Page 126 of Against The Rules

“Dude, it’s still fucking dark outside. Can you not?”

“GET HYPE,” I scream at him.

He blinks blearily at me. “Stop.”

“How’s your ankle, bro?” He sprained it a few games back, and I know it’s still bugging him, even though he pretends like it’s fine.

“Fine.”

Yep. About what I expected.

“Good morning, Jacob.” Savannah rounds the corner, her hair tousled and messy from sleep. She cracks a yawn, and she’s so damn cute I can’t help pulling her into my arms.

Jacob’s eyebrows rise. “I didn’t realize you stayed the night.”

“MY HOUSE,” I yell.

“Tyler, can you be quieter? It’s too early,” she says to me, patting my cheek sleepily. “Yeah, I hope that’s okay, Jacob.”

“If you’re going to tell Tyler to be quiet, you can stay every night.”

“See, Peaches? I told you it was fine.”

“Mmmm.” She nuzzles her head into my shoulder, and I sigh with contentment.

“Have either of you two looked at the news yet?”

“No, dude, it’s still dark out.”

“You’re the one yelling.”

Savannah’s gone stiff, and I rub her back. “Why do you ask?” her voice is strange.

“There’s an article out today about the AFL cheerleaders,” Jacob says slowly. He narrows his eyes at Savannah. “It was not complimentary.”

“I didn’t realize it was going out today. I thought she was publishing it post-season.”

“Who?” I ask, completely left behind in the conversation. “Why do you know that?”

“Kelsey Cole. Harrison’s girlfriend. The reporter? She wrote an expose on the cheerleaders, citing an anonymous source on the Beaver Cheer team.” He stretches each word out meaningfully, staring at Savannah.

The pieces click in my head. “You were Kelsey’s anonymous source?”

“I,” she rubs her face. “I didn’t… At first, I didn’t mean to be, and then I got so angry at Rebecca, and the way she treated me, and Kelsey is so nice, and someone had to say something.”

I blow out a breath, staring at her in astonishment.

“But you hardly ever let me say anything bad about them. About how they treat you.”

“I know.” Her eyes are closed, her expression pained, and I squeeze her to me. “Are you mad?”

“Mad?” I glance up at Jacob, confused. “Why would I be mad?”

“I should have told you I was talking to Kelsey. It just… I didn’t want to talk about any of it. And now… shit. Now it’s going to be like a witch hunt at practice. It’s going to be awful.”

“Nah,” I say, and she finally looks up at me, her big blue eyes watery and threatening tears. "They won’t care. You’ll see.”

Across the table, Jacob shakes his head slowly, and I swallow against the tightness in my throat.

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