I was kicking my feet up in the air when I heard a knock on my window. Emma's green eyes stared back at me through the glass, and I could see she was holding a Chick-fil-A bag. I quickly put on my glasses, my vision adjusting to the late night glow. As I got up to open the window, I realized I was still in my underwear, having forgotten to put on my shorts.

"Are you sexting?" she asked with a smirk as I let her in.

"I was sending dick pics to Harry," I replied, trying to sound serious.

"You fucking savage," she laughed, tossing the Chick-fil-A bag onto my bed.

I grabbed a pair of shorts from the floor and slipped them on. "You could have texted me before showing up, you know."

"And miss the chance to catch you in the act? No way." Emma grinned, plopping down on my bed and rummaging through the bag.

I laughed awkwardly, then walked back over to my dressing and put on some shorts as Emma relaxed on my bed. On some random nights, Emma would come over and just lay down beside me and we could talk for endless hours.

I leaned into my closet and opened up one of my shoe boxes. Instead of shoes, it was filled with bottles of alcohol. I had an ideal system of what type of alcohol went into what shoe box. Tequila went into Nike, rum and vodka into Adidas, whiskey into my really expensive shoeboxes, and wine would be perfectly placed in my Vans. The irony was that all my actual shoes were placed on my shoe rack, so it was kind of funny to think about.

Emma looked over and raised an eyebrow. "Your secret stash still cracks me up," she said, smirking.

"Well, you know me," I replied, pulling out a bottle of tequila. "Always prepared."

I grabbed a couple of plastic cups from my desk and poured us each a drink. Emma took hers gratefully and we clinked our cups together.

"To surviving high school," she toasted.

"To surviving high school," I echoed.

We sat down on my bed, sipping our drinks and enjoying the moment. The room was filled with the familiar scent of Emma's perfume and the faint aroma of tequila.

"So, I was thinking," Emma began "can I sleep over here tomorrow? After Benny's party?"

"You're not gonna sleep over at your secret lover's house?"

"Well, It depends if he's not a dick."

"All boys are dicks."

Emma puffed her cheeks and sighed. "Right, all the men in this town suck. Can't wait till I get out and go to college."

"Not all the men suck in this town. And besides I'm going to a college that's fifty minutes away from here."

"Oh Buckets, I wish we could go to the same college."

"With all due respect Emma, even with basketball skills, I'm not Ivy league smart like you."

I handed over Emma a bottle of the tequila and she poured some in her Chick-fil-A cup.

"Is there anything you want to do this final senior year?" Emma asks.

"Other than winning the state? I have no options."

"Okay, what about prom?"

I rolled my eyes."That's like months away, I'll worry about that later."

"What about getting that special someone?"

"Boys are gross. Just no interest in them. Except Harry Styles. That's the only man I would do unholy things to."

Emma laughed at my comment as we just sat back and enjoyed the night together. 

*****

One thing I hated about my coach was that she scheduled Friday practices. Like who the fuck schedules practices on Fridays? She says it'd "help us stay out of trouble," which I thought was kinda bullshit cause I was still going to drink my heart out after practice. But we were also one week away from the season starting, so I figured it was a good thing as well.

Allow me to introduce your Palmetto High Girls basketball team:

Me (Bethany Buckets): Captain and the hottest girl on the team
Emma Rosales: Captain and the baddest bitch on the team #BESTIE
Carly Montana: Her Dad is probably a drug dealer, but damn, she can shoot threes
Taylor Morales: Our tall girl that gets us rebounds
Cindy Lohr: She's just here
Monica Wallace: She brings me water
Anna Taylor: Also brings me water, but she can play defense.
Carolina Gomez: My backup who's got potential, but for now, also brings me water
Xile Sofia: Annoying little bastard that I'm glad is on my team. Don't pick a fight with her.

Despite my complaints, I couldn't deny that Friday practices had their benefits. We were just a week away from the season opener, and every bit of extra practice could make a difference. As much as I grumbled about it, I was secretly glad to be on the court with my girls, pushing ourselves to be the best we could be. 

I arrived at the gym two minutes before practice started. I barely had my shoes on and still didn't have my hair in a ponytail. Everyone was either stretching or practicing free throws. However, I saw two girls that I didn't know. They both had long brown hair. One was around the same height as me and wore ankle braces. She had a tattoo on her neck that said the word "Dua," which looked so corny. The other still had braces on her teeth and was shorter but seemed to have a good jump shot.

Suddenly, Coach Vodicka blew the whistle right in my ear. "Damn, Coach, I'm on time."

"Last time I checked, we hadn't invented auto-lacing sneakers," she shot back with a smirk.

As the girls came to center court, I tied my shoes and quickly put my hair into a ponytail. I joined the circle, glancing at the two new girls. Who were they, and why hadn't I heard about them joining the team?

