"We don't have dates yet, but the ERC's made some changes that will make this spring look like a cakewalk. They're notifying the coaches in our district one by one to try and control the fallout. It has potential to get ugly."

"How could it be worse than the shit we dealt with last year?" Seth asked.

Matt counted off on his fingers. "The break-ins, threatening phone calls, rabid press, vandalism…"

"Personal favorite was when someone told the police we were running a meth lab out of the dorm," Dan said sourly. "Police raids are awesome."

"The death threats were creative, though," Nicky said. "Maybe this time they'll follow through and actually kill one of us. Let's vote. I nominate Seth."

"Fuck you, faggot," Seth said.

"I don't like that word," Andrew said. "Don't use it."

"I would say 'fuck you, freak', but then you wouldn't know which one of you I was talking to."

"Don't talk to us at all," Aaron said. "You never have anything useful to say."

"Enough," Wymack said. "We don't have time for petty bullshit this year. We've got a new school in our district."

Neil glanced at Kevin where he sat white-faced and rigid. Four men on one couch meant Andrew's group was sitting crushed together with Kevin and Andrew in the middle. Even on drugs Andrew couldn't miss the way Kevin went tense, but with his medicine in his veins he thought it was funny. He grinned up at Kevin, but the smile evaporated off his face when Wymack spoke.

"Edgar Allan's come south."

Shock silenced the team, but not for long.

"No way," Dan said sharply. "That isn't funny, Coach."

Seth apparently thought otherwise because he started laughing. Aaron, Nicky, and Matt drowned each other out as they demanded explanations. Allison made a shrill noise of disbelief that left Neil's right ear ringing. Renee, like Neil, watched Andrew and Kevin and said nothing.

Wymack tried explaining the ERC's logic, but he kept his attention on Andrew. It didn't take the team long to notice his distraction. The hubbub slowly died out. As it did, Andrew's smile returned. This time it was all teeth. Andrew's drugs made him manic, but they didn't make him any less vicious. Neil knew what that smile meant and braced for violence.

"Hey, Kevin," Andrew said. "Hear that? Someone really misses you."

"The ERC shouldn't have approved it," Kevin said, so quietly Neil barely heard him.

"You said he would come for you."

"I didn't know it would be like this."

"Liar," Andrew said, and Kevin flinched.