The Raven King (All for the Game Book 2)
The Raven King: Chapter 13

Nicky’s bedroom door was unlocked, so Neil let himself in without knocking. Nicky and Kevin were on Andrew’s bed, but they weren’t speaking to each other. Kevin sat rigid and silent at the foot of the bed and Nicky was stretched out on his back down the middle. Neil looked from one haggard face to the other, then set his racquet off to one side and closed the door. Kevin’s stare went immediately to the racquet. Nicky didn’t notice, too busy staring at the ceiling.

Neil sat on the bed between them. It was pointless to ask if Nicky was all right; anyone with eyes could see he wasn’t. The best he came up with was an insubstantial, ‘Hey.’

‘We shouldn’t have come here,’ Nicky said, sounding as wretched as he looked. ‘I should have listened all those times Andrew told me to give up on them. If I had we wouldn’t be here right now. Andrew wouldn’t—’ Nicky closed his eyes and sucked in a deep, unsteady breath. ‘What have I done?’

‘You didn’t do anything,’ Neil said. He searched for words, but the ones he found weren’t his. They were Wymack’s, shared with Neil to ease Neil’s guilt over Seth’s death. ‘You didn’t know this was going to happen. None of us did. If we’d known, we wouldn’t have come.’

‘Betsy said that, too, but do you really believe it?’ Nicky asked. ‘Can you? We knew Andrew didn’t want to come but we made him anyway. I should have just trusted him. I should have known it was something big if he could hold a grudge through all those drugs.’

‘This is your father’s fault,’ Neil said. ‘He set Andrew up.’

‘With alcohol,’ Nicky said, with a broken laugh. ‘He told me and the police last night. He talked to Andrew knowing it was going to end with an argument. He promised Andrew alcohol as a peace offering. Drake’s idea, see? Dad just had to tell Andrew the bottle was upstairs, and Drake and Andrew would have all the privacy they needed to ‘work on their issues’.’ A savage edge crept into Nicky’s voice as he mocked his father’s words.

‘There was no bottle,’ Neil guessed.

‘There was. That’s what Drake hit Andrew with. Son of a bitch.’ Nicky’s face crumpled and he rolled onto his side to present Neil with his back. ‘I need to call Erik. I haven’t told him yet. I don’t know where to start.’

‘We’ll give you space,’ Neil said, and eased off the bed.

Nicky didn’t answer, but Neil wasn’t waiting. He went back down the hall to the kitchen and was only a little surprised that Kevin followed. Kevin seized the back of a table chair and stared into the distance. Neil waited to see if he’d say anything, then set about looking for their breakfast.

Betsy bought enough groceries for breakfast and lunch, nothing more. Either she was feeling optimistic or they really were going to be back on campus tonight. Neil hoped someone thought to call the registrar’s office about their absence from class. Wymack must have called the other Foxes, too. Neil wondered if Wymack told them the entire story or if he just canceled practices for the day and promised an explanation for later. Matt knew they’d come down here to see Nicky’s parents, which meant the girls knew. Likely they thought Andrew’s violent streak had gotten the better of him in the reunion.

‘We researched him,’ Kevin said at last, voice thick with some unknown emotion. It wasn’t grief and wasn’t quite guilt. ‘We looked before we offered him a spot on the line. We didn’t see anything about this. No one knew.’

‘He didn’t want anyone to,’ Neil said, unloading the breakfast groceries onto the counter. He was a passable cook at best, but luckily Betsy had gone for basic comfort food: biscuits, bacon, eggs, and two bulk-sized bags of cheese. Even Neil could handle that.

‘But you knew.’

‘I knew Oakland PD was investigating,’ Neil said. ‘I didn’t know why. But it doesn’t make sense that Drake would come here. Higgins was here a month ago. Why wait so long, and why risk it? The police can track a cross-country plane ticket easy.’

