You're my captain. (Hailee Steinfeld)

The one with bouncing balls.

Parker bounced the ball a couple of times on the hardwood floor before lining up her shot and shooting it, feeling the ball leave her hands perfectly. It had been several days since she took a medicine ball to her ribs, thankfully, she hasn't broke any, she's just got a nasty bruise which she has made sure to make her dad feel plenty guilty about. Especially since her team doctor took one look at the bruise and immediately declared her not it to play in the teams first game. She did not appreciate the ass whooping she got from the coach. She's also, sadly, not managed to cross paths with Hailee since then. She knew it wasn't super likely, but she still hoped. Well, sort of anyway, talking to pretty girls makes her clammy and she's not sure she wants that embarrassment in her life right now. So instead, she carried on with her usual business. She's always loved playing basketball, so when she goes the gym by herself at night, she always takes advantage that the courts are free in the next room and shoots up a couple  of shots as she whispered a long to the song playing in her airpod.

"Let's get gory, like a Tarantino movie. Don't wanna talk it out, can we fuck it out? 'Cause we-"

"Am I interrupting?" The shot that Parker was shot to shoot left her hands and immediately air balled to the left of the hoop, the voice distracting her focus. She turned around quickly after grimacing at the shop and raised her eyebrows when she found Hailee their in sweatpants and a hoodie, a cap on her head covering her hair.

"Oh shit, no, sorry! Were you waiting for the courts? I'm so sorry, nobody was in them so I assumed they were free. I'll leave." Parker stumbled through the sentence. Pretty girls make her clammy.

Hailee let out a giggle and reached an arm forward, not quite close enough to touch Parker, but enough to gain her attention. "I wasn't waiting for the courts, I was waiting for you."

Parker's eyebrows raised impossibly high. "Me?" She asked as she pointed to herself.

"Yeah." Hailee walked past Parker and picked up the discarded basketball. "I wanted to know how those ribs were doing." She added.

Parker shrugged before pulling up her t shirt to show the bruised skin on the side. "Could be better, could be worse, I guess?"

Hailee stopped and stared at the exposed skin for a moment before realising she was just staring. She decided it was better late than never to act and winced before letting out a low whistle. "Nasty." She drew her attention away as Parker dropped the shirt. Instead, choosing to face the rim and let off a shot which bounced if the rim.

Parker stuck a hand out, catching the ball that bounced in her direction before pulling up and taking a perfect shot.

"Show off." Hailee said with a playful smirk.

Parker shrugged before moving to get the rebound and pass it back to Hailee.

Alex's voice was going through her head. Hailee had obviously looked for her, so she was going to make more of an effort to actually talk to the girl and not become a babbling mess.

Hailee took her shot and groaned as it hit the backboard and bounced back. Parker caught it in the air and passed it to Hailee.

"You need to spread your legs." Both girls paused, and Parker willed the ground to eat her up. "I mean...for your shot, Uhh, Your legs are too close together. Try and get your feet shoulder width apart." Parker finished her sentence and willed the heat rising on her cheeks to fade.

Hailee nodded and changed her stance before shooting again. This time it spun around the rim but again bounced out. Parker jogged a little to catch the rebound and dribbled her way towards Hailee. "Try this, I think I seen your right handed?" Parker paused until Hailee nodded her head. "Ok so hold the ball in your right, use your left to guide, take the left hand off the ball first, it's just to guide it. Elbow under the ball, release, hands should extend towards the rim. If you're jumping, which you should, you gotta land just in front of where you start, release just before the top of your jump." Parker instructed, going through the steps she does when she lets off a shop. She's not perfect, but she's good, and she enjoys it. She took up her stance and released her shot, smiling as it swished through the basket.

She turned to face Hailee with a proud smile, only smiling bigger when she noticed the older girl smiling back at her. Parker went and grabbed the rebound again before tossing it to Hailee who took more time with this shot, making sure her body was in a better position before releasing the ball, it hit the rim and bounced in.

"Ha! I did it!" She put her arms in the air in celebration did a little on the spot dance.

"Nice." Parker semi congratulated.

The pair took turns to take shots for the next 5 minutes, each girl relaxing more and more each minute.

"Hey, so, you said the other day that if your dad hurt your ribs he was going to explain it to your coach? Do you play basketball or something?" Hailee asked as she passed the ball to Parker.

"God no." Parker said with a laugh. "I play soccer for Angel City. It was our first game this week...needless to say I wasn't allowed to play."

Hailee smiled before picking up the ball and leaning it on her hip. "That's so cool! My brother is super into soccer. Everytime I take him to England he goes and watches a few games. We stayed in Manchester last year, we went and watched the mens and females."

Parker smiled. "That was where I played last year."

Hailee let out a gasp. "No way! Oh my gosh, he's gonna love this. Do you think...I could get your number? He'd love to be able to speak to your or something sometime."

Parker smiled. Of course that's why a pretty girl wants her number. For her brother. Totally her luck. She nodded and Hailee pulled her phone from her pocket and passed it over, Parker only taking a few seconds to get her number added in.

"Awesome. Thank you so much."

"No worries." Parker took a shit and then looked at the big wall. "Crap, I've gotta get back. Uhhh, it was nice to see you again, Hailee." She walked toward the wall and picked up her jacket and bag, throwing them both over her shoulder. What's the protocol here - does she hug her? Is that appropriate? She instead decides to send another smile Hailee's way.

"No, of course. I should get going too. Thanks for...y'know, teaching me how to shoot. Maybe I'll see you again soon." Hailee said, knowing full well she would make sure she would see the introverted girl again soon.

Hailee watched the girl walk out of the gym. Something about this girl was drawing her in. From the outside, the abs, the thigh sleeve of tattoos which peaked out from under her shorts, the nose piercing, you'd imagine she'd be bathing in confidence. But she's nervous, or shy, Hailee hasn't figured it out yet, but it's endearing her. She smirked and lifted her phone up, tapping on Parker's newly added contact info.

(323) ********:
Now you have my number too...use it 🙃

She didn't hesitate on sending the text, wanting to know how Parker would respond when she tells her exactly what she wants. The girl was so obviously disappointed when she said she wanted her number for her brother, which wasn't Hailee's intention, she was just trying to be smooth. So instead she's going to try the more assertive approach, which comes much more natural.

I told you a double update : )

I love the dynamic here already. Let me know how you guys feel! Also I DO NOT play basketball, but I do play 2K so I'm purely going off a game. AND it nearly killed me deeply saying Parker played in Manchester, but there's no denying Man City ladies are ridiculously good.

Stay safe x