Nicole shut the door behind Sky and leaned against it like the silence could hold her up.
Her chest felt tight—tight in that way that wasn't about anger or sadness, but that in-between space. Like something real almost happened and she didn't know if she wanted to rewind or delete it. She walked to the window, tugged the curtain aside. Sky was already halfway down the street, hoodie up, walking like nothing just went down. Like she hadn't leaned in and stolen a second of something that didn't belong to her.
Nicole scoffed to herself. "Stupid."
She dropped on her bed, face-first. Her pillow smelled like her hair products and a little like regret. She flipped over, staring at the ceiling, then reached for her phone.
No messages.
No missed calls.
Just that awkward space where everything had happened, but no one wanted to talk about it.
A soft knock hit her door.
"Go away," she said automatically.
"It's Jaden."
She hesitated.
"Just wanna talk. Two minutes."
Nicole sighed and opened the door.
Jaden stepped in, holding a soda. "You good?"
"I'm fine."
He gave her a look. "Nicole. Come on."
She sat back down. "What do you want me to say? That I'm spiraling because Dad brought home a woman who calls herself a wellness queen and has a daughter who thinks I date girls?"
He took a sip. "You know Chelsea didn't mean it like that."
"I don't care how she meant it."
He raised a hand. "Nah. I get it. First time meeting your dad's new girlfriend and her daughter? Weird vibes all around."
Nicole stayed quiet.
He watched her a beat longer. "Sky left in a hurry. You two fight or something?"
She shrugged. "Nothing dramatic."
"Okay." He took a sip of soda. "Just asking 'cause she walked out like she saw a ghost."
Nicole narrowed her eyes. "You done?"
Jaden chuckled. "Just saying—she didn't look like she did when she got here "
Nicole threw a pillow at him. "Get out."
He laughed, dodging. "Fine, fine. But for real, you held it down better than I expected."
She rolled her eyes. "That's such a backhanded compliment."
He grinned. "From me? That's practically love."
He ducked out before she could throw another pillow.
The surprise. The way Sky's lips had brushed hers like a dare. Quick, shameless, and totally Sky.
Nicole wasn't gay. She knew that. She liked boys. Boys like Marcos—minus the cheating, lying, ego-maniac part.
But for some reason, that kiss kept echoing louder than it should have.
She sat on her bed, pulled her knees up, and let herself feel it. The confusion.
A text pinged on her phone.
Sky: Don't hate me for that. You looked… too calm. I had to ruin it a little.
Nicole stared at it, thumb hovering.
She typed:
Nicole: You're lucky I didn't slap you.
A moment passed.
Sky: You blushed instead. So. I win.
Nicole rolled her eyes so hard her head tilted back. Then, for some reason, she smiled.
Just a little.
Nicole didn't reply. She tossed her phone on the bed and headed for the bathroom.
She needed cold water. Maybe to slap herself with it.
<<<>>>>>
By morning, the weight hadn't lifted. She moved like a ghost through the kitchen, barely buttering her toast, not even sure why she bothered eating. Maybe to feel normal. Maybe to shut the noise up.
Then came the horn.
And his voice.
"Nicole!"
She shoved the last bite of toast into her mouth, grabbed her hoodie, and bolted out the door.
Jaden didn't even look at her when she got in.
"You know school starts at the same time every damn day, right?" he grumbled, reversing out the driveway.
Nicole buckled in and wiped crumbs off her lips. "Relax. We still got time."
He gave her a side-eye. "You had me sitting out here looking like an Uber driver. You good?"
A couple blocks passed in silence before he glanced her way.
Nicole shrugged. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"I said I'm fine, Jaden."
"Alright, damn." He threw up one hand. "Didn't know 'fine' meant chewing like your jaw's locked and ignoring me like I'm your ex."
Nicole gave him a dry look. "I'm not ignoring you. I'm processing."
"Oh. So it's one of those days."
More silence.
Then—soft, curious—he asked, "That girl from last night… Sky, right?"
Nicole didn't answer.
"She your friend or…?"
"She's nothing," Nicole snapped. "Can we not talk about her?"