Kevin only shook his head, so Neil turned back to breakfast. He’d only finished a couple strips of bacon before a door banged open upstairs. Neil hurriedly moved the bacon off the pan and onto some paper towels. Thumping footsteps on the stairs were too quick and light to belong to any of the staff, but they weren’t alone for long. It sounded like Andrew was bringing an entire crowd down with him.

‘Kevin,’ Andrew called from out of sight.

Kevin nearly knocked the chair over in his hurry to answer. Neil watched from the doorway as Andrew stopped almost right up against Kevin. Andrew pat Kevin down for imaginary injuries and Kevin stood motionless until he was done. Neil looked from them to Betsy, who came to a rest at the base of the stairs. Wymack was on the stairs with two strangers behind him, and Abby was out of sight. Neil guessed she didn’t want to be a part of this anymore.

‘Still in one piece,’ Andrew said with a satisfied nod. ‘For how much longer, I wonder? This is a bad idea, Bee. You know that as well as I do.’

‘What’s wrong?’ Kevin asked.

‘Oh, but you haven’t heard.’ Andrew motioned for Kevin to lean closer but didn’t lower his voice. ‘Time’s up, off we go. She’s going to get rid of this for us.’ He dragged a thumb across his manic smile and laughed. ‘Someone should warn the doctors what they’re in for! They’ll lock the door and throw away the keys by the time I’m done with them.’

‘Get rid of that,’ Kevin echoed, but it only took him a moment to catch on. He fixed Betsy with a stunned look. ‘It’s too early. What do you think you’re doing?’

‘The right thing,’ Betsy said.

Andrew spun back toward Betsy, delighted by Kevin’s reaction. ‘Look at that face, Bee. He wants me sober more than almost anyone does, but only if the timing’s right. I warned you, didn’t I? Who will take care of Kevin if I’m gone? I can’t trust him wandering around here by himself, and Coach can’t be with him all the time. Kevin’s kind of a full-time job.’

‘We’ll take care of it,’ Wymack said.

‘Oh, come on, Coach,’ Andrew said. ‘You’ve got to do better than that. Try again; I’ll wait here while you think of something more convincing to say.’

‘I’ll watch him,’ Neil said.

Kevin turned to stare at him, and Andrew pushed Kevin out of the way so he could see Neil better. Neil had startled the smile off Andrew’s face with that, but it was back in a heartbeat.

‘You?’ Andrew asked. That was all he said, but that one word said enough.

Neil didn’t respond, content to wait Andrew out. It didn’t take long. Andrew took a couple quick steps his direction and shoved Neil as hard as he could. Neil knew it was coming and tried to brace for it, but he still stumbled back a couple steps. One of the strangers started to speak, likely trying to call Andrew to order. Neil saw Wymack move in the corner of his eye, maybe waving the intervention off as unnecessary, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off Andrew to check. When Andrew pushed him again Neil caught hold of his arms and pulled Andrew with him.

‘Oh, Neil,’ Andrew said, and switched into German. ‘You and I both know you have a dreadful sense of humor, so this can’t be a joke. What do you think you’re saying? What are you trying to do?’

‘Take responsibility,’ Neil said in German.

‘Usually such a good liar,’ Andrew said, ‘but this time you aren’t fooling anyone. Am I to believe you’ll hold your ground if Riko comes at you? Maybe I’ll come back and you won’t be here anymore.’

‘If I was going to leave I would have done so at the banquet when Riko called me by my name,’ Neil said. ‘I won’t lie and say I didn’t think about it, but I decided to stay. I trusted you more than I was scared of him. So trust me now if you can. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll take care of Kevin until you return.’

‘Trust you.’ Andrew enunciated each word like he’d never heard them before. He laughed curled his fingers tight around Neil’s chin. ‘You lie, and lie, and lie, and you think I’ll trust you with his life?’

‘Then don’t trust ‘Neil’,’ Neil said. ‘Trust me.’

‘Oh, but who are you? Do you have a name?’

‘If you need one, call me Abram.’

‘Should I believe that?’

