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)
Instead Neil and Kevin ended up with Allison and Renee, and Matt and Dan sat across the aisle with Aaron and Nicky. It wouldn't have been a problem, except somehow a cheerleader ended up between Kevin and Neil. Neil recognized Marissa from the night they played JD Campbell. He didn't remember much else about her, except that she was Katelyn's roommate, but judging by the brilliant smile on her face that was good enough for her.
Neil regretted talking to her almost immediately, because she hounded him the rest of dinner. Neil had grown up making small talk with a thousand strangers all over the world, but he was long out of practice. He spent all of his time with the Foxes now, and they'd outgrown those shallow conversations months ago. If Marissa would at least talk about Exy Neil could stomach it, but she bounced between every other possible topic in the world. Neil had taken the outside seat on the bench but he still felt trapped. Leaving the restaurant after dinner was such a relief it left Neil a little lightheaded.
The downtown shopping area was a long street branching off Perimeter Road near the Green. The Vixens had to cross the Green back to their on-campus dormitories, whereas the Foxes could follow the sidewalk down Perimeter toward Fox Tower. They stopped at the crosswalk to say their goodbyes and Katelyn made sure to give Aaron a kiss goodnight. Neil wasn't interested in watching, but when he turned away he found Marissa in his path again.
"I can give you my number," Marissa said.
Neil didn't remember asking for it at any point that night. "What for?"
It wasn't the response she was expecting, judging by the way her smile twitched. She was quick to rally, though, and she laid a hand on his arm. "I would like to get to know you better. I think we could have a lot of fun together, just the two of us. You're very interesting, Neil."
She wasn't the first to say that, but Neil wondered if Andrew's opinion of him would change when he was off his medication. Neil brushed that stray thought aside as irrelevant and unhelpful and focused on Marissa.
"I wouldn't call you," Neil said. "I socialize with the Foxes or not at all."
She stared at him for an endless minute, then said with a nonchalance he didn't believe at all, "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."
She went to pry Katelyn off of Aaron, and the Vixens crossed the street to campus.
"Harsh, Neil," Nicky said. "For someone who's usually so quiet you can be a real jerk sometimes. There's a way to let girls down gently, you know."
"Why?" Neil asked, but Nicky only heaved a pitying sigh. Neil shoved his hands deeper in his pockets and looked at Dan. "Do girls need kid-glove treatment? I thought they were tougher than that."
Dan's grin was approving. "Most of us are. Some of us are like boys, though, and have delicate egos."
"Hey," Matt protested.
"If Marissa isn't in the running for Christmas banquet, may I step in?" Renee asked. Nicky stared slack-jawed at her, but Renee didn't acknowledge his shock. She answered Neil's questioning look with a pretty smile and explained. "It seems my usual date is unavailable, but I'd prefer not to go alone. What do you think?"
Neil hadn't planned on bringing anyone, but he said, "Okay."
"First you steal Andrew's car, then you steal his girl..." Matt slipped a gloved hand into Dan's and looked at Neil. "Oh, and you've pretty much corrupted the rest of the monsters into hanging out with us outside of practice. Let me know if you need backup when you've got to explain all this to him."
"Thanks, but I can handle him," Neil said.
"We noticed," Dan said dryly, and tugged Matt with her down the sidewalk.
The rest of the Foxes fell in around them. They walked fast to beat the chill but were still half-frozen by the time they made it back to their dorm. They went their separate ways once they reached the third floor. Neil still had a couple hours before he was supposed to meet Kevin for practice, so he settled at his desk with his textbooks. Matt grabbed a beer from their fridge and tackled his own schoolwork.
"Can't believe it's almost over," Matt said after a couple minutes. "In some ways, I feel like this has been the longest semester ever, but at the same time, I don't know where the fall went. It's almost December, you know?"
"Yeah," Neil said, drawing circles over his outline. Friday was the first day of December and the last game of their fall season. The Foxes went to morning practices only next week, since Wymack wanted them to spend their afternoons studying. Neil and Kevin hadn't talked about it, but Neil assumed they'd still have their night practices.
"Shit, it's almost Christmas," Matt said, sounding almost wondering. "I still don't know what I'm getting Dan. But hey, speaking of Christmas, you figure out what you're doing for it yet?" Matt's chair creaked as Matt turned to look at him. "Are you going home or tagging along with the monsters?"
"I haven't decided," Neil said. "Tag along with them where?"
"If I remember right, last year Erik flew in from Germany and they partied it up in Columbia," Matt said. "That was before Kevin was here to chain them to the court, and before... well, before all this happened. I'm assuming they're not going to want to see Columbia again anytime soon. Maybe I'm wrong. You'd know better than I do."
"I don't know," Neil said. "They haven't mentioned it."
"Just don't spend it here, okay?" Matt asked. "If you don't have anywhere to go I'll drag you home with me. Mom's been wanting to meet the monsters, anyway, and her house is big enough to fit all of you. Just let me know."
Neil needed a moment to process that. "Thanks. I'll pass it along."
Matt nodded and went back to work. Neil turned back to his own assignment, but his thoughts had derailed too far for him to call them back. Instead he drew fox paws down the border of his paper until Kevin came for him.