22. Foolish One

Foolish one

Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love

That ain't never gonna come

You will take the long way, you will take the long way down

Jenna

"I can absolutely not wear this to a party Mia— where is the rest of the fabric !" I laugh looking at my reflection in the mirror a Mia curls my long hair.

"Let loose at little Jenn, you look hot! and beautiful, i WISH i had your bone structure." She chuckles paying no mind to the way I stared at myself in the mirror.

I look at myself, unable to recognize who I was, not in a bad way but a changed way. the way my hair fell down my back longer than it usually is, I would say it's only long because I have yet to get a haircut but I started to embrace how long it became. Paige told me the longer my hair was the easier it was to spot me in a crowd, so since then I kept it long.

The bags under my eyes, slightly hidden by make up that Mia had done, my freckles covered with concealer and blush. truly I didn't recognize myself I couldn't pinpoint if it was good or bad I was never a girl that cared about my make up and hair. It was always basketball and my friends around me were the same way,  no one cared what we wore or how our Make up looked on the court, only thing that really mattered was if you can make the shot or not.

I would never express to Mia how important she became to me in the few months that I've known her. But I know she feels it, plus Mia wasn't the girl that needed reassurance besides from Nika, she was confident didn't care what people thought of her. I envied her in that way, how she walked around making her own name for herself, rather than being Blake St. James's sister. She was simply Mia. She truly is my first real friend outside of basketball.

I think the one thing I love about Mia is that she never looked at me like some sort of superstar, she never put the pressure on me to make a shot or be perfect at practice. Around Mia, I was able to be perfectly imperfect. Of course I felt that way with Cait — but coming to a new school where no one knows you and you're the new shiny toy, people look, and people definitely watch.

"ALLLL done!" She sings as she unplugs the curling iron only to grab a comb and brush the tight curls she just had done— leaving my hair wavy.

"You do miracle work St. James.." I smile as i fluff my hair slightly trying to make it fall perfectly.

"No my bestfriends just beautiful." She smiles getting down to my level to look at the two of us in the mirror, "we are pretty hot huh?"

"I would definitely say so.." I smile before realizing she's still wearing sweats under her dress, "Are you gonna..."

"Oh course silly, i don't think these sweats would go with heels anyway" She winked walking towards the closet.

"So why are we so dressed up anyway? it's just a house party isn't it?"

"It's themed! all the KAPPA parties are— tonight is modern Gaspy!" She squeals clapping her hands.

"There's no way you are getting me in heels." I say bluntly, "you can put me in a dress but Mia i will bust my ass if i put anything higher then a flat on!"

"Jenna!!! you can't go in uggs!"

"What about my Pandas? No one's looking at my feet!"

"Jenna, this is your one time away from Basketball, you're not wearing a basketball shoe to a modern Gaspy party, have you ever seen the movie?"

"Isn't that with Leo?- wait what the fuck is modern gaspy"

"YES!" she chucked — "and modern like 2024 Gaspy!"

"So like basically a dressed up party."

"I knew you'd start following sooner or later" She sighs in fake disappointment, "must i teach you everything young one."

"I'm literally older than you!"

"BY 2 MONTHS!" she shouts from her closet making me

giggle slightly before Blake yells from downstairs.

"WE ARE LEAVING WITH OR WITHOUT YOU IN TEN!"

"THANKS ASSHOLE!" She yells back before pulling out a pair of black heels— "Try these, they are fairly easy to walk in because they are chunky heel." She hands me the boobytraps as i stare in fear.

"Why must being a girl be so painful..." I sigh leaning down to strap the heels on before getting up slightly wobbly.

"God Jenna for a short girl you got great legs."

A soft silence grows between us as she puts on her shoes before shifts in the air feels unnoticeable.

"Jenna.. can i ask you something?"

"I feel like this may be a reaccuring theme.." I smile

sitting on her bed, the pain relieving already from my toes.

"You know you can be 110% honest with me right?"

"Absolutely Mia why?"

"Are you still in love with Paige?"

my heart skips a beat as paige's name leaves her lips taking me off guard for a moment, not really knowing what to say. I stutter a little bit. Paige was my first girl crush my first kiss my first best friend that I had in a while, I would never admit it, but paige would always be ingrained in my heart, no matter what, no matter where she was, no matter how the two of us stood or ended up.

"I- I" I stutter looking at my best friend across the room as she seemed genuinely curious.

"Jenna— you know i won't be mad if you are.."

"It's not that Mia it's.."

did I even know what it was? was I still in love with paige, have I been blinded the entire time? I didn't know I couldn't even tell myself the truth let alone deal with it. I think I push these feelings away because I was scared, not the fact that Blake was easier, but paige was a poison that was induced in my blood. I spent years convincing myself that it was never her.

" Mia, it's complicated, I don't even know myself let alone the answer to that question or my own questions I have going on on my head, she's just my teammate, and that's how she'll always see me. I never want to feel the way I felt that night."

" I understand but you think you're just hurting yourself pushing her away, Blake aside, do you ever think you're making a huge mistake?"

" she'll never love me Mi."

" all I'm asking is please don't break my brother's heart, as much of an asshole he is he's a great guy."

" I know trust me he shown me so much of myself that I didn't know I had."

" I just want you to realize what's better for you."

" I don't think I'll ever realize that, I live for too long, and still don't even know, it's just the wonders of life I guess not knowing every answer to every question. And even if I do know, even if I still loved her, I know it was never meant to be."

" I think you're the foolish one Jenn..."

"Mia..."

" you're my best friend in the entire world, and that's a lot saying because we just met a few months ago. But I want to see you happy."

" I am here with you right now." I smile before getting up giving her a huge hug, something about feeling safe with me made me feel sane, like my problems were lifted off my shoulders when I am around her.

"GIRLs!"

"COMING BROTHER!!"

3rd person

SNAPCHAT

Paigy🏀

Jennaaa🍯

Paigy🏀

*opened*

@𝐉𝐉𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐰 Posted on their story!

⭐️ CLOSE FRIENDS

📍KAPPA APG

Paige shot up from her chair immediately when she saw the close friends post as she sets her headset down. She screams for Azzi name. no answer. So instead she texts her.

Azzi Curly Pop

wya?

just pulled into the lot wasssup?

you down to fuck around

and find out?

What on earth does that

even mean Paige?

Tell the rest of the

house we gotta party

to attend 😏

best dressed wins ⭐️

you saw Jenna's story didn't you

Don't ask questions

you already know the

answers too.

Athletes don't go to

KAPPA parties P.

We do now.

Look i'm doing this with

or without yall.

Fine, I'm in.

As long as you don't

do anything fuck ass.

🤫