"Hello, ladies. Allow me to introduce you to two of your new teammates," Coach Vodicka announced. "This is Reina and Frida Rexha. They are new students from the country Albania. So please give them a warm introduction to our team. Reina here is a senior, and Frida here is sophomore. Treat them with kindness and respect."

I wanted to give my coach a death stare, but I felt like that wouldn't show I'm a good Captain. Emma shook the girls and introduced herself and all the other girls to her. I was the last one to say hi. It wasn't that I wasn't accepting of the girls, I just hope they didn't get in the way of my goal of winning a state championship.

"Bethany? Want to say anything before practice starts?" Coach Vodicka asked, directing the attention towards me.

 I hate talking to crowds. Even if they were my teammates that I knew for a while, I just wasn't a vocal leader. But I couldn't let that show now.

"Welcome to the team. Please try to keep up. Ladies, let's get to it."

Coach clapped her hands and we were off doing layup lines as I stared at the newbies. They both had form, they both knew what they were doing. They both had skill, I was impressed but anyone could do layups. Then we started to take jump shots. Reina was pretty good; I was impressed.

Now it's time to start the main competition. Coach never let me pick the teams for our usual 5 on 5 drills as she believed it would "hinder my true ability." She put me on a team with Me, Carly, Emma, Taylor and the new chick Frida. I walked over to Frida and gave her some advice.

"So, you either A, shoot the ball, or B, pass the ball back to me." She nodded her head. She seemed like a good listener.

Suddenly Reina was the one who had to guard me, which I was insulted by because I didn't want some newbie trying to guard me. I even gave my coach a confused look and she told me to run the offense. I rolled my eyes and just started to practice.

For my first trick of the day, I decided to hit a step-back jumper over Reina. It was perfect, of course. The ball sailed through the air with precision, swishing through the net without even grazing the rim. I glanced over at Reina, who looked momentarily stunned by my shot.

Reina commanded the second team with confidence that caught my attention. As soon as she got the ball, she wasted no time. In a split second, she drove left, her movements swift and calculated. Before I could react, I felt a sudden rough pain in my stomach as her elbow connected with force, sending me crashing into the ground. I looked up just in time to see her make the basket, a smug smile playing on her lips.

The shock on the faces of my teammates mirrored my own disbelief. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the gym and on me, and for a moment, I was too stunned to move. Then, field by a surge of determination , I pushed myself up from the floor and retrieved the basketball. From the top of the key, Reina, guarded me closely, her eyes locked on mine. Without hesitation, I decided to pull up and yank a three-pointer. The ball left my hands with a flick of my wrist, soaring through the air in a graceful arc before finding nothing but net.

Throughout the entire practice, Reina continued to be a thorn in my side. She was undeniably skilled, I'll give her that, but she didn't beat me. Despite her best efforts, I refused to let her get the best of me. It felt like an old-fashioned boxing match, each of us trading blows with unwavering determination.

Coach's long whistle signaled the end of practice, and as I headed towards the showers, my mind buzzed with questions about Reina. I couldn't help but stare at her. Who was this girl? Where the heck is Albania? And how did she know how to play basketball so well?

"That new chick sure did put your ass on the floor," Emma remarked with a smirk.

"Yeah, well she won't be doing that again," I replied, still feeling a twinge of frustration."Where the fuck is Albania?"

"It's in Europe," Emma replied, rolling her eyes. "Look, she's good. She's gonna be a part of the team and she can help us win.

Emma had a point. Reina's skills were undeniable, and if she could contribute to our success on the court, then maybe my initial reservations were unwarranted. Besides, it was Friday night, which meant it was time to party.

As soon as I arrived at Emma's house, I flopped onto her bed. It was probably the softest bed ever. Emma was going through every single piece of clothes in her closet while I was just trying to take a small little power nap. After an exhausting 30 minutes of hearing Emma complain that her clothes don't fit her or are not cute enough, she decided to wear jean shorts with a sparkling gray top. I decided to actually dress decently today so I wore a matching pink top and skirt with some of Emma's Bella Zing jewelry.

I reached into my backpack and retrieved some Svedka, hoping it would help me loosen up a bit. Once Emma was finally ready, we dashed out to her car. She cranked up the music, and as the beats filled the air, we could feel the energy of the balmy Boca Raton night enveloping us. We were ready to have an unforgettable time.

Driving through the streets, we eventually arrived at a luxurious mansion perched near the shores, overlooking the beach. As we stepped out of the car and entered the party, the scent of sea breeze mingled with the pungent odors of cheap beer and marijuana, creating a distinct atmosphere. The air was thick with excitement and anticipation, with nearly everyone either drinking or in various states of intoxication. It seemed like the entire student body of Palmetto High, along with a few others, had gathered at this extravagant party.

