Page 23 of Snap

"He has a point," I admitted. "We really should be focusing on the game right now."

Bam gave me a look of mock alarm. "Hey, don't go all adult on us."

"Someone has to." I shrugged. I started towards the exit.

"Isn't that the coaches’ job?" Chase asked.

"Sometimes I don't know how you guys get out of the house in the morning with clean underwear," Hawk said.

"Who says it's clean?" Bam grinned.

I grimaced. "That is not something I need to know."

"Lighten up," Bam said. "You think Grace would let me out of the house in dirty underwear?"

"She's not your mother," I said.

"That's how we know Ollie's underwear is clean," Chase said. "Because his mum won't let him leave the house otherwise. Right, Ollie?"

"Exactly." I might as well humour them. If they were hassling me, they were leaving someone else alone. I didn't really mind it anyway.

"She even bleaches and irons them before she puts them away in my drawer. She folds them too." She didn't do any of those things. At least, I hoped she didn't. That would be weird.

"Of course she does." Chase nodded. "They have to be nice for your mystery girl."

"Yes, they do." I wasn't going to meet up with Rubie with dirty underwear. A guy had to have some pride.

We trudged through the exit and out to the room where the press would be waiting for us.

Of course, the first face I saw was Harvey Danbury. The reporter was notorious for stalking people like us, waiting to take embarrassing photos and dig up some dirt. He was exactly the kind of person I wanted to avoid. If he saw Rubie and me together, the whole world would know about it. I don't know who would hate that more, me or her. She didn't deserve to have her name dragged through the mud.

I kept my eyes away from Danbury and on the other reporters. I recognised most of them from press conferences throughout the season. Some were devoted Rapids fans, others were here to do their job.

Either way I did my best to treat them with respect. Any attitude from us, and they would drag the whole team through the mud, whether we deserved it or not.

Coach Quinn, the head coach, stepped up to field questions first.

Half-listening, I felt Danbury's eyes on me. I tried to ignore him but I found myself glancing at him without meaning to.

He narrowed his eyes on me, like he could sense a story just by looking.

I gave him a respectful nod, but that was all he'd get. I'd have to be careful around him. If he even suspected I was seeing someone, he'd probably turn up at my place, or follow me around.

No one said being famous didn't suck sometimes.

I turned away and focused on the coaches' praising of the team.

"I can virtually guarantee the Rapids will make the Down Under Bowl," he declared.

His words were met with a smattering of applause. Danbury just stood with the rest of the reporters, his eyes on me.

I smiled and pretended that I didn't suddenly feel like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.

CHAPTER 8

RUBIE

"You could at least have attended the game," Dad said. His tone was colder than ice cream. And obviously much less sweet.