Chapter 3

I looked at the plastic cups of water on her tray.

"I don't need it," I said flatly, turning back to my warm-up stretches. 

Right on cue, Mia's eyes welled up with tears. She bit her bottom lip, her shoulders slumping. 

"Scarlett... are you still mad at me about yesterday? I'm just trying to help the team out."

A heavy hand landed on Mia’s shoulder. Jake stepped up beside her, already dressed in his men’s varsity warm-ups. He pulled her close, shooting me a dirty look of pure disgust. 

"It’s not your fault, Mia," Jake sneered loudly. "Don't waste your breath on someone who doesn't know how to be grateful. This water is great, by the way. Thanks to you, we’re definitely bringing home the trophy today."

"Just do your best out there, guys," she whispered shyly, ducking her head. 

I rolled my eyes and ignored them, walking over to the bench.

The referee blew the five-minute warning whistle. It was almost time for check-in. The gym was stiflingly hot today, and my throat felt like sandpaper after the warm-ups.

I reached into the side pocket of my Nike duffel bag and pulled out my own hydro flask. I twisted the cap off. 

I stopped. 

Right there, clinging to the inner rubber seal of the mouthpiece, was a faint trace of fine white powder. It was barely visible. 

My breath hitched. I had kept this bag on me all day. When did she get to it? 

I slowly lifted my head. Standing by the scorer's table across the court, Mia was staring dead at me. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her chest, her eyes tracking my every move. 

Seeing me pause, she quickly plastered on a nervous smile and called out, "Drink up, Scarlett! It's almost time to head in!"

My grip on the cold metal bottle tightened. She found a window to tamper with my personal bottle while I was warming up. 

I calmly screwed the cap back on tight and tossed the bottle back into my bag. 

I announced. "I need to hit the restroom. You guys go ahead without me."

I walked right past her, heading straight down the player’s tunnel. But I didn’t go to the restroom. I went straight to Coach Miller. 

"Coach," I said, grabbing his clipboard. I hunched over slightly, pressing a hand to my stomach and wincing. "I can't start. My stomach is killing me. It’s bad cramping."

Coach Miller’s eyes widened in panic. "Scarlett? Are you kidding me? We’re five minutes away from the finals!"

"I know. I'm sorry," I gritted my teeth, faking another wince. "Put Harper in. She knows the rotations. She’s ready. If I feel better by the second set, I’ll sub back in."

He cursed under his breath but nodded quickly. "Alright. Go see the athletic trainer. Harper! Get over here! You're starting!"

Harper looked shocked but quickly ripped off her warm-up pants, her eyes blazing with determination. I gave her a firm nod as she ran onto the court. 

For the next two hours, I sat on the bench. I watched my team fight tooth and nail.

Out on the court, the pace was so frantic that my teammates, blinded by adrenaline and severe tunnel vision, hadn't even realized I had been swapped out right before the opening whistle.

My substitute had a nearly identical build to mine. With her hair tied back in the same tight ponytail, and mimicking my explosive spikes and aggressive front-row pressure, she was the perfect substitute. In the sheer chaos of these relentless rallies, no one had the luxury to stop and look closely at who was digging the ball or covering their blind spots. 

Hidden in plain sight, I just watched my team fight tooth and nail. 

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 3-2. 

We won. We were the State Champions. 

The arena erupted into absolute chaos. The girls dog-piled in the center of the court, screaming and crying. I ran out to join them, hugging Harper tightly. The joy on their faces was real.

But the celebration was brutally cut short. 

Two adults in official CIF polos pushed their way through the crowd of cheering parents and players. They held clipboards and looked dead serious. 

"Excuse me," the taller man said, his stern voice cutting through the noise. "Which one of you is Scarlett Hale?"

The cheering died down instantly. My teammates parted, looking confused and worried. I stepped forward, my heart steady. 

"That's me," I said. 

"I'm a CIF tournament official," he said coldly. "We received an anonymous tip that you used banned performance-enhancing substances prior to this match. We need you to come with us for an immediate drug test."

Gasps rippled through the team. "What? That's insane!"

Coach Miller stepped in, frowning. "There has to be a mistake."

"The test will determine that," the official replied smoothly. "Please come with us, Ms. Hale. Now."

I glanced over my shoulder. Mia was standing near the bleachers, clutching Jake's arm tightly. She looked terrified to the rest of the world, but I caught the subtle, triumphant smirk playing on the corner of her lips. 

I turned back to the official and nodded calmly. "Lead the way. I haven't taken any banned substances."

I followed them to the medical tent in the back corridors. I did the urine test, handed over the sample, and sat in the waiting room. I wasn't worried. I hadn't touched a single drop of water from that bottle. I hadn't eaten anything she gave me. I was completely clean. 

An hour later, the heavy metal door clicked open. 

The official walked out, holding a printed lab report. Everyone had all gathered in the hallway, waiting for the verdict. 

"Well?" Coach Miller asked anxiously. 

The official frowned, looking directly at me. His expression was pure disappointment. 

"The results are positive," he announced loudly. "Scarlett Hale, you have tested positive for high levels of banned stimulants. This is a direct violation of the CIF anti-doping policy."

"As a result," the official continued, "Randall High School is disqualified. The championship title is revoked. And Scarlett Hale is permanently banned from all CIF athletic competitions."

My teammates burst into tears.

I stood frozen in the doorway. My mind spun completely out of control. 

My body trembled. 

How is this possible?

I clearly didn't drink the water. Why the hell are there stimulants in my system?