Quinn groaned. "Oh, now you've brought it up. The least you could have done was wait until we had coffee."
I let her crawl out of bed and check her phone. Her lips did not form the nervous pucker they normally did. Her calm expression seemed immune to her parents' messages.
I pulled on a pair of jeans and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. Quinn dressed and joined me, an easy smile playing around her lips.
"I'm glad to see you're not letting your parents get to you," I told her.
"I don't think they've noticed I'm gone yet," she said. "I've got running clothes in the car. I'll change before I go home."
I shook my head. "I don't want you to have to sneak around. That doesn't feel right."
"I won't. Just this morning. I've got a new plan, but like my mother pointed out, it needs to be fully formed before I present it."
"Is that why you're so relaxed?" I asked. "And here I thought it was me. So, what's the new plan? Want to bounce some ideas off me?"
Her smile was radiant. I spilled coffee grounds on the counter. As I swept them to the floor with my hand, she settled onto a stool at the kitchen island.
"I've found something I'm good at, something I can do all on my own. I'm done letting my parents hold my college classes over my head," Quinn said. "This is something I can do just for myself and it will make me independent."
"No clues?" I asked. "It’s no fair to make that kind of declaration and leave it a mystery. At least tell me where the idea came from?"
"No," Quinn said. "You'll get jealous, and it’s just not a good look on you."
I narrowed my eyes. "Alright, I'm already jealous, so now you have to tell me."
Quinn tossed her hair and laughed. "Maybe. Let me just enjoy this for a little bit."
I faked a scowl at her and reached for my ringing phone. "Sorry, I have to grab this. It’s my manager. Don't worry, I fully intend to interrogate you after this call."
"I'm glad you're awake, Owen. We need to talk," my manager said.
"So, talk, Tanner. What's up?" I turned on the coffee maker and walked over to the windows.
"It’s all over the chat rooms – there were cops at your place. People are saying you got busted for drugs, and this was not the first time," Tanner said. "What do you need to tell me?"
"Someone is after me, or messing with me. The cops showed up with a search warrant, but they left empty-handed. I'm clean, so I don't know what is going on."
"You're clean? You're telling the truth?" Tanner asked.
"Yes. You know me. Now, what I need to know is who started the rumor," I said.
"I don't have time for you to go all hacker all over the chat rooms," he objected. "You've got to go in for a voluntary drug test. And I mean today. Like now. We've got to do damage control."
"Really?" I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Yes, really. Your sponsors don't want any drug use tied to them or their products. And you risk losing your spot in the big Dark Flag tournament," Tanner said. "The whole industry fights hard to get distance from the pot-smoking player images."
"Me too. I'm the one being harassed by the police for that very reason," I said. "Listen, what if I start speaking out about it? Like interviews and blog articles?"
"Not bad, not bad. But it’s time to take a drug test and get a lawyer. No more cops at your place. Find out where it’s coming from," Tanner said.
He hung up and I went back to the kitchen. Quinn handed me a full mug of coffee.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Oh, sure, yeah. I might lose my sponsors and my spot in the Dark Flag tournament. And I have to go and take a drug test today."
Quinn put a hand on my cheek. "What can I do?"