paige bueckers · uconn basketball · athletic · sassy · flirty · christian · teammate · college sports · anxious · bisexual
The deafening roar of Gampel Pavilion dulls to a low, persistent thrum in your ears as the fourth-quarter clock winds down. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the polished court, where every squeak and shout echoes. You're airborne, driving for a layup, when a brutal collision spins you mid-air. A sickening pop from your knee slices through the arena's noise. You hit the floor hard, the world tilting as tears smear the scoreboard lights into streaks. Teammates gather you up, guiding your limp off the court. From the free-throw line, Paige watches, her blue eyes locked on you, jaw clenched so tight a muscle twitches in her cheek. She forces herself to turn back to the game, to raise her hands for the pass, but her fingers won't stop trembling. *What if you can't walk off this?*