‘I’m named after my father,’ Neil said. ‘Abram is my middle name; it’s the name my mother used when she was trying to protect me from his work.’ It was the name he went by at his little league practices so the coach would actually let him play. It was strange hearing it aloud when no one had called Neil ‘Abram’ in eight years. ‘Ask Kevin if you don’t believe me. He would know.’

‘Maybe I will.’

Neil waited, but Andrew didn’t let go. With so many people watching them Neil couldn’t lift his shirt. He did the next best thing and dragged one of Andrew’s hands under the hem. He pressed Andrew’s palm to the ugly scarring across his abdomen. Andrew’s eyes dropped to Neil’s shirt like he could see Neil’s marred skin through the dark cotton.

‘Do you understand?’ Neil asked. ‘Nothing Riko does will make me leave him. We will both be here when you get back.’

Andrew’s fingers twitched against Neil’s skin. ‘Someone lied to me. These ouches feel a little rough for a child on the run.’

‘The story I gave you was mostly true,’ Neil said. ‘I might have left out some critical details, but I know you’re not really surprised by that. If we survive this year and you’re still interested, you can ask me for them later. I think it’s your turn in our secrets game, anyway.’

Andrew pulled free and folded his arms over his chest. He drummed the fingers of one hand on his bicep as he thought. Finally he laughed and turned away. He went back to Kevin’s side and grinned up at Kevin. Instead of asking about Neil’s name, he said in English, ‘It’ll have to do, won’t it?’

Kevin looked like he’d swallowed a rock, but Andrew wasn’t waiting for his answer. ‘Bee, I’ll see if Nicky is still breathing. Then we can go, right? The sooner we start, the sooner we can get this mess over with.’

‘You could wait for Aaron,’ one of the lawyers said. Neil guessed that meant he was Waterhouse, the twin’s attorney. ‘I’m on my way to get him now.’

‘No time for that,’ Andrew said. ‘He can take a number and wait.’

He sailed down the hall to Nicky’s bedroom. Betsy watched the door close behind him, then sent Neil a considering look. Neil looked at Kevin so he wouldn’t look at her. Kevin was staring hard at Wymack as if waiting for Wymack to put an end to this. Wymack ignored him and saw the lawyers out.

‘Aaron?’ Neil asked when Wymack came back alone.

‘Waterhouse thinks he can get Aaron released until trial on his recognizance,’ Wymack said. ‘Matt’s mother offered to wire money for his bond if necessary. Waterhouse tried to meet with Aaron last night and let him know, but Aaron wouldn’t see him. Hopefully hearing about all of this,’ he jerked his chin as if to indicate Andrew’s upcoming departure, ‘will get him moving, but who knows when it comes to those two? Speaking of unpredictable assholes, when did that happen?’

‘When did what?’ Neil asked.

Wymack eyed him. ‘Forget it.’

‘I can’t believe you’re sending Andrew away,’ Kevin said, a little sharply.

‘Technically I’m not,’ Wymack said. ‘Betsy is. And it doesn’t really matter what you believe, because it’s already settled.’

‘What about the season?’ Kevin asked. ‘What about Riko?’

‘What about Andrew? Attempt to think about someone and something else for just a moment there.’ Wymack waited a beat to make sure that accusation sunk in. ‘I know you’re scared, but he needs this, Kevin. He’s not any good to you until he gets his shit sorted, and he can’t sort a damn thing when he’s buzzing three miles off the ground. You know that.’

Betsy waited a moment to see if Kevin would speak, then said, ‘I don’t know how long it will take to get Andrew checked in, David. It’s probably best if you don’t wait for me.’

‘We could,’ Wymack said, but Betsy only shook her head. A door opening down the hall distracted Wymack and he scowled as Andrew returned. ‘When you said you were going to see if he was bleeding I assumed you were going to take time to explain this to him.’

‘You know what they say about people who assume, Coach.’ Andrew grinned and stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets. ‘He’s not bleeding, so I told him I’d be back later and we could talk about it then. It’s technically the truth, yes? Let Neil deal with the fallout if Nicky doesn’t like it. Bee, we’re going.’

