her eyebrows. “You guys Facebook friends or something?”
Jessica snorted. “Thayer’s dating Teddy’s son, so she never shuts up about them.” She rolled her eyes. “The Wimberleys are rich too, obviously. They donated the money for the rest of this place.”
As Sadie watched the little group, Teddy turned his head toward them, sending a little jolt of electricity down the back of her spine. He murmured something in Cromwell’s ear, and then all three of them swiveled to look. Sadie nudged Jessica with an elbow.
“What?”
She pointed back toward the group, but the moment had passed. The men were talking with their heads bowed, and Cromwell was gesturing wildly with his glass. She watched as some of the liquid sloshed over the edge and onto the field.
“Oh I know — he probably started right after Chapel this morning. Now come on,” Jessica said, grabbing her arm and grinning as she pulled her toward the bleachers. “It’s time for your social debut.”
They found most of the team sitting in a lower section, sipping Diet Cokes and laughing with a group of guys in blazers. Brett introduced her to the Graff guys one by one, each of them standing up to firmly shake Sadie’s hand. Before she got to the last one, a tall guy who looked like he was probably born in tennis whites, Thayer popped up next to him and put a hand on his outstretched arm.
“This is my boyfriend, Phineas Everett Cranston the Fourth.” She emphasized the word “boyfriend,” tightly clutching his elbow.
Sadie shook his hand awkwardly, jostling Thayer’s claw up and down with it, and he smiled at her in a way that was almost a sneer.
“You can call me Finn.”
He casually knocked Thayer’s hand away, and it fluttered for a moment before settling on his shoulder instead.
“Finn’s the starting attacker on Graff’s team,” she said. “He’s already being recruited by Princeton, Virginia, and Harvard.”
“Wow, that is awesome,” Sadie said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “I’m dying to hear from Virginia, but it’s hard to get scouted in Portland.”
The sneer-smile widened. “So you’re the transfer. We’ve been hearing about you for months.”
Thayer huffed out a little puff of air and started dragging him toward the aisle.
“See you on the practice fields,” he said, winking back at her as they walked away.
Sadie wrinkled her nose and turned back to Jessica and Brett. “Guys wink here?”
Brett grinned. “Not the ones you should pay any attention to. Just ignore Finn. He and Thayer have been dating since, like, eighth grade. Most of the other lacrosse guys are pretty okay, though.” Her eyes wandered to one of the dark-haired guys on the bleachers. He caught her eye and smiled.
“Like Josh,” she added, her cheeks flushing red. “He’s taken though, too.”
“Ohh, he’s cute,” Sadie said. “How long have you guys been together?”
“We just started before the summer, but it’s really going pretty well.”
Jessica grinned. “What she means is, she’s totally freaking in love with him and has been since freshman year.”
Brett started to scowl, then broke. “Okay yeah, she’s right. But quit jinxing it. I don’t want him to know that.”
Jessica looked at Sadie and made a face. “You’re lucky you weren’t here last season. He would wait for her outside the locker room like a preppy little puppy every day after practice. It was gross.”
Brett tried to look annoyed, but Sadie could see a smile creeping across her face. Her cheeks were almost as red as her dress.
“Okay fine, we’re a little clingy. But I think it’s romantic.”
“Whatever, I think that’s great. I’d love it if a guy did that for me,” Sadie said. “The only thing my ex did for me was meet me at my locker and try to grope me before lunch.”
Brett laughed. “Well that guy sucks. There are plenty of options around here, you just have to be able to weed out the jerks. For example
Jessica snorted. “Thayer’s dating Teddy’s son, so she never shuts up about them.” She rolled her eyes. “The Wimberleys are rich too, obviously. They donated the money for the rest of this place.”
As Sadie watched the little group, Teddy turned his head toward them, sending a little jolt of electricity down the back of her spine. He murmured something in Cromwell’s ear, and then all three of them swiveled to look. Sadie nudged Jessica with an elbow.
“What?”
She pointed back toward the group, but the moment had passed. The men were talking with their heads bowed, and Cromwell was gesturing wildly with his glass. She watched as some of the liquid sloshed over the edge and onto the field.
“Oh I know — he probably started right after Chapel this morning. Now come on,” Jessica said, grabbing her arm and grinning as she pulled her toward the bleachers. “It’s time for your social debut.”
They found most of the team sitting in a lower section, sipping Diet Cokes and laughing with a group of guys in blazers. Brett introduced her to the Graff guys one by one, each of them standing up to firmly shake Sadie’s hand. Before she got to the last one, a tall guy who looked like he was probably born in tennis whites, Thayer popped up next to him and put a hand on his outstretched arm.
“This is my boyfriend, Phineas Everett Cranston the Fourth.” She emphasized the word “boyfriend,” tightly clutching his elbow.
Sadie shook his hand awkwardly, jostling Thayer’s claw up and down with it, and he smiled at her in a way that was almost a sneer.
“You can call me Finn.”
He casually knocked Thayer’s hand away, and it fluttered for a moment before settling on his shoulder instead.
“Finn’s the starting attacker on Graff’s team,” she said. “He’s already being recruited by Princeton, Virginia, and Harvard.”
“Wow, that is awesome,” Sadie said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “I’m dying to hear from Virginia, but it’s hard to get scouted in Portland.”
The sneer-smile widened. “So you’re the transfer. We’ve been hearing about you for months.”
Thayer huffed out a little puff of air and started dragging him toward the aisle.
“See you on the practice fields,” he said, winking back at her as they walked away.
Sadie wrinkled her nose and turned back to Jessica and Brett. “Guys wink here?”
Brett grinned. “Not the ones you should pay any attention to. Just ignore Finn. He and Thayer have been dating since, like, eighth grade. Most of the other lacrosse guys are pretty okay, though.” Her eyes wandered to one of the dark-haired guys on the bleachers. He caught her eye and smiled.
“Like Josh,” she added, her cheeks flushing red. “He’s taken though, too.”
“Ohh, he’s cute,” Sadie said. “How long have you guys been together?”
“We just started before the summer, but it’s really going pretty well.”
Jessica grinned. “What she means is, she’s totally freaking in love with him and has been since freshman year.”
Brett started to scowl, then broke. “Okay yeah, she’s right. But quit jinxing it. I don’t want him to know that.”
Jessica looked at Sadie and made a face. “You’re lucky you weren’t here last season. He would wait for her outside the locker room like a preppy little puppy every day after practice. It was gross.”
Brett tried to look annoyed, but Sadie could see a smile creeping across her face. Her cheeks were almost as red as her dress.
“Okay fine, we’re a little clingy. But I think it’s romantic.”
“Whatever, I think that’s great. I’d love it if a guy did that for me,” Sadie said. “The only thing my ex did for me was meet me at my locker and try to grope me before lunch.”
Brett laughed. “Well that guy sucks. There are plenty of options around here, you just have to be able to weed out the jerks. For example
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