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)
They found Abby and Wymack seated at the kitchen table. Dishes on the counter and crumpled napkins on the table said they'd just finished lunch. Abby cleared away the mess and took Kevin down the hall to wherever Jean was resting. Neil looked to Wymack, searching for the lingering trauma of Kevin's confession. Wymack's calm mask was fool-proof. That didn't stop Dan from staring like she could see through him.
"Consensus?" Wymack asked when they heard a door shut.
"He can hide with us until he's better," Dan said. "What he does after that is up to him."
Wymack nodded. "Neil, the board knows you were coming back today."
"They want to talk," Neil said, not really a question.
"They told me to call them as soon as you returned," Wymack said. "Have you returned?"
It was tempting to take that subtle offer and hide a bit longer, but Neil was out of time. Spring break was over. Classes started up again tomorrow and his classmates would have heard the news a week ago. In a day or two Neil would have to face the press and confirm everything they'd already figured out. Inexplicably Neil wondered how Coach Hernandez reacted to the news. He wondered if reporters had called him looking for insight. His former teammates no doubt had plenty to say. Small towns grew up on gossip.
"Yeah," Neil said. "I'm back."
Wymack stepped out to make the call.
Abby came back alone and looked around at the team. "Jean can't handle this many guests."
"We were just dropping Renee and Kevin off," Matt said.
Abby settled back into her chair and looked around at the Foxes. "Renee said the cabin was lovely."
They fell over themselves to describe the cabin's highlights to her. Aaron had little to contribute, but he at least looked like he was paying attention to the conversation. They'd only just started telling her about the horseback riding when Wymack came back. He stopped in the doorway instead of heading for his chair. Neil took the hint and headed for him. Andrew stayed behind like Neil knew he would; Kevin needed Andrew more than Neil did today.
Charles Whittier, the president of Palmetto State University, lived in an oversized house near the front gates to campus. Wymack and Neil followed the stone sidewalk around the building to the door, and Neil hung back while Wymack rang the bell. Wymack had called ahead, so Whittier answered almost immediately.
"Chuck," Wymack said in lieu of hello.
"Coach," Whittier said, but he was looking past Wymack at Neil. "Come in."
They passed a living room that could fit Wymack's entire apartment and a conference room bigger than Neil's dorm suite. Whittier's office was in the back of the house near the kitchen. He gestured for them to take their seats and closed the door behind them. His desk was cleared off of everything except a computer and phone, but a tray on a nearby filing cabinet held glasses of iced tea. He passed two to Wymack, who handed one off to Neil, and took his own to his chair. Neil held on to his drink like it'd give him the courage he needed for this.
Whittier was still looking at him like Neil would explode in another minute, but at length he said, "Let's begin."
He tapped his mouse button, and a second later his phone rang. An automated voice welcomed them to the conferencing system. After Whittier keyed his access code in the voice stated, "There are twenty callers connected including you," and a series of loud beeps followed as everyone was linked in.
"This is Whittier," Whittier said. "I have Coach David Wymack and—Neil Josten," he said after a brief hesitation and a glance at Wymack, "here with me. Who do we have signed on already?"
They went down the list, offering names and titles. Neil felt like the entire administration department had shown up for this call; the people checking in ranged from Student Affairs to Alumni Relations to all eleven members of the Board of Trustees. Once everyone was introduced and accounted for, Whittier got them started.
What followed was one of the longest hours of Neil's life. It was quickly obvious this wasn't the first call they'd had since Neil's truth came out; they were picking this conversation up from the last time they'd spoken and they referenced Wymack's last arguments. Neil was given time to present his case, and Wymack staunchly vouched for him when the Board peppered him with questions and demands.
When they were done with him they switched to fighting amongst themselves. They debated the risks of keeping Neil around but were equally interested in the publicity: how would they look for releasing him at the end of the year versus how they would look for standing with him. Neil wanted to remind them he was still listening in on the call. Instead he counted to ten and drank his tea. Wymack wasn't any happier about their callous calculations, and he tolerated it for only a few more minutes.
"Look," he broke in, ignoring Whittier's gesture to stay out of it. "Look," he said again, louder, when the others kept talking over him. Wymack gave them a couple seconds then started talking loudly anyway. "Since day one you've questioned every single decision I've made. Time and time again I've proven that I always know what's best for this team—both for the players and for the school's interests. Haven't I?
"This should be an easier call than signing off on Andrew was," Wymack pushed on without waiting for their agreement. "With Andrew I asked you to have faith and patience because I knew it'd take time before you saw your endorsement pay off. This time the results are already in. You've reaped the benefits of Neil's presence since August.
"Neil is a critical member of my team," Wymack said, stabbing his finger against the desk for emphasis. "You can ask any person on my line-up and they will all agree: we would not be where we are today if he wasn't here with us. And where we are today is on the cusp of finals. We are four games—four!—from being NCAA champions. We are on the verge of being the first team in the nation to best the Edgar Allan Ravens. We have a line-up that will graduate to pros and Court. We are reshaping the way everyone thinks about Palmetto State's Exy program. Taking Neil off the team won't save face and it sure as hell isn't the smart decision. It will backfire so hard you'll never want to see a reporter again."