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)
"You are going to be the absolute death of me," Nicky said. "Yeah, kid. We're friends. You're stuck with us, like it or not."
"If that's been settled," Wymack said from the doorway, "get your asses to the showers. You're dripping sweat all over my floor, you stink, and I have better things to do tonight than watch you powwow."
"Yes, Coach."
The Foxes split up to the changing rooms, but Neil carried the conversation with him to the shower. He stood under the spray and stared at his upturned palms. He wondered what it meant; he wondered if it could mean anything to someone like him. He had Riko right in front of him, his father's ghost behind him, and six months before Nathaniel laid "Neil Josten" to rest for good. Having friends wouldn't change anything.
But would it really hurt?
He didn't know. There was only one way to find out.
-
Thanksgiving came and went. Matt went home to his mother, Dan went to see her stage sisters, and Allison went with Renee. The upperclassmen asked Neil only once if he was going home for the holidays. They didn't ask why he was staying, and Neil didn't waste time coming up with a lie. He spent the five-day weekend at Fox Tower with Nicky, Kevin, and Aaron. They spent half the time on the court and the other half lazing about the dorm room.
Thanksgiving was spent at Abby's house. Wymack showed up, of course, and they spent the morning drinking coffee and watching the parade on TV. As soon as it was over it was time to get to work. Abby divvied chores up between all of her guests and put Wymack to work in the kitchen with her.
Dinner was ready mid-afternoon. When Nicky asked Neil what his favorite dish was, Neil could have lied and referenced any of the stereotypical foods he knew were associated with Thanksgiving. Instead he practiced a little bit of honesty and admitted he'd never celebrated Thanksgiving before. Holidays weren't a priority in his family. Nicky, of course, reacted like it was the most tragic thing he'd ever heard.
Neil didn't understand the appeal. When Nicky saw his unimpressed face, he said, "It's not really about the food. It's about family. Not necessarily the one we were born with, but the one we chose. This one," Nicky emphasized, gesturing between them. "The people we trust to be part of our lives. The people we care about."
"I'm trying to eat here," Wymack said.
"Coach doesn't have a sentimental bone in his body," Nicky told Neil. "I don't know what Abby sees in him. He must be really good in—"
"Another word and you're on dish duty," Abby said, and Nicky wisely shut up.
In the end clean-up was a group effort, since they'd pretty much destroyed Abby's kitchen in an attempt to make all the requisite dishes. Afterward they collapsed anywhere they fit in the den. Neil didn't think he'd eat again for at least a month, but somehow the others had room for wine. Nicky, who'd never seen Neil willingly imbibe alcohol, was still optimistic enough to offer Neil his glass.
"Even on a holiday?" Nicky asked when Neil refused.
"He's underage," Abby said.
"So are Aaron and Kevin, but you're not stopping them," Nicky pointed out.
"I'm not encouraging them, either," Abby said.
Kevin had watched the exchange where he was sitting against the entertainment center. When Nicky sighed and subsided, Kevin spoke up in French. "I will watch you. If you want to drink tonight," he added when Neil looked at him. "I won't let you say something you'll regret."
"You'll be drunk inside an hour," Neil said. "Then who'll stop me?"
Kevin gave him a cool look. "I would stop drinking."
"Rude," Nicky said, sitting up and looking between them. "What did you just say? I can't understand you. That's not fair."
"Think about that the next time you use German at my practices," Wymack said.
"That's different," Nicky complained. "I only see that look on Neil's face when someone tries to do something nice for him, but we all know Kevin's as bratty as they come. What did you say, Kevin, and do I need to defend Neil's honor or what?"
Kevin didn't waste his breath responding. Neil answered, but he meant the words more for Kevin than he did Nicky: "I'm fine. Thank you, though."
Kevin accepted that with a shrug and went back to drinking. Nicky looked between them again, realized he wasn't going to get an explanation, and subsided with a put-upon sigh. The room sank into comfortable silence. When they left Neil was almost too sleepy to drive, but he got them back to the dorm in one piece. Nicky tried to get Neil to stay with them, since they had an open bunk in their room and he didn't want Neil alone on a holiday, but Neil went back to his room alone.
The suite felt too big with only him in it. He figured his perspective was skewed after spending all day with so many people. Luckily he was too tired to dwell on it. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
-
Monday heralded the last week of their Exy season. The Foxes returned from their holiday break refreshed and ready to end the year on a triumphant note. They brought an almost savage energy to practices and burned themselves out against each other. Neil expected them to split up afterward and spend the evenings in their separate groups. Somehow they all ended up at the dining hall at the same time. Neil didn't know who orchestrated it. He didn't really care, because even though Aaron balked at the sight of the upperclassmen he didn't argue.
On Tuesday Katelyn tagged along, and on Wednesday they went downtown together as a large group: all eight remaining Foxes and four of the Vixens. There weren't a lot of places in the area that could accommodate a group that size, but their favorite local restaurant offered six-person booths across the aisle from each other. The cheerleaders were willing to split up two and two, but the Foxes' own seating arrangement was harder to figure out. The obvious solution was to follow the usual divide: upperclassmen in one booth and the cousins' lot in another.