CHAPTER FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE – FRIENDLY ARGUMENTS

The shock of the near-miss and the ruined artwork brought everyone to a stunned halt. Kendra clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide with horror at what she'd almost done. "That's enough!" Jasmine's voice cut through the silence, sharp and authoritative. "Everyone, take a walk. Now. Cool off, and don't come back until you can act like professionals." One by one, her friends filed out of the studio, avoiding each other's eyes. As the door closed behind the last of them, Jasmine sank into a chair, her head in her hands. This was not how she had imagined their dream playing out. The incident with Mrs. Hartley and the paint-throwing marked a low point for the Lima Five, but it wasn't the end of their troubles. As the weeks passed, the financial strain of running the studio began to take its toll. One evening, as they gathered for a group meeting, Jasmine broke the news they'd all been dreading. "I've gone over the numbers again," she said, her voice heavy. "Even with the commissi