Page 23 of Silent Count
“Right, right. You’re a pro.” Charlie rolls her eyes. “But, like, what did they ask you?”
“Mostly about the upcoming season. They did try to get me to say if I had any ideas on where I wanted to go, but I evaded the question and tried to keep it focused on this season.” He shifts to look at Charlie. “They did ask me about Beck and if I missed playing with my best friend, which, of course, I said yes. They asked about your and Beck’s engagement, and I said I was happy for you guys, then steered the questions back to the season.”
“Well, that sounds like fun. Will you be one of the ones they interview throughout the season regularly?” Charlie asks him.
“Probably, but I haven’t gotten a schedule or anything. Did you get one, Bo?” Casey looks over at Bo.
I look over at Bo, and he glances at me briefly. Then he lifts his arm and wraps it around the back of his neck. He brushes his hand from the back to the front, then back through his hair before squeezing his neck.
“No, I didn’t get a schedule. They just told me that they would follow me around some, but mostly around the field. I would guess we’ll find out in advance if they want us, but I’m not sure.”
“What did they ask you today?” Charlie asks him.
“Nothing too interesting. They asked me why I came to Walker and a few questions about the season. That’s about it.” He shrugs.
I see Charlie’s phone light up, and she picks it up.
“I’m gonna go talk to my fiancé. I’ll see you all in the morning.” She stands and walks toward her room.
“I think I’m gonna head to bed too. I’m tired. The kids were wild today for some reason.” Noelle stands and holds her hand out to Casey, and she pulls him off the couch.
He hands Bo the remote.
“Yo, Silas.” Casey nudges his leg. “Go to bed, bro.”
Silas groans but rolls to his side and stands up. “Night, y’all.”
“Night,” Noelle says, then looks at me. “Are you good? Do you need anything?”
“I can get her anything she needs,” Bo says.
She smiles at him, then at me. “Okay, well, let me know if you need anything. Night.”
“Night, guys,” Casey says with a wave as he walks out, pulling Noelle behind him.
Bo stands and comes over to sit next to me on the couch. “Do you want to watch something else, or are you going to bed too?”
I pick up my phone and look at the time, noticing a missed call from my sister. It’s not that late, but I should probably go to bed soon and try to call my sister back. “I’ll go to bed soon, so you can watch this. I don’t mind. I’ve spent the last year learning all the football things, so it’s a good idea for me to continue my sports education.” I smile at him.
“Oh, yeah? Well, that’s good, considering some of your friends play football.” He winks at me. “I’m not staying up too late either. My bed time is ten thirty.”
“Ten thirty? Are you an old man?” I laugh.
“Hey now, don’t knock an early bedtime.” He puts his arm on the back of the couch, practically touching my shoulder. “During the season, I try to stay on a pretty strict schedule with sleep. Recovery time is important for your body.”
“Recovery time?” I ask, shifting to face him.
“Yeah, you know, because we put so much stress on our bodies with training?” He tilts his head to the side, looking at me.
I nod. “Right … as I imagine all athletes do.”
“Exactly. So, we need the muscle recovery time so we don’t get hurt, but also so we can be at peak performance.”
“Got it. That makes sense. And I would imagine you take some pretty big hits, huh?”
He chuckles. “I do. Seeing a two-hundred-and-thirty-pound linebacker coming at you isn’t all that fun.”
“I wouldn’t think so, no.” We both smile. “Well, how about I let you get your rest because not only do you need to be prepared on the field, but we have our first study session tomorrow, and I’m not gonna let you slack off just because we’re friends.”
