Page 12 of Crew Girl

Lana snorted. “I’d like to keep my job, thank you.”

Coach gave her a suit-yourself shrug. “I don’t think I’ll have one to worry about soon if we don’t start winning.”

Interesting. Josh clearly had more control over more things at Easton than the other students. She’d made some other observations she could’ve shared, but the guys were jogging back down.

She dragged her broom to the side and listened in as Coach gathered them around. “Last set of the day. We’re going to change it up. Baloo, you’re in eight.”

Baloo looked around the group in disbelief. “Holy shit.”

“What the hell?” Josh shouted.

Coach ignored him. “Ryder, you keep seven. Cam’s in six.” He rattled off the rest of the seats, then, to Josh, said, “You’re in bow.”

Shell-shocked didn’t come close to describing their reaction. But Teagan was buzzing.

“Coach, you can’t be serious.” Josh laughed. “Bow is Crabby’s seat.”

Meaning, he thought it was beneath him.

“Not for this run it isn’t.” Before Josh could launch into him again, Coach Hayden made a cool-your-jets gesture. “We’re just trying something out.”

The guys, pumped, started climbing into the boat in their new positions. Except, of course, for Josh. “You can’t do this.”

Coach made a face that said he could and would. “Get in the boat.”

Teagan gave up on the goose poop. She had to see this.

Fuming, Josh climbed into the boat, barely helping as the crew rowed into starting position.

Coach sounded the starter horn.

Teagan had never thought watching a run could match the adrenaline rush she felt rowing, but she was invested.

Baloo, as predicted, was a machine. The rest of the guys were pushing to keep up. The run wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they were rowing a lot better than they had been.

When they passed the finish line, Coach Hayden gave his stopwatch a satisfied click. “They shaved off eight seconds.” He gave Teagan a nod.

It wasn’t a huge endorsement, let alone what she really wanted—free access to the boathouse—but it felt strangely good. Like being part of the team.

“Coach!” Josh flew out of the boat as soon as they returned to the dock and stormed toward them.

Lana took a step back. “I’m out.”

Leaving seemed a wise course of action.

Teagan was shouldering her backpack in the boathouse’s Great Room, about to make her escape, when Josh burst in, still furious. “Hey! What’s your problem?”

She played innocent. “Me?”

“I saw you talking to Coach. I’ve been in stroke seat since I’ve been at this school. Now I’m down to bow?”

All the pent-up frustration and anger that had been brewing in her since her dad had disappeared roared up out of nowhere. “Maybe you’re not the best rower,” she shot back. “Maybe you’re not pulling your weight. Maybe you should keep your head in the boat instead of up your ass.”

He closed the space between them, the way guys did when they were gunning for a fight. He was so close she could smell his expensive cologne and minty breath. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Who the hell are you?” she spat back, which was a stupid thing to say, because they both knew the answer to that.

So what if he sat in a different seat for a run? He was in a boat! Didn’t he see it? He had what she wanted and he didn’t even appreciate it.