“This is all your fault” I sat facing the group, all of the girls facing me with my coach in the middle. They badgered me about every little thing I had said or done “I know that I had made mistakes but not all of this is my fault” my throat tightened my eyes started watering I didn’t want it to be this way. I don't want them to think they broke me. The girls sitting in front of me used to be my friends, I had trusted them. One of the girls, Sarah, had been my friend for a whole year leading up to this moment. We went through good things and bad things together. The new girl who joined our team quickly became our friend. Then everything changed, she turned sarah against me. The biggest problem was the gossiping everyday, I would come home crying because I would lose another friend on the team. One time I was walking out to my car and I heard them talking in the training room saying how I should quit and that I wasn’t good enough. I knew at that moment  I needed to do something about this. I told my only friend on the team what happened, I told my mom, and I told my coach, that's why we are in this meeting .They continue attacking me and making up lies. I hit my breaking point and I spoke “ look, I didn't tell anyone else about what was going on, the things your saying I did, I definitely didn't do, I am sorry that our friendship suffered but your to blame to” coach stood up between me and the other girls he told us to leave it behind and we had a group hug . I walked out of that room feeling awful I could feel my eyes burning and my chest aching. I went to my mom who was sitting in the car “ They lied, the entire meeting they lied!” I could barely breathe, my chest was tight I was gasping for air as the tears streamed down my face. My coach was walking out of the building when he saw me he knocked on the window, my mom stepped out of the car all I could hear was muffled voices and crying. He opened the door “ come outside” he gave me a hug and talked to me for a bit on why I was upset. “ What did we just talk about in the meeting” I gave him a muffled answer “ We are  supposed to leave this all behind us”

“That's right we are and it will take a while” he hugged me again I knew that it was going to be okay, I knew I was strong and that the world wasn't going to end, and that I would go to practice the next day.