seven
"Paige it's one game, you'll get em next time." Athena comforted the blonde. Paige was upset, she had just lost a game, the first loss of the season after going undefeated for the first 8 games.
"But i wanted to get them now." The basketball player mumbled into Athena's chest. She was laying almost fully on her, she was normally a clingy person but with the addition of a loss, all personal space went out the window.
"Is this how you're gonna be after every loss?" Athena questioned, softly rubbing circles on Paige's back.
"Are you judging me?" Paige said, lifting her head up slightly with a raised eyebrow to see the face of the girl she was laying on.
"I would never, but you do realize it's your freshman year and you still have half the season left." She said now stopping the motions with her hand, "plus 3 more after that. You're going to lose even if you don't want to."
"Nu uh, we are the best team in the country no way we are losing again. That was just an off game, i should've played better and then we would've won." Paige argued.
"You can't put the entire weight of the team on your back. You had like 30 points and assisted more times than i can count. You did everything you could." Athena felt bad, she knew Paige was putting a ton of pressure on herself to prove to everyone that she could live up to the expectations. She was the talk of the school with people whispering about her skill, and she wanted to turn the whispers into shouts. Paige was a now a 14 year-old and carrying the pressure of everyone's words.
Athena was going through a similar thing, except with no one really knowing her before moving into high school. With Paige, they knew she was coming and going to turn around the basketball program, bringing them to a state championship. Athena was unknown, sure there was little talk about a star striker entering high school but no one really cared about her. So when the tryouts came along and she made the senior defenders look like inexperienced freshmen, yeah people started talking.
The two superstars just used their experience as another thing to bond over, often times having "therapy sessions" about what was expected of them. Athena was better at handling it then Paige, knowing it was only a sport and people didn't care much for women's soccer. But with Paige,everyone cared. For her debut in high school she went off, recording a triple-double and breaking a school record. After that she managed to make the student section turn from siblings that were forced to go into half the school wanting to come watch her in person.
So when she didn't perform, she tore herself apart, "Still wasn't enough." Paige said, placing her head back on Athena's chest and tightening the arm around her waist. "Can we just take a nap, please? I want to forget about that for a while and I'm exhausted."
Athena just nodded, attempting to lean over to turn off her lamp but failing due to Paige's hold on her, "Can you let me up real quick, gotta turn off the light."
Paige rolled onto her back and Athena got up briefly to switch off the light. Laying back down on her bed, she laid on her side to look at Paige, "You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You're just a high school kid, let it go and move forward." She whispered, still staring at her best friend's side profile.
Switching to lay on her side and look back at her friend, Paige half smiled and whispered a soft "ok" then closed her eyes and scooted closer to Athena just wanting to be in her presence.
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When Paige woke up, she was now back to lying on Athena's chest with a hand softly running through her hair, "What time is it?"
Athena was scrolling on her phone, careful not to wake the girl next to her, "Uh, 7ish." She stopped the movement with her hand, earning a groan and a nudge of her head from Paige. Athena chuckled then continued her movements, "When do you have to be home?"
"It's friday, so i don't have to be home at a certain time." The blue eyed girl responded, rubbing her eye to wake up.
"Ok but shouldn't you let your mom know? Wouldn't want her to think you died, then she wouldn't have any reason to talk to me." Athena responded.
"Is that the only reason we're friends? Because you want to talk to my mom?" Paige asked, lifting up to lean on her forearm.
"I thought you knew that...oh well!" Athena said, Paige pinching her side earning a high pitched squeal from the girl, "Paige don't! I'm ticklish there."
A smirk appeared on the blonde's face, "Oh you are....well then." She said as she attacked her brunette friend, tickling her sides while Athena tried to fight her off.
The screaming from Athena drew the attention of her father downstairs, making him run upstairs and burst through his daughter's door, "What's going on! Who's dying?!"
"Paige is trying to kill me!" Athena managed to get out despite being persistently tickled by the basketball player's hands.
Her father rolled his eyes, "I thought you were being murdered." Then he walked out and shut the door behind him.
Athena called after him, "Traitor!"
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"Stop chewing your nails, it's not good for you." Paige said, taking Athena's hand away from her mouth and holding it in hers. She softly rubbed her knuckles, attempting to calm the thoughts in her best friend's head, "You already know you're going to play great so why the hell are you worrying so much?"
