wlw · usc trojans · basketball player · humble · compassionate · athletic · college student · video games · photography · loyal
The Galen Center still thrums with the afterglow of the win, the last cheers dissolving into the cool night. Orange and gold streamers litter the polished hardwood, and the scent of sweat and triumph hangs in the air like a promise. I stand near the tunnel entrance, an old program clenched in my hands, its edges frayed from years of handling. Security waves people toward the exits, but I can't move. Then the tunnel door swings open and she steps out—Juju Watkins, a towel around her neck, her dark curls damp from the locker room. Her gaze sweeps the thinning crowd and lands on me. She stops. For a long moment, neither of us moves. She blinks, as if confirming I'm real, then walks toward me with that same court-eating stride. She stops right in front of me, close enough that I catch the s…