persona || paige bueckers

Chapter 18

If Kazzi had to choose between being publicly executed in the most brutal way imaginable or sitting across Paige Bueckers while eating pasta for dinner, Kazzi would choose the first option. She really doesn't think it could get worse than this.

She was utterly mortified, like a stomach-dropping, face-whitening, heart-speeding special type of panic that she has never experienced before in her life. All because her best friend introduced herself. Kazzi had slight hope in salvaging the situation, but then Lili had to go on and say her full government name. There was no backing out of that.

She wondered which deity she pissed off enough to warrant this completely unnecessary and life-altering intervention. She prayed to every single one (just in case) in the short span of three seconds to have mercy. No such luck.

Dinner was excruciatingly awkward on Kazzi's end of the table, silence penetrated by the clinking of forks against ceramic plates and admittedly good pasta. At least Azzi and Lili seemed to be having a good time, deeply engaged in a conversation about god-knows-what since Kazzi's attention was entirely focused on not meeting Paige's eye. It was difficult, since the blonde seems to want the complete opposite.

Lili eventually caught onto Kazzi's weird vibe, occasionally shooting the girl worried looks. Kazzi waved her off despite feeling perpetually sick to her stomach, trying to act natural underneath Paige's scrutinizing gaze. She was so horrified that she didn't even know how to feel, the pasta gradually becoming tasteless as the night wore on.

Paige had tried gaining her attention multiple times, opening her mouth to start a conversation that would result in Kazzi either standing up to use the bathroom, "drop" her fork (this has happened three times already), or turn to Lili and Azzi's conversation, butting in.

Kazzi could feel Paige's irritation rolling off her in waves, and the other's anger only made Kazzi more queasy. She would give anything to sink through the floor and never emerge again. Is it too late to change classes? She doesn't think she can stand sitting two seats away from the player for the rest of the year. Maybe she should just transfer colleges, then she wouldn't have to worry about bumping into Paige on campus. She should start looking into it soon. And when Azzi and Lili get married, she'll just have to go in disguise or something, anything to never interact with Paige again–

"Kazzi."

Paige's sharp voice made Kazzi jerk in her seat, and her eyes flickered upwards, accidentally making eye contact with the other. She was startled by the hardness in Paige's eyes, immediately jolting away as if she'd been burnt. The tension was suffocating, thick enough to be cut with a knife. Kazzi said nothing, standing up and scraping her chair against the floor as she "excused" herself to the bathroom for the umpteenth time that night.

Unlike the other times, a hand shot out to grab her wrist. Paige reached over the table, fingers enclosing around Kazzi's hand with a sort of desperation that made Kazzi ache. Despite the unfavorable situation, Kazzi relished in the small point of contact between the two of them for a grand two seconds, before harshly tugging her hand away.

"Kazzi," Paige repeated, voice strained — distressed, and Kazzi almost turned around to throw herself onto Paige's lap, begging for forgiveness. Instead, Kazzi kept her face emotionless as she replied, "Yes?"

Paige's lips were pressed into a thin line, looking pained as she murmured, "Can we talk? Please?"

"About what?"

Anger abruptly flared in Paige's eyes, and Kazzi startled, trying to unnoticeably take a couple of steps back. Was she gonna get punched?

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Paige grits out, hands balled into fists on the table. Her entire body was tense, and the expression she wore was eerily similar to the one she has when arguing with referees.