Nika pov
"I'm actually gonna give up," Tate states as she throws the basketball at the hoop, air-balling, "This is why I don't play sports."
I chuckle, "Okay, okay. Don't let it make you mad, bebo."
Her head shifts towards me, "What was that you called me?"
She seemed more confused than anything, I laugh, "Bebo, it means baby."
"Oh," blush coats her cheeks, "I've been meaning to ask you, are you not from the U.S., you have this accent, but it's not a strong accent, I mean-" She cuts herself off.
"I'm from Croatia, that might be the little accent you're talking about," I smirk.
"So, you were speaking Croatian, I guess," Her focus from the basketball finds it way to me.
"Yeah," I move towards her, breaking the distance between us, "Let me help you. It seems like I want that kiss more than you."
It wasn't a lie. Since I've started talking to her, the only thing I could think about was being something more. Which is crazy, cause I've only known her for 2 days, 2days. I've told Paige my feelings, how strong they were, all she said was that I couldn't be normal about anything. I mean, I feel like if she wasn't so obsessed with her now girlfriend, she wouldn't be calling me crazy.
"That's not true," Tate mumbled under her breath.
"What is it pretty girl?" I asked, taking the basketball out of her hands.
"Nothing, uh, what are you going help me with?"
I smile, "I'm gonna teach you to shoot."
She sighs, "It's useless, my dad tried and it didn't work. I don't think you could save me, I'm a lost cause."
"Oh come on," I look around, finding a spot to get her to shoot from, "Come here, we'll shoot from the free throw line."
She walks with me, following me more of.
"Okay, now line up. Are you right handed, left handed?" I ask, watching her fidget with her fingernails.
"Right handed," I nod, moving her to the line, grabbing her shoulders, placing her in the best spot.
"Okay, hold the basketball," She grabs the basketball from my hands, "Now hold it like this."
After looking at me for a minute, she placed her hands where they needed to be.
"This good?" She asked, voice in a whisper.
She still a little off, so I decide to help her more, "Here, let's do this."
I stand behind her, wrapping my arms around to where my hands could meet her hands. Placing one of my hands on her right, the other on her left, moving her hands to where they needed to be.
"There, and now hold it like this," moving both our bodies, preparing for a shot, "Use this hand to hold, the other to push it towards the basket."
Her breathing was almost frantic, as if she couldn't breathe right. I might as well be the same way, but I wasn't getting ready to show it. The effect I was having on her gave me some sort of confidence.
"Now, I'll do it with you," I say, shooting the ball with her. The ball falls through the basket.
"Oh my god, I did it!" Tate starts jumping around, causing a laugh to fall from my mouth. She was perfect.
"Actually," I pause, seeing her head whip in my direction, "WE did it."
She waves her hand in my direction, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
"So you gonna make those 5 shots?" I ask, she smirks, tilting her head.
A finger tapping on her chin, "I don't know. Maybe we should do this another time. Not really feeling kissing anyone today."
"Oh, really?" A smirk spreading on my face, I want to kiss her right now, "You sure 'bout that?"
"Yeah, I am. Why, you upset?" She's tryna tease me right now.
I walk closer to her, grabbing her by her waist, her breath hitching, "Cause you're doing that a lot."
"Wha-what do you mean?" The blush coating her face, the confidence she had once had crumbling.
"Your breathing bebo, it's giving you away," I say, moving my hand from her waist, moving a piece of hair from her face.
"Nika," Tate manages to mumble out.
"Yes, Ta?"
"Paige is running towards us," I snap my head back.
Paige running comes to a halt, concerning me. What was she doing, she gonna ruin this for me.
"Sorry to break up what ever," Paige swats her finger back and forth between Tate and I, "But, coach just sent me a text."
"What'd he say?" I pull my hands from Tate's waist, not really wanting to.
"Read it yourself," She shoves the phone in my face.
"Uh uh, I ain't running that many laps," Paige nods in agreement.
"Yeah, so let's get goin' before coach pulls up himself to get us out," She finishes quickly, sprinting to her girlfriend, pulling her along.
"So, what's going on?" Tate pulls my attention back to her.
I sigh, "Our little challenge really is gonna have to wait. Coach got mad at us for bringing you guys here."
"So we gotta leave," I nod my head.
"Woulda loved to kiss your lips pretty girl but we gotta go now or practice gonna be real hard tomorrow," She nods, as we both jog to the exit.
Paige was already in the car, Ava in the front with her, leaving Tate and I in the back. We quickly got in, Paige rushing off before we were completely settled down.
"Jesus Paige," I mumble out.
"I do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, wanna be here if Coach decides to check," I simply sigh, looking out the window.
"Hey," A voice from beside me pulls my attention back into the car.
"Hey," Tate was a mere inches away, breathe hitching at the sudden closeness.
"Who's the one letting the breathing give them away now?" She teased, I pushed her playfully away.
"I wasn't mentally prepared for that," Or the fact I wanted to kiss her right there. Closing that small distance between us, making our lips meet.
She pulls out her phone and her airpods. She hands one to me, I gladly take it.
"So, what ya got us listening to today?" I ask, preparing myself to take a mental note.
"Ummm, I'm feeling Brent Faiyaz, maybe," I smile as scrolls through her phone trying to find something to listen too.
"I like him," Her eyes leave the screen, hazel eyes, they were beautiful, "um, he's got some good stuff."
"Okay, fav song?"
"Mmm, right now? Ooo, definitely All Mine," She rolls her eyes.
