Amelia hadn't been paying much attention, at least not until Citrine's next words. Only then did she really focus on the lead dancer's face on stage, her gaze turning a little colder. "Citrine, has she been giving you a hard time at the Carmichael family's house?"
It wasn't hard for Amelia to picture Citrine, newly returned to the Carmichaels, quietly enduring mistreatment without daring to speak up.
Citrine paused, realizing that Amelia was genuinely concerned about her. She smiled, trying to reassure her friend. "Don't worry. She's not exactly in a position to bully me."
Truthfully, Citrine had never bothered to take Regina seriously.
Now that Regina had already been kicked out of the Carmichaels, any lingering resentment Regina might have was useless—Citrine doubted she'd have the chance to make trouble. And even if she tried, Citrine had plenty of ways to put her in her place.
The opening ceremony wrapped up after about half an hour.
It was time for the athletes to compete in their chosen events.
Citrine had only signed up for the three-thousand-meter run, and hers wasn't until the final day.
Amelia, on the other hand, had registered for every event she was good at—almost the entire roster.
So that morning, Citrine trailed along beside Amelia, cheering her on at every turn. By noon, Citrine's voice was so hoarse she could hardly speak, and Amelia's events still weren't over. Finally, Citrine was completely out of steam.
"How many events did you sign up for, anyway?" Citrine asked, a mixture of disbelief and mock accusation in her voice.
She'd never, in her entire life, seen anyone sign up for this many events at a sports meet.
Just then, Amelia finished her last event of the morning and came back, only to be greeted by Citrine's exhausted, accusatory glare.
Amelia rubbed the back of her head, then burst out laughing. "Citrine, I've never seen you look so defeated before."
It was kind of adorable—and a little hilarious.
If only she had a camera, Amelia thought, she'd love to capture this rare side of Citrine forever.
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