Page 29 of Escape Velocity
“I know you’re not a journalism major. I have no idea what you’re doing here if you’re not. But what I do know is that you need to be on this paper. For some odd reason you feel obligated to do it. So this is your choice. I’ll make it simple. Either you stay on the paper and do sports,includingthe player profile, or you don’t.”
Mason clenches his fists. He hates how right she is. He has no business being on the paper other than the fact that he has to save face for his parents. And if he says no to doingsports, his cover will surely be blown, since his parents get sent a copy of every issue ofThe Goldberg.
They’ll find out if he drops it. Which means more questions, and which means more lies.
But if he stays… God help him if he stays. He’ll have to be intimately involved with Callum more than he ever wants to be ever again.
Going to the games is one thing, but having to sit down with him and spend uninterrupted time with him asking him questions? There’s bound to be some kind of blowout, and he doesn’t have the emotional leverage to be doing anything of the sort.
But he has to do it. Because he’s a good kid and he does what he’s told by his parents. Most of the time.
Mason smiles with all of his might. “I will stay. I want to make my parents proud.”
Fiona squints at him with a conniving smile. “I am certain you will if your writing stays how it is.”
Mason smiles back at her, trying not to stare daggers at her as he huffs and leaves the office, not daring to take a look at Fiona as he leaves, lest he feel like she knows too much about him.
He huffs and takes out his phone and begins typing up an email. They left Callum’s email in the message, so all Mason has to do is email him and set up a time to meet.
He’s unsure if Callum will even want to show up either. Maybe Callum will reject it, and then Mason can happily interview another player, like Craig Monteith. He seems to actually like Mason. He’ll take him over Callum any day.
Mason pushes the doors of the Journalism building like they’re his sworn enemy and squints as the sun hits his eyes.
He’s too focused on the blinding light of the sun to notice the hulking figure in front of him ashe makes contact with it, getting a surprised grunt as he bumps into him.
“Sorry,” Mason says, as he looks up, but his words die in his throat as he notices Joel Whitlock staring down at him.
Mason wants to immediately take his words back as displeasure rushes over him.
“You wear glasses and still can’t see where you’re going?” Joel asks, his face contorting into a grimace.
“The sun was in my eyes…” Mason says, trailing off as he starts to walk away. He doesn’t want to start a fight or have Joel say something else mean in front of everyone on the quad.
“Whatever, loser,” he hears Joel mumble.
Mason shakes his head and trudges back to his dorm. Joel was never the biggest fan of Mason in high school, but for some reason, Joel seems hellbent on making Mason feel worse.
Being thrust into the spotlight withThe Goldbergis doing more harm than good. He’s creating enemies and becoming someone he doesn’t necessarily want to be. But he has to. If he wants to ever have a career he’s happy with, he has to stay.
10
MASON
After almost caveman-likesingle worded responses from Callum over email, they manage to set up a time and place for him to do the stupid player profile.
Mason had to do his research on player profiles, and he made the decision that he was going to stay strictly professional. This was going to be a true test of how well he could be mature and professional.
He’s in college now, and he’s eighteen. He’s an adult now. He has to be mature.
He decided to compromise with Callum and meet with him on the bleachers of the football practice field. It’s casual enough that they can leave at any moment, but also comfortable enough that they aren’t sitting across from each other so it won’t feel as confrontational.
It’s where Mason goes to study, and it’s where Callum feels like he will feel comfortable. A happy middle.
He’s precariously holding two maple lattes in his hands, hoping that offering something to Callum can help ease the tension. A simple peace offering.
Mason tenses as he approaches the bleachers and seesCallum sitting at the top in a sweater and gym shorts, his eyebrows furrowed together as he reads something on a clipboard, likely some kind of football playbook that he knows nothing about but probably should.
Mason’s first clattering step on the metal gets Callum’s attention, and his focus fades from the frown lines on his face as Mason approaches, licking his lips and putting the clipboard down next to him.
