"We'll go over details of tonight's game on Monday morning," Wymack said. "Meet here instead of at the gym. Dan and Kevin, you're on press duty. The rest of you stop yapping and wash up so we can drink. Make sure you take everything important home with you tonight. I have a cleaning crew coming in tomorrow to wash the Raven stench off our court. Let's get the hell out of here and get wasted."

They were exhausted, sore, and more than a little disappointed by their loss, but the Foxes left the stadium feeling like champions.

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE

The Foxes cleared out of Abby's house before noon the next day, but Andrew's group didn't head back to the dormitory. Instead they went out for an early lunch. Aaron, Nicky, and Kevin were too hungover to eat much and settled for pushing their food around their plates. Andrew was oblivious to and unsympathetic of their plight. By the time they left the three were looking a little steadier, so Nicky drove them to a party store fifteen minutes out from campus.

Halloween fell on a Tuesday this year, which mean Eden's Twilight was having an event the Friday before. Neil knew only because Nicky had been talking about it nonstop for over a week, but he hadn't really expected they would go. For one, they had a game that Friday. For another, they were all too old to celebrate such a childish holiday. Andrew and Aaron were nineteen for another month, Kevin was twenty, and Nicky was twenty-three. Apparently Neil overestimated their maturity level.

"We're a little old for costumes, don't you think?" Neil asked as he climbed out of the car.

"It's bad form to go to a Halloween party without a costume, Neil," Nicky said. "Besides, the bartenders give out a free round to anyone who comes dressed up."

"I don't drink," Neil said.

"Then give your shot to me, you stingy child," Nicky said. "I know you said you'd never come shopping with us again, but we're doing you a huge favor dragging you along. You wouldn't trust me to pick out your costume, would you? I'd probably make you a French maid or something. Come on."

The front of the store was packed with decorations, everything from packs of spider webs to skull-shaped shot glasses and ghost window clings. An animatronics raven flapped its wings and cawed at Neil as he approached. He pushed it to the back of the shelf and moved a glittery Styrofoam skull in front of it. It cawed once more at the rough handling, but the sound was muffled.