“Who are we looking at for starting wide receivers?” Silas sat down next to Kai.
“That Kevin guy’s a shoo-in,” I mumbled because if you couldn’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
I got another almost-smile from Kai. It appears I was on a roll.
“You’ve been eavesdropping?” my brother asked.
“Never.” I shook my head, feigning offense at the accusation. “You and Dad talk loud. I heard you going on about how Kevin’s stats are the most impressive on the team.”
“Impressive?” Silas raised a brow. “How much?”
I sobered a bit. Silas didn’t come all this way to have to fight for a starting position. This was serious business. Westbrooke was a Division I team. Silas was a sophomore who was set on going pro. Warming the bench wouldn’t help him achieve the goal.
“You’re better.” Kai found the paper Silas needed and handed it to him. “Kevin’s average went down last season. He’s the best of the worst.”
Silas scratched the top of his nose as he read, a telltale sign he liked what he saw. “Good to hear.”
“Very.” Kai nodded in agreement. “Last semester, the team’s performance went down the drain. Apparently, the drama behind the scenes made it onto the field.”
“What kind of drama?” I couldn’t help but stick my nose into their business. Until I had my own stuff going on, football was my thing too.
“Don’t know much,” Kai confessed. “Don’t care either, so I didn’t dig too far. All I know for sure is it affected their top players, and now, the starting quarterback position is open. Everything else on the offensive teams seems up for grabs too.”
I raised my brow, even more, intrigued. At a university this large, it was rare for a team to seem this weak. “None of the seniors came back?”
Kai shrugged. “Most did, but it doesn’t matter under new leadership.”
“That’s what I’m talking about.” Silas clapped Kai on the shoulder. “Trevor and Riker transferring over, too?”
Trevor and Riker were a couple of other offensive players from our old school. There’d been so many talented players at Amber U. Kai and Silas had to fight on and off the field for playing time. A lot of them were desperate for a fresh start with less competition.
Kai nodded. “They were at the dinner last night.”
Silas’s eyes grew big with excitement, and he shook Kai’s shoulder. “Damn, man. You know what this means?”
“We’ll see after a few practices.” My brother spoke in a cautious tone. Never one to get his hopes up. I admired his chill because Silas’s excitement even rubbed off on me, and I didn’t know how to throw a football straight.
“Come on,” I teased Kai. “You’re allowed to be a little excited. Things are looking up.”
“Listen to her.” Silas pointed at me, happy about the support. “Even Emmy knows this year’s going to be our year, man. That championship ring, Kai. No more fighting for five minutes on the field. Can you taste that NFL salary?”
Kai’s lips twitched a bit at the thought. “We’ll. See.”
Silas and I sucked on our teeth in disappointment at his dedication to staying logical.
“I’ve been telling him he needs to relax,” I said to Silas. “Enjoy life a little before the season starts. I think we all should go out.”
“Agreed. Definitely.” As usual, Silas took little convincing. “I’m down to get into something as soon as tonight. Gotta catch a few hours of sleep, and I’m good as gold.”
Kai shook his head. “I’m not interested in how you two relax.”
“You don’t have to worry. We’re going to a campus event,” I said before he could use more of his tired excuses. “No drinking involved… Probably. I’m like ninety percent sure.”
“Campus event?” Silas’s shoulders sank at the new information.
“It’ll still be fun,” I promised, even though I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was Dakota would be there, and that was enough for me. I couldn’t date the guy, but I could still admire his presence.
“We march at dawn,” I decided with a stern look on my face. “Neither of you are backing out.”
