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)
"How about 'We're gonna own these losers'?" Nicky suggested.
"And that's why you're not allowed to talk to the press," Matt said dryly.
The locker room was built to accommodate much larger teams, so it was easy for the Foxes to spread out. They found breathing space wherever they could, needing a couple minutes to get their heads on straight before tonight's match. Neil didn't know how much it helped, but when the reporters showed up they were all out of time. Kevin and Dan offered polite praise for USC and promised an interesting match. Wymack saw the press out as soon as possible and sent his Foxes to get changed.
They reentered the inner court with thirty minutes until serve. The stands were packed all the way to the rafters, and the noise the fans made was a physical weight crushing Neil's skin against his bones. If the Foxes' arrival wasn't enough to set the fans into a frenzy, the sight of the Trojans' captain making his way toward the small team did the trick.
Jeremy Knox was dressed to go in everything but his gloves and helmet. He'd taken the Trojans' helm his junior year and did well enough to keep the position this year. Neil thought he'd come to size them up as the most unpredictable and unworthy contenders to ever set foot in his stadium, but Jeremy's serious expression dissolved to a toothy grin as soon as he spotted Kevin. Kevin slipped past Allison and Renee to meet him.
Jeremy had to pass Wymack to get to the Foxes, so he gave Wymack's hand a firm shake. "Coach Wymack, welcome to SoCal. We're excited to host you tonight. Kevin, you crazy fool," he said, less formally, and clapped Kevin's shoulder in cheery greeting. "You never cease to amaze. You've got a thing for controversial teams, I think, but I like this one much better than the last one."
"They're mediocre at best but they're easier to get along with," Kevin said.
"Same old Kevin, as unforgiving and obnoxious as always," Jeremy said, but his tone was fond. "Some things never change, hm? Some things do." His grin faded and he treated Kevin to a searching look. "Speaking of your last team, you, uh, you created quite a stir with that thing you said two weeks ago. About your hand, I mean, and it maybe not being an accident."
Two weeks later people were still talking about it, if a bit quieter than they had in the immediate aftermath. Kevin hadn't had anything else to say on the matter, and the Ravens maintained their innocence and outrage at the allegations. It was a stalemate that satisfied no one, but it was all anyone was going to get.
Kevin said nothing for a minute, as if debating how much he trusted Jeremy with, then only said, "I have a backliner for you. Do you have room on next year's line-up?"
It wasn't the answer Jeremy was expecting. Kevin walked Jeremy out of earshot of the Foxes before explaining. Jeremy's smile was long-gone by the time Kevin finished his pitch. Jeremy gestured expansively—between them, past Kevin at the court, and up over his head at the stands. Neil's first thought was he was refusing whatever truths Kevin was giving him. Then Kevin gave one of his rare real smiles, and Jeremy gave his shoulder a hard squeeze.
Jeremy held a folded piece of paper up. Instead of taking it Kevin walked him back to the Foxes. Jeremy turned it over to Wymack, who unfolded it and skimmed the printed list.
"Our line-up," Jeremy explained. "It's late to be getting it to you, I know, but we were trying to avoid as much of a backlash as possible."
"Backlash?" Dan asked.
Wymack handed her the sheet and watched her face go white. When she looked up at him again Wymack shook his head and turned on Jeremy. "Your pity's a little misplaced. Tell Coach Rhemann we don't want handouts."
"This isn't pity," Jeremy said. "We're doing this for us, not you. Your success this year has us rethinking everything about how we play. Are we second because we're talented or because we have twenty-eight people on our line-up? Are we good enough as individuals to stand against you? We have to know."
Kevin snatched the paper from Dan's hands and looked at it. Matt leaned over his shoulder to see and said, "You're joking. You're joking. You're not?" he asked with an incredulous look at Jeremy. Allison yanked hard on his sleeve, wanting an explanation, so Matt said, "There are only nine names on it."
"Two goalies, three backliners, two dealers, two strikers," Jeremy said. "You've made it this far with those numbers. It's time to see how we'd fare in that situation. I'm excited," he said, with another toothy smile. "None of us have ever played a full game before. Hell, most of us don't even play full halves anymore. We don't have to because the numbers are always in our favor."
"And you called me a crazy fool," Kevin said. "You'll lose tonight if you play like this."
"Maybe," Jeremy agreed, unconcerned. "Maybe not. Should be fun either way, right? I don't remember the last time I was this psyched for a game. Look at this." He held his hands out to them and laughed. "Bring it, Foxes, and we'll bring it too."
He left them staring after him, his head high and his smile honest. Neil thought he finally understood how the USC Trojans had won the Day Spirit Award eight consecutive years. That trophy was intended for the best sports in the game and required a unanimous vote from the ERC. The Trojans had never gotten a red card and never been caught on camera saying something rude about an opponent. Neil had assumed it was an act the same way people assumed Wymack's recruiting standards were a complicated publicity stunt.
"I take back what I said about earthquakes," Nicky said weakly. "I have a new favorite team."
"That was always the crucial difference between USC and Edgar Allan," Kevin said, handing the roster over to Dan again. "That's why more Trojans make Court than Ravens do. Both teams are obsessed with being the best, but only the Trojans would risk their standings to improve. They'll play tonight with everything they've got and they'll be better for it. Next year is going to be interesting."