Liz🦦 @lizswbb - Tumblr Blog

CHAPTER TWO: Pretend ☘️🐺

Au: fake dating

⚠️this is Fan FICTION for a reason, the relationship displayed with Azzi’s parents in this story is completely false compared to real life. And for the purposes of this fic she grew up in Wisconsin.

wc: 3.5k

─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· —

Growing up, Azzi learned not to expect anyone to show up.

Every elementary school event began the same way. As her classmates excitedly searched the crowd for familiar faces, Azzi would stand a little taller on stage, her big brown eyes sweeping over rows of parents with the same quiet hope she carried every single time.

Maybe today.

She searched for them during school plays, holiday concerts, choir performances, award ceremonies, Field Day, and every assembly where families filled the auditorium.

They never came.

Career Day in fourth grade stayed with her the longest. One by one, classmates beamed as they introduced their parents and listened proudly while they talked about their jobs. Azzi sat quietly in her chair, pretending it didn't bother her that no one had come for her.

By fifth-grade graduation, she looked one last time.

The folding chairs were full. Parents held flowers and balloons, cameras already raised before the ceremony had even started.

She searched every row.

Nothing.

That was the day she stopped expecting them.

Looking back years later, her heart still ached for the little girl who refused to give up hope. The girl who believed that maybe this time they'd walk through the doors. Watching classmates sprint into their parents' arms after performances, celebrating report cards together or laughing in the school parking lot left an ache she never quite knew how to explain.

Somewhere along the way, she realized she would never know what that kind of unconditional support felt like.

And a part of her grew up far too early

─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· —

Middle school arrived with all the awkward milestones every girl eventually faces except Azzi had to figure them out alone. When her body began to change, there wasn't a mother waiting to answer embarrassing questions or reassure her that everything going on was normal.

Instead, she opened YouTube.

The channel Mom, How Do I? quietly became the mother figure in her life.

She learned how to shave her legs without cutting herself.

How to do a skincare routine.

How to do simple makeup.

How to wash laundry without ruining her clothes.

Even how to navigate her first menstrual cycle.

Every lesson came through a screen because there was no one at home to teach her.

Alcohol had consumed every part of her mother.

Most afternoons, Azzi would unlock the front door after school and immediately recognize the familiar smell. Empty bottles littered the living room floor. Her mother was usually passed out on the couch, television flickering in the background.

On the days she wasn't unconscious, the drinking turned into something worse.

Rage.

Harsh words became screaming.

Screaming became insults.

Sometimes it became bruises.

Home was never somewhere Azzi felt safe.

Her father wasn't much different.

He was always "working late."

When she was younger, she believed him.

As she got older, she understood what those words actually meant.

And whenever he did come home, it only meant another explosive argument that echoed through the house long into the night.

Chaos became normal.

Loneliness became familiar.

Fear became routine.

No one ever showed her what love was supposed to look like.

So she grew up believing love wasn't warmth or safety.

It was absence.

Broken promises.

Pain.

She convinced herself that unconditional love only existed in cheesy romantic comedies because she'd never actually experienced anything close to it.

Deep down, she wanted the kind of family everyone else seemed to have.

The kind that celebrated birthdays.

The kind that showed up.

The kind that hugged their kids after games and told them they were proud.

Instead, she spent years wondering if maybe she was simply hard to love.

Some nights she lay awake convinced she'd never find someone who loved her simply because she was Azzi.

─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ ·

If there was one place that felt like home, it wasn't her own house.

It was the Arnolds.

Their front door never stayed locked for long when she came over. Mrs. Arnold always greeted her with a smile that somehow made the weight on her shoulders feel lighter.

Their house was loud in the best way.

Dinner conversations overlapped.

Someone was always laughing.

There was always enough food for one more person.

For the first time in her life, Azzi knew what it felt like to be welcomed without question.

The Arnolds became more than friends.

They became family.

─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· —

After graduating from high school, Azzi packed everything she owned into the back of her car.

Two duffel bags.

A few boxes.

Her basketball gear.

Everything else she'd leave behind.

Notre Dame move-in and summer workouts were only a few weeks away, but until then she had nowhere to go.

There was only one place she could think of.

She pulled into the Arnolds' driveway and sat behind the steering wheel for several minutes before finally gathering the courage to knock.

Mrs. Arnold answered with the same warm smile she'd seen a hundred times before.

"Can we talk?" Azzi asked quietly.

A few minutes later they sat together at the kitchen table.

Azzi explained everything.

She told her she had left home.

That she just needed somewhere to stay until she left for Notre Dame.

That she'd pay rent.

Mrs. Arnold barely let her finish.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said, reaching across the table to squeeze Azzi's hand.

"You're family."

That was it.

