folding over mine as she gently pulls me hands off of the death grip they held on my pajamas. Instead curling her own warm palms around mine.
"Look at me alright? Breathe." She says, taking one hand out of our hand hold to guide me through the breathes before returning to holding my free hand. I tilt my head after I do so, calming down slightly.
"How did you..?"
"I've seen you and Maia do it before, I know how bad your anxiety can get, or I've heard... so I wanted to learn a few waves to help calm you down if it ever happened with me." She explained, moving one of my hands she was holding down to her own thigh to rest, as she moved her newly free hand to tuck some of my black-hair behind my ear. My face flushes as I feel my heartbeat speed up slightly from the action.
'Now is really not the time for me to be gay' I think, outwardly sighing as I calm down a bit, moving to lean into Nika's touch. The girl in front of me moving to hold my cheek with the hand she used to brush my hair away, I close my eyes.
"I understand the worry. I get the same way before a few bigs games as well."
My eyes open at that, "You do?"
She nods, moving her left hand away from my face which I instantly miss, but she still holds my left hand with her right.
"Granted, maybe not as bad." She says and I pout, she let's out a gentle laugh and apology before continuing, "But I know how it feels wanting to be confident, wanting to prove you belong."
I watch her as she talks, my eyes drifting down to her lips for a split second before returning to the Croatian's eyes.
"When I first came from Croatia. Geno placed a bet on a foreign kid like me, and every game I swore that I would prove he made the right decision by helping me come to Uconn, for letting me play in the states under one of the best, if not the best college women's basketball team here." She continues, grip on my hand never faltering.
"I remember before a few games when I first came how I would call my family back home panicking, and how every time they were there to help guide me, and calm me down. From there it slowly started getting easier and that's when I started to gain my confidence."
I hum, crossing my legs under me as I listened to the girls story.
"But then came sophomore year, I injured my ankle and had to take a two week break mid season, my first game back was so off G pulled me to sit the rest of that day. I felt like I had disappointed him, that I wasn't worth having if I couldn't bounce back from such a small injury you know? But then here comes my twin and Aaliyah banging on my door when we got home, convincing me that I was overthinking, which I was. And how I didn't need to worry because they would always have my back, that my team would always have my back no matter what."
"And this is what I really want to tell you after this long ass story," She says with a chuckle, her accent becoming more prominent the longer she talked. Or maybe it was just because of how I was entirely focused on her and the calming sound of her voice, and the beautiful way her mouth moved when she spoke, or how her eyes crinkled when she laugh.
Jesus I had it bad.
"No matter what happens, on that court, or in your day to day life. Your team has your back. My team has your back, Maia, Cailtin, Kate? They all have your back." She squeezes my hand again which makes me lock eyes with her once again, my gaze having drifted.
"I'm always going to have your back okay? You'll be okay."
"Huddle up girls!" Coach Kimball calls us in, and man, I must have gone through pretty much our entire warm up on auto pilot because I only remember serving and passing a few balls before it was near the start time to play. Jogging to the huddle, I wrap my arms around some of my teammates backs as we circle up.
"Okay everyone, it's our first home game of the season and do you hear that crowd?" Our coach pints out the nosie of the stadium with a smile as our team replies with various cheers.
"They're here for us, to support us and to drive us alright? You girls have been practicing your hearts out for the past month as a team, and you all have played volleyball for much longer before than. Let's show Georgetown what they've got coming to them alright?" Our coach's pep talk is ended with various cheers and noises from my teammates as they hype themselves up. My eyes going down to the countdown on the jumbotron in the ceiling, watching as the minutes turn into seconds and the whistles blare as myself and the rest of the starters take their spots.
I wipe the bottom of my shoes as the refs get ready to start the game, before jumping up and down, waving my arms around trying to get last minute jitters out.
A ref throws a ball to one of the Georgetown players, indicating that the game is ready to begin.
The down ref, who is in charge of telling when players are okay to serve, blows his whistle, waving his arm from their side to ours, indicating that they now had 8 seconds to serve.
And I just breathe.