Wymack watched them a minute longer, then nodded. "The ERC will make their official announcement later this month. They agreed to wait until you were all here where it's easier for us to protect you. That doesn't mean you can be careless. Chuck—that's our university president Charles Whittier, Neil—has reissued orders that reporters stay off our campus without a police escort this summer. You'll see twice as many campus police around, and I need all of you to save their number to your phones just in case. Understand?"

Neil didn't own a phone, but he joined the others in saying, "Yes, Coach."

The room went quiet, and Neil couldn't stand it anymore. "Anything else, Coach, or are we finished?"

"This is a big deal," Dan said. "It changes everything. You don't understand."

"Neil found out when Kevin did," Wymack said. "I already had the talk with him, so he understands just fine. And no, there's nothing else. Abby, they're all yours. Do with them what you will."

Neil got to his feet and started for the door without a backward glance. Dan tried to call him back for his physical, but Abby quieted her.

Renee caught up with him outside. "Unfortunately this news means Andrew can't give you a ride back to the dorm," she said. "Kevin needs him right now and that trumps whatever agreement you two had. If you're okay with waiting a bit, though, you're more than welcome to ride with us. There's plenty of room in Matt's truck."

Neil meant to say no, but what came out was, "Why does Kevin trust Andrew?"

Renee smiled. "Because he knows he can."

"With so much at stake," Neil pressed, as if she didn't understand what was going on as well as he did. Maybe she didn't. Maybe she couldn't understand what Kevin was risking and what he would face if Andrew failed. She wasn't like them. She was normal, or as normal as the Foxes could hope to be. Gangs and blood feuds were things out of movies. Neil hated that she couldn't understand, but he hated more that he did. "With so much at stake he honestly thinks Andrew is enough?"

Renee held out her hand to him. "Neil," she said, so gently he wondered if she'd even heard him. "Neil, please wait for us."

"No," Neil said, taking a step back. "I know the way. Thank you."

He rolled his papers into a tube and jogged away. She didn't call after him, but he felt her stare on the back of his head. As soon as he reached the far edge of the parking lot he sped up to a full-out run.