It took me and Emma no longer a minute to be the center of attention at the party as we began dancing in the middle of the house, providing some risky moves for everyone to watch. The lights were hitting perfectly enough that everything felt so slow around me. Maybe if I drank a little more, I would forget the night which I loved.

After a few more dance moves, I needed to freshen up. I decided to hit the bathroom. As I walked in, I noticed Jalen standing there trying to light up a joint. He looked so good that night. I think he brushed his hair back, and those ripped jeans with a Miami Dolphins shirt looked really good on him. 

"Hey," he said to me. I didn't reply. I think my mouth was open and maybe I was drooling. I think I smiled at him to give him a reply. I noticed he was struggling to light up his joint.

"Need help?" I said as I took the lighter from his hands. A couple of clicks it took and puffs of smoke were starting to puff out of his mouth. He blew the smoke on me and it felt disgusting but yet so enchanting.

"Thanks Bethany," he said. He handed out the joint to see if I wanted any. I don't usually smoke weed as I always get bad reactions from it, but I couldn't say no to Jalen Bougs. I took it from his hand and I inhaled. I inhaled a little too much and I started to cough throughout the entire bathroom. I don't know if he thought it was cute or funny because he started to laugh. His laugh is so adorable.

"I didn't know Bethany was such a lightweight."

"Not a lightweight. It just went the wrong way."

He laughed at my comment. I completely forgot the reason I went to the bathroom in the first place.

"We're going to have a good season right?" Jalen asked.

"For sure. State is the mission."

"That's good to hear. I hope you girls get it done this year."

Hearing that coming from Jalen made butterflies come into my stomach. I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or maybe I was getting mixed emotions about how I was feeling.

"First game is Tuesday. You comin'?" I said, crossing my fingers behind my back.

"Wouldn't miss seeing Bethany Buckets do her thang."

Him saying my nickname was the sexiest thing I've ever heard. It felt so perfect. The faint sound of music entering the bathroom and him just staring at me made me get goosebumps. I wanted him to pick me up and just start kissing me.

"I like your shirt," I said to him.

"You look good in pink," he said back to me.

Yup, I wanted him. I wanted him so bad at that moment. I wanted him to rip off all the pink I had on me. I wanted him so badly.

"Are you having a good time tonight?" I asked

"Yeah. They are playing good music tonight. You?"

"Yeah yeah. I'm just... just hanging around."

God I wanted so badly. Unfortunately two drunken dorks barged into the bathroom. They both smelled like cheap beer and both were clearly too stupid and drunk to take a hint. Jalen and I walked out of the bathroom and soon were back in the living room of the party.

"Dumbass kids."

"Super dumbass kids."

We both laughed at the comment. As I felt like the night was changing for me, the sounds of red and blue sirens started to appear outside the house. Emma came running from behind to catch me.

"C'mon girl. You can't get in trouble."

I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Jalen as we also went in a different direction. Like cattle trying to get out of the farm, everybody jumped in their cars and darted out of the party. The police were slowly closing in and we didn't want to partake in any part of it. 

As I was coming down my drunken, weed-induced high, I looked over at Emma with disappointment.

"I wanted Jalen so bad tonight."

"I saw that y'all were talking when I found you. Did you remember to close your mouth?"

"He looked so good tonight. I wanted him to kiss me."

" Aw, poor little Buckets."

"I'm mad now."

"Ask him out, Buckets. You're hot, he's hot. So confident but yet struggling to make a move.

She was right. I was confident, but not with boys. It felt weird but it's just something I wasn't good at and It was annoying.

As Emma parked the car at my house, I think it took me two minutes to open the door to my house because I couldn't find the keyhole cause everything felt a little too blurry. As I stumbled in the house, I noticed that my dad fell asleep on the couch watching TV. I turned off his TV and kissed him on the forehead goodnight.

Drowning two gatorades, I felt a little more like myself. Shedding my clothes I slipped into some pajama pants and a comfy t-shirt. I looked at the clock on my desk. It read 12:04. Emma decided to fly into my bed and she was out like a light. As she slept, I decided to grab my basketball shoes and ball and hop out the window to head to the park.

As I entered the park, I noticed there was someone else there. The closer I got, I realized it was Reina. I looked confused wondering why she was there at midnight. I think she was also looking at me with a confused look at midnight wondering why I was here. I ignored her and decided to stay on my side of the court. I did my same practice routine throughout the entire night. I would sometimes glance at her and wonder what she was doing.

As I was practicing free throws, her ball decided to hit me on the backside. I turned to look and saw her approaching me. I decided to kick her ball towards her, perhaps a bit aggressively. She still caught the ball and she nodded her head as a thank you.

While shooting free throws there were only a few things that were rolling through my mind. One: How should I approach Jalen? And two: Where the fuck is Albania?