Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Thoughts of seeing Riko tomorrow were enough to sour his mood. Neil buried his phone in the bottom of the bag and tried to think of nothing at all.
CHAPTER SIX
A lottery in July chose Blackwell University as host for the fall banquet. It was a relatively lucky draw for the Foxes since they were only four hours away, but none of them were feeling particularly good about it when they boarded the bus Saturday. They pulled onto the interstate with thirteen people on board: the Fox team, the two-man staff, and Aaron's and Nicky's dates.
Nicky was bringing Jim from his improv class and Aaron finally worked up the nerve to ask Katelyn. Neil didn't think much of it until he saw all the money changing hands between his teammates. Apparently Katelyn was the center of two bets between the Foxes: whether or not Aaron would ask her, and how Andrew would respond. The latter was what interested Neil more. Andrew was high on his drugs, but he didn't spare a single smile or hello for Katelyn. Andrew looked through her and around her like she wasn't even there.
The banquet was supposed to be a two-day event to justify the costs and travel time for the further teams, but the Foxes took a unanimous vote to leave Saturday night. Six hours spent socializing with teams who'd repeatedly and loudly mocked them in the news was more than enough. According to Dan few athletes were crude enough to start trouble at an ERC-sanctioned event, but Neil wasn't reassured. He wasn't worried about thirteen rowdy teams; he was worried about one awful man.
Neil tried keeping his cool, but Kevin started losing his the first time they passed a sign pointing out the way to Blackwell. Neil heard his short, ragged breaths as Kevin valiantly fought off a panic attack and it did nothing for Neil's nerves.
It wasn't just Riko Kevin was afraid of. In twenty minutes he'd be facing his entire former team. The Ravens' coach, Tetsuji Moriyama, took Kevin in after his mother died. He'd raised Kevin to be a star but never let Kevin forget he was just Riko's valuable property. Neil didn't know much else about him. The one time Kevin mentioned him he'd slipped and called him "the master". Neil didn't need to hear anything else after that.
Blackwell was slow to appear in the distance, but it didn't take long to spot the two stadiums. The football and Exy stadium were on opposite sides of the campus like massive bookends.
"Hey, hey," Andrew said, distracting Neil from the view. "You'll tear something if you keep breathing like that, Kevin."
Neil turned enough to look back. Andrew was standing up and leaning over Kevin's seatback, arms folded on the cushion so he could look down at Kevin's head. Kevin had a knee hugged to his chest and his face hidden in the fold of his arm. His knuckles were white where his hand was clenched into a fist. Neil didn't think it was the bus that was making Kevin shake like that.
"Look at me," Andrew said. "It'll be fine. You believe me, yes?"
"I believe you," Kevin said, muffled but noticeably strained.
"Liar." Andrew laughed and leaned forward a little to peer out Kevin's window.
They weren't the first team to arrive, but a quick count of buses said they weren't the last, either. Neil's stare inevitably went to the three black buses in the middle of the parking lot. The only hint of color on any of them was a splash of dark red around the silhouette of a raven. Wymack parked as far away from Edgar Allan's buses as possible.
Wymack took the key from the ignition, grabbed Abby's travel bag, and started down the aisle toward the back of the bus. "Off the bus," he said, and the upperclassmen obediently filed off as he passed. Aaron and Nicky waited for him to go by before ushering their dates out to the asphalt. Neil stayed where he was.
Wymack pulled a bottle of vodka out of the bag and put it down beside Kevin. "You have ten seconds to inhale as much of this as you can. I'm timing you. Go."
It was alarming how much a man could drink when he needed an emotional crutch. Wymack had to pry the bottle from Kevin's desperate fingers afterward. Kevin smeared a hand across his mouth and looked out the window. He couldn't see the Ravens' buses from this angle, but the sick look on his face said he didn't need to. Wymack sent Neil a significant look, and Neil gave up stalling. He left Kevin to their unorthodox care and got off the bus.
Abby had the storage doors open so they could get their change of clothes out. Nicky already had Neil's in hand and turned it over at Neil's approach. Neil tried not to crush wrinkles into it with his fingers.
Andrew led Kevin and Wymack off the bus. Wymack gave Abby her bag back, waited for Kevin and Andrew to get their clothes, and locked all of the bus's doors. Security guards at the gate watched their approach with interest and checked them off on a list. One stayed behind at the gate while the other escorted them to the locker room. Madison was using the home locker room to change right now, so the Foxes had to go all the way around to the away side.
By the time they were dressed, the alcohol had gotten a good hold on Kevin's system. He looked much steadier as he followed Andrew out of the dressing room. Judging by the nervous looks Nicky kept sending Kevin, Nicky wasn't convinced that calm would last. Neil had equally weak faith in Kevin's spine but he had to trust Andrew to be enough.
One of the gear closets in the main room had a printed PALMETTO STATE sign taped to the door. They locked their personal belongings in there and Wymack pocketed the key. Wymack did a quick head count and sent Kevin a measuring look. He said nothing but looked at Andrew. Andrew grinned in response. Wymack nodded and turned on Neil.