Second Chance | Nika Muhl

New Beginnings

Shoes, check. Clothes, check. Desk, check. Computer, headphones, check and check.

Addison was making a mental checklist as her eyes scanned her newly decorated UConn dorm, making sure that nothing was missing and confirming that she had in fact gotten everything out of her car and trunk. The junior hummed in satisfaction one she had concluded that everything was in fact, moved into her new room.

The brunette flopped onto her bed, making sure the brace on her thigh was still secure before humming. Silent satisfaction radiating from her as she scrolled through her phone, watching as a group chat lit up with messages, the latest asking for said girl to facetime when she was done unpacking. Reyes giggled when she saw the message with way too many e's on the end, before putting her right airpod into her ear and clicking on the FaceTime icon in the group message.

"ADDI!" The first face to pop up was Jada, Gabbie soon coming into the frame next to her followed by Kate. The ex-Hawkeye laughed as the different people kept coming in to view, reminding her almost of a clown car when people kept showing up from an unexpected smaller area.

Soon the call of one screen, turned into two as Caitlin answered, the star of Iowa glancing down at her phone with a smile before looking back up, the sky being her back drop.as the phone shuffled slightly as she walked.

"Hey girls, Hey Ads."

"Damn, so what, I'm not a girl now?" Addison shot back, pure playfulness lacing her tone as she smiled at Cailtin shaking her head at her, fond exasperation crossing her features.

"You know what I meant."

"Mhm." Addison responded, looking from the Hawkeye to her other friends, chuckling to herself as she sees Jada holding Luna, waving the dogs had at the camera as Kate and Gabbie huddle around her.

"Hi baby Luna... I miss you so much, yes I do." The junior coo'd at the screen, watching as the black and white dog wagged her tail before Jada put her back down.

"Moving in go well?" Kate's voice popped up, the first real topic in the series of nonsense conversations the friends would always have, nothing but comfort with each other fueling the nonstop talking.

"Yeah, I just finished when I called you guys," Addison paused in her sentence to yawn, a tanned hand coming up to cover her mouth as her eyes closed slightly.

"Sounds like it was atleast tiring." Caitlin's voice is heard by the 5'8 girl before she opens her eyes to look back at the screen, the senior looking back at her phone, still walking.

"Well yeah, moving's always tiring. More so when I had to drive early as hell just to get her in time for summer practices tomorrow."

"You always could've just stayed with little ole us." Gabbie comments, more so a joke than anything, but as Addison's face softens, and a guilt stricken look crosses her features, Marshall instantly spoke up again.

"Hey, no sad Reyes, stop it." Cailtin, Kate and Jada began to laugh, a small chuckle making its own way out of Addisons throat.

"You know I would've if I could." Addison propped her phone against her bed's headrest, moving back to lay on her stomach as she peered at the device infront of her. "But..." She struggled to find the right words to describe exactly how she was feeling, because honestly, how was she really feeling? After all this time, healing from her injury and moving into the transfer portal and committing to UConn, was this really the best move?

"But Iowa isn't your home anymore." Kate spoke up, causing for Addison to stop avoiding the gaze of the girls on the phone, to looking straight back at the wall again.

With a nod, she begins to reply. "You guys know some of the stuff that's happened with me down there... and with my sophomore season getting snatched from me like that... I don't know, it was like a sign? An eye opener I guess? I wanted to start somewhere new."

"A second chance." Caitlin remarks and the girl's hum in agreeance. Addison nods again.

"Well we've all said it before but I'll say it again for everyone. We're always going to support you Ads. You're always going to be a Hawkeye to us and our best friend." Addison smiles at that, laughing as Kate, Jada and Gabbie begin to nod quickly at that.

"I love me some Addi, you aren't getting away from us that easy." Jada adds on, her tone indicating that it should have been obvious no matter what, almost scoffing at the implience of them not supporting her.

"Number one fan here." Kate comments with a shrug, a glint in her eyes as she comments again. "Except when we play each other, it's open season then Reyes." Addison lifts an eyebrow as she looks at the half of the screen that the team captain is on, a smirk making it's way onto her face as she laughs, just grinning at the girl on her phone.

"Oh you can count on that Martin."

"Glad to hear it."

__________

The one thing no one ever really points out when transferring schools as an athlete is just how hard it is sometimes to get used to a new people and a new routine.

Addison had gone from having her four best friends around her almost everyday all day, even sharing some classes with Jada and Gabbie outside of their practices and games, not being alone on her first day, on a new campus, in an entirely different state.

The unfamiliarity did nothing to help the unease in the athletes stomach at the thought of her first practice being tomorrow, the others anxiety at an all time high she worried about being able to prove her worth, her right to belong on a new team, where she knew everyone was a stud.

It was UConn women's basketball for God's sake, one of the best, if not the best team out there.

And for some reason, Geno had reached out to her not long after she had officially entered the portal, wanting the junior to join his powerhouse of a program.

Did she really deserve it?

"This is crazy." Addison concluded, hand coming up to rub at her face before fully falling back against her bed, she was Addison Reyes, First Team All American her freshman year, defense rookie of the year and on track to doing the same before the mishap. She could definitely do this, she was one of the best so she could definitely hang with the best.

But then, why did her hands feel clammy and heart speed up when she thought of the practice tomorrow without her Hawkeye friends? Instead, in less than 24 hours she would officially be on Husky's home court turf.

What did she get herself into.