Chapter 40

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Kevin, who had been discreetly keeping an eye out for Isa while she was gone, couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness watching her dance with Christian. Seeing her with a player from the opposing team made him feel like she might have left them because they weren't as good as the USMNT players. He pushed the thought aside, deciding to focus instead on Anastasia, who was relentlessly throwing insults his way.

"Kevin, ¿por qué siempre usas esa gorra estúpida? Te ves como un niño pequeño," Anastasia sneered, her tone biting.

"Pues al menos yo no tengo que esconderme detrás de mi pelo azul para llamar la atención," Kevin shot back, his voice wavering slightly despite his attempt to sound confident.

"¡Ay, por favor! Tú y tus amigos nunca podrán entender lo que es ser diferente," she retorted, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

As the night wore on, the group tried to engage Anastasia in conversation, but she kept interrupting with complaints. "No me gusta usar maquillaje, es demasiado femenino," she declared. "Prefiero salir con los chicos, son menos complicados."

The group exchanged glances, some rolling their eyes at her constant interruptions. Amidst the chaos, they started to notice someone was missing but couldn't pinpoint who. The realization hit them when Chucky looked around and asked, "¿Dónde está Isa?"

"¿A dónde se fue?" another voice chimed in, concern growing among them.

"¿Creen que la secuestraron?" Diego speculated, his voice tinged with worry.

"No digas eso, Diego," Kevin said, smacking Diego's head lightly. "No es momento para bromas estúpidas."

The worry among the group grew palpable as they realized Isa had been gone for quite some time. They started scanning the room, trying to spot her in the crowd, their earlier levity replaced with genuine concern for their missing friend.

Santiago felt his heart sink when he noticed Isa was missing. He had to hide what he truly felt since his ex, Anastasia, was sitting on his lap. "Christian se la llevó a bailar," Luis Romo chimed in, breaking into the conversation.

"¿Qué Christian?" Edson asked, his worry evident.

"Pulisic," Luis clarified.

"Mira, allá está," Kevin pointed out, spotting Christian pulling out a chair for Isa at his friends' table.

"¿Qué hace con ellos?" another voice questioned, the confusion and hurt clear.

"No lo sé," Kevin muttered, feeling a sense of betrayal. Why would Isa prefer to hang out with the Americans?

Meanwhile, at the other table, Isa laughed with Christian as he recounted a funny incident that happened to him during a match. But she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that her friends didn't care about her, even as she tried to immerse herself in the conversation.

Back at their table, the conversation continued, filled with worry and confusion.

"¿Por qué no se queda con nosotros?" Edson asked, his voice tinged with hurt.

"Tal vez piensa que somos aburridos," Diego suggested, though his attempt at humor fell flat.

Kevin shook his head. "No, no creo que sea eso. Algo más está pasando."

Santiago, though silent, felt a wave of jealousy and concern. He knew he had to keep his composure, especially with Anastasia so close, but the sight of Isa laughing with Christian gnawed at him.

As the night went on, the group couldn't help but keep glancing over at Isa and Christian's table, their concern for their friend mingling with their feelings of betrayal and confusion. Isa, for her part, tried to enjoy the moment but couldn't fully ignore the growing sense of disconnect from her friends.
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