No conditions.

No hesitation.

No expectation of anything in return.

Just love, real love.

The kind Azzi had spent her whole life wondering existed.

─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· —

Before leaving for Notre Dame, she quietly tucked an envelope of cash onto the kitchen counter while no one was looking.

It wasn't enough to repay everything they'd done for her.

Nothing ever could be, but it was her way of saying thank you.

─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· —

After her freshman year at Notre Dame came to an end, Azzi escaped to her grandparents' cabin in northern Minnesota.

Nestled beside a quiet lake surrounded by towering pine trees, it felt untouched by time.

She hadn't been back since she was little.

Back when summers meant cannonballs off the dock until sunset, catching fish with Grandpa before breakfast, roasting marshmallows over crackling campfires, and listening to stories beneath endless stars.

The cabin looked almost exactly as she remembered.

The cedar siding had weathered with age.

The screened porch still creaked beneath every step.

The old wooden dock stretched across the crystal-clear water as if it had been waiting for her return.

Inside, nothing had changed.

Worn plaid blankets still covered the couches.

The comforting scent of pine mixed with fresh coffee drifted through the kitchen every morning.

Family photographs lined the hallway walls, frozen snapshots of happier times.

It was exactly the escape she needed.

Minnesota was quiet.

There were no reporters asking about basketball.

No social media dissecting her transfer.

No reminders of a chapter she desperately wanted to leave behind.

Her days settled into an easy rhythm.

She woke around eight each morning to the haunting calls of loons echoing across the lake.

She drank coffee with her grandparents while the morning mist drifted over the still water.

Afternoons were spent paddleboarding, reading beneath the pines in an old hammock, or fitting in a workout whenever she felt like it.

Every evening ended the same way.

The sun disappeared behind the trees, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, before she joined her grandparents around the campfire.

For the first time in months, she wasn't replaying everything that had gone wrong.

She was simply breathing.

Preparing herself for the fresh start waiting for her in the fall.

*present*

After a much needed “vacation” back in Minnesota, she threw her last bag into the trunk, grabbed an ice coffee that was definitely going to be gone within the first hour of the drive, and started the trip back to Wisconsin. The break had been nice, home cooked meals, spending time with her grandparents, and sleeping in a king bed. But she couldn’t wait to get back to the sport she loved.

Her first stop in Wisconsin was Kk, the second Kk climbed into the passenger seat she dropped her backpack at her feet, having her other stuff already in the trunk. She looked around the car like she was inspecting it, and immediately reached for the aux cord.

“I’ll drive us” she said.

“Your literally in the passenger seat”

“I know, emotionally tho”

Azzi snorted, “not a chance”

Kk sighed dramatically, “wow. Starting our first semester together with trust issues.”

Five minutes into their drive Kk had already changed the music three times, it had gone from Rap, R&B, then to Pop.

She stole half the snacks she’d packed “for the road” and complained that she was starving, despite her mother filling her up before she left.

Azzi shook her head, “you’ve had chips, gummy works, a protein bar and my skittles”

Kk protested, “I’m fuelling my body”

Azzi scoffed. “Yeah right, more like fuelling your stomach.”

“Kk sighed in defeat, “girl boo, same thing.”

The hours passed with terrible karaoke, random debates over absolute bull shit, and enough laughing that it felt like she'd already hit abs.

They stopped way too many times because Kk either wanted Coffee, needed the bathroom, or claimed she’d found “the cutest gas station ever”

"It is literally a gas station."

"It has vibes."

"It has diesel."

"It can have both."

Neither of them minded taking Azzi’s car, it gave them a chance to catch up after being apart so much the last year, only fitting in short weekends every now and then. Kk didn’t have a car yet, so she was perfectly content with being an annoying passenger.

"You know," KK said, kicking her feet up on the dashboard.

"No."

"I didn't even say anything."

"I know where this is going."

"I was gonna tell you you're lucky you get to spend all these hours trapped in a car with me."

She laughed, reaching over to shove KK's shoulder.

"I think you're lucky I haven't left you at the last Buc-ee's."

KK gasped dramatically. "You wouldn't."

"I absolutely would."

"You'd miss me in five minutes."

Azzi mumbled, "...Probably."

"HAH, I knew it."

As the car got closer and closer to campus, Azzi could feel the familiar knot in her stomach, her nerves kicking in that she had been trying to ignore. The excitement that he been building all day was still there but now it was mixed with a tightness in her chest and a quiet voice in the back of her head reminding her that this was a new place, a new team, and a new chapter.

Her eyes flickered out the window every now and then as she had to still keep her eyes on the road. She watched the buildings and famous campus landmarks come into view. Her fingers tapped lightly against her leg, a small nervous habit she had picked up over the years. But It didn’t go unnoticed, Kk glanced over at her and immediately knew what was going on.

