Fallen Crest High(39)

"Oh." For some reason I felt weird as I sat beside him. Becky came over a moment later with a towel wrapped around her. She perched on the end of my seat and water dripped off of her.

"Did you hear about the Roussou players last night?"

Everything snapped to attention in me, but I drawled out, "What do you mean?"

She leaned forward with an eager grin. "I heard the Kades went there with their friends. They wrecked your dad's car at the Roussou's coach's house and slashed a bunch of their football players' tires. Can you believe that?"

Adam frowned.

"Did your dad say anything?"

I felt Adam watching me, but gave her a casual look. "Oh, no. He didn't say anything about it."

"That's probably cause he won't press charges. Your dad's nice like that, but I would if it were my car. I can't believe they did that. I wish they played for our team. We'd go to state for sure."

Laura called out, "Rebecca, go and get your brothers from the basement."

She frowned and stood up. "My stupid little brothers." And off she went, muttering under her breath.

"You haven't told her?"

I shot him a look and remembered he knew about my situation. My shoulders stiffened and the chair became uncomfortable to sit on. "It's no one's business."

"She's your friend."

"She's been someone I talk to for the last week. That's all."

"Really?" His eyes mocked me.

"It's none of your business either."

"Except that Coach Strattan's my coach and he's the best coach I've ever met."

"You've only been on his team."

"I do football camps in the summer, Sam. He's the best coach I've met and that's including FC Public's coaches. They got lucky that the Kades didn't go to our school. They didn't develop their talent at all."

I studied him underneath my eyelashes. "You sound a little jealous?"

He grimaced and stood up. "The Kades are some talented sons of bitches, that's all I'm saying. Your dad would've made them better than they are, they might be more respectful too. All they are is rich a-holes right now."

"Sam, Adam." Becky waved us over to the food table. "We need to grab our food first before my little brothers and all their friends get out here. They're like bugs; their saliva will be crawling all over the food."

And after we sat at a far table with our plates; eight boys who looked like they were in seventh grade burst through the back door. They swarmed around the table. Becky was right. As the afternoon passed, the guys never left the food for long. They were different heights, but all were skinny except for one that looked on the pudgy side. When Becky got up and got us some more beverages, her brothers and their friends took over the pool too.

She sighed as she popped open a beer. "There goes my tanning today. Little rodents."

Adam laughed and stole the water she had nabbed. "Come off it. You love your brothers and you know it. You dote on Jake and Greg."

She scowled. "I'm going to make their lives hell. JAKE!"

A boy popped his head out of the water. "What?"

"If you don't get your little friends out of the pool, I'm going to tell mom and dad what's under your tv."

He froze and his eyes got wide.

Then Adam laughed and stood up. "Don't worry about her, Jake. She won't do that to you. Come on, Becks." He tugged her from the table. "Let's you and me take Sam to the movies."