what happens if UCONN's most popular basketball player finds herself searching for one person in the crowd?
Jules knew who she was and what she wanted and when she gets offered a spot on the media team for UCONN's women's basketball team she takes...
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juliette
present; narrative
Today was finally the day I was leaving New York and meeting Paige in Montana. I was basically bouncing off the walls with excitement about meeting the rest of her family. Even my mom was confused when I walked out of my room with basically a jump to my step.
We were driving to the airport. It was a silent car ride but my thoughts were only about Paige and obviously you could tell on my face. I was smiling without even knowing it, completely zoned out thinking about seeing her again.
"Where are you even going? It's not time to go back to school, why don't you stay longer?" She suggested, pulling me out of my thoughts and my face fell. I had no interest in being here at all, the only glimmer of hope was that after this trip I would be seeing Paige.
"I'm going to Montana to see Paige and her family." I decided to just tell the truth, I knew before I got on that plane my mom was going to know Paige was my girlfriend one way or another. If she hated me, well at least I didn't need her help anymore. I was a grown up who could make my own decisions and I knew that in four months Paige made me myself again. She brought back a piece of me that my mom had ripped out. I had to create my real family and that included Paige.
"What is going on with that Paige girl? If that's a cover you can tell me, I won't be mad about whatever boy you're dating now." Of course she was so small minded to think of Paige as a cover up to hide a secret boyfriend she assumed I had.
"She's not, I'm not dating a boy mom." If the desperate tone in my voice wasn't enough to get her to open her eyes I'm not sure what was. Still she let out a huff, like she didn't believe me a bit. I saw the airport come into sight and I knew it wasn't much longer till she knew the truth and she had to live with it.
She stayed silent for a bit, trying to think of her next words. She parked in front of the doors I needed and I started to gather my things, just waiting till I could finally get those words off my chest.
"What's so special about Paige?" She asked, confusion still laced in her voice. I sighed, of course she still just couldn't tell.
I pulled her into a hug, probably the last hug I would ever feel from her. I was angry but I didn't hate my mother, I never could. She raised me, she taught me everything that I knew. We butted heads my whole life but she never just abandoned me the way she was now. She was still my mom, the same one who told me she would be front row at my wedding. When I pulled away she looked even more confused, eyebrows furrowed and the wrinkles more prominent on her forehead. I put my hand on my suitcase, ready to walk into that airport and leave all my hiding here.
I wanted to leave this part of my life in New York. All the years I spent hiding. From my family, from my friends, well from anyone really. I always tried to be someone else, someone that would please the people around me but I couldn't do that anymore. I was ready to move forward and to be myself now, risking the people I might lose doing it.
