CH 06: By Your Side

## Appearances

### Characters

Ana SophíaMiggyLiam StonesEnzo DeAndreEmma AllenJulie WilsonSarah BernardoAlma RamosBeatriz Ines

## Background

### Setting

San Francisco, California

**By Your Side** is the sixth chapter to ***Darlin'***. By Your Side is the second chapter of *Phase II*, taking Ana Sophía to a changing social aspect of her life that involves the ambient of teenage gambling and corruption at the famous Beige V. The chapter's title is inspired by Jonas Blue's 2016 song release, **By Your Side**.

## Summary

### **Beige V**

Ana Sophía & her group of friends arrive in an Uber at Beige V, a recently trending nightclub experience exclusively for Super League players. Accompanying her is Enzo, Emma, Julie, Sarah, Alma & Beatriz. Together, they step inside and stand around inside, not around where to go because of the loud music and limited seating capacity. Ana Sophía is suddenly noticed by an unknown male, dressed in a black suit. He insists the group follow him and take the stairs before passing security and being seated in sofa seating on the second level of the nightclub, something Enzo tells Ana Sophía is a huge deal without her even realizing.

### **Super Club**

The young male introduces himself as Liam, whom insists the tab is on him and leaves. Everyone is fondly on board with the idea except Ana Sophía, who feels she must know who exactly he is before she accepts his gesture of generosity. She follows him to the **second sector** of Beige V, a back area section reserved for hosting athletes that have won 2 or more Super League winners' medals. Ana Sophía is unaware of such rule but is not stopped by anyone.

As she enters the second sector and approaches him, Liam offers Ana Sophía to sit with his group, which involves 2 unnamed males accompanied by 2 unnamed females. The teenage females disapprove of Ana Sophía by their eye roll she describes them giving to her, to which she makes no comment on. One of the unknown males pushes Liam to place more money on his bet, to which Liam declines. Ana Sophía questions how much money has the unknown male placed on his own bet, responding $500 USD. The attitude and language of the females towards Ana Sophía upon her polite decline on a cocaine snort offer leads to their expulsion from the table, being told to leave by Liam.

Ana Sophía sits and watches as the unknown male sitting across shows her the live broadcast of the injury her fellow sports colleague from the Women's Super League, Calisto Ávila, receives that forces her substitution. Ana Sophía is astonished at how everyone is clapping for Liam, as he gives no reaction. The remaining unknown male takes off downstairs in celebration, giving Ana Sophía a chance to speak privately to Liam. She remains confused why everyone in the sector applauded for him.

Liam confronts Ana Sophía on her reasons for being at Beige V, going on to explain that it isn't a good place for innocent people like her. Despite this, Liam invites her for a drink to chat while they are both there and the pair discuss what exactly happened in the situation with Calisto, with Liam explaining an on-field call out was successfully made. It is a system that allows Liam at Beige V to communicate with team captains on the field at real time during live matches. He explains favors are to be carried out with this method, particularly with injuring necessary players.

### **Going home**

Ana Sophía invites Liam to dance on the dance square on the first floor after their conversation. After a few hours in Beige V, Ana Sophía tells Emma she must check her phone. Emma informs her that Enzo & Beatriz have gone home. She heads upstairs again and notices someone's phone continuously vibrating. She decides to check it and realizes it is Beatriz's phone, which holds flirty text conversations with Enzo. Disturbed and uncomfortable, she continues to scroll before being interrupted by Liam, forcing her to put the phone down and ignore the texts.

The pair begin to discuss Ana Sophía's worries for her relationship with Miggy with regards to life after high school. She insists on the idea of wishing Miggy would want to move to Brazil with her, although highlighting she would never push it and instead wait until he voluntarily says he wishes to do it. Liam seemingly disapproves of the idea of Miggy moving to Brazil, going as far as to suggest he should move to a country that has a market at his level of skill & deprecates his view of Brazil in general. Being her home country and having a state of intoxication, Ana Sophía storms off in frustration, feeling insulted by Liam's opinion.

Ana Sophía enters the restroom and sends an audio text to Miggy, expressing her feelings of missing him and regretting not taking Miggy's hint to not attend such event. Miggy responds and calls a Lyft for her, with Ana Sophía taking her purse and heading out. Outside the restroom, Liam apologizes and offers to be in attendance at Ana Sophía's next game, to which she accepts and proceed to hug out their differences. Emma accompanies Ana Sophía to the front doors, says goodbye to Emma and gets into the Lyft to end the night. Once outside her house near 3am, Ana Sophía describes herself being highly intoxicated, struggling to open the front door. She is suddenly greeted by Miggy, whom helps her get inside to shower. The couple end the chapter as they lay together in bed, with Ana Sophía cuddling with Miggy and going to sleep.

## Rating

### **Review**

**By Your Side** received a median rating of **9.6/10** amongst the ***Darlin' beta readers***, placing below Bloodstream for the 3rd highest rated chapter in ***Darlin'***. **By Your Side** delivers superbly on the world behind the Super League and the business deals made revolving malevolent teenagers that introduces Liam Stones as a sponsor & source of the federation's corruption, as well as the story's change of direction.