INDIGO CROSSES HER ARMS OVER HER CHEST. "Gunner, what are you even doing?" She asks while licking the spoon that had chocolate ice cream on it.

Gunner rolls his eyes at his sister. "Isn't it obvious, Iggy?" He responds. Indigo rolls her eyes, it not being obvious as to what he was doing. "Football stretching." He explains. Indigo nods, setting down the empty container of ice cream.

"Senior year, Guns." Indigo says, "imagine if you don't make it to the NFL." She jokes getting a harsh glare from her brother.

"Don't even joke like that, Iggy." He says as he sits next to her. Taylor comes up with a pint of vanilla ice cream and two spoons, one for her and one for Gunner.

The two of them start eating the ice cream, Indigo scoffs as she watches a blonde walk out of a building. "Bitch, party of 1."

Taylor and Gunner look in the direction of where Indigo was looking and seeing Paige. "She came into the gym after you guys left. And ooo I cooked her ass so hard." Indigo tells them.

"What did you say?" Taylor questions.

"I brought up her ACL tear, man you should've seen the look on her face." Indigo was not being quiet about this, getting the attention of the blonde who stalks towards them.

"Always talking about me, aren't you?" Paige asks with a scoff. Indigo rolls her eyes.

"Bitch, you wish."

Paige clenches her jaw, looking at the partially eaten pint of vanilla ice cream. The blonde smirks before grabbing the pint and dumping the rest onto Indigo. Indigo gasps as the coldness of the ice cream rolls down her face and onto her body. "Fuck you, Bueckers." Indigo growls out while wiping the ice cream away.

Paige laughs as she walks away, leaving the girl drenched in ice cream. "I hate that girl." Indigo says as if it wasn't apparent.

"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." Taylor says as she grabs the girls hand and drags her to the dorm room. Indigo groans as her body starts feeling sticky.

"Get this off of me!" Indigo screams, getting overstimulated with the substance on her.

"Shower!" Taylor yells with a point of her finger. Indigo mopes to the bathroom and starts the shower before hopping in, not waiting for the water to heat up. Her body recoils at the temperature, regretting her decision to not wait.

The water warms quickly and Indigo sighs out as the ice cream melts off her body. Indy washes her body with her cinnamon vanilla body wash. "You doing okay in there, babe?" Taylor asks from outside of the bathroom. Indigo groans.

"She's going to pay for this, Tay." Indigo says, turning the water off and grabbing a towel. She wraps it around her body and opens the door to see Taylor scrolling on her phone.

"She always does." Taylor says, not looking up from her phone, "lol, she posted about you on her private story."

Indy whips her head around and snatches Taylor's phone. Indigo sighs at the blonde with the perfect jawline before her lips turn up in a scowl seeing the words plastered across the screen.

'milkshakes anyone?'

Indy scoffs, handing the phone back to Taylor. "I'm going to break her."

-

Indigo Reed wipes the sweat from her forehead, strands of her blonde hair sticking to her damp skin. The gym buzzes with the sharp sounds of volleyballs being spiked and sneakers squeaking across the court, but all she can focus on is her breath—heavy and fast, matching the pounding in her chest. At 6'4 3/4", she towers over her teammates, her presence on the court normally dominant. Today, though, she feels off. Her muscles burn, pushing her to exhaustion, yet she refuses to ease up.

The ball rockets toward her side of the court, and instinct kicks in. Indigo dives for the low ball, her fingers brushing against it just in time, but the dig isn't clean. The ball wobbles, forcing Taylor, her fellow middle blocker, to scramble to keep it in play. Frustration bubbles inside Indigo. She's the setter, too—responsible for perfect execution. She knows she's better than this, but today, her mind is elsewhere.

Coach Ellen Herman-Kimball's whistle pierces the air. "Reset! Again!" Her voice is firm, but Indigo can hear the edge of impatience.

