The celebration lasted exactly one day.
By Monday morning, reality set back in. The finals were in five days. Golden Gate Academy, the best team in the state, waiting for them. And the team's fragile unity was already showing cracks.
Maya noticed it at breakfast. Players sitting in separate clusters. Tyler and Marcus whispering, glancing her way. Sam eating alone, headphones in. The easy camaraderie from the tournament had evaporated.
What changed? We won. We proved we could work together.
But as Maya walked to class, she overheard fragments of conversation.
"...heard Morrison broke up with Madison for real..."
"...because of her..."
"...whole squad might quit cheer..."
Oh. That's what changed.
Word had spread about Ethan's ultimatum. About Madison's threat. About the choice he'd made.
And apparently, not everyone was happy about it.
Practice that afternoon felt different. The team went through warm-ups mechanically, no energy, no communication. Coach noticed immediately.