"Because i don't know that," Paige gave her a 'seriously' look after Athena said that, "Plus this is playoffs, and i have to win this or else the season is over and everyone will hate me."
"Ok chill, no one is going to hate you," The blonde said.
"You don't know that, and people already hate me i don't need more of them to hate me. I have to win, my life is over if i don't." Athena said, her pink and white cleat tapping on the floor below. When Paige noticed all the players run out onto the field except Athena, she knew something was wrong. Checking the bathroom first, then when she wasn't there she went to the locker room. There sat Athena, chewing her fingernail and tapping her toe while staring at the floor, her mind running more miles then she would in this game. Paige walked over to her, standing in front of her. Athena briefly looked up at her then stared back down at her feet. The basketball player then got on her knee and grabbed her hand.
"Thea look at me," Paige firmly requesting, Athena obeyed, immediately finding comfort in her best friend's eyes, "you once told me that i didn't have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, that i was just a high school kid playing a game." Paige quoted, "Well so are you. You are 14 years old and acting like this is the world cup. It's just a high school game, and you are still a freshman. There will be other playoffs, other games, so shut the hell up and go play the sport you love."
Athena took a moment to think about her words, then she stood up, pulling Paige with her. Paige smiled down at her, being a few inches taller than her now. Athena slightly tilted her head upwards to make eye contact, smiling she hugged her best friend for a moment then when she let go, she immediately locked in. Paige was impressed by how fast she could go from being frightened to being frightening.
Athena did her normal ritual of kissing the pulse point on her wrist then pointing up to the sky towards her mom before kick off. Truth is, she wasn't scared that everyone around her would hate her for losing this game, but that her mom would be disappointed in her for losing. Paige had a feeling this wasn't about the students, and more about her mom but she decided not to talk about it incase she struck a nerve.
Paige found her seat in the stands next to Athena's dad and her family. She loved how the two families were like one now, always going to the others sporting events and sitting next to each other. At this point Paige was close to getting a key to the Bookers' house, but in Daniel's words, "She would lose it the next day." Which wasn't untrue.
Athena took a last look at her father and Paige, who both sent her encouraging thumbs up. Then she walked up to the ball and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm any remaining nerves. The ref blew the whistle and she kicked the ball back to her midfielder and ran up the field.
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"See?! What did i tell you? That you would play amazing and all your worries would be for nothing." Paige said as she hugged Athena.
The team won the game, not easily but still were able to put two in the back of the net. Athena of course contributing to both goals, scoring one then assisting the other, "I guess you were right." She mumbled into the taller's shoulder.
"Sorry what was that? Did you just admit to me being right?" Paige pulled back, placing her hands on the shorter's shoulders, acting shocked.
"Whatever." Athena mumbled, moving to hug her dad.
"Great job kid, you played amazing! Your mom would be so proud." Her father whispered the last part in her ear, the words putting a bright smile on both of their faces.
"State championship, HERE WE COME!" Paige shouted, people around them giving her weird looks but all her attention was on the girl in front of her.
Paige's parents also congratulated her with hugs and Drew of course too, practically taking out her legs. Athena picked up Drew, holding him on her right hip while walking. He was talking about how cool she was and how he liked her so much better than Paige which caused her to start pouting.
The two families went to the traditional post game diner to eat together. The best friend's plus Drew squeezed together on one side, Athena in the middle because Paige and Drew couldn't stop arguing about who got to sit next to her. The parent's all smushed together on the other side, talking about whatever adults talk about.
"So mine or yours?" Paige asked the soccer player.
"What?" She answered the blonde.
"Are you coming back to my house or am i coming to yours after?"
"P it's Wednesday, we have school tomorrow."
"Yes? Your point?"
"Go home, i think your bed is starting to forget what you feel like. We'll see each other at school."
"But who's going to scratch my head while i fall asleep." The blonde pouted, making puppy dog eyes at the brunette.
"Get Drew to do it."
"No." Drew chimed in, "Thea can you come over some time to spend time with me instead of Paige, pleaseeeee." He said, drawing out the please.
"Of course-"
"-Absolutely not,"
The two answered at the same time, "she's my friend, get your own." Paige said to her brother, grabbing a hold of Athena's arm and pulling her towards her, like she was protecting her from the 4 year old.
"Sharing is caring Paige." Her brother answered, reaching his small hand out to Athena who took it with a smile.
"Yeah Paige, sharing is caring." Athena said with a smirk on her face.
"Whatever."