Dead Girl Walking ― Aaron Minyard

63. lost

so we'll run into the open
keep your hand inside of mine
and then when everything is over
i hope to think of this as better times
― dermott kennedy

♦

THE TROJANS' STADIUM was the same size as the Foxhole Court, but the red-and-gold theme made the Trojan Court appear significantly smaller. Somehow that illusion did nothing to quell the anxiety that followed after the Foxes like smoke. They'd made sure to get there half an hour before the doors opened, needing time to mentally steel themselves for the upcoming game. 

For now, they were alone. In ninety minutes, they'd take on the number-two team in the nation. 

"Yeah," Matt said at last, the first to speak since security let them in. "No problem."

Not even Kevin had something to say to that, but that might have been because Kevin was too busy soaking in the joy of being back in Trojan territory. His contented expression was at complete odds with the nerves and dread evident on his teammates' faces. 

The doors opened, letting the crowd in as an unending wave. Wymack ushered his Foxes back to the locker room. One of USC's staff stopped by not much later to give them a rundown on the night's outlook. The game was completely sold out, there were six news stations in attendance, and twelve recruiters from summer major leagues and pros would be watching. She had to know none of those representatives would be looking at the Foxes, but she listed their cities and teams anyway. 

"We don't have USC's line-up," Wymack said. "Any idea when we'll get that?" 

"I'll see if I can get a copy," she promised. "Do you need anything else?" 

"That's about it," Wymack said, so she left. As soon as the door closed behind her, he looked to Dan. "You and Kevin start thinking about what you're going to say in pre-game."

Dan rubbed hard at her arms, struggling to hold herself together and give her team a captain's unwavering confidence. "Does 'We're excited to be here' and 'We're going to do our best' cover pretty much everything?"

"How about 'We're gonna own these losers'?" Nicky suggested. 

"And that's why you're not allowed to talk to the press," Matt said dryly. 

The locker room was built to accommodate much larger teams, so it was easy for the Foxes to spread out. They found breathing space wherever they could, needing a couple minutes to get their heads on straight before tonight's match. 

When the reporters showed up, Kevin and Dan offered polite praise for USC and promised an interesting match. Wymack saw the press out as soon as possible and sent his Foxes to get changed. 

They reentered the inner court with thirty minutes until serve. The stands were packed all the way to the rafters, and the noise the fans made was a physical weight. If the Foxes' arrival wasn't enough to send the fans into a frenzy, the sight of the Trojans' captain making his way toward the small team did the trick. 

Jeremy Knox was dressed to go in everything but his gloves and helmet. He'd taken the Trojans' helm his junior year and did well enough to keep the position this year. 

Jeremy's serious expression dissolved into a toothy grin as soon as he spotted Kevin. Kevin slipped past Allison and Renee to meet him. 

Jeremy had to pass Wymack to get to the Foxes, so he gave Wymack's hand a firm shake. "Coach Wymack, welcome to SoCal. We're excited to host you tonight. Kevin, you crazy fool," he said, less formally, and clapped Kevin's shoulder in cheery greeting. "You never cease to amaze. You've got a thing for controversial teams, I think, but I like this one much better than the last one."