Page 104 of More Than Chemical
I plopped down next to him, and my heart continued to burst. We hadn’t had any type of real togetherness for a long time.
“The thing is”—Eric leaned back against the wall—“Plunkett is the one person you should be nice to no matter how he treats you.”
“Even now, with your college career over?”
“Things have a way of circling back.”
I laid my head against the wall too. I guessed his theory made sense. But it didn’t meanIhad to like Plunkett.
“And that goes for recruits too.”
I looked at Eric. “What?”
Eric sighed. “Ade, I know about you and Dallas Reynolds.”
I sat straight. My face turned hot. “Who told you?”
“Dallas.”
I almost slid off the seat.“What?”
“He called me.”
Dallas mentioning Eric earlier now made more sense, but still. “Dallas has your number?”
“Yeah. Dad had me meet with him back when he was being recruited.”
“Omigod.”
“Omigod, what?”
“Well, first, I wish I’d known that. Second, you didn’t…you didn’t know about the money, did you?”
Eric’s eyes widened. “No.I had no idea about any sort of financial transaction. Dad just wanted me to talk to recruits about my experience as a hockey player at the university and give them a tour. I did that sometimes.”
I exhaled. “That’s good.”
“Anyway, there’s something you need to know about Dallas.”
I sat still and didn’t move. Since seeing Dallas this morning, I’d erected a temporary dam, and I wasn’t sure how long it was going to hold. I feared that thinking about him would cause tiny fissures, and I needed to keep myself together right now, not be susceptible to collapsing into a crumpled heap. But who was I fooling? What was it that Eric thought I needed to know?
“Go ahead,” I said. “I’m listening.”
Eric sat still, not moving a muscle. “After he found out who you were, he told the prosecutor he was no longer willing to testify. The attorney then made a deal with him. She said that if he testified, she’d get him his NCAA eligibility back.”
I swallowed. Hard. “And?”
“And nothing. She’s done nothing. The school’s done nothing. He couldn’t get a straight answer out of anyone, and he’s pretty pissed off about it. Now the attorney is telling him that he misunderstood. She never promised him his eligibility back, only that if he testified, it might make him look better to the NCAA.”
A sinking feeling spread through my stomach.
“I feel really bad for him,” Eric said. “His whole life, his whole career completely effed up because of all of this.”
“Me too.” My chest pulled taut. My ears grew hot with embarrassment. Me and my insomnia paled in comparison to that.
I’d been so mad at Dallas after he’d testified that I hadn’t bothered to listen, and then I’d avoided him after the test today even when all he wanted was to explain it to me.
Eric put an arm around me and squeezed. “Normally, the idea of a hockey player dating my little sister wouldn’t sit well with me. I know what they can be like. But this Dallas kid, he seems okay.”
