Breaking the Grid

Dad

I'm going to check on her," Kimi announced, his voice calm but firm. He didn't wait for a reply, just walked out without looking back. I nodded silently, not that anyone could see it. Leah gave me a quick look, her brows furrowed in worry, and I met her gaze for a second before turning back to stare at my drink. I didn't trust myself to speak, not with the way my thoughts were spiraling.

Leah leaned forward, her elbows on the table as she glanced toward the door. "What was that about?" she asked, her voice low but sharp with concern.

Katie shrugged, poking at her food, but you could see the frown on her face. "Sounded like her dad, right? He was... intense."

"Intense?" Caitlin snorted, crossing her arms. "He sounded like a total jerk. No wonder she looked ready to explode."

Beth sighed, setting her fork down. "I mean, we've all seen how much pressure she's under, but if that's how her dad talks to her? No wonder she struggles."

I stayed quiet, though my mind was racing. I'd never heard Blair talk much about her family. It always felt like she kept that part of her life locked away, guarded. But after hearing how harsh her dad sounded, everything started to make a bit more sense.

"He always like that?" Alessia asked, her brows knitting together. "I mean, she doesn't talk about him much, does she?"

Leah shook her head. "No, not really. But from what we just heard... he must be pretty hard on her. And in front of us? Can't imagine how bad it gets in private."

Katie clicked her tongue, frustration simmering beneath her words. "No one deserves to be spoken to like that, especially not Blair. She works her ass off. What else does he want?"

Lotte leaned back, arms crossed. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? They never talk about what's really going on, but it's eating them alive. Blair's so good at keeping things together on the outside, but... God, after hearing that, it's like, no wonder she's been on edge."

"Yeah, and I've always thought she was just dealing with the usual race pressure," Caitlin added. "But this? This sounds way worse."

I shifted in my seat, my gaze locked on the door Kimi had just walked through. A knot of worry tightened in my chest. Blair had always seemed so strong, so composed—even when things were tough. But this was different. It was like a peek behind the curtain at something darker, something she never let anyone see.

Leah turned to me, her voice softer now. "Kyra, you okay? You seem... off."

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, not wanting to dive into the tangled mess of emotions I was feeling. "Just... didn't expect to hear that, I guess."

Leah gave me a knowing look, one that said she didn't entirely believe me, but she let it slide. "I think none of us did. I mean, we all knew she had pressure, but... if that's how her dad treats her, no wonder she doesn't talk about him."

Katie sighed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "I feel like we should do something. I hate that she just walked out like that, looking so... lost."

Beth nodded slowly. "Yeah, but what can we do? Blair's not exactly the type to open up about stuff like this. She probably wouldn't want us prying."

Leah bit her lip, her eyes narrowing. "Still, if her dad's like that all the time... she's gonna need someone."

A heavy silence fell over the group again. We all knew they were right. Whatever was going on between Blair and her dad wasn't just a one-time thing. And judging by the look on her face as she walked out, she wasn't handling it as well as she pretended to.