Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“They have a lot to say about you,” Wymack pointed out, not unkindly. “It wouldn’t be the worst thing to respond and sort a few things out.” When Jean only stared him down in stubborn silence, Wymack sighed and collected his pack of cigarettes from the counter. He tipped it to one side, checking for the weight of his lighter, and said, “Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
Later Jean would understand why Wymack was so worried about him, but later was too late to do anything about it.
-
Jeremy
-
By the time Jeremy was able to escape the dinner table Wednesday night, he’d missed almost twenty text messages. His phone had been going off almost nonstop for over a week, starting with the news of Riko’s death and continuing through Tetsuji’s press conference. Most of it was spearheaded by Cat, who couldn’t resist tracking online gossip and opinions, but as finals week drew to a close and the first week of summer vacation started, the group chat got going in earnest.
It was exhausting that the Palmetto State Foxes could be champions and still exist as the scapegoats of the NCAA. It seemed every time Jeremy opened his phone there was a fresh wave of rumors or word of more assaults against their campus. He’d seen this backlash last spring when Kevin Day first announced his transfer to the Foxes’ Exy team, so while he was disappointed in the escalating vandalism, he wasn’t entirely surprised. Kevin seemed more irritated than concerned when Jeremy checked in on him, since it meant extra precautions during his private practices, so Jeremy tried not to worry overmuch.
USC so far seemed immune to the heat, but Jeremy couldn’t say the same for their newest player. The rumor mill was working overtime to decry Jean Moreau. Some of it was see-through propaganda, such as the slights against his talents when his stats were easy to look up. A lot of it was a he-said she-said mess, the “a friend of a friend who knows a friend who heard” type of nastiness better suited for high school hallways.
Jean had been on the Raven line for three years, but he’d never once spoken to the press. It wasn’t unusual, since Edgar Allan made Riko and Kevin handle all interviews and statements for the team, but it meant there was nothing to hint at Jean’s personality. With nothing concrete to go on, he was fair game for the anonymous haters online, and they were having a field day building a bogeyman out of absolutely nothing.
This person said he beat the Ravens’ freshmen half to death on a regular basis, another said Jean was jealous of Riko’s rank and bullied him relentlessly, and the loudest rumor of all claimed Jean had slept his way onto the Ravens’ lineup. Jean was blamed as the reason Kevin had left Edgar Allan. One side of the story was he talked Kevin into it so as to undermine Riko’s authority while the other side said he chased Kevin off with his cruelty. On and on it went, in exhausting circles.
In direct opposition to this supposed hateful side of him was the single muddled rumor from Palmetto State: apparently Jean tried to kill himself in solidarity the morning Riko died. This came straight from the athletes who’d seen security drag a bloodied and delirious Jean out of the Exy dorms. Jeremy didn’t know how much stock to put in that last one, except Coach Wymack had called him from Kevin’s phone that same day and asked Jeremy to keep his distance for a bit. Guilt was a gnawing, uncomfortable mouse eating away at his heart.
It was inevitable that the rumors would start getting to the Trojans, but Jeremy clung to two simple truths as he tried allaying their fears: Kevin would never have sent Jean to them if he was as much a wretch as everyone claimed, and Jean himself had requested edits to his contract to ensure he’d be bound to their good-natured presentation. There was no guarantee he would be easy to get along with, but would he have even thought to introduce those rules if he didn’t intend to make this work?
Most of the time this was enough to calm their louder doubts, but Xavier messaged him privately to point out that Kevin and Jean hadn’t played together in over a year. There was no telling who Jean had become in Kevin’s absence once he took his place at the so-called King’s side. The Trojans were worried, and they’d remain as such until they could take Jean’s measure for themselves. Bringing Jean out to California tomorrow, a full month and change before summer practices started, was the only peace offering Jeremy had for them.
“More drama,” Annalise guessed, and Jeremy jerked his gaze up from his phone. His younger sister had her purse slung over her shoulder and her keys in her hand. Unlike Bryson, who always came home for the summer, she insisted on keeping her own place on the other side of the city year-round. Her expression was cool, not concerned, but Jeremy immediately tucked his phone into his pocket and went to meet her at the front door.