15

Angel Reese

It was a sunny Saturday, the kind of day that begged for nothing but snacks, cartoons, and lazy vibes. Angel and Rickea were sprawled across the couch, Ray sitting on the floor with her iPad, hair in two messy buns as she hummed along to some Disney song.

Rickea tore into a bag of Sour Patch Kids and side-eyed Angel. "Yo, you been cheesin' on and off all day. What's up?"

Angel sipped her iced coffee like she didn't hear her. "Ain't nothin'."

"Mhm." Rickea stretched her legs out. "Don't play with me, Ang. Spill."

Angel smirked, eyes flicking to Ray, who was too deep into Moana to care. "I mean... it's nothin' big. Just—" She paused, chewing on her bottom lip. "Remember I told you I was gon' try to be more open?"

Rickea's brows shot up. "Ohhh shit. What you do?"

Angel laughed. "Relax. I ain't run off to Vegas and marry nobody. I just... ran into somebody last week."

Rickea sat up, immediately intrigued. "Somebody?"

Angel shrugged, pretending to scroll her phone. "Her name's Kay. We went out for lunch."

"Lunch?!" Rickea nearly choked on her candy. "Ang, you been holding out on me. And you said her—hold on, hold on. Don't try to skate past that."

Angel groaned, covering her face with her hand. "It ain't that deep, Kea. We just ate and talked."

Rickea grinned wide. "Nah, I'm happy for you. You deserve to have fun, Angel. For real."

Angel peeked at her through her fingers. "You sound like my therapist."

"Because I'm right." Rickea popped another candy in her mouth before narrowing her eyes. "But... what's good with Jackie though?"

Angel blinked, caught off guard. "Jackie?"

"Yeah, Jackie," Rickea said with a smirk. "Dont be tryna secretive,."

Angel rolled her eyes, with a smile as she sat back against the couch. "I meannn. Jackie cool. That's all."

Rickea gave her a long, knowing look. "Mhmm. If you say so."

Angel tried to laugh it off, but the mention of Jackie stuck in her chest like a pin. She remembered the arm around her neck during the stream, the late-night pool talk, the way Jackie looked at her like she was worth more than just surface-level. She was definitely attracted to Jackie, but she wants sure how reciprocal it was.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. "I'm just tryna live my life, Kea. Have fun. That's it." And as if she felt me speak her name, my phone buzzed and it was a dm from Jackie.

J.young5: Hey, are you busy rn?

My jaw went ajar as I debated on if I wanted to respond. Without thinking any further my fingers tapped the notification and began typing.

Angelreese5: hey Stranger. Not really, what's up?

J.young5: nothing much just wanted to chat. can I FaceTime you? Rather see your pretty face vs texting.

J.young5: (702)***-****

"Oh my god. Rickea look bro," I said as I tossed the phone into her lap. She picked up the device and glanced over it beside the biggest smirk appeared.

"Oh she flirting badddd. Well. Call her, I'll stay with my TeTe girl, go to your room to get some privacy," she teased as I rolled my eyes and walked to my bedroom.

I closed the door behind me, heart thudding like I'd just sprinted suicides at practice. My phone was still warm in my palm as I stared at the number sitting there on my screen. Jackie Young.

I exhaled slowly, pressing my back to the door. "Alright, Angel... just breathe," I muttered to myself.

I copied the number into FaceTime and pressed the green button before I could overthink it. The ring tone buzzed in my ear twice before her face popped up on the screen.

Jackie was laid out on her couch, hair in a loose bun, a soft hoodie slouched off one shoulder. "Hey," she said, voice warm and low.

I couldn't help but smile back. "Hey yourself."

"You look... comfortable," Jackie teased, eyes flicking to the oversized LSU shirt I'd thrown on.

I glanced down and laughed. "Don't judge me. It's a lazy Saturday."

"Lazy looks good on you," she said without missing a beat, and something about the way she said it made my stomach flip.