Jaden raised an eyebrow. "Damn. I just asked a question."
"Yeah, well, don't."
He chuckled under his breath. "You're real defensive for someone who don't care."
Nicole crossed her arms and looked out the window.
Jaden turned down the music just a little. "How old is she anyway?"
"Same age as me."
"She single?"
Nicole let out a harsh laugh. "Don't even think about it."
"Why not?"
"She's… she's bi."
Jaden's brow ticked up. "That's not a reason."
Nicole clenched her jaw.
He studied her for a beat, then leaned back in his seat like it clicked. "Hold up. Did something happen between y'all?"
Her silence answered for her.
He nodded slowly, lips pressed. "Got it."
Nicole didn't say anything.
He didn't push.
They rolled into the school lot with the kind of quiet that felt louder than yelling.
Jaden finally cut the engine. "You know, I don't care who you kiss or don't kiss. But if it's messing with your head that bad, maybe talk to someone before you start swinging."
Nicole opened the door without a word, stepped out, and slammed it behind her.
Jaden didn't say anything—just watched her storm off like he expected it.
The morning air was still, but her chest wasn't. Something inside her felt loud. It hadn't shut up since last night.
The moment she walked through the school doors, the vibe hit different. Kids clustered in corners. Eyes followed her. Whispers trailed her heels.
She kept her head high and moved fast down the hallway, until—
"Hey."
Nicole stopped cold. That voice. It always came with trouble.
Sky leaned against her locker like nothing happened.
Nicole didn't respond.
Sky stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You good?"
Nicole scoffed. "Why? You wanna try stealing another one?"
Sky's eyes narrowed. "Relax. It wasn't that deep."
Nicole slammed her locker shut. "Right. Just another joke to you."
"I didn't say that."
Marcos walked by—eyes locked on them, jaw tight, like he already had Sky figured out. Nicole turned and walked away,
Nicole pushed through the doors of the girls' bathroom, locked herself in a stall, and sat on the toilet lid—fully clothed, eyes shut, fists clenched.
What the hell was that?. The way it came out of nowhere. The way it felt—soft, real, almost… safe.
She hated that.
She hated her.
The bell rang. First period was starting, but Nicole didn't move. Not yet. She needed a second. Maybe ten.
Eventually, she walked into the gym five minutes late, no apology on her lips.
pulling her hoodie tighter around her.
She didn't talk to anyone as she slipped into the locker room. No greetings. No smiles. Just changed into her uniform and laced up tight, like armor.
Basketball was the only place where things made sense. No drama. No family. No kisses she didn't ask for.
Just noise. Movement. Breath.
By the time she stepped onto the court, Coach Dray was already barking drills.
"Let's go! Lines, full court. You know the drill."
Nicole nodded once and took her place. The whistle blew. She ran.
The sneakers squeaked. The ball thudded. Nicole's breath hitched in rhythm with each pivot, each pass.
She caught a pass clean and sank a shot from the elbow. Net. No rim.
Coach Dray clapped once. "Good form, Reese. Let's see that again."
Nicole wiped sweat from her brow and nodded. Around her, the other girls moved like background noise—Mariana's braid whipping every time she turned, Tasha mumbling under her breath about blisters, two freshmen fumbling a drill in the corner.
But Nicole stayed locked in.
Basketball wasn't just a game. It was control. Escape. Silence when her head was too damn loud.
Dray blew the whistle. "One-on-one. Nicole, you're up."
She stepped forward automatically.
"Against… Harper."
Nicole turned—and there she was. Harper smirked like she'd been waiting all morning to go at her.
Figures.
They squared up at half court.
Dray tossed the ball between them. "Play clean."
Nicole snatched it on reflex and drove left. Harper blocked.
She spun—cut right. The gym blurred. Sweat stung her eyes.
Harper grabbed her wrist.
Foul.
But Nicole didn't stop. She twisted out, planted her foot, and launched the shot.
Swish.
Dray didn't blow the whistle. Just grinned. "Again."
Nicole met Harper's eyes. Neither of them smiled.
She didn't need to win.
She just needed to not feel like herself for a little while.
