Lila
The alarm went off at 6:30 a.m., blaring like it had a personal grudge against me. I groaned, smacked the snooze button twice, and buried my face under the pillow. Five more minutes wouldn't ruin my life.
"Lila Evans!" My mom's voice shot up the stairs like a warning siren. "You're not going to be late again, are you?" Don't make me come get you.
I sighed. There went my five minutes.
Dragging myself out of bed, I pulled on jeans, a hoodie, and my beat-up sneakers. No carefully ironed skirts or perfect blouses like Mom wished. Just me. When I grabbed my backpack, I made sure to slip my basketball inside too, right under my books, where she wouldn't see.
Downstairs, the kitchen smelled like toast and too-strong coffee. My dad sat with the morning paper, glasses sliding down his nose, while Mom hovered with her planner in hand.
"Morning," I muttered, reaching for an apple.
Mom gave me that look — the one that could peel paint. "Is that really all you're eating? You need proper energy for school, Lila."
I shrugged. "Apple's got energy. Vitamins. Nature's candy."
Dad snorted behind the paper, but Mom wasn't amused. "You have a chemistry quiz today, don't you? Remember, junior year is when colleges start paying attention. If you want that scholarship—"
"I know, Mom." I cut her off, forcing a smile. "Don't worry. I'll ace it."
She gave me the look, the one that said she wasn't convinced.
She softened, just a little, but her eyes still flicked to my hoodie, to my sneakers, to the smudge of eyeliner I hadn't bothered blending. I wasn't the perfect daughter she pictured. I knew it. And honestly? Some days, I didn't care.
By the time I reached school, the halls were already buzzing. Posters for the upcoming basketball season were plastered everywhere: BOYS' VARSITY – GO TIGERS! and GIRLS' VARSITY – BRING THE HEAT!
I smiled at the second one. At least here, I wasn't just "John and Maria Evans' daughter." Here, I was Captain. Here, I was me.
"Lila!" My best friend, Maya, popped up beside me, grinning. "Practice after class? Coach wants us running drills."
"You bet," I said, patting my bag. "I brought the ball."
She smirked. "Did your mom catch you this time?"
I rolled my eyes. "Please. She thinks I'm still going the debate club, If she knew how much time I spent on the court…"
Maya laughed, but before I could join in, the homeroom teacher clapped her hands at the front of class. "All right, everyone, settle down.
The cafeteria was chaos as usual. Trays clattered, voices overlapped, and the pizza looked like it had been through a war. Maya and I grabbed our food and slid into our usual spot with Jen and Tasha.
"So," Jen leaned forward, smirking, "are we going to talk about it, or should Maya confess herself?"
Maya's face turned crimson. "Shut up."
Jen grinned. "Oh, come on. You've been staring at Daniel Carter like he's the last piece of cake on earth."
I raised a brow. "Daniel? As in small guard Daniel?"
Maya shoved a fry in her mouth, avoiding eye contact. Which was as good as an admission.
"Wow," I said, dragging out the word. "Didn't see that one coming."
"Neither did I," she muttered. "But he's… you know… nice."
"Nice," I repeated. "Translation: he passed you a water bottle at practice and smiled."
The table erupted in laughter, Maya groaning into her hands.
"Don't worry," I added, nudging her shoulder. "If you want him, we'll help you get him. Friends stick together."
"Yeah," Jen teased. "Operation Get Maya a Boyfriend is officially in motion."
The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes and doodled basketball plays in my notebook. By the final bell, I was drained, but practice was waiting.
The gym echoed with sneakers squeaking against the floor and Coach's voice booming. Sweat clung to my forehead as I ran drill after drill. And even though my muscles burned, I loved every second. On the court, I wasn't the daughter with impossible expectations hanging over her head. I was just Lila — fast, sharp, focused.
When practice wrapped, Maya and I walked home together, I was still teasing her about Daniel.
"He's not even my type," she argued weakly.
"Uh-huh," I said, grinning. "Keep telling yourself that."
She rolled her eyes, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips.
By the time I reached my street, the sky had melted into streaks of orange and pink. I dumped my bag in my room, showered, and collapsed on my bed with my phone.
The group chat was buzzing.,
. Jen:Maya, did you at least smile back at him?
. Maya:I don't know what you're taking about 🙄.
. Me: Sure you don't Lmao.
I tossed the phone aside, music filling the room as I stared at the ceiling. And slept off.