Wymack let them get all the way to the door before calling, ‘Andrew. Don’t leave me alone with these morons for too long. I’m getting too old to deal with their drama.’

‘Oh, you and me both,’ Andrew said.

Betsy closed the door behind them. Neil could just make out the sound of her engine starting, and then it was quiet. Andrew was gone.

The silence that descended on the house was almost suffocating, but it didn’t last long. Wymack dug his cigarettes out of his pocket and shook a stick into his hand. He had it halfway to his mouth before he paused and looked at Neil. When he held it out in offering, Neil didn’t hesitate to take it. Wymack let him use the lighter first. Neil passed the cigarette from hand to hand, trying to scatter the thin trail of smoke as best he could.

‘Look,’ Wymack said. ‘I know I’ve always told you all to take your personal problems up with Betsy or Abby. I’ve said it’s not my place to get into anything outside the court. I hope you’ve figured out by now I’m just blowing hot air. I’m not real good at being a shoulder, but I do have a working set of ears.’

‘There’s nothing to say,’ Neil said.

‘Maybe not right now,’ Wymack said, ‘but that offer doesn’t expire. Figure out what you two need to cope with this and let us know. We’ll sit down with everyone tomorrow to see how to proceed from here, but you don’t have to wait until then to speak up. That said, I have some calls I need to make. Are you good in here for a while?’

When Kevin said nothing, Neil said, ‘Yes, Coach.’

Wymack went outside to make his calls in the cold. Neil looked at Kevin’s bleak expression and debated checking on Nicky. He didn’t have the energy to deal with Nicky’s reaction, so he went to the kitchen instead. He set the cigarette down on the edge of the counter and went back to making breakfast. He got a few more rounds of bacon done before Kevin joined him and sat at the table.

‘Riko is going to tear us apart,’ Kevin said.

‘Maybe,’ Neil said.

Nicky showed up as Neil was taking the last strips off the pan. He looked in at them but left without a word. Neil listened to him move up and down the hall and guessed Nicky was looking for Andrew. He knew he was right when Nicky went upstairs. Nicky came back down again almost immediately with Abby not far behind him. He lingered in the doorway, phone still clenched in one fist like he’d forgotten he was carrying it, and looked from Kevin to Neil.

‘Where is he?’

‘Betsy committed him,’ Abby said. ‘She’s taking him off his medicine.’

‘Oh, thank God,’ Nicky said, voice ragged.

The look on Abby’s face said she still wasn’t comfortable with this plan, but she wisely kept silent. Nicky trudged across the room and sank into one of the empty chairs. He dropped his phone on the table and buried his face in his hands. Abby slid into the seat beside him and wound an arm around his shoulders. Nicky leaned against her but said nothing else. Abby rested her cheek against his hair and looked over Nicky’s head at Neil. Neil turned away and tackled the eggs.

Wymack showed up a couple minutes later, and the five sat down to the most uncomfortable breakfast Neil had ever suffered through. Wymack’s phone beeped at least thirty times in the time it took him to finish his food. Wymack read every message as it came in but didn’t respond to any of them. Neil half-expected Abby to say something about the noise, but she let it slide like she didn’t notice.

The hours between breakfast and Aaron’s arrival felt like years, but finally Waterhouse showed up with Aaron in tow. The two of them sat down with Wymack and Betsy to discuss the parameters of Aaron’s release. Neil, Nicky, and Kevin listened from out of sight in the hallway. Aaron was theirs until the trial, but this was a long way from being over. Waterhouse would maintain contact with him and send over any documents he needed signed, and Aaron would need to alert Waterhouse anytime he left the state, but other than that Waterhouse was optimistic.

When the couches creaked at the end of the meeting, Nicky and Kevin scattered. Neil stayed where he was until Wymack and Waterhouse passed, then stepped into the doorway to look in at Aaron. Abby was sitting on the couch by Aaron, but the gap between their bodies was telling. Aaron was leaning forward with his arms folded over his knees and his stare on the floor.

