𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐆𝐎 𝐅𝐀𝐑, Renee Walker

𝟭𝟭. 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

"𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚'𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧
𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙗𝙮𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙮"
-Kodaline

A LOTTERY IN JULY HAD CHOSEN Blackwell University as the host for this year's fall banquet. It was a relatively lucky draw for the Foxes since they were only four hours away, but none of them were feeling particularly good about it when they boarded the bus Saturday. They pulled onto the interstate with fourteen people on board: the Fox team, the three-man staff, and Aaron's and Nicky's dates.

From what Renee explained to Bastien on the ride, Nicky's date was some guy from his improv class and Aaron's was Katelyn, his unofficial girlfriend.

He wouldn't have paid the latter much mind if it weren't for the amount bets he heard being closed and money passed around when they'd arrived to the stadium together. Apparently, Katelyn was the center of two bets between the Foxes: whether or not Aaron would ask her, and how Andrew would respond. The latter was what worried the french man.

Andrew was high on his drugs, but he didn't spare a single smile or hello for Katelyn. Andrew looked through her and around her like she wasn't even there. If he could do that while high, there was the question of how much the drugs actually limited his true personality.

Bastien kept an ear out for them throughout the ride.

The banquet was supposed to be a two-day event to justify the costs and travel time for the further teams, but the Foxes and staff had taken a unanimous vote to leave Saturday night. Six hours spent socializing with teams who'd repeatedly and loudly mocked them in the news was more than enough for them all.

However, rude athletes weren't what worried the Foxes. Riko Moriyama was.

It was to avoid thinking of the evil captain that Bastien had decided to sit and converse with the upperclassman in the first place. Preferring that over sinking in his own suffocating thoughts and what-if's of the night to come for the whole four hours.

Matt seemed to be slowly getting over his dislike for Bastien, and Allison had started speaking again — not much, but some — the day before, so the conversation wasn't as unbearable.

Bastien had almost gotten completely lost in the dumb debate him and Dan were having against Renee and Matt about summer being better than winter (it isn't), when he started hearing short, ragged breaths coming from the back of the bus.

"How could you possibly enjoy all your clothes sticking to your body with sweat? It's not..." Dan's argument faded in Bastien's mind as his focus turned to a panicking Kevin in the back.

A year ago, he would've rushed towards him at even the smallest signs of distress seen on his friend. Now, he wouldn't even call him that. So, after holding eye contact with him for a brief moment, Bastien spared a glance to the dateless twin sat next to Kevin before pursing his lips and turning back around.

The digital clock at the front of the bus told Bastien they were getting close, as did the signs in the highway pointing out the way to Blackwell.

He texted his brother's roommate's phone to tell him how far away he was from the university.

Bastien went tuned back into the conversation to find it had moved into just being between Matt and Dan, with Renee watching the french man softly.

"What?" Bastien asked, confused at the attention.

"Are you okay?" Renee asked gently.

"Yeah," Bastien rearranged his position. The leg space wasn't enough, but the company made up for it. "Why wouldn't I be?"