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"FINDING COMFORT."
november, 2023
LE'ANA RODES HAD NOW BEEN AT UConn for a month and a half, and it was safe to say the girl had settled in nicely. They were currently five games into the regular season and now the girls were sitting in the locker room, preparing for their game against Kansas. Le'ana set in the locker next to Paige's as the pair spoke about what they had done that weekend. For once, the girls spent the week apart simply due to how busy the pair were. After the night when Paige confessed her emotions to Le'ana, the girls never brought it up again. That was a common theme for the girls - ignoring events from the night before.
"-And then I went to the library and just finished off my essay." Le'ana went on to ramble about her weekend. It was a specific dynamic between them where one would never stop talking yet you'd be lucky to hear even a word from the other girl. Paige liked it like that. She would spend every hour she had left to live listening to Le'ana speak.
"Paige!" She interrupted the girl from her daze. "Did you do anything nice this weekend?"
"Uh- Not really Le, just did some homework, shot some hoops. the usual." Paige tiredly spoke grabbing Le'ana's hand.
"How did you come to learn all these random flowers and their meanings?"
"I don't know. They've just always intrigued me." Paige smiled.
"What is it this time?" Le'ana had become more curious. Originally, she didn't take much interest when Paige first started telling her about these flowers. Once she saw how interested Paige was in them, and how her face lit up when talking about each flower and their meanings. She'd spend every hour she had left to live listening to Paige speak if it meant seeing that bright smile on her face.
"A chrysanthemum," Paige pronounced perfectly. Le'ana knew that as all she could focus on was Paige's lips.
"So what's the meaning of this one then?" Le'ana spoke up.
"It's meant to mean optimism. It's easy to be positive when you're in love." She added, casually. Le'ana took note of Paige's choice of words. Love. Le'ana's heart skipped a beat at Paige's casual mention of love. The word hung in the air between them, charged with a weight neither of them dared to acknowledge fully. It was a concept Le'ana had tiptoed around since that night, the night when Paige had bared her soul, and Le'ana had listened, her own heart echoing with emotions she wasn't quite ready to confront.
Optimism. The word resonated within Le'ana as she looked at Paige, her eyes tracing the contours of her face, the way her lips curled into a smile as she talked about the meaning of the chrysanthemum.
She smiled softly at Paige, her heart yearning to speak the words that danced on the tip of her tongue. But she swallowed them down, burying them beneath layers of familiarity and routine. "Optimism," she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's beautiful."
Paige nodded, her eyes holding a depth Le'ana longed to explore. "Yeah," she said, her voice soft, almost wistful. "It is." Except she wasn't talking about the flower.
The moment stretched between them, charged with unspoken truths and silent yearnings. Le'ana wanted to reach out, to bridge the gap that separated them, but something held her back, an invisible barrier that kept them teetering on the edge of something more.
But then the moment was shattered by the sound of the locker room door swinging open, Geno's voice calling them to attention. The spell was broken, and Le'ana pushed aside her tumultuous emotions, focusing instead on the game ahead.
As they filed out of the locker room, Le'ana glanced at Paige, her heart heavy with the weight of unspoken words. But she smiled a silent promise lingering in the curve of her lips. Someday, she vowed silently, someday she would find the courage to speak the words that lay dormant within her heart.
And until then, she would hold onto the hope, the optimism that Paige had spoken of, believing that maybe, just maybe, their unspoken love would find its voice in the silence between them.
The pair's unspoken connection worked as the group won the game by over ten points. They went on to win their next three games by over ten points each time. it was undeniable the chemistry the girls had together. On and off the court, Le'ana and Paige seemed to complement each other in ways that went beyond mere athleticism. They moved in sync during games, anticipating each other's moves with an almost telepathic connection. Off the court, their bond deepened with every conversation, every shared moment, every stolen glance that lingered a moment too long.
Their teammates noticed, of course. They saw the subtle touches, the lingering looks, the way Le'ana's face lit up whenever Paige entered the room. But they said nothing, respecting the unspoken boundaries that surrounded the two of them like a protective shield. Well except for KK. She wasted no time calling them out or making comments regarding their relationship. Laughs were always omitted from the girls in response to her jokes.
As the wins piled up, so did the unspoken tension between Le'ana and Paige. It hung in the air between them, palpable yet elusive, a silent force that drew them together even as it kept them apart. And Le'ana found herself caught in its grip, torn between the familiarity of their friendship and the tantalizing possibility of something more.
As she drew chrysanthemums, tulips and many more flowers, Le'ana felt her tree of feelings branching out further. She couldn't deny the way her heart raced whenever Paige was near, or the flutter of excitement that danced in her stomach whenever their eyes met. But she also couldn't ignore the nagging voice of doubt that whispered in the depths of her mind, reminding her of the risks, the uncertainties that lay ahead if she dared to take their relationship beyond friendship.
As they celebrated yet another victory, Le'ana stole a glance at Paige, her heart heavy with unspoken words. She wanted to tell her how much she meant to her, how her presence brightened even the darkest days, how she couldn't imagine her life without her by her side. But the words remained lodged in her throat, trapped by fear and uncertainty.
And so, they continued on their path, their connection growing stronger with each passing day, their unspoken love simmering beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to bloom. And as Le'ana watched Paige's smile light up the room, she knew that moment would come, that someday, they would find the courage to discuss them. Until then, she would hold onto the hope, the optimism that Paige had spoken of, believing that their love would find its voice in the silence between them.
ELLE'S NOTES!!! im already so emotional over nika and aaliyah and this just makes it sm worse
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