Page 5 of Escape Velocity
He adjusts his glasses as he stalks off the field, refusing to take a look back at the circus he left behind.
He’s never going back to the bleachers. He refuses to come across Callum’s path again if he can help it.
Even if Callum seeks him out, he is going to make certain that it won’t be a possibility.
He refuses to be put in a state of free fall for Callum Brown.
2
CALLUM
“Man,Coach was already on our case today.”
Callum puffs out a breath and nods as he wipes some sweat from his brow.
“And it was sohot. Isn’t it September? I thought the heat would be gone by now,” Callum says to Joel, his roommate and teammate.
Today’s practice was the most grueling yet, but he has to accept that this is how things are going to be now that he’s a sophomore. No more playing around.
Joel puts his key in the lock, and both boys fall into their well air-conditioned dorm room. A welcome reprieve from three hours spent in the blistering sun.
Joel flops onto his bed face first, splaying like a starfish on his stomach.
Callum sits on his bed and puts his weight on his hands as he leans back.
He can’t believe he spoke to Mason Fanning for the first time in years a couple of hours ago. He’s not sure what made him want to say anything. He was just there, going onto the field to practice, and all of a sudden,he sees Mason in the bleachers, doing his homework, and something just… clicked in him. He had to say something, even just a “hi.”
He eyes the singular cardboard box at the end of his bed that he has yet to unpack. It’s been almost two weeks of being on campus, and he still hasn’t had it in him to look in it.
Joel gets up from his bed. “You still haven’t unpacked that box?”
Callum blinks as he realizes that Joel has been watching him. Not only that, but he’s noticed the fact that Callum hasn’t unpacked it.
It’s something he learned very quickly about Joel since he went to Northwood High with him. Joel is a grade younger than Callum, but he noticed very quickly that Joel notices things. Especially the things people want to hide.
Callum smiles sheepishly. “I’m not the best at it. Took me awhile to get to the rest of my stuff, remember?”
Callum knows it’s a lie. He’s just not as keen on being roommates with Joel this year.
Joel is a little more judgmental than the rest of his teammates, and Callum has some personal effects he doesn’t want Joel to see in that bag. He’s barely had any alone time since they started rooming together, but they surely won’t be together all the time once classes start.
Joel gets up and walks over to the unopened cardboard box at the end of Callum’s bed. “I’ll help you then.”
Callum shakes his head. “It’s okay, I’ll do it on my break between classes tomorrow.”
Joel laughs. “Come on, we could use the free space.”
Joel bends down, opens the box, and begins to take things out.
Callum purses his lips but starts to help Joel, careful to keep certain things from Joel’s prying eyes.
Callum takes out some framed photos of him on the Northwood High football team and him with Coach Meyers from his freshman year at Montgomery.
He smiles at him with his coach, but his happiness is short-lived as Joel pulls out another photo frame.
“I didn’t know you and Fanning were friends.”
Joel’s voice is like tires screeching on the road in his ears at the mention ofhisname. Just as arresting as a car crash or nearly missing an oncoming collision.
