Page 13

“I mean, like things lining up too neatly. Or working out in a way that’s too good to be true.”

Tara lightly tapped her finger against the steering wheel. “You’re looking for something.”

“I’m looking into what’s already there.”

She pulled a face that could only show that she wasn’t convinced, but that was okay. I had more than enough evidence in my arsenal to prove my point.

“Curry’s one of the top contenders in the conference,” I said as I turned my attention back to the bus. “They’ve got resources most programs don’t.”

“They’ve got history and a lot of money.”

“Exactly,” I said, pressing my pen into my notebook. “The money is where the problems begin.”

“Having money isn’t illegal.”

“No, but what people do with it often tends to be.”

For a good while Tara didn’t say anything, and I didn’t press her. I wanted her to actually start looking at the bigger picture before I bombarded her with information. This wasn’t an easy pill to swallow, so I knew I couldn’t just spew out all the information at once.

“Do you really think something like that is happening at Havenport?”

“I think on any team there’s always something going on. It’s just a matter of whether anyone is paying attention.”

“And you want to be that person?”

“Guys barely out of their teens are driving cars they shouldn’t be able to afford. And maintaining grades that don’t match the time commitments they have. It doesn’t add up.”

“Well,” Tara said skeptically. “If they can afford to go to a school like Curry, then they can probably afford nice cars too. Have you seen the tuition those guys charge?”

Yes, I had actually delved into that part too, and that led down a whole different rabbit hole with links and conspiracies of its own.

“That’s a generous interpretation of what’s going on,” I scoffed.

“It’s a realistic one.”

I shook my head. “Jocks and passing grades aren’t exactly known for being close friends.”

“Apparently neither are jocks and journalists.” Tara laughed.

I didn’t know if it was meant as a joke or a jab, but it didn’t matter either way because I didn’t appreciate either. What I was talking about was serious, and it deserved more than just being brushed off.

“I’m not here to make friends,” I said firmly.

“Good,” Tara said, sounding as serious as she had ever been. “Because so far you’re doing a great job of making enemies.”

I ignored her, even though I knew she was right. Not having friends had always been a constant in my life. Not everyone could understand me as a person, and I was fine with that. I also wasn’t going to change it just because someone thought I should.

We drove in silence for a good few miles because the entire atmosphere in the car had shifted, but one thing remained unchanged. The bus was still ahead of us, going at its usual slow and steady pace.

“You’re going to be around them a lot this season,” Tara eventually said.

“I know, and believe me, I’m not happy about it either.”

“I’m just saying, you might want to rethink antagonizing your sources.”

I flipped to a clean page in my notebook and said, “I’m not antagonizing anyone. All I’m doing is asking questions and people don’t have to like me for that.”

Tara stuck her tongue out slightly as she moved around the cars that had gotten between us and the bus. She seemed so focused and yet so chilled at the same time. It was easy to see why everyone got along with her.