“Azzi,” she said, her voice calm but firm.

Azzi looked over. “Yes?”

Kk raised an eyebrow, giving her that look that said she already knew exactly what Azzi was thinking. “Don’t start.”

Azzi let out a small laugh, though she still looked uneasy. “I wasn’t saying anything.”

“You didn’t have to,” Kk replied with a smile. “I know that look.”

Azzi looked back out the window, letting out a quiet sigh. “I just… I don’t know. It’s a lot. New people, new expectations. I just want them to like me, I want it to be different than Notre Dame.”

Kk’s expression softened. She reached over and gave Azzi’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Azzi, listen to me,” she said. “This is nothing like Notre Dame. I’ve already told you that.”

Azzi turned her attention back to her, listening.

“I’ve told the girls all about you,” Kk continued. “Not just about basketball either. I told them about who you are, how hard you work, how funny you are, and how much you care about the people around you.”

Azzi smiled a little, looking down. “You really talked about me that much, obsessed much?”she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Obviously,” Kk said, rolling her eyes playfully. “You act surprised, but they’re literally excited to meet you.”

Azzi shook her head, a small smile growing. “They’re probably just excited because they know I can play.”

“No,” Kk said immediately.

“They’re excited because you’re you. Basketball is just a bonus.”

The car slowed as they approached campus, and Azzi could see people walking around, mostly with boxes as it was move in day for most. This was gonna be her new home she thought, taking in everything around her.

Kk noticed her nerves returning and smiled.

“Hey,” she said softly. “You don’t have to prove anything today. You don’t have to

walk in there and be perfect. Just be Azzi.”

Azzi took a deep breath and nodded.

“Okay,” she said quietly.

Kk grinned. “There she is.”

Azzi laughed, shaking her head. “You’re annoying.”

“And you love me,” Kk replied.

Azzi smiled as they pulled into the parking lot. The nerves were still there, but they weren’t as overwhelming anymore. She wasn’t walking into a room full of strangers. She was walking into a place where people were already waiting to meet her.

The girls climbed out of the car and made their way around to the trunk, immediately getting to work unloading everything. Bags, boxes, suitcases, and random dorm essentials were piled up faster than Azzi expected.

It looked less like a college move-in and more like they were preparing to move an entire house.

“Wait,” Kk said suddenly, holding up a hand as she paused mid-reach for a bag.

Azzi looked over. “What?”

“Let me check the roommates again,” Kk said, pulling out her phone. “I’m pretty sure Paige texted it to me.”

Azzi’s stomach did a tiny flip at the name.

Paige.

Of course.

Ever since her transfer announcement went public, her name seemed to be attached to Paige’s everywhere she looked. The headlines practically wrote themselves.

“The new greatest backcourt duo in women’s basketball?”

“Can Paige and Azzi take the sport to another level?”

The questions had been everywhere. Fans were already imagining highlight reels before they had even stepped onto the court together. Azzi knew the excitement was real, but sometimes the attention felt like a lot. She wasn’t just joining a new team—she was joining a team with expectations already attached

to her name.

Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, Kk waved her phone in front of her face.

“Hello? Earth to Azzi.”

Azzi blinked. “What?”

Kk laughed. “You were gone. Like completely gone. I swear I could see the headlines floating above your head.”

Azzi rolled her eyes, smiling. “I was just thinking.”

“Dangerous,” Kk teased.

“Shut up,” Azzi said, bumping her shoulder lightly.

Kk looked back down at her phone. “Okay, roommate situation. Found it.”

She cleared her throat dramatically like she was announcing a starting lineup.

“Alright, so you’re with Paige, Amari, and Nika.”

Azzi nodded, trying not to look too nervous.

Kk continued, “And I’m with Ice, Caroline, and Quadence.”

She looked up from her phone and grinned.

“Honestly? I think we got the better deal.”

Azzi raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Absolutely,” Kk said confidently. “Because I know you. You’re going to pretend you’re organized, but five days from now your side of the room is going to look like a tornado came through.”

Azzi gasped. “That is not true.”

Kk gave her a look.

“Okay,” Azzi admitted. “Maybe a little.”

“A little?” Kk laughed. “Azzi, I love you, but I’ve seen your locker on FaceTime before.”

“That was one time.”

“That was a crime scene.”

Azzi couldn’t help but laugh as they continued unloading.

Kk looked back at her phone one more time. “Okay, important information. Your room is 535.”

She paused.

“And I’m in room 435.”

Azzi looked at her. “Okay?”

Kk pointed upward dramatically. “Which means you’re above me.”

Azzi stared at her for a second before laughing. “Why are you saying that like it’s

a threat?”

