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)
Before getting up, though, he said, "I really want to know when Coach figured this out."
"It isn't a 'this'," Andrew reminded him.
Neil didn't roll his eyes, but it was a near thing. "I really want to know when Coach figured out that you want to kill me only ninety-three percent of the time."
"He didn't know before I left," Andrew said.
But he'd known as soon as Andrew returned, it seemed. Neil remembered Wymack's sly trick at practice in January, when he'd used Neil to rein Andrew in. Neil hadn't even known then, so it wasn't like he could have slipped up when he was with Wymack for New Year's. Neil thought back, looking for the first hint that Wymack suspected something was going on with them, and straightened a bit in startled realization.
"Yes, he did," Neil said. Last November Neil put Andrew's hand to his ravaged skin and asked Andrew to believe in him. Somehow Wymack had seen right through Neil's crushing guilt and Andrew's grudging trust. It was more than a little unsettling. "When they took you away he asked me when 'that' happened. I just didn't know then what he meant. How did he see it when Aaron and Nicky still can't?"
"Coach doesn't care for rumors and bias," Andrew said. "He sees what is, not what people want him to see."
Like he'd seen through Andrew's supposed dysfunction, Neil guessed. Aaron and Nicky, on the other hand, still believed Andrew was a borderline sociopath incapable of having normal human relationships. Nicky put money on Renee and Andrew because everyone else did, but even he admitted he didn't want it to work out.
"Are you ever going to tell them?" Neil asked.
"I won't have to," Andrew said as he slid out of his seat. Neil would have reached out to stop him, wanting to hear the rest of that, but Andrew wasn't leaving. Instead he helped himself to the other half of Neil's seat. Neil turned to face him as Andrew explained. "Renee says the upperclassmen are betting on your sexuality. They're split down the middle."
Matt had said they were betting on Neil, but this wasn't what Neil expected them to be putting money on. He floundered a moment, unsure how to react, but said at last, "It's a waste of time and money. They'll all lose. I've said all year I don't swing and I meant it. Kissing you doesn't make me look at any of them differently. The only one I'm interested in is you."
"Don't say stupid things."
"Stop me," Neil returned. He buried his hands in Andrew's hair and tugged him in for a kiss. It was easy to forget this endless ride and tonight's game with Andrew's hand on his thigh and teeth on his lip. Andrew pulled away too soon and got to his feet. Neil knew this wasn't the time or place, but that didn't stop him from feeling cheated.
They finally got off the bus and went inside for drinks. Wymack only let his team wander for a couple minutes before shepherding them across the parking lot back to the bus. The rest of Andrew's lot stayed up front for the last few hours. Neil stole Kevin's seat again but couldn't think of anything to say. The silence was surprisingly comfortable, so he propped his head against the window and napped the last hours away.
The Binghamton University campus was decked out in green and white for the night's game, and the stadium parking lot was packed with more people than cars. If there were any Fox fans in the crowd, Neil couldn't find them. Police were on hand in reflective vests, directing traffic and monitoring alcohol use. Neil studied the tailgating parties they passed. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. The Bearcats beat the Tornadoes last week seven to six and were ready for another victory tonight.
Nevada had fourteen points for round three, and the Foxes currently stood at eight. To proceed to next round's death match, they had to get at least seven points tonight. The Bearcats were a better-balanced team than Nevada was, but the Foxes were cautiously optimistic. They'd had a great game against Nevada and a week off to rest, and Nicky was back on the court with them tonight.
Guards opened the gate for Abby to drive through, and she parked alongside the Bearcats' buses. Wymack ushered his team off, counted heads as they disembarked, and got the storage compartment open. They unloaded the gear and let campus police escort them out of the parking lot and to the door. They had the better part of an hour to kill before they were allowed in the inner ring for warm-ups. Neil spent it reading and rereading the Bearcats' line-up. When Kevin caught him at it he took the papers away and gave him a verbal review instead. He might be mad at Neil still, but the game was more important than their fight.
Neil followed his teammates onto the court for first serve. He thought about USC and Edgar Allan and let his grim determination give him speed and strength. He threw himself against the Bearcats' defenses again and again, pushing himself to the edge of exhaustion and coming dangerously close to getting carded more than once.
At halftime Wymack threatened to skin him alive if he picked up a red card, but Dan nodded encouragement as soon as Wymack moved on. She understood what Neil did: no one could afford to scale it back yet. They were two points behind going up against a fresh line-up. So long as they scored three points this half, they'd advance, but Neil didn't want to lose tonight. He'd promised the Foxes they weren't going to lose any games this spring. For once Neil didn't want to be lying.
A warning bell urged them back to court, and starting line-up took their spots by the door. Aaron and Andrew were the last two in line, but Aaron shifted out of the way at Neil's approach. Neil barely noticed. He knew the last minute to second half was ticking down on the screens overhead because the stands were in an uproar. He was dimly aware of the court to his left and his tense teammates lined up behind him. The only thing that really mattered was Andrew, who stood unaffected by all of this chaos.