“Aw, c’mon, Hindley,” Hunter whines. “You’d really rat us out and get us kicked off the team?”
Simon shrugs one big shoulder as he heads for the showers. “You wanna find out?”
They grumble but turn their attention to more age-appropriate venues.
When I return from the showers, a consensus seems to have been reached. There’s a steakhouse with a back room big enough for the team, and Trey is going to act as the cruise director and call them to see if they can fit us in. If not, they’ve apparently got backup options in mind. While there’s a bar in the restaurant and we could get drinks if we want, this close to a game, we’re all supposed to be abstaining.
Tomorrow is meant to recover from travel and today’s workout and practice so we’re fresh for the game, not recovering from a hangover and putting our bodies through more stress than they need.
Usually that’s not a problem, but the excitement of this final game seems to have a few guys losing their heads. Especially Mitchell, who just turned twenty-one the day we flew down, so he hasn’t even had the opportunity to use his freshly-minted ability to buy alcohol legally.
I nudge Simon where he sits next to me on the bench, rubbing a towel over his head. “We better keep an eye on those guys,” I say quietly, nodding at the group in question. They might try to cause trouble regardless.
Simon gives me a surprised look. “You’re suddenly a stickler for the rules now?”
I shrug. “For this game? Yeah, I guess I am. Like Coach said, we’ll have plenty of opportunity to blow off steam after the game. We don’t need any minor in possession charges away from home right before our first bowl game.”
With an approving nod, Simon grunts, which for him passes as unqualified agreement.
We’re a loud and enthusiastic crew when we get to the restaurant. But we’re all good boys and no one orders any alcohol, filling up instead on specialty sodas, steaks, and the best kinds of carbs.
When we settle up the bill and make our way out into the night, the air cool but so much warmer than we’re used to back home that it feels like an early spring, a minor argument breaks out about what to do next. The older, stodgier contingent is in favor of going back to the hotel.
The younger, rowdier group wants to explore.
Sighing, Simon nudges me and nods at the underclassmen who are clearly not amenable to listen to reason. “As captain, it’s my job to make sure these guys don’t do anything too stupid. Come with me and help out, will you?”
With a chuckle, I nod and shrug. “Sure.” It’s not like I have anything exciting to do in the hotel. Simon probably wants to talk to Ellie, but if I’m not mistaken, he was texting her at dinner quite a bit.
She’s here for the game, jumping at the chance to come hang out with Piper and her family. They’ve been spending time together all break, and Ellie still won’t give me any information on Piper and how she’s doing. I get an eye roll and, “She’s fine, Cal. That’s all I’m going to say, no matter how much you badger me.”
I’ve stopped asking. Mostly.
Except Simon pulls out his phone and taps out a message. Craning my neck, I try to see his screen. Maybe Ellie sent some selfies of her and Piper together … “What’s she up to?”
Glaring at me, Simon turns his phone so I can’t see it. “Dude. Ask her yourself if you want to know that bad. Trust me, you don’t want to look at our texts.”
“Gross, dude. I didn’t need to know that.”
“You’re the one being a creeper,” he grumbles, shoving his phone in his pocket bumping my shoulder with a closed fist. “Besides, I wasn’t even texting her. I was updating Coach about the boneheads we’re accompanying.” He gestures at the guys in front of us who’ve started down the sidewalk.
We’re in a busy part of town full of restaurants and bars, and I’m not sure what the end goal is here. Most of these guys are underage, and the no alcohol rule is in effect anyway, so it’s not like it matters how old anyone is. Some of us could go into a bar and hang out I guess, but most of these places have clear signs that say no one under twenty-one is allowed inside.
Fortunately, it’s not just Simon and I along as the dubious voices of reason. Kilpatrick and Lancaster are here too. And while I might not be Kilpatrick’s greatest fan, our absence of hostilities in the last couple of weeks has been a relief. We can both be in the same group without worrying the other one will make it uncomfortable, at least.
Another large group of guys, bigger than ours, comes down the street from the other direction. They’re loud, singing something together, and when I get a better view of them it’s clear they’re from a frat. Not surprising. This part of town was chosen because it tends to be a favorite for local university students.
But when they mention Alpha Nu, my ears perk up. Because that’s the name of the frat that asshole who hurt Piper was a member of. My attempts at getting him sanctioned or kicked out orsomethingthrough the local chapter at Marycliff went nowhere.
I’m apparently not the only one who’s noticed, because Kilpatrick takes the lead and steers us closer to the frat guys.
As we approach, his cheerful voice calls out to them. “Brothers of Alpha Nu!” he yells, like he’s one of them. They let out a big cheer and welcome him into their group, holding out their hands for some kind of weird handshake.
Laughing, Kilpatrick kind of slaps at their hands, clearly having no clue what’s expected.
That puts a damper on their acceptance. One guy wearing an Alpha Nu hat jerks his chin at Kilpatrick. “You’re not a brother. What gives?”
Kilpatrick lets out a chuckle, all affable goofiness. “You caught me. I’ve been too busy to pledge. But you know I would’ve picked Alpha Nu if I could’ve!”