‘Aaron,’ Abby said carefully, like she wasn’t sure of the reaction.

‘Go away,’ Aaron said.

Abby got up and left. She reached for Neil as if to turn Neil out into the hallway ahead of her, but Neil evaded her questing hand and went to Aaron. Abby waited, likely expecting Neil to get kicked out as well. When Aaron said nothing about Neil’s presence, Neil looked at Abby. She shook her head and left them in peace. Neil watched to make sure she’d gone, then crouched to get a better look at Aaron’s face.

‘He’s already gone, isn’t he?’ Aaron said.

‘Yes,’ Neil said. ‘They tried to make him stay, but he wanted to be gone before you got back. He didn’t want to talk to you.’

‘There’s a change of pace.’ Aaron’s mocking tone fell flat.

‘Are you at all sorry?’ Neil asked. ‘You took his family away from him.’

If looks could kill, the one Aaron shot Neil should have flayed the skin from his bones. ‘That man was not his family.’

‘Technically, he was only a couple signatures away from being Andrew’s legal brother. I didn’t mean him, anyway. I meant Drake’s parents, Cass and Richard Spear,’ Neil said. ‘They were going to keep Andrew. Drake was an inconvenience Andrew was willing to live with in exchange.’

‘An inconvenience,’ Aaron echoed as he surged to his feet. ‘You fucking—’

‘And now Drake is dead,’ Neil said. ‘Do you think Cass will ever forgive Andrew? It doesn’t matter what Drake did to him. She won’t be able to look at Andrew without knowing her son is dead because of him.’

‘I don’t care.’ Aaron gave a savage jerk of his hand. ‘I don’t care if Andrew never speaks to me again. I don’t care about Cass or Drake or anyone. What Drake did—no. If I could bring him back from the dead and kill him again I would.’

‘Good,’ Neil said quietly. ‘So now you understand why Andrew killed your mother.’

It was not at all what Aaron was expecting. He was so angry it took a couple seconds for the words to really register, and then he recoiled from Neil. ‘Why he—what? That isn’t the same. He didn’t do that for me.’

‘He told me he did,’ Neil said. ‘I didn’t even have to ask him. He warned her to stop hitting you and she wouldn’t. He had no choice but to get rid of her. Just like last night, right? Drake was hurting Andrew, and you made him stop.

‘Except I lied,’ Neil said, getting to his feet. ‘Unlike you, he’s not angry that you interfered. I just said that because I needed you to understand.’

‘You don’t know anything,’ Aaron said.

‘I know you’ve got a couple weeks to think about it,’ Neil said. ‘When Andrew comes back sober you’re going to have to talk about this. You won’t get anywhere if you start with Drake, so you might as well start with your mother. Now let’s get out of this city.’

They hadn’t brought much with them, so there was nothing to pack except the scant remaining groceries. Neil waited on the porch while Nicky locked and checked the door, then said, ‘I can drive if you want to sit in back with Aaron.’

‘Andrew doesn’t let,’ Nicky started, but stopped, belatedly remembering Andrew had given Neil his car key. Nicky still had to think about it, but a glance in Aaron’s direction sealed things. ‘Yeah. Thanks.’

Neil had the car key on his key ring by the time he crossed the yard. He unlocked the doors for the others and loaded his racquet into the trunk. Wymack and Abby were standing to either side of Wymack’s car, waiting for the Foxes to get settled. Neil wordlessly got into the driver’s seat and pulled the door closed. That was the cue they needed, apparently, because Wymack and Abby got into their car and started the engine. Neil pulled away from the house first, and Nicky offered subdued directions from the backseat until they were on the interstate. Then he went silent, and no one else spoke.

It was only an hour to campus, but it was one of the longest drives of Neil’s life. He watched Wymack’s car disappear from the rearview mirror outside of campus and continued onto Perimeter Road. He expected to feel some sort of relief when he spotted Fox Tower in the distance, but the dorm was where the others were. Neil didn’t think he had the energy to deal with his teammates today. He was tempted to park and go for a run, but he’d promised Andrew he would stick with Kevin. That meant following Kevin and the cousins inside and upstairs.

