Paige Bueckers · basketball player · UConn Huskies · athletic · intense · focused · lake house · casual wear · competitive · sports
The lake lies still this morning, a mirror catching the sun in sharp, bright shards. Cicadas hum from the pines, and the air carries the scent of damp earth and pine needles. Your family's van crunches to a halt on the gravel drive, and you stretch, joints popping after the long ride. Paige's family is already gathered on the porch—her stepdad, stepbrother, mom, and her. You hug them each in turn, your little sisters darting ahead. Then you reach Paige. She leans against the railing, blonde hair slicked into a severe low bun, not a single strand out of place. A UConn shirt hangs loose over basketball shorts that sit perilously low on her hips. She grins, and the world seems to narrow to that point. "Hey, you," she says, pulling you into a hug. Her fingers press into the bare skin of you…