Page 73 of The Locker Room

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going to have to move into the Varsity dorms?” Chris asked, voicing

what was on both their minds. “Because we just got settled here!”

“Who the fuck cares!” Cliff jumped up and down on his toes. “If

one of you two doesn"t get up and scream and take me out to some

fucking breakfast, I"m gonna have Coach test you both for ludes. Man,

you"refreshmen,and you"re playingVarsity.Do you haveanyidea how

often that doesnothappen in college ball?”

Xander stood up and made a try of it. “Way to go, Christian,” he

said, using the part of himself that was sincere to say it. “I am fair to

partly impressed with us.”

Chris stood up, too, and met him in the middle of the room for a

high five and an “attaboy” pat on the back. “Me too, now let"s put on

some real clothes and go get some breakfast!”

“You boys got the car—anywhere we can afford!”

Chris and Xander looked at each other and said “Breadmen"s!” in

unison, and Cliff laughed, because the local eatery was about all he could

afford too. (Besides, they could walk to Breadmen"s, and that way, they

didn"t have to lose their coveted parking space. The car had been a nice

idea, and it was fun to use on breaks, but actually finding a place to put it

had proved to be an enormous hassle.)

The Locker Room

63

They grabbed jeans and some sweatshirts and dressed like they

hadn"t just been making explosive, tender love to each other before Cliff

walked in, and Cliff stood there the entire time, making cracks about

how maybe they could try not to funkify their next room, because this

one smelled like sweat socks.

Chris looked at Xander wryly and mouthed, “Sex socks” as they

were bent over tying their shoes, and Xander tried not to smirk, but their

smiles were a little forced, and a little sad. Whatever had been set in

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