Switching schools will be easy as fuck—I’ll cover D’s tuition if I need to with the inheritance Mom left me. D hates her current major. Moving to a new college would be a boon.
“Leave it with me,” he growls.
I’m well aware that I made an enemy but I’ll take it.
When I return to the locker room, Derek gets called in shortly after.
Pecan nudges me. “What’s going on, Z?”
“I told Coach that it was either me and you or Derek and that our chances wouldn’t be ruined because we’re down to move schools.”
His brows lift. “You did? I thought we were leaving it until after… you know?”
“Was I wrong to push this?”
“‘Course not. Did it work?”
“We’re about to find out.” Groaning, I cover my face with my hands. “How the fuck am I supposed to fix this, Pecan?”
“I don’t thinkwecan,” he says softly. “We just have to be there for her, I guess.”
When he pauses, then hesitates, I heave a sigh. “What is it?”
“Darcy Lovell is having a pre-Christmas showdown tomorrow night.”
“And?”
He clears his throat. “You should take her there.”
“That’s the last place she’ll want to go!”
“Think about it. Busiest party on campus. You know you’ll be welcome there… Show up. Denny on your arm.” He smacks his fingers to his lips. “Be like one of those movies she loves.”
I rub my eyes because damn, that does sound like the bullshit she’d make us watch while we did our homework at her house when we were growing up.
“You know I’m right.”
Before I can huff at him, the sound of a door slamming ricochets around the locker room.
Hovering by the doorway, Coach yells, “Derek’s been suspended from the team pending an investigation into allegations he’s been using narcotics?—”
Pecan whoops. “About damn time.”
“—I need one of you to gather his things together and bring them to my office.”
The welter of relief that hits me has me heaving my ass onto the bench. It’s not a lot but it’s something. And it only improves when the whole team, apart from Alec, roars their approval.
Even Coach appears taken aback.
“You’ve barely been here five goddamn minutes yet you’re the only fucker on this team who could pull rank like that and get what he wants.”
I tip my head and spy Alec scowling down at me. “He’s toxic as fuck and you know it.”
He shrugs. “You saying you aren’t?”
I grit my teeth, but Pecan comes to my rescue by shoving Alec’s shoulder. “Fuck off,cap. Zach shouldn’t have been the one who went to Coach about this. You should have.”
Alec thunders, “It was a joke!”
