Betty’s POV
“Quite the battle of the boyfriends you’ve got going on here, huh?” Stacey appeared by my side as I stood near the bleachers, debating whether to wait for Marcus or find Brent. They both seemed so determined today, pushing themselves to the limit, having not backed down even for a second.
I rolled my eyes. “They’re not fighting over me, Stacey. It’s about the team. And you know that.”
She shrugged, crossing her arms. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. But you know, Betty, you have a way of getting in the middle of things, don’t you? First me and Marcus, now Marcus and Brent.” She tilted her head, giving me a mocking look. “Have you ever thought you’re the problem?”
“You’re the one to drive a wedge between everyone since I got here, Stacey.”
“Please, Betty. I don’t have to ‘drive a wedge.’ You do that perfectly on your own.” With that, she pushed past me, heading toward the exit, her heels clicking against the gym floor. Just as I was about to leave too, Brent jogged over, his face flushed from the workout but his eyes bright with energy. “Hey,” he said, breathless but smiling. “Thanks for being here, Betty. Really.”
I forced a smile, feeling the tension from Stacey’s words still lingering. “Of course. I wanted to support you.”
“Stacey stayed the whole time too. Kind of unexpected, but… nice, I guess.”
The words felt like a jab, and I tried to mask my reaction. “You and Stacey seem to be getting along,” I said, my voice carefully neutral.
Brent shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. She’s… different from what I thought. Why do you two hate each other so much?”
The question caught me off guard, and I let out a small, humorless laugh. “It’s not hate, Brent. It’s just… complicated.”
“Hey, look… I know things have been tense between us, and I’m sorry if it’s been weird. But maybe we can get back to normal soon, you know?”
I bit my lip, feeling a pang of guilt. “Yeah… maybe.”
As I turned to go, I caught sight of Marcus standing near the locker room doors, watching us with an unreadable expression. For a second, our eyes met, but before I could figure out his gaze, he looked away, disappearing back into the hallway.