"Basic," She says in a singing manner.
"What's wrong with it? I like it," She continues to scroll through songs.
"Nothings wrong with it, just, it's everywhere on TikTok and stuff," She smiles to herself, what is she thinking about.
"I'm not on TikTok much, so that's not how I found it," I lean back in my seat, "I just got impeccable taste moja lijubav."
"Imma say that means something good," I chuckle, her face brightens with a smile.
"It does, I promise," I answer, taking the phone from her hands.
"Nika, what are you up too," I shake my head, searching a song up.
LOVE by Kendrick Lamar, featuring Zacari begin to fill my ear, "There, gotta love kendrick right?"
She nods, locking her phone and putting it away. Silence fills between us, Ava and Paiges convo never stopping. But, even the couple talking, the sound of their soft music playing, everything seemed to fade. The only thing I could focus on was her, Tate.
The way her long, dirty blonde hair fell around her shoulders. The way her jaw clenched ever-now-and-then. The way her beautiful hazel eyes looked with sunlight reflecting on them. Perfect. She was perfect. The only word to describe her.
"You're staring Niks," Tate whispered.
"I know, can't seem to keep my eyes off you."
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Paige and I made it back to the shared dorms of the team. I was internally freaking out. The rest of the ride to Ava and Tate's dorm, tension built up. Which I soon learned was from Tate becoming anxious. She moved slightly away from me, then asking when the best time was for us to hangout. Her and I. Tate and I, alone. Without Paige. Or even Ava.
"Dude, you gotta chill. I mean, you handle yourself around her pretty well. I don't see an issue with it just bein' the two of you," Of course Paige didn't get it. She wasn't in my mind around Tate.
"There's a big problem, I struggle with you guys around, being alone is gonna make it worse," A knock comes from the door.
Paige opens, half the team making their way in.
"Wassup girly pop," KK and her energetic self enter the living room, finding her way beside me.
"Nothing," I cross my arms, not really wanting to talk to the whole team.
"Okay miss sunshine. What, was it a bad date with miss perfect?" Aubrey asked, somewhat mockingly.
I shake my head. Paige decides to butt in.
"Actually, both dates went well. Ava said yes," Before she could completely finish what she was going to say the team burst into celebration.
"OH MY GOD, P BOOGERS WITH THE GIRLFRIEND! I SEE YOU!" KK yells, pulling Paige into a hug.
"Aight, aight," Paige manages to get out, separating herself from KK, now finding herself in Caroline's arms.
"That's awesome Paige," Caroline says before letting her go.
"No, like seriously, y'all are so cute," Aubrey says, using her hands a lot.
"Dude, you haven't even seen her," Paige says, Aubrey shrugging her shoulders.
"I just know," Aubrey states.
Paige rolls her eyes, "Sure ya do."
"So, how'd your date go, miss lover girl," A voice came from beside me. Aaliyah.
I shrug, "Good, I guess." The commotion from my other teammates still going on strong in the back.
"You guess? Did something bad happen?" She placed her hand on my knee, trying to comfort me.
"She asked me to hangout," She looked confused, "Alone, may I add."
"And what are you tryna get at here?"
"Lili, I can't be alone with her. Who knows, I might end up confessing that I love her causing her to run away and ignore me forever," I can feel myself working up, I try to slow myself down.
"Ohhh, you don't trust yourself around her, I see," I snap my head down to my legs, embarrassment taking control of me.
"Aww, don't be embarrassed. Honestly, I like this Nika," She waves her hand around, making an emphasis to her statement, "Lovesick Nika is something I thought I'd never see."
"What you mean, I''ve liked many other people," I stop myself, trying to remember who I'm trying to refer too.
"Now name one of them," She looks at me, arms crossed.
"I don't know," I move my sight back to my thighs.
"Exactly," She pats my shoulder, "Everything is going to go amazing. Just don't think to much about it. Okay?"
I nod, she gets up to join the rest of the group. I decide to scroll through Instagram, which I prefer over TikTok. A message appears on my phone, Tate. Quickly opening it to read it.
Tate: I had a lot of fun today, Sad I didn't get that kiss tho ð
I smile, typing quickly.
Nika: You still can get it
Tate: How so???
Nika: Meet me at that one park everyone talks about
Tate: When??
Nika: 20 minutes
Tate: Yes ma'ma ð«¡
Nika: See ya pretty girl
Tate: See ya beautiful ð
I blush at the text, that's not normally something she would say, is she getting comfortable with me.
"Twin, you alright. You seem a little...flustered?" Paige kicks me out of my thoughts.
"Yea, yeah, just needa clear my head, ya know," I grab my phone and my keys, "Imma go to the park for a bit, just shot around for a bit."
"You want us to come, hangout together," Jana speaks up after not saying much the whole time she's been here.
"Nah, I need some alone time," I go to head out, than stop, "I can pick up food before coming back if you want?"
"Uh, duh," KK spits out, making the team laugh.
"Aight just text me what everyone wants," I say, leaving the dorms.
I make my way to my car, just sitting after getting inside. Building up my courage to go to the park. Here I come Tate.
A/N: Sorry y'all for taking so long to get this one out. Major writers block for awhile. Some how I overcame that quickly (Thankfully) but if this is garbage, tell me. I can always fix it.
How we feel about the Nika pov? Hopefully it wasn't too bad.
Most of the songs I put in this story are in a playlist I made for Nika (Kinda). Would y'all want that playlist?
Peace y'all, 'til the next chapter.