Page 47 of Crew Girl

They threw their pasta into the pot.

“I keep having this nightmare,” Crabcatcher said in a low voice. “One where my arms give out during the race.” The panicked look Teagan was familiar with took over his face. “Maybe you could just steer the boat into a bridge.”

“Why would I do that?”

“So I won’t be the reason we lose.”

“Hey.” Teagan gave his shoulder a squeeze. “You are not going to fail. You’ve been working so hard. Throwing up after an intense workout is normal. It’s proof you literally gave it your all.” An idea struck. “I was going to jog part of the course before the race. Want to come? Seeing it in real life rather than on a map really helps. Plus,” she added with an encouraging smile, “it’s extra cardio!”

He gave her a shy grin. “Yeah. Sounds good.”

“Who said extra cardio?” Baloo asked in a booming voice. “No need for these babies.” He flexed his arms, giving his biceps a kiss each.

“Of course not,” Noah said, having finally put his book down to join them. “Extra cardio is for the rest of us mortals.”

“Yeah,” Perry quipped, playing along. “You just show up, row, and go home. Don’t even have to think about it.”

“I got the brawn, Britney got the brains,” Baloo shot back.

Teagan’s heart squeezed tight. Poor Baloo. He had played the part—the strong man—but she’d seen his smile falter when Perry had made his barb. Baloo might look like an impenetrable fortress of strength, but he was all gooey on the inside. Before she could have a quiet, supportive word with him, Ryder jumped up onto a chair. “Listen up, Eagles! Your stroke is talking.”

Josh, behind him, tensed his jaw.

Ryder unfurled a Westvale T-shirt that would’ve drawn boos from the crowd if he hadn’t used tape to change it to West-fail. “This is the year we knock West-fail off the podium!” He crowed like a general rallying his troops. Or, judging by Josh’s pained expression, a Regis who had been given a promotion in the family business.

Ryder’s girlfriend, Amber, was there, alongside Britney. The pair of them joined in as Ryder started singing the team song, encouraging everyone to sing along.

“Easton, Easton… our home on high.

Lifting, soaring to the sky!

Spread our wings with talons bright,

Enemies running from the sight.

O! Mighty Eagle, King of Birds…

Watch your butt cos you’ve been served!”

Juliet sidled up to Teagan. “With poetry like that…”

“I know,” she sighed. “We’re still a work in progress.”

JOSH

Hunting down Brit was as good an excuse as any to get out of the room for a while. He knew Ryder wasn’t actively trying to rub his face in it. Or maybe he was. Josh had lorded it over Ryder for long enough. Like someone very wise once said, “Payback’s a bitch.”

He wandered around for a bit, then heard Britney’s voice in the kitchen. She wasn’t shouting or anything, but he knew before he got there she and Baloo were having a fight. Those two bickered all the time, but whatever this one was about looked serious.

“Hey.” He gave the doorframe of the kitchen a knock.

The pair of them whipped around so fast Baloo accidentally sent a plate of spaghetti flying. A huge blob of sauce landed on Brit’s dress.

“Bronson!” she screeched, pushing him away when he tried to rub it off with his sleeve. Britney prided herself on her immaculate appearance, so this was Defcon Level One. “What the—”

“I’m sorry, okay!” Baloo shouted, his shoulder bashing into Josh as he passed. “I’m sorry about everything.”

Josh knew better than to follow him. Not with Britney glaring at him like the stain on her dress was his fault. Pretty much everything had been his fault since he’d accidentally abandoned her at his birthday party. The first one. It hadn’t helped that Perry had live streamed him and Teagan doing karaoke at the second party.