Jaia Reyes
"Mmh. Okay okay I really gotta go. I don't wanna be late," I urged as I pushed her face from my boobs. She groaned before rolling off my body, allowing me to fix myself and stand up.
"You're so gorgeous mama," she whispered as she watched me stand in her full body mirror, analyzing my appearance. I smiled a joy as I made sure I looked presentable before walking over to kiss her good bye.
"Thank you pumpkin. I'll see you at the game?" I asked as she nodded, bright blue eyes staring into my soul.
"I'll be there. My friend is also coming into town so I'll have her with me,"
"I get to meet Paigey's friend? Oh my god," I teased as she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah yeah. Go be great super star. See you later," with that I headed out, heading to my apartment to grab my bag. On the way there I bumped into this girl who was absolutely gorgeous. If only I wasn't so damn hung up on Paige ass who don't even want me for real.
"I'm sorry pretty," she apologized as she passed me my phone that had dropped.
"No worries, thank god it's not cracked," I said with a small smile. She returned it before looking up and down and shaking her head.
"Well, it was nice bumping into you, but I'm meeting someone. Hopefully I'll see you around," she said with a pause, as if to ask for my name.
"Jaia, Jaia Reyes," I said with my hand out. She met it with her soft hands before introducing herself.
"Hailey, Hailey Van Lith," I smiled as her stormy blue eyes stared deeply into my soul.
"See you around Hailey," I said as I finally departed from the gorgeous girl. In six minutes I made it to my apartment and quickly grabbed my bag and a scrunchie for my hair before hurrying to the car to make it to the arena in time. With the grace of god I pulled up with three minutes to spare. I rushed into the locker room to change and hurried onto the court.
"Well well. Where have you been missy?" Arlette pondered making me laugh and shrug my shoulders.
"Took a walk and lost track of time," I said as she narrowed her eyebrows.
"Yeah okay. Walk my ass," she said as I laughed and we started to warm up. Today was the start of the Big East conference semi-finals, so it's a really important game. We were looking to bring UConn its fourth consecutive big east volleyball championship.
The energy in the arena was electric as we went through our warm-up drills. Coach Martinez was running us through our usual pre-game routine, but my mind kept drifting to the morning's events. Even the familiar rhythm of our hitting lines couldn't fully distract me from thoughts of Paige and that chance encounter with Hailey.
"Earth to Jaia!" Arlette's voice snapped me back to reality as a volleyball whizzed past my head. "Girl, where is your head at?"
I shook off the distraction and focused on our hitting lines. The stands were starting to fill up, and I couldn't help but scan the crowd for Paige. Sure enough, she was there in her usual spot, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw who was sitting next to her – Hailey.
"Focus up, ladies!" Coach Martinez called out. "Marquette's looking strong in warm-ups. We need to be sharp from the first serve."
I channeled my nervous energy into my game, hitting the ball with extra force during our final warm-up drills. The loud smack of each kill shot helped center my focus. As we huddled up before the match, I caught Paige's eye in the crowd. She blew me a kiss, and I felt that familiar flutter in my chest.
"Starting rotation!" Coach called out. "Jaia, you're up to serve first. Let's set the tone early."
I took my position behind the service line, trying to steady my breathing. The referee's whistle pierced the air, and I tossed the ball up. My jump serve rocketed over the net, catching Marquette's libero off guard. Ace. The crowd erupted, and I couldn't help but smile as both Paige and Hailey jumped to their feet cheering. Game on.
The first set was a blur of intense rallies and momentum shifts. We were neck and neck with Marquette, trading points back and forth. Every time I rotated to the front row, I could feel both pairs of blue eyes watching me – Paige's bright ones and Hailey's stormy ones. It was simultaneously thrilling and unnerving.
"Time out, UConn!" Coach Martinez called as Marquette pulled ahead 23-21. As we huddled around her, I could feel the pressure mounting.
"Jaia, you're hitting well, but you're trying to force it too much," Coach said, her eyes boring into mine. "Trust your teammates, run the plays we practiced. You don't have to win this alone."
She was right, of course. I'd been playing with an almost desperate intensity, trying to be the hero on every point. I glanced at my teammates' determined faces and took a deep breath. This wasn't about anything but volleyball now – about defending our title.
As we broke the huddle, Arlette grabbed my arm. "Whatever's got you twisted up, use it. But use it smart, okay?"
I nodded, grateful for her understanding without needing to know the details. Back on the court, I felt more centered, more focused. When Marquette served, I called for the ball, timing my approach perfectly. Our setter, Maria, put it up exactly where I liked it, and I connected with a clean, powerful swing. The ball found the floor between Marquette's defenders. 22-23.
The momentum shifted. We fought back to take the first set 26-24, and I felt like I could finally breathe again. As we switched sides, I allowed myself a quick look at the stands. Paige was on her feet cheering, while Hailey sat beside her, a thoughtful expression on her face as she watched me walk past.
During the break between sets, Arlette handed me my water bottle. "So, you gonna tell me what's really going on? Because that definitely wasn't just a walk that made you late."
I took a long drink, buying time before answering. "It's complicated."
