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I followed a few steps behind Theo and felt like I was seeing my apartment for the first time again, except this time through Theo’s eyes.

My neighbor had been right; she was tall.

I didn’t consider myself or Iris to be particularly short—we were probably taller than average, if anything—but suddenly, everything in the house felt small in comparison to Theo.

I wasn’t sure anyone over 5’6” had stepped foot in our apartment, except the occasional man Iris had had over, who I rarely actually met.

Theo put the bag of snacks on the counter and started pulling them out so I could see. She then stopped. “Is this okay?” she asked.

That triggered a visceral reaction in me unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

I stiffened immediately and forced out any thoughts of where else I might want to hear those words.

But it was impossible. I could practically hear it; Theo’s breathy voice asking me, Is this okay?

after sneaking off to my room, pulling off my clothes…

Focus.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I said, hoping Theo couldn’t tell I was thousands of miles away.

Theo got a lot of the classics—microwave popcorn, a mix of chocolate and fruity candy.

“It’s my own movie theater concession stand,” I said.

“Nothing but the best,” Theo said. “I’m partial to Reese’s, personally. But to each their own.”

“Any Twix in there?”

Theo looked up at me, panic in her eyes. “No. I’m so sorry.”

“No Twix?” I asked, feigning heartbreak. “It is my favorite, but I’ll survive without it.”

“I’ll walk back and get you some.”

“You absolutely do not need to do that,” I said. I responded so instinctively that it took me a second to register what Theo had even said. I couldn’t remember the last time someone other than Iris had offered to do something that nice for me. I softened a little bit. “It’s nice of you to offer.”

Theo shrugged. “I’m the one who bought the snacks. I should’ve asked before coming over. Easy solution to the problem. ”

I waited for some kind of side comment or bitching to follow—something I’d gotten used to with the types of people I usually dated—but there wasn’t anything.

No indication that I was ruining the night or unappreciative, comments that they’d slip in so easily it’d barely register.

I wasn’t someone who let comments like that throw me; I just kicked the girls to the curb instead.

But it appeared Theo was passing the test I didn’t even know I’d been giving.

“A Crunch bar is perfect,” I said, and plucked it off the counter.

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll eat basically anything with chocolate in it, anyway,” I said.

Theo’s lips perked up in a smile. “I feel you,” she said and then clapped her hands together. “Okay, so. Which movie? Love that doesn’t always happen. You can love a game that refuses to love you back.”

I nodded as if I understood. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved anything passionately enough to feel that way,” I said. “School is the closest thing, but I wouldn’t consider that a hobby. Or interest. Or something I’d do for fun.”

“I think you can learn for fun,” she said with a shrug. “School’s never really been my thing, so the thought of picking up a book outside of class is totally unappealing to me. But based on the books you have around, it seems like you feel the opposite.”

Her comment made me look around the room as if it was the first time I’d realized there were books scattered throughout the apartment.

We had a Smart TV and didn’t play video games, so the console our TV was on was only stacked with books and nothing else.

Pretty much every surface of the house had at least one book on it—not for decorative purposes, but because Iris and I tend to leave them around by accident.

I was the queen of literally putting a book down with the intention of going back to it and then never finishing it.

“Fair point,” I said.

“Do you have a favorite genre you like to read?” she asked as she leaned forward and picked up a book from the coffee table.

“Non-fiction.”

Theo’s eyebrows raised. “Really? ”

“It’s not, like, historical non-fiction or anything. It’s purely sociological. I like the study of people. It feels like reading a fiction novel most of the time.”

Theo looked at me skeptically. “I don’t think most people would agree with that.”

I nodded in reluctant agreement. I hadn’t thought about it that way before, but it made sense.

“I’m thinking about going to graduate school,” I said, almost like I was admitting to something embarrassing.

I hated that it was a sore spot for me, but I knew I had a complex.

I gave that I could shotgun a beer and flirt my way into any party; I didn’t exactly give budding academic.

“Oh, shit,” Theo said, impressed. My heart surged involuntarily from the subtle praise and the way she accepted that information without question. No looks of are you sure? or questioning my intelligence. “Really? Any schools picked out yet?”

“A few,” I lied. I’d had a running list of potential programs for years ever since a professor initially brought it up with me and told me it seemed like a fitting pathway for me. “We’ll see, though. I don’t know. There are only so many spots available.”

“You’re talking to someone who’s definitely getting drafted to play professional women’s basketball. Odds don’t mean anything when you’re good,” Theo said. “And based on what I’ve seen, you study your ass off.”

I blushed, embarrassed. “Oh, god. Stop, please,” I said, hiding my face .

“No, I’m being serious. Look at these books you have around. And I’ve seen your study set-up.”

I bit my lip to stop my grin from splitting my face open. It felt so seen and understood in that moment. Theo and I had only just gotten to know each other, but it was like she knew all the right things to say to me.

It didn’t help that the person saying them to me was the hottest person I’d ever seen in my life. It was almost overwhelming to have her approval, like I was living in some kind of fantasy.

It was impossible to keep my eyes off of her.

I watched her move like I was going to write a report on it.

I probably could’ve. I could write pages and pages about the way her lips turned up in an easy smile, the way she sat so confidently on my couch, the ease of our conversation.

All of the anticipation was gone, and now I was completely relaxed, enveloped by the warmth that Theo brought with her into every room.

“Is it weird I have a hard time viewing you on the court as the same person I see off the court?” I asked.

Theo shook her head, seemingly not surprised at all by my question. “Nah. That sounds about right. My team teases me about it, too. I’m a lot…bolder on the court.”

“Yeah, the person who thinks showing up to my house on time is showing up late isn’t exactly giving ‘yells at refs and talks shit to her opponents.’”

“I guess I’ve just never felt like I’ve had to talk a big game off the court. My ability to play speaks for itself. Always has,” she said. “And my timeliness is important to me. I like routine. It’s the only thing that makes balancing sports with everything else possible.”

“It seems like you’re kept busy. Did you get the sweatsuit from the brand deal you did?” I asked, teasing her.

She chuckled. “Oh. Yeah, I did. It’s comfy, though, I swear. I’m not just wearing it because they paid me to at one point.”

“We live such different lives.”

“It becomes a lot more normal once you get used to it,” Theo said. “But wait, I feel like we’ve skipped over the most important part of all of this. You really haven’t seen any of the classic sports movies?”

“I’ve seen some, I guess. But not really. I don’t exactly seek them out,” I said. “It’s not just basketball, though. I’m generally uneducated when it comes to sports, movies included.”

“You’ve seriously been missing out.”

“I’ve seen One Tree Hill, at least. It doesn’t get much more factually accurate than that, I’m assuming.”

“I haven’t seen it.”

I turned to her in shock. “You’re lying.”