"He spends the entire time winding down and getting sick," Neil said. "Is it worth it?"

"Maybe it is," Renee said with a smile. "You'll see."

The Terrapins served as soon as the buzzer sounded, and the court became a whirlwind of movement. Belmonte's starting dealer got the half going with an aggressive move: he fired straight up the court at the goal. Allison could have stopped it, but she casually sidestepped like it wasn't worth her time. Andrew reacted with the same calm arrogance and just watched as the ball missed his goal by a scant inch. The crowd's reaction was instant and loud: they weren't going to be mocked by a ragtag team like the Foxes.

Andrew gave the ball a small pop on the rebound to bounce it off the ground and smacked it right back the way it'd come. Allison watched it pass her again, let the dealer catch it uncontested, and then smashed into him. He didn't lose his feet, but he lost the ball when he stumbled, and Allison was quick to take it from him. She passed it up the court and pushed forward after it.

The Foxes were notorious for their shoddy teamwork, so most people forgot they were a Class I school. Wymack culled his broken players from the same pool as any other Class I coach: the best athletes high schools had to offer nationwide. If the Foxes could get over their differences and learn to compromise once in a while, they would be a formidable force. Neil had warned Riko that at Kathy Ferdinand's talk show, and Dan thought the team had a better chance now that Seth was gone. Neil watched his teammates for any sign she was right.

Because he was watching so closely, he could see it, but it came only in flashes. Nicky was the team's weakest backliner, but Aaron knew how to compensate for it. Allison and Dan had never played together like this, but they'd been roommates and friends for three years. Dan was too far up to watch the court like she normally did but she could gauge the situation in a glance and adjust her play accordingly.

Neil wanted to get Matt out there and see what a difference it made. Matt was their best player. He could unite the court with his presence and control the game through his unapologetic aggression. Neil wanted to go out there himself and find out if he really deserved to play Class I. He wanted to be part of this evolution. He wanted to feel the team click into perfect synchrony, even if it only lasted for a moment.

By the time Wymack finally let him on the court, Neil was buzzing with equal parts impatience and need. He knew he clacked sticks with Dan as they passed each other at the door but he didn't hear it. He heard only his heartbeat, thumping in his veins.

The buzzer sounded to get them moving. The Terrapins came as hard as they could, but the Foxes shoved back with a ferocity the home team wasn't expecting. They were exhausted, but Matt rallied the defense around him and Neil had permission to run himself ragged on the offense. Neil was the least experienced person on their team, but he was the fastest and the most desperate. Every minute on the court brought him one minute closer to saying goodbye to Exy forever. He didn't want to regret a single second.