Logan's heart skipped a beat as the man awkwardly produced a luridly fluorescent yellow box that practically glowed in his hands.
Are those…?
"Those are the new Series Elevens x Shinji Ito," Logan whispered, taking the box Walter held out and opening it. "Inred." He looked up. "These only dropped last week. Sold out in like, five minutes, too."
"Really?" Walter winked. "I wouldn't know anything about all that. I'm sure I found these cleaning out my garage last month. When I mentioned to some of my pledge brothers I'd be in town the weekend of the auction, they told me you were always in need of shoes, even old ones like these. I was hoping you could help me find them a good home?"
"Yeah," Logan said, trying not to be too obvious about it as he held the box against his chest. "Of… of course. Um. Thank you."
"Can't have Minotaur House's star player going to games barefoot, now can we?" Walter asked with a wink.
It was such a well-trod line by this point. One repeated by every alumnus who'd stood right here, handing Logan a crisp new shoebox and claiming they'd found it buried in a closet, an attic, or an old storage shed. But there was something about Walter's expression, or his story, or maybe just Walter himself… Logan didn't mind it, not this time.
Still didn't mean he'd be telling Walter that, even if they'd been game-ready cleats, kicks this quality would NEVER see the field.
And from the cheerful glint in the old man's eye, Logan got the impression he didn't need to, either.
"My parents are going to be at the auction tomorrow." Oz threw an apologetic look Logan's way.
He'd already told Oz that Logan's dad had said he couldn't make it, on account of having a game to coach the previous day. It was fine. Logan was used to it.
"If you find a spare moment, I think my Dad would really like to meet you," Oz continued. "I'm actually a legacy; he's a house alum, too."
"Oh, you boys are both good sports," Walter replied, shooing away the offer with a flap of his hand. "But you don't have to bend over backwards on my account. You probably get us old geezers dropping in on you all the time."
Oz looked over at Logan pleadingly.
"We do," Logan admitted. "It's always good to meet a brother, and sometimes they swing by with hand-me-downs — " Logan shook the shoebox carefully but meaningfully — "That 'need a new home'. I, uh… I don't want to sound ungrateful, but for what it's worth: neither of us go asking any ofthemto come back and share more stories. Oz's dad is a nice guy. It'd mean a lot, uh, sir. If you have the time before you leave, I mean."
"I'm just in for the weekend, boys, and my dance card's pretty full. But I'll tell you what — there used to be this little hole-in-the-wall diner on 64th Street. Do either of you know if it's still there?"
Logan shook his head, but —
"Ruby's?" Oz guessed. "Over by Saint's Park, right?"
"That's the one!" Walter smiled. It seemed to be something he did a lot, drawing an answering smile for both Loan and Oz, too. "I'd be happy to buy you boys breakfast there at, say… nine o'clock?"
Logan glanced at Oz, who shrugged.
Logan grinned. "I could eat."
Walter chuckled, eyeing Logan's football player physique with a practical eye. "I bet you can, son."
Walter chuckled again, before getting to his feet. "Well, I'd better let you boys get back to your studying, then. I'll see you at Ruby's in the morning. And… thank you both for humoring an old man."
"Thank you for coming by, sir," Oz chirped immediately, like the nerd he was.
"It was nice to meet you," Logan said, actually meaning it this time. "And thank you for the sneakers, wherever you 'found' them."
Walter laughed, waving as he left.
Chapter 25
Following Orders
Oz gnawed his lip as he shut the door behind him, head cocked as if listening to Walter's footsteps receding down the hall. "Do you think he and Danny…"
"I dunno. But I kinda got that vibe, too," Logan replied. "You notice he kept playing with his wedding ring the whole time he talked about the guy?"
