Page 91 of The Pass Protection
Everything about Bret being here feels normal, as if this was her destiny to begin with. The more I’m with her, the more I crave her.Her energy, her spark, her heart. With the season almost over, it won’t be long until I can claim her and shower her with my love out in the open.
I didn’t realize how much I was floating through the motions of class, football, and partying until she arrived. Bret Campbell might have come here needing an escape, a place to feel safe, but in doing so, she’s given me a purpose outside of the mundane. Day by day, I’m starting to find myself through her—the real Crew Riggsby with a passion outside of football and the family farm.
“Earth to Crew.” Lauren’s elbow nudges mine from where she sits next to me. The motion startles me, causing me to jump in my seat as my attention is returned to the present.
“Shit,” I say, shaking my head. “I didn’t mean to zone out.”
“It’s fine,” Eric grumbles from his spot at the whiteboard. The guy has black and blue circles under his eyes. He mumbled something about extra conditioning to drop weight for his weight class on the wrestling team.
Leaning back in my chair, I scan the colorful notes on the board. “Where were we?”
Lauren sighs as she skims over her notes. “We are trying to decide the overall game design and concept.”
“I think we need to focus on the core mechanics and features,” Eric adds. “We should map out the player’s journey from the very beginning to mastering the technique using precision agricultural techniques.”
Flipping through the pages of my notebook, I read back critical points from the lecture when we first discussed the video game concept. “I agree. I think the very beginning should start with basics like seed selection, planting, and watering. Will the player focus on cover crops or only on natural watering processes?”
“Oh, I like that.” Lauren scribbles something in her notebook while Eric jots the ideas down on the board. “Then, as the game progresses, we could introduce concepts like soil analysis and the benefits of drone usage.”
Snapping my fingers, I point my finger at her as I lean forward in my chair. “Exactly. Drones are all the rage, and there could be substantial benefits of using drones with farming.”
As the conversation continues, a thrill runs through me. This is why I chose to go to college and get a degree rather than staying at home and just taking over the family business. I wanted to learn, expand my knowledge, and continue to grow the agricultural industry.
“Let’s assign tasks,” Lauren pipes up. “We have two weeks to finalize everything, and as much as this is a group project, we all have our strengths.”
Eric and I nod as I stand from my seat to take a picture of the whiteboard for my reference.
“I think it’s safe to say you should run with the education aspect, Crew.”
“Yeah, I agree,” comes from Lauren. “This was your idea to start with, and you seem to have the most knowledge of what should be included. Could you reach out and find some success stories?”
I nod, mentally going through the list of topics to explore. “I know someone who has had their farm mapped, I can try to contact them.”
Lauren looks over at Eric, and a sheepish expression highlights her face. “Eric, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to focus on the marketing. Video game design isn’t something I’m super confident in—but I can try if I need to.”
Eric shakes his head as Lauren’s worry eases. “I’m what you call a video gameconnoisseur.”
“Great, looks like we’ve got all the areas covered.” I clap my hands together as I gather my notebooks. “I’ll be here Wednesday night at six for mandatory study tables if you guys want to meet up.”
“Sounds good,” Eric and Lauren both say.
As we gather our things, Eric erases the whiteboard before the three of us leave the private room. Excitement swirls around us as we exchange conversations on our way out of the library and go our separate ways.
I’m halfway to the union when a large, black arm is thrown around my shoulders. “Wassup, Riggs?”
“Not much, Big Man.”
JP groans, and I chuckle. “Wicked woman. She better not let that stupid nickname stick.”
“I’ve already changed your name in my contacts.”
“You heading in for food?”
I nod as we step around people. Girls pass by with flirtatious smiles.
“How come I haven’t seen you hooking up with anyone this semester?”
“Maybe I’m keeping it away from the apartment.”
