Sarah stared at the wreckage of her political career, which came to her in the form of a video chart on board Mick Jr.

Five percent. Only five percent of Astrals still liked her. Only five percent of Astrals believed she wasn’t a horrible person just because she said a word that she had no idea was considered a grave insult in outer space. Never mind that she had been engaged in an insult competition at the time she said it. No. Somehow she had gone too far. One word was enough to upend everything she had worked so hard to achieve. No one stopped to think that maybe she hadn’t meant it that way or that maybe she just didn’t know any better or that maybe she was still the same person they had liked a lot right up until that moment and that nothing had really changed.

And they had really liked her! She thought back to standing in front of a cheering mob on Stupendia and feeling the energy of the crowd and seeing that love. She wanted it back, so unbelievably badly.

More importantly, she had let her entire planet down. The Astrals already thought Earth was dangerous and hostile, and she had confirmed their worst fears. She had been so close to showing them that Earthers were great too.

But it was all gone. All because of one word.

Mick came up alongside her and stared at the numbers, holding his chin in his hand.

“Mick,” Sarah said. “You know I didn’t mean anything by that… that word…”

Mick didn’t look at her, but nodded faintly. “I know.”

“It was just a word! How was I supposed to know it would make everyone so upset?”

“You couldn’t have,” he said quietly.

She had done so much for his campaign and had technically won the second Battle Supreme. If she hadn’t let that stupid princess get to her, she could have just gone on her way and basked in a big victory. Instead her entire reputation in outer space was in tatters. She pulled out her Telly and thought about turning on ANN to see what they were saying about her, but she wasn’t sure if she could bear it.

She looked at Mick and she felt so desperate for him to reassure her that it was going to be fine and that people would see the real her again, and not some cartoon of a person who hates Astrals and uses bad words.

“Mick, you really know I don’t hate Astrals, right? I didn’t mean it…” Her nerves felt so frayed, she was on the verge of tears.

Mick stared at her for a moment with a grim expression. “Look. It’s going to be fine. We’re going to have a press conference, and I’m going to stand beside you. Okay? This will all blow over. I still plan on winning this election.”

Sarah nodded without saying anything. She knew it would be fine eventually. Even when she did horrible things to her sister The Brat and felt badly about it afterward, eventually they forgave each other and moved on. Bad times always felt like they’d never end, but after enough time passes, they finally do. They always do. She would apologize sincerely, and they’d all move on. It would be fine.

“Okay.” Sarah nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Mick took out his Telly and showed it to Sarah. “You ready?”

Sarah felt her knees go weak, but she knew she could get through it. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Mick accepted an incoming conference call on his Telly and suddenly there were reporters all around them. “Mr. Cracken! Ms. Daisy!” they shouted in a jumble.

Mick held up his hand for calm. Eventually the reporters stopped shouting, and he began to speak.

“This has been a difficult time for our campaign, as I’m sure you know. I promised the world a dramatic campaign, but this isn’t quite the drama we expected.”

Sarah’s heart sank at Mick’s beginning. She hadn’t intended to cause any drama at all. She just wanted people to like her.

Mick continued, “My running mate is a good person. A very good person. She has taught me a lot about how to run a good campaign, and I think it’s safe to say that this campaign wouldn’t have been as successful without her. She tells me that she did not know that the A-word is a grave insult to Astrals, and I believe her. Sarah Daisy would never do anything to hurt this campaign or the Astrals she cares so much about. She wants to do what’s best for the Mick Cracken campaign and for the Astral nation as a whole.”

Sarah blinked through tears and tried to smile at Mick. She was immensely grateful to hear those words.

“And that is why she will be leaving the Mick Cracken campaign, effective immediately. She is no longer my running mate. That is all.”

Sarah’s jaw dropped. “What?!” she shrieked. The reporters all started shouting questions simultaneously, and there was a great deal of commotion.

Mick said, “Sarah, don’t…”

“You said you’d defend me!”

Mick shook his head. He whispered, “I said I’d stand beside you. And, well, technically we are standing beside each other.”

Sarah tried to say something but couldn’t find the words.

“You’re out,” Mick said.