Practice ended with the usual blow of the whistle and a slow jog to the benches. Nicole grabbed her water bottle, downed half, then dragged her towel over her face.
She didn't see Coach Dray until he was standing right in front of her.
"You got a second?" he asked, voice low, like this wasn't meant for the team to hear.
Nicole blinked. "Did I mess up?"
"No. You dominated."
He gestured toward the emptying court and started walking. She followed, still catching her breath.
They stopped near the back doors, the gym buzzing behind them with squeaky shoes and laughter.
"I meant to bring this up sooner," Dray said, arms crossed. "But there's an opportunity coming up. International exchange game. School vs. school. Big stage. London."
Nicole raised a brow. "London?"
"Flights, gear, everything covered. Top players only. And you've got what they're looking for."
She leaned against the wall. "Why me?"
"Because you don't just play. You fight. You read the court like it owes you money. And because no one out here wants it like you do."
Nicole stayed quiet.
He studied her face. "Look, I know you've got stuff going on. I'm not blind. But this could change everything, Reese. Eyes'll be on you. Real scouts. Real future."
"What's the catch?"
"No catch," he said. "You just gotta want it bad enough."
Nicole glanced back at the court.
London.
It sounded too big. Too far. Too… clean.
She swallowed. "I'll think about it."
Dray nodded, like he already knew that was her answer.
But before walking off, he added, "Just don't wait too long. Doors don't stay open forever."
She wasn't used to being wanted for something that didn't come with strings or bruises. It felt too shiny. Too… not her.
Her phone buzzed in her hoodie pocket.
Unknown Number:
Party at Maya's tonight. Bring that fire or don't come at all.
8PM. You in?
She stared at the screen.
Maya?
They hadn't spoken since she started school at Lincoln High.
Another text came through a second later:
Sky gave me your number. Says you're more fun than you look.
Nicole rolled her eyes and smirked. Of course Sky had something to do with this.
She typed back:
I'm not bringing fire. Just trauma and sarcasm. That work?
Maya:
Perfect. See you tonight.
Nicole slipped the phone into her back pocket, chewing on the inside of her cheek.
A party wasn't exactly the way to make clear-headed life decisions.
But it was one hell of a way to forget them for a night.
She grabbed her bag and headed out the gym doors. Tonight might be messy.
And for once, she was kinda into it.
Nicole walked through the front door just after six, sweat still clinging to her skin from practice. The house smelled like baked chicken and those overpriced candles Alex swore were "healing."
She kicked her shoes off by the door and dragged herself upstairs. Her head was still spinning—Coach Dray's offer, Sky's texts, Maya's party. It was a lot.
In her room, she peeled off her gym clothes and stared into her closet like it was a multiple-choice test. Most of her stuff was black, ripped, or both.
She finally landed on a plain black tee, a black cargo pants and her old Converse—no makeup,
not even a second glance in the mirror. Her curls were still slightly damp from the quick shower, pulled into a messy low bun like she always wore it when she didn't feel like trying.
When she came downstairs, Jaden and Chelsea were curled up on opposite ends of the couch, laughing too hard at something on his phone.
Nicole blinked. "What's funny?"
Chelsea straightened up fast, smoothing her skirt. "Oh! Just… a TikTok. Jaden showed me."
Nicole raised a brow. "Mm."
"You going out?" Chelsea asked, her voice polite but nosy.
Nicole nodded. "Yeah. Party thing."
Jaden's eyes flicked up. "You want a ride?"
"Nah. I'm good." She kept her tone light, even though something about how close he and Chelsea were sitting didn't sit right. Whatever. Not her business.
She grabbed her phone and keys from the kitchen counter and started for the door.
"I'll be back late," she called without turning around.
Jaden glanced at Chelsea, then back at Nicole. "Don't get arrested."
"No promises."
And just like that, the door shut behind her.
Outside, the sky was navy blue and buzzing with Friday night energy—music floating from car windows, people yelling across lawns, the faint smell of barbecue from somewhere down the street.
Nicole slid her hands in her jacket pockets and walked.
She wasn't sure what she was looking for at this party, but whatever it was, it sure wasn't at home.