Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
“Tell me what’s new,” Jeremy said. “How’s the team?”
“Dreadful as always,” was the sour response. “But they are twice as worthless off the court as they are on it, so I will suffer them for two more years.”
Jeremy felt compelled to say, “It wouldn’t hurt to cut them some slack, you know? They are your teammates.”
Kevin waved that aside with an impatient hand. “That makes their countless failings less forgivable, not more. The Foxes have always known how little I think of them; I will not sugarcoat facts to spare their feelings.”
“A boring broken record,” Andrew said. “They’ll learn to tune you out like I did.”
Kevin flipped down the mirror on his visor to give Andrew an arch look, and there was a heated accusation in his, “You tried,” that had Jeremy glancing at his rearview mirror. He studied the cool expression on Andrew’s face, wondering what he was missing, but at last Andrew looked away. Kevin snapped his visor back into place with a smug smile.
“You’re very good,” Jeremy said over his shoulder, hoping to ease the new tension in the car.
Kevin nodded. “He will be Court.”
Jeremy glanced back once more to see what Andrew thought of that assessment, but the goalkeeper appeared unmoved. He was gazing out the window like he’d already checked out of the conversation, and Jeremy idly wondered if that boredom was real or an attempt at modesty. If it was anyone else in his backseat he would’ve gone with the latter, but he’d heard enough rumors about Andrew over the last couple years he hesitated. It should be impossible for someone with such a phenomenal reputation to care so little, but Jean was equally complicated.
“Jean hates Exy, too,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter,” Kevin said. “He has no choice but to play.”
“For two more years,” Jeremy agreed. “I wonder what he’ll do after graduation?” He waited a few moments to see if Kevin would speculate with him, but of course Kevin had nothing to add. Jeremy let it slide and said instead, “He thinks we have a real chance to take first place this year.”
It worked like a charm. Kevin latched onto the new topic with enthusiasm, and they spent the rest of the ride picking through the list of potential contenders to the throne. There were only two schools in USC’s home district that posed any threat during the fall season, and neither one could do enough damage to keep the Trojans from making championships. Getting to the finish line was not the problem; it was only at the very end that the Trojans choked year after year.
The Ravens were an unknown factor now that they were self-destructing, but Jeremy wasn’t quite ready to write them off. They’d been on top of the world for too long to give up now. Surely they would find a way to pull together and salvage their reputation, if only to spite those who celebrated their overdue comeuppance.
Penn State was an obvious threat, but the Foxes were the biggest question mark where Jeremy was concerned. Wymack might have caved to pressure to recruit a larger team this year, but he would never change his recruiting policies. Whether last year’s unprecedented synchrony could survive six new tumultuous teenagers was anyone’s guess.
“Only if Neil develops a tolerable personality,” Kevin said when Jeremy asked, and Jeremy tried to pass a laugh as a cough. The sidelong look Kevin sent him said he wasn’t fooled, but Kevin didn’t waste his time being offended. “The freshmen have united against him, even that pathetic excuse of a striker he fought so hard for. If he can’t win their respect, the Foxes might as well throw their racquets in the trash.”
Jeremy filed that important insight away for later but only said, “Speaking of Neil, I’m surprised he didn’t come with you. Not that we’re not happy to have you,” he added over his shoulder at Andrew, “but I assumed he’d want to visit Jean again.”
It took him a minute to realize he’d said something wrong. He made it past another exit before realizing Kevin was staring at him. Jeremy studied his curiously blank expression and realized he’d finally gotten Andrew’s undivided attention.
Jeremy forced his gaze back to the road, bewildered. “Is it something I said?”
“What do you mean, visit Jean again?” Kevin asked.
“What do you mean, what do I mean?” Jeremy returned. “He was here in June.”
Kevin twisted in his seat to stare at Andrew. Jeremy risked a glance at the rearview mirror, but Andrew was gazing out the window again with a distant look on his face. Kevin gave him a few moments to come up with something before settling in his chair with a curse. He had his phone out and at his ear a moment later. Whoever he was calling picked up within a couple rings, and Kevin tore into them in furious French.