Chapter 6
April 14, 2018
"Do you think he'll like it?" Mia asks.
"Mia, it's regionals. It's not about your boyfriend liking your performance." Agus says.
Everyone gasps.
"It is important but not as important."
"Oh, good. I thought you were becoming Lupe." Sofi says.
Lupe laughs with everyone else.
"Oh, no. She's so nervous she didn't hear the insult." Símon says.
"Even I know we only need 1 of me." Lupe says
----- ----- -----
Mia's solo -
Símon and Zoe -
Mia and Lupe -
Group performance -
----- ----- -----
"Why wasn't he there?" Mia asks concerned.
"I don't know but I intend to find out."
And find out she would.
Lupe knocks on the boys' dorm room.
"Why were you not at our performance?" She asks the moment Juanma opens the door.
"Um, come in."
"I don't want to. But I won't make a scene in the hallway. Why weren't you and Tobias at the performance? Even Olivia could have come."
"The moment the Bingley parents found out they had no plans this weekend, they decided to visit."
"Why weren't they planning to attend our performance?"
"We didn't know if we were invited."
Lupe pauses.
"Oh. Yes you were invited. You've been helping. Wouldn't you want to see the result? And Mia wanted Tobias there." She hurries on.
"Noted." Juanma smiles. "I did pop in. Sorry I didn't stay to congratulate you all. I knew it was possible."
She raises her eyebrows.
"Lupe, you are to forget I said anything bad."
"Right, right. Of course. Do you want to join Go! for dinner since your friends are gone?"
"I'd like to. Thanks."
----- ----- -----
April 16th, 2018
The boys filed out of the locker room ready for that Monday's practice. Juanma was the first one out and had already started practicing layups.
Alvaro had been talking with Martín and a few of the other players. He commended them on their techniques and offered some advice. Since he joined the team he'd even invited a few players over from time to time to play video games and order pizza. He needed to make a good impression on the team. He needed the other players to like him.
He saw Juanma already on the court and ran up to him, smiling wide. "Hey! Good job. Wanna play me for a bit until coach gets here?"
All he recieved was a short glare as Juanma tossed him the ball and walked off to sit at the bleachers. It was expected, but compared to their last conversation it was progress.
The coach joined them and smiled at the players as they sat down ready to hear what drills they'd be doing.
"Alright, before we get started I just wanted to make an announcement. Our big game against Brighton is coming up and we need to come together and play hard. And I think that our new co-captains Juanma and Alvaro are up to the job!"
The other players pat the boys shoulders and cheered. Alvaro was pretty excited to hear it, but Juanma clearly wasn't.
The coach continued, "Alright, let's do some free throw drills. I'm not going to let us get sloppy and waste a foul!"
The boys all went to line up at the free throw line. Juanma went up to the coach. "Co-captain? This whole time I thought I was the captain? I'm the best player on the team."
Coach frowned. "I thought you might have thought that, but when I heard Alvaro was going to transfer I wanted to wait make the announcement. You two play well together and you'll make the team great."
"But I can do it myself."
"Look, you're a great player and you keep everyone on task, but Alvaro... he is really good at keeping the team together and getting the boys psyched. But Alvaro isn't as disciplined as you are. The team needs you both."
He was going to say more, but Juanma just followed the boys to finish the drills.
The rest of practice went smoothly, though Juanma was fairly quiet and focused only on playing. But that wasn't terribly out of character for him, so no one noticed.
After practice, everyone headed off to the showers, but Alvaro pulled Juanma off to the side. "Hey, wait a minute."
"What is it?"
"Well, we're on the team and we're both in charge. Come over tonight. It's been long enough."
Juanma frowned. "We have to play together. But I have nothing to say to you." He started walking to the showers, but paused. "We both know what happened."
Alvaro looked at him and frowned. He wanted to say more, but he couldn't. He sighed and just headed off to the shower.
Martín saw him and smiled. "Hey. Are we still hanging out at your place tonight?"
Any trace of sadness washed away and Alvaro was all smiles. "Of course! It'll be great. Just don't eat all the pizza this time."
"No promises."
Juanma looked at them with a look of slight concern.
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"The Bingleys won't be coming back to school. They will be studying independently until Pemberly is fixed." Mia reads from her phone.
"From where?"
"From home." Agus guesses.
"Well then, they can visit." Lupe completes her point.
"Their parents hates our school and have banned them from even talking to Jaunma. This is basically a goodbye text."
Lupe stops Mia from slamming her phone on the table.
----- ----- -----
Lupe: we won regionals. And Juanma came.
Juanma: Tobias isn't coming back?
Mia: I'm happy. But I'm sad.
Tobias: I miss Mia already. She's even more cheerful than me.
