The world blurred around Betty before her base wasn’t able to catch her and so she hit the floor, the air knocked from her lungs. Pain radiated through her arm and side as the team rushed to her. The audience gasped and the music faded.
“Betty! Betty, can you move?” Stacey’s voice was urgent, her hands hovering as if afraid to touch.
“Oh my God!” said Lucy.
“I’m—” Betty winced, her breath catching. “I’m okay.”
The audience buzzed with worry.
“Come on, let’s take her to the nurse,” said Carlos. Betty tried to protest, but Stacey shot her a look that silenced her.
In the nurse’s office, Betty sat stiffly on the cot, her arm wrapped in ice as the team filtered in, their faces pale with worry. Stacey leans against the wall, her arms crossed. Sasha paces back and forth, Lucy fidgets with her hair, and Carlos sits silently, his head in his hands. “It’s not broken,” the nurse assured them, “but you need to rest. No more stunts today.”
“This is bad. Like… really bad. How could that happen?” Sasha was confused as they left the nurse’s station. Betty’s stomach twisted. Nationals, their moment, had ended in disaster.
“The jury will dock points for the fall. Maybe for stopping the routine, too.” Lucy added.
Suddenly they meet Ivy in the hallway. She appeared, her smirk firmly in place. “Tough break,” she said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. “I guess some teams just aren’t ready for the big leagues.” She came closer to Betty. “I told you this competition would be your last”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Stacey’s face went red.
“Oh, nothing,” Ivy said with a sly grin. “It’s just that accidents happen when amateurs like you don’t pay attention to your… equipment. Like… maybe the tape on someone’s shoes being a little loose.” She shrugged. “But what do I know? Just a friendly observation.”
As Ivy walked away, Betty and Stacey exchanged a look.
“This wasn’t an accident,” Stacey hissed, fury flashing in her eyes. “That bitch did something to our gear.”