Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
"What's left of him, anyway," Wymack said. He ignored the piercing look Thea sent him and looked past her at Kevin. "I came so I could get her into the dorm, but she picked up a rental car at the airport. Catch a ride to Abby's with her so I can figure out what the hell is going on around here."
Thea hesitated a moment longer, then tugged out of Kevin's grip and gestured for him to follow. Wymack stepped aside so they could leave and watched them disappear down the hall. Neil knew they were out of sight when Wymack turned back toward the room. Wymack surveyed the mess Neil and Aaron had made of the place, their stuff in quasi-organized stacks all around the living room, and arched a brow at Andrew.
"I called Nicky before coming over to make sure you were here," Wymack said. "When he told me what Neil and Aaron were doing I thought he was fucking with me."
It wasn't a question, so Andrew only stared back at him in calm silence. Wymack pushed on after only a moment. "Dorm room applications are due in a few weeks. With nine men and six women on the line it's easiest for us to get five rooms of three. I'd prepared a speech to talk you into it, but I guess I wasted my time. I assume Nicky's the next-best person to take away from you?"
"You assume he'll survive until summer," Andrew said.
"You break him, you owe me a new defenseman," Wymack said.
"You have one at Abby's house."
Wymack shook his head. "Jean won't stay next year. I already suggested it, but he and Kevin know they can never play together again. There's too much between them, good and bad and ugly, for them to ever make things right. We'll figure out what to do with him eventually."
Neil considered that, then looked past Wymack at the door. "You don't think Kevin will tell Thea the whole truth, do you?"
"Unlikely," Wymack said. "We've got a lot of eyes on us now and most of them aren't friendly. I don't think he'll put her at risk like that."
Wymack waited a minute to see if Neil had anything else, then started to turn away. He only took one step before he turned back on them. "Oh, that reminds me." He dug something out of his pocket. Maybe he knew Andrew wouldn't spare the effort to catch it because he tossed it to the ground at Andrew's feet. Keys jangled as they hit the carpet, and Neil stared in disbelief. He couldn't be right, except last summer Wymack had given Neil three new keys, too: a set for all of the important doors at the Foxhole Court. Neil's suspicions were confirmed when Wymack said, "Kevin said to give you those."
He left without waiting for a response. Andrew considered the keys a minute longer before finally scooping them up and pocketing them. Neil knew better than to comment, but his heart was pounding as he turned back to his desk. He imagined a world wherein Andrew actually gave a damn about the game. He thought about four more years with the Foxes and a professional contract after that. He thought about fighting for a spot on the US Court and facing the best the world had to offer, Kevin at his side and Andrew at his back.
Daydreaming was almost too distracting, but eventually Neil got everything settled into his new room. It was still hours more before Kevin returned, and by then Neil was dozing on a textbook at his desk. The sound of the door opening woke him, and Neil sat up to study Kevin's relaxed expression. Neil assumed that meant he'd convinced Thea of Riko's role in Kevin's "accident".
Kevin didn't come far into the room but looked from Neil to where Andrew was half-buried in a beanbag chair. "Let's go."
Neil looked to Andrew, but he needn't have worried. Andrew got up without argument or comment, and they followed Kevin to the Foxhole Court.
-
The Trojans' and Foxes' stadiums were the same size, but USC's darker red-and-gold theme made the Trojan Court appear significantly smaller. Somehow that illusion did nothing to make the Foxes feel better about standing in the inner ring. They'd made sure to get here a half-hour before the doors opened, needing time to mentally steel themselves for the upcoming game. For now they were alone. In ninety minutes they'd take on the number-two team in the nation.
"Yeah," Matt said at last, the first one to speak since security let them in. "No problem."
Not even Kevin had something to say to that, but that might have been because Kevin was too busy soaking in the joy of being back on Trojan territory. His contented expression was at complete odds with the nerves and dread evident on his teammates' faces. Neil wanted to tell him to tone it down, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Kevin in a good mood.
The doors opened, letting the crowd in as an unending wave. Wymack ushered his Foxes back to the locker room. One of USC's staff stopped by not much later to give them a rundown on the night's outlook. The game was completely sold out, there were six news stations in attendance, and twelve recruiters from summer major leagues and pros would be watching. She had to know none of those representatives would be looking at the Foxes but she listed their cities and teams anyway.
"We don't have USC's line-up," Wymack said. "Any idea when we'll get that?"
"I'll see if I can get a copy," she promised. "Do you need anything else?"
"That's about it," Wymack said, so she left. As soon as the door closed behind her Wymack looked to Dan. "You and Kevin start thinking about what you're going to say in pre-game."
Dan rubbed hard at her arms, struggling to hold herself together and give her team a captain's unwavering confidence. "Does 'We're excited to be here' and 'We're going to do our best' cover pretty much everything?"