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 were quiet for a minute, then started arguing amongst themselves again. Finally they put it to vote, and they voted in favor of Neil.
"Thank you," Wymack said, in a tone that clearly said he was more annoyed by their pigheadedness than grateful for their support. "Now that that's finally settled, there's something else I need to say so long as I have you all with me. You should hear this from me before you see it on the news."
"What now?" one of the Trustees asked.
"It's recently come to my attention that I have a son," Wymack said. He kept his tone and expression even, but he looked tense in his chair. "I'm scheduling a paternity test now that we're back on campus only because I want the paperwork on file."
"Congratulations," someone said, more obligatory than anything else.
Wymack opened his mouth, closed it, and tried again. "It's Kevin Day."
The silence that followed was profound. At last someone managed, "It's what?"
"He told me last week. He was—inspired," Wymack said after a brief search for words, "by Neil's situation to come clean with me. I'm telling you now because he plans on making it public this week. We're going to use it to help combat the negative press surrounding Neil. I'd like to state for the record that this discovery will have no impact on my coaching."
"Noted," a woman said, sounding uncertain, right before another argument broke out. This one was shorter, mostly centered on how the school was going to publicly react to the news. Finally everything was squared away and the conference drew to a close. As each person hung up the line beeped to indicate people dropping out. Whittier waited until he heard all nineteen before releasing the conference.
"That was unexpected," Whittier said, with a long look at Wymack. Neil thought he was looking for a sign that Wymack had been sitting on this secret for years instead of a week.
Wymack had no problems interpreting that stare, but instead of declaring his innocence Wymack simply said, "I am his coach first."
Whittier shook his head. "Speaking president to coach, that's exactly what I want to hear and I expect you to keep your word. Speaking Chuck to David, I'm sorry. That couldn't have been an easy discovery."
"Thank you," Wymack said after a moment.
Whittier got to his feet and walked them to the door. Wymack gave Neil a ride back to the dorm. Neil spent it staring out the window and wondering if he should say anything. In the end he decided to trust Abby and Dobson to keep an eye on Wymack. He settled for a hollow "Thanks" when Wymack dropped him off at the back curb, and he didn't look back before heading inside.
-
Monday meant classes, though Neil would have happily stayed in bed at the dorm. His injuries drew more lingering stares than he could stomach and a couple classmates were bold enough to press him for gossip. There was no point lying about it, but no one said Neil had to tell the truth either. He warded off all of their questions with an insistent, "I don't want to talk about it," that got louder every time someone ignored that warning.
When the bell sounded at the end of his last class, the relief Neil felt was almost crippling. He all but bolted from the classroom and followed the crush of rowdy students out of the building and down the stairs. He made it ten steps away from the building before someone stopped in his path. Neil was used to dodging bodies on campus, so he neatly sidestepped and kept going. The man spoke on Neil's way by.
"You will stop."
Neil didn't really think he was being addressed, but looking back was instinctive. He regretted it immediately and rocked to a startled stop. The man who'd spoken was Japanese, older than the oblivious students that flowed past them but dressed casually so as not to stand out. He considered Neil like Neil was the bane of his existence and gestured, not an invitation but an order.
"We are leaving."
Neil almost asked where they were going but thought better of it at the last second. He followed the stranger to the library parking lot. A car idled at the curb and Neil got in the backseat when someone inside opened the door for him. His escort slammed the door behind him and got in the passenger seat.
No one said a word. Neil stared out the window, keeping track of where they were going in case he needed to find his way back, but he didn't have long to wonder. They took him to the construction site on the far side of campus. Neil saw parked cars and idle equipment but no workers. Enough of the new dorm's exterior was up now that they were likely busy inside, but Neil would have preferred some witnesses.
There was only one other car parked out back. The driver pulled up alongside it and killed the engine, but no one moved. Neil got the hint after a minute of tense silence and got out. The door opposite him was unlocked. He opened it but hesitated halfway into the car when he saw who was waiting for him.
At first glance, Ichirou Moriyama didn't look like much. His black silk suit spoke of excessive wealth, but his youthful features undermined that pretentiousness. He only had a couple years on Neil to start with and genetics made him look even younger. He was just another hopeful businessman, maybe, another rich kid CEO living life in the vertical fast lane. Neil was fooled for all of one second: the moment it took him to meet Ichirou's eyes across the backseat.
This man was not like Neil's father, with his temper and thugs and ugly reputation. He was not like Riko, with his selfish cruelty and childish tantrums. This was a man who could hold both of them in check with a glance, a man who'd been raised to rule. He was the Moriyamas' power in living, breathing form, and with his father's death he sat alone and untouchable on its throne.