Page 73 of My Heart to Keep
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?”
“Yes, sir,” he said to Coach while giving me puppy-dog eyes.
