Clueless, kate martin

PRELUDE

friday, december 13th, 2019:
burlington, vermont

The gymnasium was packed to the gills.

Everybody in the county was there to see one of the top players of the class of 2021. She was only a junior but prospective colleges were already attending as many games as they could, eager to see the hype that had begun to surround young Tatum Hart.

Burlington Vermont could have never prepared for the amount of people that attended the rivalry game on that December night. The stands were so full that people crowded the walls, even lingering in the double doors to try and catch a glimpse of the talented guard.

But a gym full with people falling silent was never a good thing. Everyone let out their gasps and "oohs" as Tatum Hart hit the floor hard, clutching her knee.

The air was still as everyone held her breath, the only sound filling the gym being the sobs that wracked Tatum's body. The high school's trainer and her head coach had instantly rushed to the girl's side. Her face was pressed into the floor with a hand hiding the tears that streaked down her cheeks.

Nobody could believe what had just happened. Hearts were aching in sympathy.

There was no way this was happening to Tatum Hart. She'd been working too hard.

Her coach whispered reassurances as the trainer asked Tatum questions, whose response was only able to whine in pain, "It hurts. Oh my God, it hurts."

One of the top two recruits of her class, Tatum's hype ceased after that night with her junior season ended short due to a torn ACL. It had been too quiet from that corner of the world as Tatum endured a long recovery journey post surgery.

Everyone had practically forgotten about her.

There was little to no talk of Tatum Hart anymore until the start of her senior year, where she began to remind everyone who she was. She was determined to show everyone, not just the basketball circle but the world, that Tatum Hart was back and better than ever.

Thus started the conversation of where Tatum would be committing, leaving reports curious in her lack of stated preference. It was a mystery reporters and schools were dying to solve.

Her path was going to be her own, wanting for herself to be an environment where she could find not only a supportive and competitive environment but one filled with love— and boy, was she going to be right.

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author speaks,
starting us off with a lil
tatum lore! hope ur ready ;)

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april 7, 2024