She’d been busy covering the sports games and seemed to be in her element. Not only was she good at writing for the school blog and covering high school sports, but she really seemed to love it. She was a natural in front of the camera too.
“I’m almost done. I’ve interviewed each basketball player. When you came in, I was working on Trevor’s story.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Coach just told me he’s had a tough road. Has he mentioned anything to you?”
We both watched the team run through plays.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “His mom passed away last year from a heart attack.”
I gaped. “For real?” Now it made sense how he’d jumped into action when we found Daddy on the floor of the barn.
“Yeah. I asked him how he knew CPR. He told me he learned not long after he’d lost his mom.”
I eyed Trevor, who was going in for a layup. “I didn’t know.”
“He said he doesn’t like to talk about it. He does want to be a paramedic if basketball doesn’t pan out for him. Anyway, students will read all about the Kensington basketball players when the story goes live on the blog next week.”
“I’m still curious why Sloane hates Trevor. He’s a nice guy.”
“Maybe because he’s disrupted her life. Him and his dad anyway. Sloane and her mom were moving. Then they weren’t, and all of a sudden, she has a stepbrother. I can get behind that. I wouldn’t be happy to have complete strangers living in my house.” Celia nudged me. “Here comes trouble.”
“Double trouble,” I mumbled.
Claire and Tessa glided over like they were above anyone else. That was Tessa’s MO. I didn’t know much about Claire except for the snarls and glares she shot my way anytime we would run into each other in the hall or cafeteria.
Tessa tossed her inky-black hair over her shoulder. “Quinn, please tell me Dustin doesn’t have to work on the farm anymore.”
I deadpanned. “I don’t have any say in what he does.”
Claire cocked her hip. “You should tell Trevor too.”
I checked on Trevor to see if he’d heard her, but he was running toward the basket at the other end of the court.
“You two sound jealous,” Celia said. “Maybe you both should consider working on the farm. You know, with the pigs.”
Tessa feigned a laugh as her pink-painted lips twisted. “For all we know, Celia, you were responsible for the running of the pigs that first day of school.”
We still didn’t know who the culprit was, and frankly, that whole incident was in the past. With Daddy’s health, we’d all but forgotten about it. Daddy didn’t need the stress anyway.
“Yeah, like, why would I do that?” Celia asked. “You’re the one capable, Tessa. You would do anything to cause trouble for Quinn.”
Claire twirled strands of her brown hair around her finger and glanced over her shoulder at Trevor, I suspected. “Whoever it was had to be strong and have the means to transport pigs.”
Celia and I exchanged a perplexing look.
“Do you know who that person is, Claire?” I got the impression she did.
Surely Trevor hadn’t pulled the prank, or maybe that was the reason Sloane had warned me about him. Still, Trevor wasn’t the only strong boy in school. Noah came to mind as I watched him go in for a layup. He had the muscles too.
Claire’s brow lifted. “Of course not. I’ve never been on your farm or any farm.”
Trevor had, though, the night of my party.
Tessa lowered her gaze to her white Nikes as though she knew something. Maybe Celia was right. Maybe Tessa had a hand in the prank or knew the guilty party.
“Tessa, do you know something about the pigs?” I asked. Not that I could do anything to that person other than give him or her a piece of my mind. I didn’t want to rehash the ordeal since it would raise Daddy’s blood pressure.
“You’re smoking dope,” Tessa exclaimed. “You know I hate pigs.”
“You do know something,” Celia chimed in, studying her.
Tessa’s mouth dropped, and she shook her head. “Why would you think that?” Her voice had an edge to it, not bitchy, but scared.
I was ready to fly down the bleachers and pummel her. “Unbelievable. You know, I can hear it in your tone. Who was it?”
She huffed. “There’s nothing you can do now.”
Motherpucker.
“Who?” My tone echoed around the gym.
The team stopped playing, and Coach Dean glanced at us.
I ran down the bleachers. “Who, Tessa? Who brought the pigs to school?”
Claire slid to Tessa’s side as though she could protect her friend.
Noah rushed over along with Trevor. Even Coach Dean came closer.
I stuck my hands on my hips so I wouldn’t punch her.
Tears pooled in her eyes. “It was my idea.” She looked at Noah.
He raised his hands. “I didn’t want to do it.”
My head spun. Noah was one of the good guys, or so I’d thought. “You’ve got to be kidding. Does Maiken know?”
Coach Dean’s features hardened. “Team, practice is over. Noah, Tessa, I want you two to have a seat.”
Claire threw herself at a tired-looking Trevor. He caught her as he gave me a sad smile.
The team didn’t want to leave. Drama was about to unfold, and high schoolers salivated for drama.
Coach pointed at the exit. “Hit the showers, or else all of you will be doing fifty laps around the track tomorrow.”
Trevor, along with the rest of the team, obeyed, and Claire followed her boyfriend out.
Noah planted his butt on the bottom bleacher, fear swimming in his gray eyes.
Tessa huffed as she sat next to him, pouting.
I crossed my arms over my chest, wanting nothing more than to scream at them. They had no idea what they’d put my dad through. He’d had to pay to have cameras installed, which weren’t cheap. He’d worried constantly about someone pulling another prank using our animals. Not only that, the stress hadn’t helped his health.
Coach Dean settled in front of them. “Talk.”
“I told them not to do it,” Noah said. “But Dustin wouldn’t listen.”
“Shut up,” Tessa said to Noah.
“Dustin?” Shock rode my tone. I hadn’t seen that one coming.
Come to think of it, he had been close by when the pigs ran down the hall. Tessa had too. And Noah had been late that day.
“It was Tessa’s idea,” Noah said.
Coach Dean pinched his chin with his fingers. “Here’s what’s going to happen. Noah, you’re benched for three games. I should bench you for the rest of the season, but I’m not going to. Principal Sanders will have a say in the rest of your penance. Ms. Stevens, since you were the mastermind behind the prank, I’m going to recommend you be suspended for a week.”
Tessa straightened, fear washing over her. “You can’t do that. I’ve got exams, and this won’t look good for me.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you took my pigs,” I said.
“I’ll speak to Dustin,” Coach said. “He’ll have to answer to the principal as well. Now I can’t order you, Ms. Stevens, to apologize to the Thompson family, but I can order you, Noah. If you want to play for me next year and for the rest of this season, you’ll get over to the Thompson farm and speak to Quinn’s parents. Is that clear?”