Free For the Win (Playing for Keeps Book 1) by Amber Garza Page B

once.”
    “Hey, I get it, man.” Nate slid in next to me. “Really I do. But you know Calista. She’s pissed, and when she gets pissed, she gets even.”
    “What are you saying?” Dread sank into my gut.
    “I’m saying that if you’re not into newspaper chick, you better make sure Calista knows it or else Calista’s going to make the girl’s life a living hell.”
    Shit. I knew hooking up with Calista was a mistake.

CHAPTER 11
    London
     
     
    Annabelle returned on Thursday, just in time to help us read through the newspaper one last time before Mr. Smith submitted it to the printers. John was our editor, so technically he ran the Gold Rush Gazette, but he was a student like the rest of us. Therefore, Mr. Smith was the ultimate authority. He oversaw the paper and made sure what we printed was appropriate. Basically, it was his head on the chopping block if we wrote something we shouldn’t.
    Annabelle and I had never been friends, and it was pretty evident that we never would be. She acted like I stole her article right from under her. As if that had been my plan all along. No matter how hard I tried to convince her otherwise, she remained pissed off.
    And I wasn’t in the mood. It was late, and I was tired. All I wanted to do was go home and curl up with a good book. Instead, I was sitting in a plastic chair in the middle of a cramped classroom staring at a tiny computer screen. Editing was my least favorite part of the writing process, and Annabelle was making it even worse.
    When I wouldn’t engage with Annabelle, she finally unleashed on John. “You couldn’t have pushed back Cooper’s article another week?”
    John ran an agitated hand over his sandy brown hair. “C’mon, Annabelle. You know our next issue doesn’t come out for six more weeks. By that time the fall baseball season would be almost over. The article needed to come out at the beginning of the season, not the end.” He snorted. “If we did that we might as well wait until the spring season to write the article.”
    Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest. He was right, and she knew it. I bit back a smug smile as she pressed her lips together, unable to come up with an argument. She’d already tried to bring Mr. Smith into it, but he deferred to John, so there wasn’t anything else for Annabelle to do. Leaning back in my chair, I bit the cap of my pen and read over the article on the screen. The scent of sweat, pencil shavings and whiteboard markers filled my senses.
    Realizing she had no other recourse, Annabelle finally flung herself into a nearby chair with a resigned sigh. The remainder of the staff worked on their respective assignments, and an hour later all the articles had been read, edited, and approved. Standing up, I stretched my arms up high above my head. A yawn escaped through my lips, and I rolled my kinked neck.
    Pulling out my phone, I shot off a text to my dad to see when he could pick me up. I had ridden to school with Skyler again, but I didn’t want to bother her to come back and pick me up. Man, I would be happy when my ankle was completely healed. It was feeling a little better today. I was able to put pressure on it and walk with more stability, so I was sure it would be better soon. By the time the response from Dad came the rest of the staff had left and it was only John, me, and Mr. Smith.
    Dad: Sorry, pumpkin. Still working. Will be there in 1 hr.
    I blew out a frustrated breath and shoved my phone into my pocket.
    “Need a ride home?” John asked.
    Sometimes John was annoying, but most of the time he was a nice enough guy. And we’d worked together on the paper for two years now. Still the idea of him driving me home made my skin crawl. The familiar prickle of fear tingled up my spine. “No, it’s okay.” After snatching my backpack off the floor, I slung it over my shoulder.
    “You sure?” He pressed.
    I nodded. “Yeah, my dad’s coming to get me.”
    “All right.” John turned off the