practicing a little, you know … how we always do.” Cody’s muscles twitched. He slowly ran his hand through his thick dark hair, a trait that seemed to run in the family. “Someone told us Sedgwick nabbed you guys. Took you to his office, so we sent in the marines.” He clapped his hands, held out his palms. One of the players automatically tossed him the football. Cody trapped it between his palms with a loud smack. “Is this because you guys took off this afternoon?”
“We came back for Jenna’s bag,” Kelly told him. “And Sedgwick saw us, you’re right.”
“So this doesn’t have anything to do with …” Cody let the rest go unspoken.
The rest of the team leaned forward, waiting.
Anticipate
, Patrick’s angels reminded him, and he shook his head on Kelly’s behalf. “No.”
“Oh …” Cody nodded, cradling the ball under his arm. “Just in case, you know … Edmund didn’t learn his lesson, or maybe … someone else talked to Sedgwick.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Jenna asked, stepping to Kelly’s side.
“Football,” Cody told her. “Nothing the jersey chasers need to worry about.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Real nice.”
“Ain’t no rule book I’ve ever read that says I’ve got to
be
nice.”
“Ain’t no book you’ve ever read,
period.”
“Kelly, you want to ask your bitch to take a walk?” Cody snapped, and launched the football.
Kelly’s arm shot out in an arc, struck the football down in midflight. It bounced unevenly down the handicap ramp, between the legs of the players not fast enough to pick up the fumble.
“Maybe
you
ought to take a walk,” Kelly suggested, unaffected by the sudden attack. “You look a little freaked out, might help to clear your head.”
“What’s your
fucking problem
, Kelly?”
“Hey, hold on, guys …” Patrick slid between the pair, felt the tension flowing like electricity. A quick inventory of everyone’s face suggested the same spirit of a long-awaited mutiny. “Come on, Cody. I was there, Sedgwick was just trying to lay down the law. Same as he tried two years ago, remember that? And remember who had the final say? This is no different,nobody’s got
anything to
worry about. All right?” Patrick looked from one to the other. “Kelly, Cody, all right?”
“Who cares?” Kelly said abruptly, if not a little on the cheerful side. “We’re getting out of here.”
Jenna didn’t hesitate.
Kelly took her by the hand and led her away.
“I’ve heard things about you, Kelly!” Cody called after him.
Kelly kept right on walking, his figure growing small as he walked across the campus.
“I’ve heard a few things,” Cody told Patrick. “Heard Kelly’s not acting himself.”
Patrick found himself in unfriendly waters. A full-length brigade of pure muscle. Silent eyes daring him to speak.
“Got a big game tomorrow,” Cody reminded him. “I’ll be fucked if I’m going to lose it.”
Patrick took two steps back. “You won’t.”
“Better not.”
There was no sense holding his ground. No sense talking reason to Cody. He liked to win, almost as much as he hated to lose; it was who he was.
And Patrick was nothing without Kelly by his side.
He didn’t need his angels to remind him of that.
atrick and Jenna sat out on the back deck, silent for the time being.
Even with the sun ceding to the evening sky, the temperature was still floating around a humid eighty. Trees gasped for breath, leaves limp. Clouds above put in an appearance for purely decorative purposes. Even the sound of passing cars gave the impression of tires sluicing through damp marshlands rather than over parched roadways.
Patrick sighed, maybe because of the heat.
He picked up his iced tea, took a sip. Ignoring the stream of condensation dripping into his lap, he pressed the glass against his head. Closed his eyes, relaxing maybe. Thinking about Kelly. Only now Kelly wasn’t around. It had been two hours since he had driven
“We came back for Jenna’s bag,” Kelly told him. “And Sedgwick saw us, you’re right.”
“So this doesn’t have anything to do with …” Cody let the rest go unspoken.
The rest of the team leaned forward, waiting.
Anticipate
, Patrick’s angels reminded him, and he shook his head on Kelly’s behalf. “No.”
“Oh …” Cody nodded, cradling the ball under his arm. “Just in case, you know … Edmund didn’t learn his lesson, or maybe … someone else talked to Sedgwick.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Jenna asked, stepping to Kelly’s side.
“Football,” Cody told her. “Nothing the jersey chasers need to worry about.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Real nice.”
“Ain’t no rule book I’ve ever read that says I’ve got to
be
nice.”
“Ain’t no book you’ve ever read,
period.”
“Kelly, you want to ask your bitch to take a walk?” Cody snapped, and launched the football.
Kelly’s arm shot out in an arc, struck the football down in midflight. It bounced unevenly down the handicap ramp, between the legs of the players not fast enough to pick up the fumble.
“Maybe
you
ought to take a walk,” Kelly suggested, unaffected by the sudden attack. “You look a little freaked out, might help to clear your head.”
“What’s your
fucking problem
, Kelly?”
“Hey, hold on, guys …” Patrick slid between the pair, felt the tension flowing like electricity. A quick inventory of everyone’s face suggested the same spirit of a long-awaited mutiny. “Come on, Cody. I was there, Sedgwick was just trying to lay down the law. Same as he tried two years ago, remember that? And remember who had the final say? This is no different,nobody’s got
anything to
worry about. All right?” Patrick looked from one to the other. “Kelly, Cody, all right?”
“Who cares?” Kelly said abruptly, if not a little on the cheerful side. “We’re getting out of here.”
Jenna didn’t hesitate.
Kelly took her by the hand and led her away.
“I’ve heard things about you, Kelly!” Cody called after him.
Kelly kept right on walking, his figure growing small as he walked across the campus.
“I’ve heard a few things,” Cody told Patrick. “Heard Kelly’s not acting himself.”
Patrick found himself in unfriendly waters. A full-length brigade of pure muscle. Silent eyes daring him to speak.
“Got a big game tomorrow,” Cody reminded him. “I’ll be fucked if I’m going to lose it.”
Patrick took two steps back. “You won’t.”
“Better not.”
There was no sense holding his ground. No sense talking reason to Cody. He liked to win, almost as much as he hated to lose; it was who he was.
And Patrick was nothing without Kelly by his side.
He didn’t need his angels to remind him of that.
atrick and Jenna sat out on the back deck, silent for the time being.
Even with the sun ceding to the evening sky, the temperature was still floating around a humid eighty. Trees gasped for breath, leaves limp. Clouds above put in an appearance for purely decorative purposes. Even the sound of passing cars gave the impression of tires sluicing through damp marshlands rather than over parched roadways.
Patrick sighed, maybe because of the heat.
He picked up his iced tea, took a sip. Ignoring the stream of condensation dripping into his lap, he pressed the glass against his head. Closed his eyes, relaxing maybe. Thinking about Kelly. Only now Kelly wasn’t around. It had been two hours since he had driven
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