Indigo straightens up, wiping her forehead as her legs beg for rest. She shakes out her arms, trying to focus, but ever since Paige Bueckers showed up practicing on the basketball court next door, everything's been off. It's not just the sound of basketballs echoing through the gym that distracts her—it's Paige herself. That confident grin, the effortless way Paige commands the court, and the golden curls bouncing with every step. Indigo's been trying to push those thoughts away, but they just keep coming. Every time Paige moves, Indigo is reminded of the one who broke her heart.

"Indigo, come on! You're slacking!" Taylor calls from across the court. Indigo forces herself to nod. She knows Taylor's right, but she's not about to let anyone see her slip.

"I got it," Indigo mutters under her breath, repositioning herself near the net. Her height is a huge advantage; at nearly 6'5", she can dominate at the net, blocking spikes and reading the other team's moves, but none of that matters if she can't focus.

The ball is set, and Indigo leaps into the air, reaching high above the net. Her spike is hard and clean, the ball slamming into the ground on the other side. Her teammates cheer, but Indigo barely registers the sound. She knows it wasn't her best hit. She can feel herself holding back, her mind wandering to the next court over, wondering what Paige is up to.

"You're letting that basketball player mess with your head," Taylor says, jogging over to stand beside her. Taylor, at 6'1", is the one of the only one close to Indigo's height, and they often work as a solid wall together at the net. But today, Taylor is noticing the cracks in Indigo's focus. "You need to shake it off, Reed."

Indigo clenches her jaw. "I know," she mutters, the irritation creeping into her voice. "I'm trying."

"Try harder," Taylor replies, but there's no malice in her tone. "We need you in top form."

Another whistle from Coach Ellen cuts through their conversation. "Positions! Let's run it again!"

Indigo quickly gets back into position, this time switching into setter mode. The ball comes her way, and she sets it with precision, pushing it high for Taylor to spike. Taylor nails it, the ball slamming down past the blockers. The team erupts in cheers, but Indigo feels a tightness in her chest. She knows she's not fully here, and the worst part is, her team is starting to see it too.

Coach Ellen blows the whistle again, signaling a time-out. Indigo leans over, resting her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

"You good?" Taylor asks, walking over to her. "You've been off all day."

"I'm fine," Indigo lies, straightening up. "Just... distracted."

"Well, focus up," Taylor says with a shrug. "We can't afford to have you distracted, not with how much pressure's coming at us next week."

Indigo nods, but deep down, she knows the distraction isn't something she can easily shake off. Every time she catches sight of Paige Bueckers, the memories of her past come rushing back. Paige is the exact kind of person Indigo swore she'd avoid—confident, blonde, and a basketball player. She's the living embodiment of everything Indigo's been trying to forget.

As the whistle blows again, Indigo forces herself back into the drill. Her fingers grip the volleyball, the cool surface grounding her. She's not going to let Paige Bueckers, or her past, ruin this for her. She pushes through the next few plays, blocking and setting like she's supposed to, but the mental effort it takes is draining. Every time she succeeds, it's a battle against the flood of emotions threatening to pull her under.

Finally, Coach Ellen blows the whistle, signaling the end of practice. "Good work, ladies. Indigo, hang back a minute."

Indigo's stomach knots. She knew this was coming. Her teammates file out, leaving her alone with Coach Ellen. She crosses her arms and looks at her with the sharp, assessing gaze that Indigo has come to respect—and, at times, dread.

"You're off," she says, skipping any pretense. "You're one of my top players, but today? You weren't playing like it."

Indigo drops her gaze to the floor, her heart pounding. "I know, Coach. I'm just... dealing with some things."

"Whatever it is, you need to figure it out," Coach Ellen replies. "You're the team's setter and middle blocker. We depend on you to control the pace. If your head's not in the game, we all suffer."

"I won't let it happen again," Indigo says, though the words feel heavy in her mouth.

Coach Ellen gives her a nod, not unkind, but firm. "Good. Go home, get some rest. Clear your head. We've got a big week ahead."

Indigo leaves the gym with her body aching and her mind in a storm. She knows she can't keep avoiding Paige Bueckers, or the memories she stirs up. At some point, she's going to have to face her past—and figure out what Paige really means to her. But for now, she just needs to hold herself together.

-

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