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)
"You know," Matt started, but Dan turned the volume back on before Matt could finish. He grinned at her, amused instead of offended, and let it drop.
Halftime was over a few minutes later, and the Trojans and Lions went back at it with new line-ups and terrifying skill. Another point from USC took a little of the tension from Kevin's shoulders, but he didn't relax until USC finally won. With an astounding thirty-seven goals between their three round-three games, the Trojans were following the Ravens to the second set of death matches.
"You could look less happy about this," Nicky said when he saw Kevin's satisfied smile. "We're going to have to face them."
"They worked for this," Kevin said, with a cool look in Neil's direction.
Dan rolled her eyes and cut the TV off, and the Foxes finally called it a night.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Unfortunately for the Foxes, Binghamton University was less than eight hundred miles from home. It was considered too close to waste money on airfare, so they were out of bed by five and on the road before six. Between lunch, unavoidable bathroom breaks, and the rush hour traffic they were sure to hit on the way up the coast, it was destined to be a long ride. Neil didn't even have any schoolwork to distract himself, as they'd just survived a week of midterms. Next week was spring break, so none of Neil's teachers had sent him home with assignments.
At the four-hour mark the upperclassmen made a strident case to upgrade the bus next season with a TV. Wymack feigned not to hear them, but he couldn't tune them out forever. Finally he promised to look into it if they won finals. The Foxes knew Wymack-speak well enough to know it was a "yes" no matter how this season ended. It didn't help their boredom today, but it was something to look forward to for next year.
Six hours in, they stopped for an early lunch, and Dan got Kevin talking about the Binghamton Bearcats on the way across the parking lot. Kevin hesitated in the aisle, torn between arguing the merits of the night's opponents with his teammates and staying within Andrew's protective circle. His indecision effectively blocked the Foxes' foot traffic, since he'd been second onto the bus behind Andrew. It took Andrew only a minute to realize he'd lost Kevin. He gave a dismissive gesture, so Kevin slid into the seat behind Dan and Matt. Aaron and Nicky claimed the bench right behind him. Neil doubted they were that interested in what Kevin had to say; it was more likely they were bored out of their skulls and desperate to socialize.
There was an open spot on Kevin's bench, plenty of room for Neil to join them. Kevin wasn't saying anything he and Neil hadn't gone over at their night practices, but Neil should still listen and glean whatever advice he could. Besides, it wouldn't take long for Nicky to pull the conversation off-course and the Foxes would be a good distraction from this endless ride.
Staying up here with them, though, meant leaving Andrew alone for the second half of the trip. Neil knew he likely wouldn't notice or care that he'd been abandoned, but for some reason the thought rankled him. Neil had spent his entire life drifting by on the outskirts, looked over and looked past. It'd made him happy, or so he'd thought, because being ignored meant he was safe. He hadn't realized how lonely he was until he met the Foxes.
"Neil?" Dan asked when she saw Neil wasn't moving.
Kevin frowned at Neil like he had no honest idea why Neil wasn't already sitting down with him. For a moment Neil felt trapped, stuck between what he wanted and what he needed, what he'd never have or be and what he had but couldn't keep. It sent an unexpected bolt of panic through his chest and Neil jerked his gaze away.
When he started for the back of the bus, Kevin tried to call him back with an annoyed, "Get back here."
Neil didn't look at him or slow. "No."
The seat cushion creaked and Kevin's shoe hit the floor with a too-heavy thud. Neil knew Kevin was coming after him, sick of Neil's distractions and back-talking, but a half-second later Kevin snapped at someone to let go of him. Neil knew neither Aaron nor Nicky would have thought to intervene. Matt was the likeliest defender, but Neil didn't care enough to look back and confirm it.
Kevin settled for fussing at Neil in French: "Remember that you gave me your game. You don't have the right to walk away from me when I am trying to teach you."
"I gave my game to you so we could get to finals," Neil sent back, "but you said yesterday you don't expect us to make it there. You've given up on us, so I'm taking my game back. I don't owe you anything anymore."
"Stop acting like a spoiled child. Tonight's game rides on how well you and I perform. You need to hear this more than anyone does."
"I've heard it all before," Neil said. "Leave me alone."
Neil claimed Kevin's abandoned seat, second from the back and right in front of Andrew's. Dan only waited a couple seconds to see if anything else was forthcoming before prodding Kevin's attention back to their aborted conversation. It took a few tries before Kevin stopped fuming long enough to cooperate. Neil waited until they started speaking before pulling his phone out of his pocket.
Every night since his real birthday he'd gotten a number texted to him. Today's sobering "0" had arrived during lunch. Neil didn't know what to make of it or what to expect next. It was as anticlimactic as it was nerve-wracking. He wanted to erase the message as he had every single one before it, but when his phone prompted him for confirmation he snapped the phone closed instead. He put his phone away again, turned backward in the seat, and pushed up onto his knees to look down at Andrew.