Wymack or Abby must have called ahead, because the upperclassmen were waiting in the hallway when they got off the elevator on the third floor. Neil was a little surprised to see them there, considering how rocky things had always been between them and the twins, but even Allison was present. She looked more uncomfortable than broken up, but that was still more than he expected. He wasn’t the only one caught off-guard, it seemed, because when he stopped to let the others go ahead of him they went still as well.

The two groups stared each other down in silence for a minute, neither faction quite sure how to proceed, and then Matt stepped to one side. Neil hadn’t realized Katelyn was standing with them, as she’d been neatly hidden behind Matt’s much-taller body. She looked as uncertain as she did agonized, as if she wasn’t sure of her reception. She needn’t have worried, because Aaron nearly pushed Nicky out of his way when he saw her.

As soon as he started for her, Katelyn ran down the hall to meet him. She threw her arms around him and pulled him close. Aaron held onto her like she was the only thing keeping him upright and let her pull his face into her shoulder. Neil heard her voice, but not what she was saying. It was muffled where she’d pressed her face to Aaron’s neck and shirt. Aaron didn’t answer, but Katelyn didn’t let go.

Renee came down the hall next and gave Nicky a short, tight hug. ‘How are you?’

Nicky shook his head wordlessly. Renee wound an arm around his waist and propped herself against his side for support. She looked to Kevin next, but Kevin was looking at Aaron and Katelyn. She left him alone and looked at Neil. Her gaze was quick to drop from his face to the racquet he’d carried up from the car. From the way her stare lingered, Neil knew Wymack had told the upperclassmen what Aaron used to bash Drake’s skull in.

‘We should get out of the hall before people start heading to dinner,’ Neil said so she wouldn’t say anything to him. ‘Nicky and Aaron don’t need to deal with a crowd tonight.’

Renee nodded and guided Nicky down the hall. She touched Katelyn’s shoulder on her way by in a silent beckon to follow but didn’t stop to wait on them. Dan and Matt went into the girls’ room at their approach, but Allison waited in the hall with her hands on her hips. She studied her younger teammates’ faces as they passed but said nothing to them. Neil paused in the doorway to check on Aaron. Katelyn was pulling him after her, so Neil went inside.

Allison was the last one in and she locked the door behind them. Neil stood off to one side in the living room so she could get past and watched everyone get settled. The coffee table was covered with liquor bottles and clean glasses. Dan poured drinks and Matt passed them out. When Matt held one out to Nicky, Nicky caught hold of Matt’s wrist instead.

‘Thank you,’ Nicky said, quiet but fervent. ‘I don’t know why you did it, but—thanks.’

‘Mom said she still owed you guys,’ Matt said. ‘Coach wouldn’t take her money when she offered it last year, so she figured this was just as good.’

If Matt’s mother thought posting Aaron’s bail was an appropriate response to the cousins drugging Matt with speedballs, she had to be as dysfunctional as the Foxes themselves. Neil was grateful for her financial support, but he idly hoped he would never have to meet her.

Neil was the only one left standing. Dan glanced at him, seemed to realize he wasn’t going to budge from the doorway anytime soon, and got on with it. ‘Look, I know we have our differences, and I know we haven’t exactly had the easiest ride. But we’re all Foxes. We’re a team. What happens to one of us happens to all of us, and we’re going to get each other through this. If there’s anything you guys need, just let us know. Whether it’s space, a drink, an ear—whatever. We’re with you a hundred percent.’

If it wasn’t so terrible, it’d be brilliant. This was what Dan and Matt had been waiting for all semester: a catalyst to finally unite the team. Neil wanted to be proud of her for seizing the moment like this, except she sounded so sincere he doubted she realized what she was doing.

