The Peak University locker room was a small, fluorescent-lit space tucked off the main corridor of the Velaris Crown sports complex. It was a visitor's locker room rather than a home one, which meant cramped benches, slightly faded paint, and a single whiteboard mounted on one wall.
The team filed inside to the kind of charged silence that always followed an unexpected first half.
Marcus dropped onto a bench and let himself fall backward until his head thumped lightly against the wall. For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling. Then he pointed upward. "Someone check the scoreboard for me."
A few players looked over and said in a teasing voice: "I think it's broken."
Laughter rippled through the locker room.
Zack snorted. "The scoreboard's fine."
Marcus sat up slightly. "No, seriously. We are up nine."
"Correct."
"Against Crown."
"Yes."
"At their own home."
"Still correct."