“Because it is,” Kk said seriously. “I’m just letting you know now. If you’re too loud, I’m coming upstairs.”

“You’re literally the loud one.”

“False accusations,” Kk said immediately.

Azzi laughed. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” Kk said, grabbing another box, “you’re stuck with me.”

Azzi smiled as they headed toward the dorm entrance. The nerves from earlier were still there, but they were lighter now. With Kk beside her, joking around like always, the whole thing felt less intimidating.

Maybe this new chapter wouldn’t be so scary after all.

─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· —

By the time Azzi and Kk made it inside the dorm building, Azzi’s nerves had started creeping back in.

The hallway was filled with the sounds of move-in day—doors opening and closing, parents calling out instructions, teammates laughing as they carried boxes, and the occasional person struggling to fit an oversized chair through a doorway.

“Okay,” Kk said, looking around. “This place is already chaotic.”

Azzi smiled. “It’s move-in day. What did you expect?”

“I don’t know,” Kk replied. “Maybe a little less people carrying things that definitely should not fit in a dorm room.”

Azzi laughed as they made their way toward the elevator, bags hanging from both of their shoulders.

When the elevator doors opened, they squeezed inside with their things. Kk hit the button for Azzi’s floor as she was helping her best friend get situated first, and leaned against the wall.

Azzi noticed her reflection in the elevator mirror and fixed her hair quickly.

Kk caught her.

“Oh my gosh.”

Azzi looked over. “What?”

“Are you nervous?”

“No.”

Kk stared at her.

Azzi sighed. “Maybe a little.”

Kk smiled. “You’re about to meet your roommates, not go into a national championship game.”

“Feels kind of similar right now,” Azzi joked.

Kk shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

The elevator dinged, and they stepped out into the hallway. Room 535 was only a few doors down. Azzi could feel her heart beating a little faster with every step.

Kk noticed and slowed down.

“Hey,” she said. “Remember what I told you in the car?”

Azzi nodded.

“Just be you.”

Azzi smiled softly. “I know.”

Kk knocked on the door.

For a second, nothing happened. Then they heard movement inside.

“Coming!” a voice called”

The door swung open, and there stood Paige, a huge smile immediately appearing on her face.

“There she is!”

Azzi barely had time to react before Paige pulled her into a hug.

“Welcome!” Paige said, laughing. “I was wondering when you guys were getting here.”

Azzi laughed, hugging her back. The nerves she had been carrying around all morning started disappearing almost instantly.

“Hi,” Azzi said. “Sorry, I brought a lot of stuff.”

Paige looked behind her at the pile of bags.

“A lot?”

Azzi looked back.

Kk nodded seriously. “Yeah, I think we accidentally packed her entire life.”

“I did not,” Azzi defended.

Paige laughed. “I’m not judging. I have enough clothes to survive three different climates, so I can’t say anything.”

From inside the room, another voice called out.

“Is that Azzi?”

Azzi looked up as Amari walked over, smiling.

“Finally!” Amari said. “We’ve been waiting to meet you.”

Azzi smiled. “You guys are making me feel famous.”

Amari chimed in, “well you guys practically are!”

Kk immediately pointed at her. “Don’t say that because she’s already been dealing with all the headlines.”

Azzi groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”

Nika, who had been sitting on one of the beds, laughed.

“She’s already tired of being called the next great backcourt duo?”

Azzi covered her face. “You guys seen them too?”

“Obviously,” Nika joked. “The internet has been talking about you and Paige nonstop.”

Kk leaned against the doorframe. “See? I told you. They’re excited to meet you.”

Paige nodded. “We really are. But just so you know, you don’t have to come in here and feel like you have something to prove.”

Azzi looked into her bright blue eyes.

“We know what you can do on the court,” Paige continued. “But we’re more excited to get to know you.”

That made Azzi smile.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Kk immediately ruined the emotional moment.

“Okay, before everyone starts crying, can we address the important question?”

Everyone looked at her.

“Which one of you is getting the best side of the room?”

There was a pause.

Paige laughed. “That’s your first concern?”

“Yes Paigey it is.” Kk said seriously. “This is a very important roommate decision.”

Azzi shook her head. “You are so dramatic.”

“Someone has to bring personality into this room,” Kk replied.

“You mean chaos,” Nika corrected.

“Same thing.”

Everyone laughed, and just like that, the room felt less like a place Azzi was moving into and more like a place she belonged.

For the first time all day, she wasn’t thinking about expectations, headlines, or what everyone wanted her to be.

She was just Azzi.

#azzi fudd #paige bueckers #dallas wings #paige bueckers fics #pazzi fics #azzi fudd fic #paige x azzi #pazzi au #wlw post

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Liz🦦