The Secret

Chapter 19

Sky POV:

We beat Stanford in the Final Four the other day and today is the National Championship game and we are playing Ohio State, Dorka and I's old team.

"Hey you okay?" Paige asks standing up from our shared bed in the hotel room and wrapping her arms around my waist from behind me, as she rests her head on my shoulder.

"I'm nervous" I admit holding her hands that are wrapped around my waist as I look out at the Minneapolis city view from our window

"About seeing your old teammates?" Paige asks softly as we sway back and forth slowly

"Yea. I'm still mad at all of them for what they did. Especially Rikki" I say. Rikki is the teammate my girlfriend cheating on me with.

"Look, don't let them hold this power over you. You don't deserve to let them feel in control of your emotions anymore. So go out there and show them the amazing, confident, girl I feel in love with, that doesn't let others affect them. Because you are so much better than them. So show them what they missed out on. Go out there, and play the game of your life. If not for you, then for our team, our family" Paige says

Hearing what Paige said made me so motivated. The ohio state team was not a family. But here, at Uconn, all these girls are my sisters and I would take a bullet for any of them. Now I wanna win more than anything. Not only to show them what they are missing, but also because it's now or never. It's the last game of the year, a game we worked so hard to make it to, and it all comes down to this.

—

Once we put on our uniforms we jog out onto the court where the crowd starts erupting into cheers as we get ready to start the game.

My dad gave us all a speech in the locker room before we came out so we are all fired up.

"You ready for this?" I ask Dorka as I walk up to her and give her a fist bump

"More than ready" she says returning the fist bump "We all got your back just so you know" she adds

"I know, and I got yours too, now let's go get that trophy" I say as I walk onto the court taking my position for the tip off.

The starters are me, Paige, Azzi, Liv, and Christyn

The ref blows his whistle, motioning all of us to get ready. He then throws the ball up, Liv tips it back to Paige and we are underway in the championship game.

—

The game has been scrappy so far. Ohio State is out for blood. Especially my blood. For what reason I don't know, it's not like I did anything to them, but they've been playing dirty all game.

I've think they've noticed that they aren't getting a reaction out of me so they have started playing dirty against Paige, to try to get to me. I know she can handle herself but knowing her leg is still bothering her makes me uneasy.

—

It's currently the 4th quarter with 5 minutes left. We are winning 62-56. It's been a very back and forth game. We score, then they score, then we score.

Ohio state currently has the ball and we are on defense. They try to pass the ball to the key but Dorka is able to get her hand on it, so Paige and I dive on the door along with Rikki trying to get the loose ball.

The ref blows the whistle and calls a jump ball with our possession because Paige was able to recover it. Paige looks away to hand the ball to the ref, while she is still sitting down, but I turn and see Rikki looking at Paige with pure anger in her eyes.

Rikki stands up and I see her lift her leg, and I immediately know what's about to happen. So I dive, still on the floor, to get in front of Paige and her knee, and as soon as I block her from Rikki's kick I feel immediate pain from my face and blood pouring down.