XVI

P day

3rd person ༄

Narrative + messages + instagram

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★🏀 ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

It was now late October and Storrs Connecticut started transitioning into its winter weather. As the days grew colder Evelina and Paige slowly grew closer. It was almost the end of quarter one of their junior year and that meant more studying and less socializing. Evelina always wondered how the team did it; manage school and basketball and still pass. If she were on the team she would definitely become a super senior.

But with the dread of testing came the excitement of turning 21 for the two girls. Sure they were legally adults, but now they could actually do adult things. Like drinking. That rule has never stopped Evelina though. When she is in Europe she is a different person.

As the days grew closer to the 20th Evelina became more and more stressed. What was she supposed to get Paige? She knows she likes the color purple, but what can you get a basketball player? A basketball they already have? $300 basketball shoes they also probably have? She is completely lost. What made things worse is that Cameron wouldn't tell her what she got Paige, and she already had an upper hand in this, since she spends almost every other day with Paige helping her with her injury.

"Please just tell me. I'm begging! Cameron, I'm on my knees begging you." The long haired girl said on her knees in the living room while lifting up her hands pleading. Her voice hinting at how tired she was of looking desperate. "Lina you don't need my help. I know that the answer is deep in there." she points to Evelina's heart. "Screw you." She steps up from the floor.

Cam wouldn't stop pressing Eve about her feelings towards Paige. She knew there was something there, something that she wouldn't admit too. But how would she admit to something she wasn't even sure of?

For the next couple of days she couldn't stop thinking about Paige, well, what to get her. She couldn't wrap her head around why the gift had to be perfect. She hasn't even known Paige for that long.

Before she knew it the 20th had come. It was a cool fall morning and the first thing Evelina did was text Paige.

P Buckets🏀

Evelina  🇮🇹🗽

Happy birthday 21 Paige Buckets!!

I hope your day is filled with

all the love you deserve. ❣️

P buckets 🏀

Thanks so much Evelina.

Evelina 🇮🇹🗽hearts a message

Later that night Evelina and Cameron would meet up with rest of the team at a bar/restaurant to help set up. "Oh my god you know what would be so funny?" Cameron said walking into Evelina's room. "What?" She turned from her guitar to look up at the brunette who was standing at her doorway. "If we wore something funny for Paige's birthday." "Do we even owe anything funny?" "No, buttt we do have suits." She pointed at Eve. "Okay, but would that even be funny?" "No but it sure would impress paige that you are dressing up for her." A smirk crawled onto her face as she waits for Evelina's reaction. "Then let's not do it!" " Oh c'mon lina, you are truly no fun." She whined. "Okay fine I'll do it, but only because it has nothing to do with Paige." "Perfect!"

To Evelina this day felt way shorter than she would've liked it to be. "My birthday present for Paige isn't that serious." Cameron says as they gets into their shared car putting her present in the back seat. "So what is it?" The car starts. "A Fortnite gift card, because instead of telling me how she is doing she talks about Fortnite, a box of Legos, and some candy." "Okay I don't understand why you needed to make that a big deal." "I like messing with you. Sooo what did you get her?" She scoots closer. "Nothing crazy. During her- their practices I took photos and I printed them out..." Her voice got quieter as she spoke. "Oh Lina you are in love." "I'm not done-" Cameron gasps which lead to squeal cutting her off. "Don't say anymore. I want it to be a surprise"

For the rest of the car ride nothing was said between the two. That scared Evelina, she knew Cameron was plotting. When they got to the restaurant everyone laughed at their matching oversized suits. Something funny and 'fancy' that they could agree on.

It didn't take the girls long to set up since all they did was put up a Happy Birthday banner and sprinkled confetti everywhere.

Before Azzi secretly texted the group her and Paige were there Cameron and Evelina went over there "dance choreography" they had made up for Paige.

"Guess who's here!!" The tall curly haired woman says walking around the corner, the tall blonde following close behind.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAIGE!" the team yells out in unison. Paige is immediately filled with surprise.

"Wow this is amazing guys, y'all know you didn't have to do all this for me." They all shrug off her response, as if they weren't going to throw their beloved teammate a get together.

"Okay before we all settle down," Cameron says ushering Paige to her spot center of the round booth. "Me and Lina would like to preform something for our beloved Paige." Paige gives a stunned smirk to Evelina who stands beside Cam in her oversized suit. The girls immediately start their choreography, saying random shit that makes the table laugh. If the team hadn't payed the restaurant for the inconvenience of them tonight, they would have surely gotten kicked out.

After their small performance the table was filled with laughter. "Happy birthday P buckets!" The two suited girls say in sync making a heart. The thing Evelina loved about this group the most is how much they embraced her and Cams foolish and silly acts.