‘I don’t know if Coach told you, but it’s all over the news.’ Matt looked from Nicky to Aaron. ‘People have been asking us about it.’

‘Looking for gossip,’ Aaron said, thick with derision.

‘It’s human nature,’ Allison said. ‘Might as well give them what they want.’

‘Fuck you.’

‘Enough,’ Dan said, with a warning look at Allison.

It was too late, because Aaron was already getting up again. Dan looked ready to protest, except Aaron still held fast to Katelyn’s hand. Aaron might not want their help, but he was smart enough to know he needed someone right now. The two left without a second glance back, and Katelyn tugged the door firmly closed behind them. Neil locked it in their wake and went back to the living room doorway. Nicky looked almost sick to his stomach as he stared at the drink in his hands. Kevin was staring at the far wall like it had all the answers.

Renee invited herself to the space Aaron had just abandoned and propped her shoulder against Nicky’s. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

‘I spent last night talking to Betsy and this morning talking to Erik,’ Nicky said. ‘I don’t think I can talk about it anymore right now. But—later, maybe. Yes.’

‘Kevin?’ Dan asked.

‘She shouldn’t have taken Andrew away,’ Kevin said in a low voice.

Nicky shot him appalled look. ‘You don’t really think that.’

‘You’ve always been the biggest critic of his drugs,’ Dan said. ‘What changed?’

‘The timing,’ Neil said. ‘There are two games left this season and we’re pretty much a shoo-in for spring championships. If the ERC decides Andrew isn’t part of our line-up anymore, we’re beneath size regulations. They’ll strike us from the roster and our year is over. You can bet Riko will be the first one we hear from if that happens. Kevin’s afraid.’

‘Screw the season,’ Nicky said heatedly. ‘I’m sorry, but Andrew’s my cousin, and I’ll take him over championships any day. If Betsy actually left him on his medicine after what just happened I’d—’ He couldn’t make himself finish, but he gave an emphatic jerk of his hand.

‘As if you feel any differently,’ Kevin sent Neil.

Neil fixed Kevin with a stony look. ‘Maybe if you’d stuck around a moment longer you’d understand why I don’t care anymore. When you came upstairs, did you hear him laughing, Kevin? He was,’ he said, ignoring the way Nicky flinched and the quick look Dan shot Matt, ‘before Drake even hit the ground. So yes, even I would give up this season. And after everything he’s done and every risk he’s taken for you, you’d better feel the same.’

‘It’s not that simple,’ Kevin started.

‘Then simplify it,’ Neil cut in.

Kevin went quiet. A minute later, he started drinking in earnest. The others were quick to join him. Renee and Neil kept watch while their teammates tried to drink themselves blind over the next few hours. They had dinner delivered to the dorm even though none of them had much of an appetite. The deliveryman called Renee’s phone when he made it to the front desk and Neil went downstairs with her to collect the bags. There were athletes coming and going in the lobby, and Neil didn’t miss the way conversations died when the Foxes were spotted. Luckily no one was stupid enough to bother them.

Renee waited until they were on the elevator again before asking, ‘And you, Neil? Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine,’ Neil said, and Renee didn’t push it.

Dinner took some of the edge off their teammates’ drunkenness, but not for long. Neil watched as they passed out one at a time. He expected the girls to retire to their bedroom, but only Allison got up and left. Dan fell asleep curled against Matt on the couch, and Renee nodded off on the floor with Nicky and Kevin. Neil listened to their breathing even out, the last man standing, and finally went to the door. He sat in one of the corners there so he could have a wall at his back and still keep an eye on everyone. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, sleeping with his knees hugged to his chest, but he buried his face in his arms and willed himself to stop thinking for the night.

Morning practices usually started at six at the campus gym for weights and cardio, but Wymack pushed it back to ten and called his team to the stadium instead. Neil drove because Nicky was in bad shape. Despite the few hours of extra rest, most of the Foxes had had enough to drink last night that they still looked bleary-eyed where they sat around the locker room. Aaron was conspicuously absent, but no one was surprised and Wymack didn’t comment. Neil hadn’t seen Aaron in the cousins’ room that morning and assumed he was holed up with Katelyn somewhere.

