What I didn't say

Is it time to find out more?

Again, they didn't have a show today.

So they could rest. Well not Via.
Luckily she was rooming with Chloe again, but it was inevitable Kalani's face would show up.

She didn't hate Kalani. She hated how she exposed herself to her.
Maybe it was also the fact that as the oldest, she tried to be the leader, the one to comfort everybody.

It was sweet to Via, but she didn't want to get comforted.
"Vi?" Turning around, she saw Chloe looking anxious to tell her something.
"Yes?"

Lukasiak was now fidgeting. "Kalani wants to know if she can speak to you today."

                        Oh for God's sake.

Via nodded, not knowing what was coming next.
Her best friend's face lit up.
"Great!" She went back to her phone texting, "I'll just tell her that."
Looking back up, Chloe asked, "So where are you guys gonna meet?"
Via shrugged.
Chloe's phone vibrated anyway. "Oh! Kalani says she's already found a cool place with smoothies by the beach."
Via got up. "So am I gonna meet her now?"

Chloe shrugged. "Well she's there so...you go girlfriend."
Via chuckled at her remark before saying bye and leaving the room.
Chloe sent her directions thankfully so Via was able to find the place.

It was packed but Via managed to make out a familiar figure by herself on her phone.
It was only when Via awkwardly sat on the wooden bench opposite her that Kalani looked up, shock clearly written on her face.

Realising that it wasn't the best thing to scare someone, Via gave a quiet "Hey."
The shock had now turned to almost a mixture of annoyance and hurt as Kalani put her phone away.
"Hey." She frostily replied.

Whenever Via was confronted with this tone, she always did the same thing.
"I...apologise, like I truly mean it."
Kalani crossed her arms, frowning. "What are you sorry for?"
Via was take back. "For hurting you?" She stayed as if it was obvious which got a sigh back.

"Via...I don't know what I did wrong. I'm not just talking about the duet. Ever since I was on the team, you've had something against me. That hurt, considering that I felt we were good friends before."
Via nodded at the lengthy statement.

They had met on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition when Via and Maddie were invited to perform a solo each.
Via liked all the girls there but she struck up a good friendship with Kalani and JoJo in particular, even asking Abby to use her callback card for Kalani.

Now she was crossing her arms, eyes filled with sadness. "It's really nothing against you and obviously not your fault. It's just when you came in..." Via had to avert eye contact, "everything changed for good. Like it signalled the end for the original group of girls who had danced together. We'd never been broken apart before."

Of course, Via was referring to the infamous Kelly and Abby fight that led to the permanent departure of Brooke and Paige, a duo who Via had danced with before she even turned two.
That wasn't it. Via then blurted out the next bit.
"You were only there for a couple of episodes, but that was like the time were things got really bad for me." Looking to her phone at the last message she'd received, she added, "Then the next time you came back, it was to replace Chloe. Again, I've never had anything against you. It's just what you represented to Abby. Change."

Kalani nodded, to Via's surprise, quite pleased with what had been lifted from her chest.
"About Abby," she fiddled with her straw, "I heard your conversation and not all of it's true."
Looking up to Via, she stated. "I don't hate you. I never have and I never will. None of us hate you. We all just want you... to be open with us, be able to speak to us when you have a problem."
Via nodded. It was nice to hear that.

Kalani wasn't done. Shuffling again, her voice was a lot quieter.
"Chloe um..." now she was looking at Via, "told me about the er...drugs."

                              WHAT?

"Um..." Via was truly struggling for words, "ok, why, may I ask? Wait, does everyone know?"
Kalani shook her head. "Chloe said just me. I guess the reason why..." another sigh was needed, "is because I told her about the duet and you seeming closed off."

Via leaned back. "Ok...?"
Now Kalani was leaning forward, a triumphant grin on her face.
"And I will requote what I had said. I guess it's time to find more about you."