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“Win,” I tell him before opening the can and taking a sip of beer.
Chris laughs; Charlie rolls his eyes.
“Hey, boys,” Natalie greets, sauntering over to us in just a bikini. It’s an impressive sight, and neither Charlie nor Chris bother to hide their appreciation for it.
“Hi, Natalie,” I reply.
“Never saw you at Josh’s last night,” she tells me.
“I was around,” I respond vaguely. “Sure you weren’t just too busy micro-managing the cheer team?”
Natalie laughs. “You know I like to keep people in line.”
“Oh, I do,” I assure her. Natalie’s known for a lot more than her looks at Alleghany High. It’s no accident the cheerleaders comprise the most organized, disciplined team in the school. And I’m well aware it’s due to a lot more than the sugary sweet side she shows me. Madeline’s the only one who was brave enough to venture up on the deck with Natalie. The rest of the cheer team remains in a huddled mass by the pool.
I scan the group of cheerleaders and am surprised to spot a girl with dark brown hair I’ve never seen before.
“Did you invite underclassmen?” I ask Natalie.
She follows my gaze, and her pretty features twist in displeasure. “No, that’s Maggie Burchard. She’s a senior like us, but she just moved here. From Glenmont.”
Maeve’s friend, I realize, and Chris comes to the same conclusion. “She’s the one who’s friends with Maeve Stevens?”
Natalie’s glossed lips purse. “Maeve Stevens? As in Liam Stevens’ sister?”
“Yeah, she was at Josh’s last night,” Charlie replies, then glances at Caroline. “Right, Caroline?”
Caroline ambles over from the patio, with Josh right behind her. “You guys always make me regret telling you anything. I don’t know why people associate girls with gossiping.”
“You’re sure it was her?” Chris wonders, ignoring her dig.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Caroline assures him. “Not sure why you boys care so much, though.”
“Are you kidding?” Charlie asks. “She’s a Stallionanda Stevens.”
“So? She doesn’t play football. If anyone should be holding a grudge, it’s me. She made a mockery of us last year.”
“You guys lost to Glenmont?” I can’t help but ask.
Caroline looks at me with surprise. I’m not sure if it’s because of my question, or that I’m the one who asked it. “Yeah, we did.”
“I didn’t hear about that.” Normally, I don’t pay attention to anything involving Alleghany’s athletics that doesn’t directly affect football. But since our encounter freshman year, I seem to have developed a sixth sense for Maeve Stevens’ name. If someone had mentioned that victory to me before, I would have remembered. She’s the only Stevens that’s beaten Alleghany, something that stupid article didn’t mention.
Caroline laughs. “Well, if you didn’t know, soccer is during the same season as football. We aren’t exactly the headline news.”
“Losing to Glenmont usually is,” I reply.
She shrugs. “The boys’ team didn’t. We rank even lower on the interest scale.”
“I thought our boys’ soccer team is terrible?” Chris asks.
“They are,” Caroline responds. “We’ve beaten them in scrimmages before. But they didn’t have to play against Maeve Stevens.”
“She’s really that good?” Surprise colors Charlie’s voice.
“We’re seriously going through this again?” I ask irritably before Caroline can answer. “I already told you she’s their captain this year.”
“He’s really hung up on that,” Charlie explains to Caroline, Natalie, and Josh.
