Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 87395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
"Stay out of my things," he snapped. He wished he could take some satisfaction in the shellshocked looks the language and his furious tone earned, but he felt nothing. "The next time one of you goes where you don't belong I swear I'll make you regret it."
It was an age before anyone responded. Nicky was too busy gaping at Neil to say anything, and Aaron was staring at Kevin as he waited for a translation. Andrew's surprise gave way to what a fool might mistake for delight, and he leaned forward on the desk.
"Wow, another one of Neil's many talents. How many can one man have?"
Neil ignored him in favor of Kevin. "Tell me you understand."
"I understand," Kevin said in French, "but I don't care."
"Start caring. I've let you push me around for two weeks because I know how scared you are about the district change, but I've had enough. Andrew's going to find out about it at tonight's meeting. You should be prepping to handle that explosion instead of harassing me."
"You worry about your incompetence. I'll worry about Andrew."
"You'd better," Neil said. "Put a leash on your pet monster or I will."
"A frightened child like you?"
"Fuck you, cripple."
Across the room Kevin's face went white. "What did you call me?"
"I called you a deadweight hasbeen," Neil said.
Kevin was out of his chair so fast he knocked it over. Neil backed out of the room and slammed the door closed between them. He'd only made it two steps back toward his room when Kevin yanked the door open again.
Kevin got his hands on Neil's neck in an instant and slammed Neil up against the opposite wall. Neil dug his fingers into Kevin's wrists, trying to loosen Kevin's grip enough that he could breathe. He tried to knee Kevin, but Kevin crushed him against the wall with his own body.
"What the fuck did you call me?" Kevin demanded again.
Neil didn't have the breath to answer. It didn't matter; Kevin's angry voice and the loud smack of Neil's body against the dormitory's concrete walls was enough to fill the hall with Foxes. Andrew was the first to show up in the cousins' doorway, but Matt was the one who went for Kevin. He wrapped an arm around Kevin's throat and wrenched Kevin's head back at a dangerous angle.
"Get off him, Day," Matt snarled.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down," Nicky said over Andrew's shoulder. "Come on, Matt."
Kevin let go of Neil with one hand and drove an elbow into Matt's ribs. Matt grunted and tightened his grip, forcing Kevin to release Neil entirely if he hoped to breathe anytime soon. Matt hauled Kevin away from Neil, but Kevin wiggled free two steps later and swung at Matt. Matt deflected it with one swipe and punched Kevin hard enough to send him sprawling.
The look on Matt's face said he was just getting started, but Andrew stepped between them before Matt could go after Kevin again. Andrew was smiling and his stance was casual, but Matt knew better than to try his luck against the short psychopath. Matt took a step back, silently conceding the fight, and shot Neil a worried look. Kevin got to his feet behind Andrew and glared at Neil. Neil refused to look at anyone at all and pretended the far wall was the most interesting thing he'd seen in years.
The girls chose that moment to step in. One moved up alongside Matt, expression tight with anger. She swept a dark look between Andrew's group and Neil and said, "What do you think you're doing? It's our first day back. Why are we fighting already?"
"Technically we never left," Andrew said, "and Neil's been here a couple weeks, so it's your first day back, not ours." He leaned to one side, looking past her to her roommate. "Hello, Renee. About time!"
The first girl didn't give Renee a chance to answer. "Explanation now, Andrew."
"You're looking at me like it's my fault." Andrew wagged a finger at her. "Look again, why don't you? Neil's at our room, which meant he brought the fight to us. Dan, your bias is cruel and unprofessional."
Danielle Wilds turned on Neil next. The Foxes' captain was taller than he was, but not by much. Her brown hair was cut mercilessly short and was disheveled from moving in. She swept Neil with a quick head-to-toe, brown eyes narrowed. "What's the problem?"
"There isn't one," Neil said. When Dan jerked a hand between him and Kevin, Neil shrugged. "Just a difference of opinions. Nothing that matters."
"We're getting along splendidly," Andrew said. "Neil even agreed to ride to the stadium with us."
"Oh did he?" Dan asked, obviously skeptical.
They all looked at Neil. The fact it was suicidal didn't mean much anymore, not when Andrew's lot had been through his things. Neil had massive damage control to do.
"Yes," Neil said. "I figured Matt's truck would be full, so I took them up on their offer."
Dan looked ready to argue, but Matt quieted her with a touch on her arm. Dan sent Andrew a suspicious glare, then shook her head. "I don't know who started this, but the fighting stops now."
"Always the optimist," Andrew said, and gave Neil his two-fingered salute. "See you soon. Don't run off, okay?"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Neil lied.
Andrew vanished into his room. Aaron and Nicky followed. Kevin was the last to move. He sent Neil a chilly look in parting and slammed the door behind him. Neil was left staring after them and wondering how he was supposed to survive that car ride.
CHAPTER SIX
Neil left reality behind when he stepped into Dan's room. Spending a month with Andrew's cracked lot and a volatile Wymack had almost irreparably damaged his image of the Foxes. Now he was sipping on a glass of sweet iced tea and eating cookies Renee had brought with her from home. They asked him about the fight only once more, and when Neil brushed it aside, didn't press him. Now the girls were going over charity projects they wanted to involve the Foxes in this fall.