Location: Hotel
Date: Friday, October 5
Time: Post-Game
(open)
Sheâs still wearing her uniform. Itâs the first time she hasnât wanted to take it off as soon as possible after a game.Â
She likes to win, she knows that. Likes to cheer for a winning team. That part isnât surprising. What is is the way that, for the first time, she felt it: white-knuckled and on the edge of her seat, following the ball up and down the court with rapt eyes and held breath, wanting a win so much she could feel it, feel it in the extra power she put into her voice, like sheâd scream herself hoarse if the Foxes would only just score. And, this time, they had, and the fight they showed on the court seemed for once admirable instead of pathetic. Finally, a win.
It might all be gone next game. Knowing the Foxes, and knowing her luck, it probably will be. And maybe then sheâll feel foolish, for feeling this way tonight, but right now she sees no reason not to let herself get caught up in it.Â
Theyâre supposed to be on their best behavior. Under Coach Coreyâs watchful eyes, who Raleigh is sure cares just as little about this win as most people probably expected Raleigh to. But sheâs also sure that what Coach Corey thinks or wants really isnât going to stop anybody. Itâs not going to stop her.Â
But, she realizes, she doesnât actually know what the Foxes do after a win. âSo,â she asks. âWhat happens now?âÂ
Cameron imagines the buzzing she feels all throughout her body is probably similar to the way her teammates feel when they celebrate with alcohol and pulsing music. Itâs not like her first win with this team, but it feels like the best win she can remember in the three years sheâs now spent as part of this team. It has nothing to do with her own performance, of course, but the days that a goal getting past her would leave her wracked with guilt were long behind her. She was buzzing instead that the point didnât break them down, that they kept up the cohesion, and finally there was a victory under their belts, a victory that they more than deserved, in her as usual incredibly biased opinion toward her own teammates.
After the game, sheâs not entirely sure what to do with herself. She thinks maybe she could go seek out Ripley, try and reignite whatever it was theyâd been doing before her cautious nature took over, or if she wanted to do something genuinely stupid, go find Justin. There had never been anything like nights with Justin after wins, and thereâs a part of her that thinks she wants that, wants to feel that familiarity and warmth, but itâs a bad idea and she knows it.
So as always, thereâs plan B, which is food.
While sheâs happy after the win, thereâs still something that makes her not quite ready to socialize, so she walks a few blocks to grab some takeout to return to her room with on her own, the clear night grounding and centering her as she returns to the hotel, not sure if she wants to retreat to her own room on her own, or find a place to sit outside.
Bumping into Raleigh makes the decision for her, and the question makes a wide smile break across Cameronâs face, like itâs finally sinking in that they won, and while the rest of the season will still be an uphill battle, sheâs allowed to enjoy this. âA lot of them will probably drink, if thatâs your cup of tea. Iâm more on the fried side of things,â she says with a grin, holding up her styrofoam container with still warm mozzarella sticks. âIf youâd like some, I mean.â