Betty stood outside Stacey’s room, her hand raised mid-air as if frozen in indecision. The hallway was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead. She stared at the pale wood of the door, her heartbeat drumming a nervous rhythm in her chest. Their relationship had come a long way, but it was still a patchwork of misunderstandings and tentative progress. With a deep inhale, she steeled herself and tapped lightly on the door.
“Come in,” Stacey’s voice called out, tinged with the usual edge of irritation.
Betty pushed the door open slowly, the hinges creaking softly in protest. Stacey was perched cross-legged on her bed, her phone glowing in her hand. A faint line formed between her brows as she scrolled, her expression unreadable. “Hey,” Betty said cautiously, her voice soft but steady.
Stacey’s gaze flicked up from her phone, her brows knitting together in mild surprise. “Hey…You’re back. What do you want?” she asked, her tone clipped, though not as sharp as it could have been.
Betty stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, the latch clicking into place. “I need to talk,” she began, the words feeling heavy on her tongue. “About the video call.”
Stacey arched an eyebrow, setting her phone down on the blanket beside her. She leaned back against the wall, arms folded across her chest. “Oh forget about that, it’s not my business,” she muttered, though her tone held a flicker of curiosity.
Betty clasped her hands in front of her, as though physically holding onto her courage. “I know things haven’t always been easy between us,” she said, her voice gaining strength with each word. “And honestly, I don’t know if they ever will be. But I want you to know that I’ve come to… care about you. As my sister.”
The words hung in the air, raw and vulnerable. Stacey’s lips twitched, as if caught between a smirk and a genuine smile. “That’s… surprisingly sweet coming from you,” she said, her voice softer than before.
Betty shifted awkwardly, rubbing her palms against her jeans. “Don’t make it weird,” she said with a nervous laugh. She hesitated before continuing. “Lucy told me about the magazine. They want to feature The Unseen. It’s such a big opportunity, but I’m not sure I’m ready. I feel like I’ll just let everyone down.”
Stacey’s expression changed, the guarded walls she often kept up lowering just slightly. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her eyes meeting Betty’s with a rare intensity. “Betty, do you know what I’ve learned from watching you?” she asked, her voice steady and sincere. “You’re stronger than you think. You’ve managed to get a group of outcasts to believe in themselves, and that’s not something everyone can do. Take this opportunity. You’ve earned it.”
The words landed with a weight that made Betty blink rapidly, trying to hold back the sudden surge of emotion. Her chest felt tight, but in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant. “Thanks, Stacey,” she managed, her voice thick with gratitude.
Stacey’s lips curved into a small smile, one that carried more warmth than Betty had expected. “Just don’t screw it up,” she said, her tone playful but tinged with genuine encouragement.
Betty laughed, the tension in the room dissolving like morning fog. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, they were both learning how to bridge the gap between them.