Behind The Cameras

Chapter 21

Paige POV:

We are currently on the bus on our way to the airport to head home. I'm so happy the bus is big enough that I can have no one sitting next to me, that way I can rest my foot on the seat.

My foot hurt when I woke up so I listened to what Janelle said and took some Advil because I don't want it to bother me when we are traveling all day.

The one thing I hate about being injured is that everyone is constantly asking if I'm okay and it gets annoying. Like yea I'm in pain but I don't like anyone to know because I hate looking weak in front of my team since I'm held to such a high standard of being the freshmen of the year. Because what if I miss all my shots and we lose because of it, or I turnover the ball too many times, or I foul and give them easy free throw points.

Like everything I do is being watched by hundreds to thousands of people and one bad game and I feel like everyone will turn on me and our program and I can't let my team down.

—

We finally make it to the airport after about an hour bus ride. Traveling through the airport on crutches is not fun. Thankfully I have such good friends that Evina is carrying my duffle bag for me.

Security was an experience also. Since crutches are made out of metal so couldn't go through the metal detector with them so I had to balance on my good foot and hop out, in order to go through. Then they also had to pat down my boot to make sure I wasn't hiding anything in there which did hurt even though the airport security was being as gentle as possible.

But finally, we made it through security and to our gate and on the plane. I got the window seat and I balanced my crutches on the chair in front of me during the flight. Janelle and Geno said I should get the aisle seat that way I can have space for my foot but I don't like being in the aisle, I feel like everyone is looking at me. But at the window, it's like I'm tucked in and safe.

Nika is in the middle seat next to me and Evina is next to her. I decide on trying to sleep since I couldn't sleep that well last night because my foot kept me up. So I put on my headphones and listen to some music to block out the sound of the plane.

After about tossing and turning a million times Nika taps my shoulder so I look at her and take my headphones off so I can hear her.

"Rest your head on my shoulder that way you're comfortable because there is no way you will be able to sleep otherwise"

"Are you sure?" I ask

"Positive"

I love Nika like a sister, we always joke and say we are twins during interviews and press conferences and that's because we have such a close bond with each other, not in a romantic way, but in a best friend way.

I end up putting my headphones back on and resting my head on Nika's shoulder and actually end up falling asleep.

*Nika POV:*
(time skip like 20 min)

"Is she asleep" E asks me

"Yea, finally, I didn't think it was ever gonna happen" I whisper so I don't wake Paige up.

"How has she been doing"

"Do you want the truth?" I ask as Evina nods her head yes.

"She's struggling. She could barely sleep last night because she kept waking up because her foot hurt so bad. She is overwhelmed with all the media and pressure the press is putting on her, and she keeps hiding her emotions so we think she is okay but she's really not. The only time I've seen her happy and not worried about all the stress she has is when she's talking to Peyton. You couldn't see it because you weren't rooming with her, but when she talks to Peyton it's like everything in the world just stops and it's just them. And Peyton is the only one Paige actually expresses her emotions too and when she does Peyton helps her so much it's crazy, it's like all the weight she's been carrying on her shoulders is gone."

"Oh wow, I didn't know it was that bad. I'm so happy she found a person like Peyton though. They are so good for each other since they both are going through the same thing and Paige doesn't have to act 'strong' around her, she can just let it all out. And I bet that paparazzi incident didn't help either"

"Oh yea it didn't. I overheard Paige saying to Peyton that she thought she was gonna have a panic attack during it until you held her back and walked with her"

"Well then if there's paparazzi when we land, I don't care what we do, but we are not letting them get too close to her, especially because she's on crutches. So I say we let her on the bus first because once she's on the bus they can't see her since the windows are tinted"

"Yea that sounds like a good idea, I can't wait till we get back home though and she sees Peyton, I feel like she can really help her though this injury"