I propped my phone against a pillow and settled into bed, cross-legged. "So what's up? You just callin' random girls on FaceTime now?"

Jackie grinned. "Just one girl." She tilted her head slightly, eyes soft. "I just... wanted to see you, that's all. Texting feels too impersonal."

I bit my lip, looking down for a second to hide my smile. "You're bold, you know that?"

"Not bold enough," she said under her breath, but I caught it.

We fell into an easy rhythm after that, like the night at the pool. Talking about random things — her practice schedule, my favorite cereal, the chaos of having Rickea and Ray in the same room for more than an hour. She asked me about my playlist, and I asked about her pre-game rituals.

At some point, Jackie switched the camera to show her view: her dog curled up at her feet, the Vegas skyline glowing faintly through the balcony doors. I showed her my messy nightstand and the snack stash Rickea had left me. We laughed until my sides hurt.

Hours slipped by without us noticing. My eyelids grew heavier as Jackie's voice stayed steady, warm, filling the silence of my room.

"Angel?" Jackie murmured at one point.

"Mhm?" My voice was soft, eyes already closed.

"I'm glad you answered," she said.

I smiled, half-asleep. "Me too."

The last thing I remembered was her chuckle before the screen dimmed and the world faded.

Jackie Young

The red numbers on my clock glared back at me — 3:04 a.m.

I didn't remember falling asleep, but the faint hum of static made me glance at my phone. The screen glowed soft against the dark, and there she was. Angel.

The light from her TV flickered across her face, the shadows dancing against her cheekbones. She was knocked out, arm slung lazily over her pillow, hair a soft mess. Even half-buried in her blanket, she looked peaceful — beautiful in that kind of way that made you stop for a second.

I couldn't help it — I quietly took a screenshot, grinning at how ridiculous it was to be this gone over someone I barely knew.

"Damn," I whispered to myself, shaking my head. "You dangerous."

Plugging my phone in, I set it down on the pillow beside me, close enough that her breathing still filtered through the speaker. I hovered my thumb over the "end" button for a second, debating it. But if I hung up, the sound might wake her.

So I didn't.

Instead, I rolled over, closed my eyes, and fell asleep with her snoring— soft and steady — still in the background.

⸻

When I woke again, the light was sharp and gray, the kind of pre-sunrise glow that meant it was around six. My phone was still connected, the screen dim but alive. I stretched, blinking, when I heard it — faint giggling, and then a tiny, excited voice.

"Jackie!"

I startled a little before realizing where it was coming from. The camera had shifted slightly — Angel was still asleep, but a little face had popped into the frame.

Arayah.

Her big brown eyes were wide, curls poking out everywhere. She was whisper-yelling my name like we'd been best friends for years.

I couldn't help but laugh softly. "Hey, baby girl. You up early, huh?"

She nodded hard. "Mommy sleepin' still."

I smiled. "Mhm, I see that. You tell Mommy I said good morning when she wakes up, okay?"

"Okay!" she said with a proud grin before turning the phone slightly like she was trying to show me something. I caught a glimpse of a stuffed animal and a pile of blankets before she dropped it on the bed, the screen tilting sideways.

I laughed quietly to myself, shaking my head. "You're so cute."

Not wanting to wake Angel, I whispered, "I'll talk to you later, okay? Be good for Mommy." Then I ended the call gently.

For a moment, I just sat there, the ghost of their voices still floating in my room. I pulled open my messages and typed a text, thumbs moving slow but sure:

Jackie: Morning, sleeping beauty. You and your little twin had me smiling before sunrise. Hope y'all have a good day. maybe next time, I'll actually hang up before we both knock out lol

I stared at it for a second, smiled, and hit send. Then I slid out of bed, threw my hoodie over my head, and grabbed my gym bag.

Time to work — though I already knew there was no workout that'd clear the image of Angel's sleepy smile from my head.

Excuse all errors Ajah