Aftg react

Part50

Foxes react: chapter 3

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"Won't you talk to me?" Betsy finally prompted. "What do you want me to say?" Neil said. "Anything," Betsy said. "This is your time." "Anything?" Neil said. When she gave an encouraging nod, Neil proceeded to tell her about the UT games he'd been watching. It was completely impersonal and definitely not at all what she'd been hoping for, but she didn't interrupt and didn't have the good grace to look bored. She drank her cocoa and listened like it was the most important story she'd heard all day. Somehow it made Neil like her even less, but he didn't stop.

"Wow out of anything to choose from he went with that" said Alison as she facepalmed "I am  feeling bad for her" said Nicky as he faked wiping a tear away.
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"So those knives he brings everywhere are yours?"
"Were mine," Renee said. "He was right; I don't need them anymore. If you need them, he will give them to you, and I will teach you how to use them."
She wasn't smiling anymore. Neil studied her calm expression and knew she meant it. She'd put her faith in mankind and her Christian piety on hold and show him how to cut a man open throat to groin if he asked her to.

"Of course" that all that Renee said with a little smile, Neil was their friend so yes of course she would.
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Neil was starting to understand why Andrew liked her. She was crazy enough to be interesting.
"Thank you," Neil said, "but no. I don't want to be like—him."
He didn't say he'd used knives before; one couldn't grow up a Wesninski without having a blade pushed into his hand.

Whatever feelings were present before they were swollen up by dread, they were frowning nothing that they learned from Neil's past and family got any less of a strong reaction.
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Nathan didn't have the time or patience to teach his son but he'd put two of his people to the task.

Of course there was something like that that had yet to be revealed, it was raising many questions and obviously they turned to the person that could know something about this new information. "do you know who they are" said Dan as everyone was now looking at Kevin, he looked confused but still answered "no, I mean yes he had his people but nothing was said that day, much less names because it would have been a big risk. But there really is not much else to remember of that day except what was show to us" said Kevin and on the end of his sentence he was visibly shaken up and it was obvious he was saying the truth.
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Luckily Neil left home before he progressed past cutting up hunks of dead animals.

It was sick, they knew that Neil ran away with his mother when he was 10 and that meant that a 10 year old and probably younger Neil was cut animals apart because his sick father wanted him to.
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"Tell your pet psycho to knock it off before he cripples someone." "I don't think he'll listen to me," Neil said.
"You and I both know he will. Now get."
Wymack pounded on the wall, calling a pause to the scrimmage, as
Neil headed for the door. Neil let himself onto the court and headed for the goal. Andrew slung his racquet across his shoulders at Neil's approach. Neil knew better than to call Andrew out with an audience, so he stopped as close to Andrew as he could and kept his voice down.
"Coach wants to know what you have against the offense line."
Andrew slid a look past Neil to the court wall. "He can ask me himself."
"Or you can answer me since I'm already here," Neil said. "There are only nine of us left. If we lose anyone else we're out of spring championships. You know that."
Neil waited a beat, but of course that wasn't enough to get a reaction. Andrew looked bored of this conversation already. Neil put a hand up in front of Andrew's face, neatly blocking his view of Wymack, and waited until Andrew looked at him again. "I want us to get to finals. I want us to be the ones who finally bring the Ravens down. After everything Riko's done to us, don't you want that, too?"
"You say 'want' so freely," Andrew said, "when I have told you a thousand times before I want nothing."
"Probably because you're spending all your energy on not wanting anything," Neil shot back. "But if you can't grasp that simple concept, I'll put this in terms you do understand: this is a game we can't afford to lose. This is how we get to Riko. This is the only thing we can take from him that will actually hurt. Let's rip his rank out of his fingers and show him he had a reason to fear us all along."
"Do your teammates still think you're the quiet one?" Andrew asked.
"Our teammates," Neil said, with emphasis, "want this as much as I do. Stop cutting them off at the knees before they have the chance to try."
"I don't believe in giving people chances."
"I didn't until I came here," Neil said. "I took a chance on you when I decided to stay. You took a chance on me when you trusted me with Kevin. Is it really that hard to support them when they've been with you every step of the way?"
"What will you give me in exchange for my cooperation?" Andrew asked.
"Because revenge isn't good enough?" Neil asked. "What would it take?"
Andrew didn't have to think about it. "Show me your scars."
It was not what Neil was expecting, which was probably why Andrew asked for it. Neil opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat. Wymack and Abby had already seen them, and the Foxes knew they were there. He'd put Andrew's hand to his ruined skin back in November to earn Andrew's trust. Neil had promised Andrew the missing parts of his truth if they survived the year. He hadn't thought Andrew would settle for a visual.
"When?" he said at last.
"We are going to Columbia tomorrow," Andrew said. "Now walk away and tell Coach to mind his pay grade. I will not let him get away with this a second time."
Neil didn't understand, but he nodded and left. The Foxes waited until the door was shut and locked before resuming play. The next time Kevin managed a shot on goal, Andrew cleared it all the way down the court. Neil had the feeling the Foxes would regret his intervention soon enough. This was definitely safer, but now Dan and Kevin had to chase the ball every time Andrew deflected it.
Neil went back to Wymack's side and relayed Andrew's message. He expected Wymack to brush off Andrew's threat without batting an eye. He wasn't expecting Wymack's amused huff and dry, "Just promise me this isn't going to be a problem."
"What?" Neil asked.
"I can't tell if you're being obtuse to fuck with me or if you're really that dumb," Wymack said. When Neil just stared blankly at him, Wymack rubbed his temples as if warding off a headache. "I would pity you, but Andrew's right. I don't get paid enough to get involved in this. Figure it out yourself—on your own time. You're supposed to be studying UT right now."
Wymack plucked up his clipboard and started scribbling notes. Neil looked from him to the court.
"Goodbye," Wymack said. Neil swallowed his questions and headed back to the locker room.