"Isn't it always?" she chuckled. "Just keep your head in the game, superstar."
The second set started, and I felt more like myself. Instead of trying to show off, I played smarter, working with my teammates to build our lead. We took the second set more convincingly, 25-20, but Marquette wasn't going down without a fight. They came out swinging in the third set, and suddenly we found ourselves in a real battle.
During a particularly long rally, I dove for a dig, sending the ball high into the air. As I scrambled to my feet, I heard Paige's voice cutting through the noise, cheering me on. It gave me the burst of energy I needed to sprint to position and put away the kill shot when Maria set me up.
We were two points away from advancing to the finals when Marquette called their last timeout. As we gathered water and caught our breath, I focused on staying present in the moment. This was what mattered right now – this game, this team, this point.
"Reyes!" Coach Martinez's voice rang out. "You're up to serve. End this."
I nodded, taking my position behind the service line. The referee's whistle blew, and I took a deep breath. The ball felt perfect leaving my hands, and I connected with it cleanly on my jump serve. It sailed over the net with pace and spin, catching Marquette's back row off guard. Another ace.
Match point.
The crowd was on their feet now, the energy in the arena electric. I took another deep breath, visualizing the perfect serve. The whistle blew, and I launched into my approach. The ball floated perfectly, forcing Marquette's receiver deep into the corner. They managed to get it up, but it was out of system. When their outside hitter took a desperate swing, our block was ready. The ball ricocheted off Maria's hands and fell to the floor.
Game over. We were going to the finals.
The team erupted into screams and hugs, our bench players rushing the court to join the celebration. Coach Martinez was beaming as we gathered for our post-game huddle, praising our composure under pressure. After the handshakes and official protocols were done, I was gathering my things when a familiar voice caught my attention.
"That was quite a performance, pretty."
I turned to find Hailey leaning against the barrier that separated the court from the stands, her stormy blue eyes twinkling with interest. She'd changed into a fitted UConn basketball jersey that showed off her athletic frame perfectly.
"Thanks," I said, unable to help the smile that spread across my face. "You know your volleyball?"
"Enough to know that those serves were something special," she replied, biting her lower lip. "Almost as special as the girl serving them."
I felt my cheeks flush at her directness. "You always this forward?"
"Only when I see something I like," Hailey responded with a wink. She reached for her phone. "Maybe we could—"
"Hailey, are you seriously trying to get her number right now?" Paige's annoyed voice cut through our conversation. She was approaching with two water bottles, looking somewhat irritated.
Hailey's eyes widened, darting between Paige and me. "Wait, this is THEE Jaia? The one you've been talking about non-stop?" She stopped mid-sentence, throwing her head back with laughter. "Oh my god, P, you should have said something! I've been out here making a fool of myself."
"Yeah, you have," Paige grumbled, but there was affection in her tone as she handed Hailey one of the water bottles.
"My bad, P," Hailey said, raising her hands in surrender. "If I'd known you were the one my best friend won't shut up about, I would've kept my flirting to myself."
"We're just friends," Paige interjected quickly, though something flickered in her eyes.
"Yeah," I agreed, maybe a little too fast. "Just friends."
Hailey looked between us with obvious skepticism. "Right... 'just friends' who spend every free moment together and light up like Christmas trees when they see each other. Got it."
"Hailey Van Lith, I swear to god—" Paige started, but Hailey was already backing away, laughing.
"I'm gonna go find Coach and say hi. You two sort out whatever this 'totally platonic' thing is," she gestured between us before turning to me with an apologetic smile. "For real though, great game. And sorry about earlier – if I'd known who you were, I wouldn't have tried to move in on my sister's... friend."
As Hailey walked away, Paige turned to me with a mix of embarrassment and amusement in her eyes. "So... you met Hailey."
"She's... interesting," I said, trying not to smile too much at how flustered Paige looked.
"She's a menace is what she is," Paige muttered, then looked at me more seriously. "But she's also like my sister. We grew up playing ball together, and she's basically family."
"Good to know," I said, aiming for casual but probably missing by a mile.
"Yeah?" Paige stepped closer, her bright blue eyes searching mine. The air between us felt charged, like always, but neither of us made a move to close the distance.
Before the moment could develop into something more, Arlette's voice rang out across the court. "Reyes! Team meeting in five! You can stare at Paige later!"
I could hear the air quotes in her voice, making both Paige and me laugh awkwardly. The tension broke, and Paige stepped back, running a hand through her hair.
"Go," she said with a soft smile. "I'll text you after?"
"You better," I said, grabbing my bag. As I jogged toward the locker room, I couldn't help but glance back. Paige was still watching me, that same unreadable expression on her face that always left me wondering what we really were to each other.
"Hey," she called after me, making me turn around. "You were amazing today."
I felt my heart skip a beat at the genuine pride in her voice. "Thanks, pumpkin. See you later?"
She nodded, and I headed to join my teammates, my mind already spinning with thoughts of what "later" might bring. Friends or something more, labels didn't really matter right now. What mattered was the way she looked at me, the way she said my name, and the promise of another night spent testing the boundaries of whatever this was between us.
Excuse all errors
Ajah