Betty’s POV
“Wait, so you’re saying… you can’t come to practices at all?” Lucy asked, her brow furrowing. Sasha, Carlos, Jade and her circled me in the hallway as soon as the class ended. I sat through the lecture in a daze, the words drifting past me without sinking in. I could tell by their expressions in the first place that they already knew something was up.
“Yeah, I’m pretty much stuck going straight home after school. My dad’s keeping a pretty close eye on me, and I don’t know how long it’ll last.”
“But Betty,” Carlos said, crossing his arms, “you’re our leader. We’re here because of you. Who’s supposed to guide us if you’re not around?”
“I know, and I’m sorry. This isn’t what I wanted.” The news about me being grounded hit them hard and that hurt me. I know how hard they’d been working and how much they were counting on me. I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’ll still try to help however I can. Maybe I can give feedback from home or review routines after school…”
“So the person who thinks we’re ‘outcasts’ is supposed to lead us now?” Jade’s lips twisted into a scowl.
“You know Stacey’s going to turn this into some kind of power trip, right?” Sasha added.
The words stung, and I felt a pang of helplessness. “I get it. Stacey doesn’t understand what this team is about. She just wants the spotlight. But right now, my hands are tied.”
Lucy and Sasha exchanged uneasy looks, the disappointment on their faces hard to ignore. “Just promise you’ll do what you can,” Sasha said softly, her hand resting on my shoulder. “Because we’re not giving up. We’ll keep pushing until you’re back.”
I nodded, grateful for their trust but still weighed down by the reality of the situation. “I promise. I’ll find a way to make this work,” I said, though inside, I was struggling with the thought of missing the practices, the competition, and everything we’d worked so hard for.