When the laughter quieted down the menus were dispersed ending up in the hands of everyone sitting at the crowded table. It didn't take long for most of the group to pick out what they wanted, but since Evelina was so indecisive she remains the last to know her order. Luckily for her the team didn't seem to mind instead talking about their gifts for Paige and how she would love what each girl got her. When the waitress finally came around and took everyone's order they all gave in their menus and sat back. While the table was filled with different conversations Paige couldn't help but find her gaze on Evelina. She didn't understand why her eyes felt magnetized to her. It wasn't that big of deal if Eve didn't realize she was staring, right? When she watched her talk with Aubrey the whole table seemed to zone out. She could only see the way her hands moved when she would talk, how she had to keep adjusting the tie on her neck, and how the two strands of hair on the sides of her face would move whenever she moved.

Paige was pulled away from her daze when Aaliyah starts talking to her. "P, when do you want to start opening presents?" She shook her gaze away from Eve and over to her other friend. "Before dessert?" "Sure, that sounds good." Now everyone's gaze is focused on Paige. The table again starts to talk about random shit. Paige randomly adding to something to distract herself from staring at the girl 3 people away from her.

When the food finally got to the table the only thing heard was the silence of everyone eating. No one here messed around when it came to filling their hungry stomachs, all finishing their food within 10 minutes. Dessert was soon being ordered followed after the collection of empty plates. That meant it was time to open presents. Evelina couldn't help but feel bad at her simple gift, as Paige's teammates were getting her far more expensive things. When it got to Cameron's present it eased Evelina a bit, since her's wasn't anything crazy and expensive but Paige still reacted the same and loved the gift.

The thin sheets of purple paper were pulled from Evelina's bag which caused anxiety to shoot through her body. The purple roses pulled out first, as they were on top of everything else. Paige's eyes immediately lit up but Eve couldn't tell of what.

"I'm not sure if you are a flower person, but I saw them and they are your favorite color so I thought they would be cool. I could also show you have to dry them if you'd like." The dark haired girl spoke up in hopes it would cause Paige to speak. Before Paige responded a weird sense of Deja vu washed over Eve. She brushed it off because in the time she has known Paige she has surely seen that look before...

"These are beautiful, thanks so much." Paige responds. "There is more in there." She wasn't sure if blonde realized, but she had to make sure.

Paige looked deeper in the bag and pulled out the envelope that held the photos. With the first photo pulled out and laid on the table the team immediately huddled in closer to see all the other photos.

"These are so cool." "Wow." "Did you take these?" Were comments that could be heard from the table as Paige pulled out more and more photos.

Evelina didn't know what to respond to first. "Well, I took those photos during some of your guys practices, and I understand that you weren't in most of them Paige, but there should be ones where you look bomb.com doing physical therapy." She cringes at her choice of words. "I can also take more when you are 100%. So these are like a preview of my work." Paige was in awe, she didn't know what to say. This gift means something to her, but she can't think of the word to describe it. "These are amazing." Evelina could feel her ears heat up at Paige's compliment.

Paige then got a glimpse of something else in the bag and carefully pulled it out. It was a small box and inside lay a cross necklace. The white cushion that engulfed it made it sparkle in the dim lighting. There it was again, that feeling Paige couldn't explain. This gift from Evelina meant so much knowing she wasn't very religious. "Happy birthday P," Eve said with an awkward undertone not sure what else to say. If Paige was next to her she would've already given her three hugs, one for every gift, but since she wasn't she was caught speechless. Her mind was failing her as she searched for the right word to say.

"How am I ever going to top your gift when it's your turn." She joked regretting it immediately.

Evelina laughs. "Don't even bother," Cam cuts in. "Lina is the best gift giver I know, I've never been able to top her." She sighs looking between Paige and Lina. During this whole time Cam sat silently watching the way Evelina and Paige interacted. She knew there was something there and she would prove it by the end of the year.

After dessert came everyone was completely stuffed. Paige had taken her "first" shot and the table was loud in celebration. It was now getting late, which meant the players had to head to bed for early practice. They said their goodbyes, and at this point it was just Cam, Azzi, Paige, and Evelina. "Thanks again for the gift or gifts I should say." "Oh no problem, it was nothing really." She responded knowing she was lying. That present was definitely not 'nothing really.' She had been thinking and stressing about it for the last 2 weeks.

Then the last two basketball players decided it was time for them to head back to their dorm. Cam and Eve helping carry Paige's gifts out to the car. When they were done Eve was now facing Paige. The awkward tension was building between them, eventually growing to be enough that it could be cut with a knife. "Thanks for all this tonight, Eve." "No problem, I mean it wasn't all just me but the gifts, no problem." She went on. There was then a moment of Paige's body moving without her mind agreeing and she hugs Evelina. When Evelina hugs back their grasps linger with something heavy in the air. Was it just pure admiration and friendship or was it something more? Neither of them knew and neither of them wanted to know.

evelinaricci 𝟮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗼

paigebueckers replied to your story: nah where did you get that photo of me?

Don't worry bout it. I have my ways.

paigebueckers liked a message

˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚.

I am so sorry for the long wait.

Traveling for the summer is a pain in the ass!

I tried to make this chapter longer to make up for my disappearance 🙏

Also tysm for 17k reads! ❣️

-J