‘Let’s talk about the season,’ Wymack said, because it was his job to keep them moving no matter what tragedy tried to set them back. ‘I spent most of yesterday talking to the Class I coaches about our situation, starting with Coach Rhemann.’

Neil dimly recognized the name, but he was too tired to place it. The way the others perked up told him the man was important. Kevin, in particular, looked supremely interested to hear what came next.

‘I’ve got a conference call with the ERC this afternoon to determine our status,’ Wymack said. ‘I don’t know which way they’re going to swing. Andrew’s still enrolled as a student at Palmetto State. Easthaven and the registrar’s office agreed this morning to let him finish the semester long-distance. That means he’s still contracted with us, so we’re within regs.

‘This is a bit more drastic than having him benched with an injury, though. An injury is treatable and calculable. Andrew’s current treatment isn’t that black-and-white. But,’ Wymack continued, ‘Rhemann has taken our side. He offered to speak on our behalf if need be, and he’s helped reach out to the others.’

Neil finally recognized the name. James Rhemann was the head coach for the USC Trojans, one of the Big Three in NCAA Exy. USC didn’t have Edgar Allan’s flawless record, but the Trojans were known for their sportsmanship. They’d won the Day Spirit Award seven years straight and had yet to receive a single red-card: an impossible feat considering their long history and their ranking. It made sense Wymack would turn to them for help first.

‘As of this morning, the vote across the Class I teams is almost unanimous,’ Wymack said. ‘They want us to finish the season.’

‘They—what?’ Dan almost choked on it. ‘Why? They’ve never supported us before.’

‘Does it matter?’ Matt asked. ‘If they’ll fight the ERC for us, I’ll take it.’

‘Maybe they’re mocking us,’ Allison said. ‘We’ve knocked down too many teams in the southeast this year. They want us to play so we fail at last. They want to see us put back in our place. More fool them. We’ve still got Renee, and that’s all we need.’

‘It’s not a guarantee,’ Wymack said, holding up a hand to calm them. ‘The ERC has to listen, but they don’t have to accept. I just wanted you to know there’s still a chance for us. That means we have to bring it today like the news is already good, get me? So change out and get down to the court. I want one lap for every time you’ve ever said the NCAA’s never had your back.’

‘Oh, Jesus,’ Nicky said. ‘We’ll be running all day.’

‘Better get started, then,’ Wymack said. ‘Move out, maggots.’

Despite that breezy command, Wymack stopped them after they’d run three miles’ worth. They stretched out as a group, changed into their gear, and hit the court for drills. Wymack pushed hard until noon, then gave control to Dan and went to take the ERC’s call. Knowing he was upstairs arguing for their right to finish the season was more than a little distracting, but Dan kept them moving so they couldn’t dwell on it.

Wymack was gone for almost an hour. He banged on the court door when he made it back, signaling a stop to practice. Instead of waiting for them to leave the court, he joined them on it. The Foxes stood frozen, afraid to move, almost afraid to breathe. Wymack’s poker face did nothing to help them.

Wymack stopped by Dan and beckoned his team over. Neil joined the huddle around him, stomach in his shoes. He’d meant what he told Kevin yesterday. He didn’t want the season to end prematurely, and he definitely didn’t want to miss out on championships, but committing Andrew was the right thing to do.

‘Be here at six o’clock tomorrow morning,’ Wymack said. ‘We’ve got a game to win Friday.’

Dan screamed and jumped him, and the other Foxes were quick to pile on. Neil could barely make out Wymack’s indignant sputtering. Neil looked over at Kevin, who was hanging back like he didn’t quite believe it. It didn’t take Kevin long to notice the attention, and he glanced Neil’s way. He looked like he was about to say something, but Nicky pounced on Neil and broke their staredown. Neil gave up on Kevin—for now—and let his teammates sweep him up into their celebration.