I couldn't focus in class.
My mind kept drifting back to last night. My parents' faces. The way my dad said "we lost the contract." The way my mom laughed like she had given up. Betty's silence.
I stared at my notebook but I wasn't writing anything. I was just drawing little circles with my pen.
Charlotte nudged me. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just tired."
She didn't look convinced but she didn't push.
At lunch, I sat with Charlotte and Dani. I picked at my food. I wasn't hungry.
"Okay," Charlotte said, putting down her fork. "Something is wrong. Tell me."
I sighed. "My parents came back last night. They lost a contract. The company is in trouble. They might have to sell our house."
Dani's eyes widened. "Sell your house?"
"Maybe. I don't know. They didn't say for sure."
Charlotte reached out and put her hand on mine. "I'm sorry, Kathy. That's really rough."
I nodded. I didn't know what else to say.
Dani leaned forward. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No. Not really. I just want to think about something else."
Charlotte looked at me for a moment. Then she smiled. "Okay. Then let's talk about the tournament. Practice is tonight. You're getting better, by the way."
I laughed a little. "I'm still terrible."
"Terrible but better. That's progress."
Dani nodded. "She's right. I saw you yesterday. You didn't fall once."
"Twice."
"Twice is better than ten times."
I smiled for real this time. "Thanks, guys."
After school, I walked to the gym for cheer practice.
The basketball team was already there. I saw Cade running drills. He was wearing a black tank top and his arms were glistening with sweat. He was focused as usual.
He saw me watching and winked.
I looked away fast.
Charlotte started practice. We ran through the routine. I messed up twice but I didn't fall. Dani was perfect. Charlotte was proud.
After practice, I was packing my bag when Cade walked over.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey."
"You look tired."
"I'm fine."
He tilted his head. "You sure?"
I hesitated. Then I said, "My parents came back. They lost a contract. Things are weird at home."
He didn't say anything at first. Then he said, "You want to come over?"
I looked at him. "I don't know. I should probably go home."
"You can go home later. Come hang out for a bit. The guys are ordering pizza."
I thought about it. The house was empty anyway. My parents were at the bank. Betty was probably in her room ignoring me.
"Okay," I said.
He smiled.
At Cade's apartment, the guys were already there.
Marcus was on the couch playing a game. Chris and Ryan were arguing about something. Leo was sitting in the corner reading a book. Jake was on his phone.
When I walked in, they all looked up.
"Kathy!" Marcus said. "You're back."
"I'm back."
"Good. We need more people for the game."
I laughed. "I'm terrible at games."
"Then you'll fit right in."
I sat on the couch and Marcus handed me a controller. We played for like an hour. I lost every round. But I was laughing the whole time.
After a while, Cade sat next to me. "You seem better."
"I am. Your friends are weird but they're funny."
He laughed. "Yeah. They're weird."
I looked around the apartment. The guys were all doing their own things. It was chaotic. But it was warm. It felt like a home that wasn't my own.
And for a moment, I forgot about everything else.
Cade insisted on walking me home.
We walked in silence for a bit. The street was quiet. The moon was out.
"Hey," he said. "If things get bad at home, you can always stay at my place."
I looked at him. "Really?"
"Really. I have a couch. It's not comfortable but it's there."
I smiled. "Thanks, Cade."
He shrugged. "Don't mention it."
We got to my gate. I turned to him.
"Same time tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah. Same time."
I didn't move. I just stood there, looking at him.
And then, before I could think about it, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him.
He went still for a second. Then he hugged me back. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. I buried my head in his shoulder. He smelled like the minty cologne he always wore. His shirt was soft against my face.
I didn't cry. But I felt something loosen inside me. Like I had been holding my breath for days and I finally let it out.
We stood there for a moment. Then I pulled back.
"Thank you," I said.
He looked at me. His eyes were softer than usual.
"Anytime, Kathy."
I turned and walked through the gate. When I looked back, he was still standing there.
I went inside. The house was dark. My parents weren't back yet. Betty's light was off.
I went to my room and lay on my bed.
For the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe.