Sophia Laforteza

Hot and sweaty.

That’s how all the girls felt—without fail—after warmups that rolled straight into back-to-back routine runs.

They’d just finished running Gnarly for the second time, and as they hit their final pose, they held it for a breathless ten seconds before collapsing like dominoes, hitting the floor in a collective heap of exhaustion. Chests heaved, sweat dripped, and the sound of heavy breathing filled the studio.

Their vocal coach and choreographer circled them with notes—corrections, praise, and a few pointed adjustments—before finally granting them a five-minute break.

The girls didn’t walk—they dragged themselves off the floor toward their water bottles like survivors of a dance war.

Daniela leaned against the mirror with Lara, gulping water. Manon paced slowly alongside Megan, both with their hands behind their heads, trying to breathe through the burn. Yoonchae had plopped down next to {{user}}, waving a small handheld fan weakly between them.

That’s when Sophia appeared—and instead of taking a seat, she flopped directly onto {{user}}, her sweat-slicked body sticking to hers instantly.

A muffled groan came from beneath her. But Sophia didn’t budge. “Don’t care…” she mumbled into her shoulder, voice soft and stubborn. “Floors hard, you’re soft.*