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)
Aaron was one of the first off the court. He shoved his racquet at Nicky and dropped his helmet and gloves on his way to the cheerleaders. Katelyn tossed her pom-poms aside at his approach and jumped into his waiting arms to kiss him. The Vixens bounced around them, cheering and waving to the crowd.
"Holy shit," Nicky said, looking from them to Andrew's unimpressed countenance. "Holy shit, am I dreaming?"
It was Kevin's turn to deal with the press, but he sent Neil a significant look on his way over to them. Neil had nothing to add since he'd been sidelined all night, but he stepped closer in case Kevin needed to redirect anything his way. Kevin gave his best press-ready smile to the camera before motioning Andrew over. Andrew took up post alongside Neil but didn't look at the reporters. The interview started off predictably with comments on the game and the impossible points Kevin had scored.
Neil half-tuned it out until Kevin was asked about semifinals. The Bearcats were going home as the lowest-scoring team of this elimination round. In two weeks the Foxes would be taking on two of the Big Three.
"I'm looking forward to playing USC again," Kevin said. "I haven't spoken to Jeremy or Coach Rhemann since I transferred but their team is always amazing. Their season was nearly flawless this year. There's a lot we can learn from them."
"Still their biggest fan," the interviewer joked. "You're up against Edgar Allan again, too, in the biggest rematch of the year. Thoughts?"
"I don't want to talk about the Ravens anymore," Kevin said. "Ever since my mother died it's been Ravens this and Ravens that. I am not a Raven anymore. I never will be again. To be honest, I never should have been one in the first place. I should have gone to Coach Wymack the day I found out he was my father and asked to start my freshman year at Palmetto State."
"The day—" She floundered, then said, "Did you say Coach Wymack is your father?"
"Yes, I did. I found out when I was in high school," Kevin said, "but I didn't tell him because I thought I wanted to stay at Edgar Allan. Back then I thought the only way to be a champion was to be a Raven. I bought into their lies that they would make me the best player on the court. I shouldn't have believed it; I've been wearing this number long enough to know that wasn't what they wanted for me.
"Everyone knows the Ravens are all about being the best. Best pair, best line-up, best team. They drill it into you day after day, make you believe it, make you forget that in the end 'best' means 'one'. They let you forget until other people buy into it, be it fans swaying too far the wrong way or the ERC calling them out on their schemes. Then they don't want to play that game anymore, and they skip straight to the elimination round. Did you know I've never been skiing? I'd like to try it one day, though."
It was too much all at once for her to catch the significance of that last remark, but it would only take a couple moments. Neil understood right away, and the adrenaline that flooded his veins made him sway a little on his feet. He shot Andrew a quick look. Andrew didn't return it, but he was definitely paying attention. The stare he had trained on the back of Kevin's head was intense.
Kevin didn't wait for her to put two and two together. "Tell the Ravens to be ready for us, would you? We're already ready for them."
Kevin turned and walked away. The interviewer stared after him for an endless moment, then spun back toward the camera and started rambling away about everything Kevin had just said. Neil and Andrew didn't stick around for the recap or bewildered speculating but followed close behind Kevin.
Kevin didn't slow or look around on his way to the locker room, and he pushed right past his celebrating teammates in the foyer. He dropped his helmet and gloves on his way across the changing room and caught hold of the edge of the sink. He swayed a bit like his legs wanted to give out from under him and his hands were trembling so violently Neil could see it from the doorway. Instead of falling he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the mirror.
"We're all going to die," Kevin said at last.
"No, we're not," Neil said.
Kevin thought about that for a minute, then straightened. After staring at his reflection for an age he lifted his hand and covered his tattoo on the glass. The result sent an odd tremor along Kevin's shoulders. Neil didn't know if it was approval or fear. All that mattered was that Kevin nodded and turned back to them. He looked at Neil first, then Andrew.
"We have a lot of work to do."
"Tomorrow," Andrew said, and ignored the way Neil looked at him.
Kevin accepted that promise with a nod, and he and Andrew headed for the showers. Neil was clean, so he went back to the foyer to meet the rest of his teammates. They quieted down a bit at his arrival.
Dan gestured past Neil toward the changing room. "What happened?"
Neil counted it off on his fingers. "Kevin told them Coach is his father, said he's never going back to Edgar Allan, and called the Ravens out as two-faced assholes. Oh," he said, looking up from his hand, "and he said his injury wasn't an accident. Not in so many words, but it won't take them long to figure out what he meant."
Dan gaped. "He what?"
"Great," Wymack said. "He's turning into another you. That's just what I needed."
"At least you can legally take out life insurance on one of them," Nicky said.
"Out," Wymack said. "Everyone out. Get washed up before your stench kills me."
Neil waited with Wymack and Abby in the lounge while the Foxes showered and dressed. Wymack turned the TV on and watched the post-game recap mesh with snips of Kevin's interview. One sportscaster called it sour grapes and sensationalism; another referred back to how easily Edgar Allan let Kevin go and how long both Kevin and Riko stayed out of sight after that so-called accident. The third was more neutral but brought up Kathy Ferdinand's show in August. Kevin had gone cagey and quiet as soon as Riko showed up, and perhaps they finally had an explanation for Neil's unexpected antagonism and staunch defense of Kevin.