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)
Andrew's car looked like an entirely new monster as Neil approached it. He was feeling well enough to sit in back with Nicky and Aaron, but Kevin followed them in before Neil could suggest it.
In the time it took them to get from the dorm to the car and the car to the stadium, the Foxes were soaked. Allison hadn't bothered with an umbrella this time but had a second raincoat over her head to protect her newly-redone hair and makeup. She was dryer than any of them but she was still swearing at the weather as she stalked into the lounge. Wymack tolerated their rowdy arrival with his usual lack of patience and herded them down the hall to pack their gear.
They took the team bus to the airport because it was cheaper to leave one car in the garage than three. Being back at Upstate Regional made Neil think about his trip to West Virginia, so he focused on his teammates to keep his thoughts from spiraling down dark circles. It was a near-miss, at least until Wymack sent a searching look his way. Neil glanced at Wymack and chose not to think about Riko. Instead he thought about his homecoming, of Wymack dropping everything to pick him up and Wymack holding him together when he almost broke. The tightness in Neil's chest eased a little and he nodded an okay to Wymack's silent question.
They made it through check-in and security in good time and set off down the terminal in search of their gate. They were almost at the end, past the restrooms and a dozen shops. A cafe was halfway down, and the smell of coffee and warm pastries was almost enough to distract them. Wymack kept them in line with rude language and half-hearted threats.
The Vixens had beaten them to the airport and were camped out at the gate. Neil looked past them to the electronic sign about the desk. It read "Atlanta – 1:20pm", so the airline wasn't expecting a delay despite the weather. Neil chose to believe it only because their plane was already waiting outside.
The Foxes scattered at Wymack's okay, half of them to look out the window and the rest to dump their carry-ons on whatever empty chairs they could find. It took Neil only a moment to realize Andrew hadn't budged. Neil looked back at him, but Andrew was staring out the far window. Neil followed his gaze and watched a plane rocket down the runway.
The others weren't close enough anymore to overhear, so Neil said, "When you said you were afraid of heights, you were joking, right?" He gave Andrew a moment to answer, then tried again. "Andrew, you can't be. What were you doing on the roof?"
Andrew didn't answer immediately, but the tilt of his head to one side said he was thinking about it. Neil didn't know if he was searching for words or just figuring out which ones he wanted to give Neil in explanation. Finally Andrew lifted a hand to his own throat and felt for his pulse. He tapped his finger along when he found it. It was going faster than it should. Neil blamed it on Andrew's surroundings.
"Feeling," Andrew said at last.
"Trying to remember fear, or trying to remember how to feel anything at all?" Neil asked, but Andrew didn't answer. Neil tried a different tactic. "If it makes you feel better, fewer than twenty planes crash every year and it's not always due to the weather. Sometimes pilots are just unreliable. I'm sure it's a quick death either way."
Andrew's hand went still. "What was his name?" He looked to Neil, who frowned confusion at him, and said, "Your father. What was his name?"
It almost knocked the breath out of him. Neil didn't want to answer, didn't want that name out in the air between them, but it was Andrew's turn in their game. He didn't have the right to refuse. He tried to take a little comfort in it, because Andrew wouldn't hit this low unless Neil's taunt had gotten to him, but Neil couldn't quite manage. He looked to the Foxes, made sure they were still out of earshot, and stepped closer to Andrew anyway.
"Nathan," he said at last. "His name was Nathan."
"You don't look like a Nathan."
"I'm not," Neil said through the stones in his throat. "I'm Nathaniel."
Andrew considered him a minute longer, then turned away without another word and went back to watching the runways. Neil retreated, needing breathing room to get that sick ache out of his veins. Nicky waved wildly to get his attention and motioned for Neil to join him. As soon as Neil was close enough Nicky slung a careful arm around his shoulders.
"Blatant favoritism," Nicky said. "You know he's said maybe ten words to me since we picked him up from Easthaven? I'd be jealous if I wasn't so against dying young. But anyway, we've got some time before takeoff. Want to come with us and grab some coffee?"
They ended up taking half the team and several of the Vixens with them to the cafe. Nicky said they were good on time, but none of them had counted on how slow the line would move. By the time they all made it back to their gate with their drinks, their flight was already boarding.
Neil kept a keen eye on Andrew as they joined the line, waiting for him to hesitate. Maybe Andrew noticed the attention, because he followed his teammates onto the plane with a bored look on his face. The act lasted up until they were all in their seats and the attendants were going through the safety features on the plane. The only thing Andrew had brought onto the plane with him was a pen. He turned it over and over in his hands while the attendants demonstrated how to use the on-board oxygen masks. Kevin, sitting between Neil and Andrew, didn't even bat an eye. Neil guessed he was used to Andrew being restless. Neil only knew what that fidgeting meant because Andrew had told him the truth when Neil asked what he was afraid of.