THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING – 8:00 AM
The building smelled like old paper and floor wax.
Oliver stood in front of the dean's office, his hands in his pockets, his heart in his throat. He'd been here before. For orientation. For registration. Never for this.
The secretary looked up. "Can I help you?"
"I need to see the dean."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No."
She raised an eyebrow. "Then you'll need to make one."
"It's urgent."
"Everything is urgent."
Oliver stepped closer. "Someone took my spot on the basketball team. Coach's nephew. Didn't try out. Didn't earn it. Just took it."
The secretary's face softened. "I'm sorry. That's not something the dean handles."
"Then who handles it?"
"The athletic board. They meet on Thursdays."
"This is Tuesday."
"Then you have two days to prepare."
Oliver stared at her. "You're not going to help me?"
"I'm giving you information. That's helping."
He turned and walked out.
The door closed behind him.
THE HALLWAY – 8:15 AM
Charlie was waiting.
"Well?" he asked.
"Thursday. The athletic board."
"That's two days."
"I know."
"What are you going to do?"
Oliver leaned against the wall. "I don't know. Gather evidence. Write a statement. Prepare."
Charlie nodded. "I'll help."
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
Oliver looked at him. "Why?"
"Because you're my friend. And because someone needs to fight for you."
Oliver was quiet for a moment.
"Okay," he said. "Let's fight."
THE CAFETERIA – 12:00 PM
Lunch was loud.
Chuks was holding court at a corner table, surrounded by nursing students. He was telling a story about a patient who'd tried to fight him.
"I said, 'Sir, you can't fight me. I'm too fat to move. You'll just be punching a wall.'"
The table laughed.
Chuks looked up. Saw Aaron walking past. "Arie! Come eat."
Aaron sat down. He wasn't hungry.
"You look like someone died," Chuks said.
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. But you will be."
"How do you know?"
"Because you're young. And young people heal faster."
Aaron picked at his food.
Chuks leaned closer. "Let me tell you something. When I was your age, I was in love with a girl. Beautiful. Smart. Funny. She broke my heart."
"What happened?"
"I married her sister."
The table exploded.
Aaron almost smiled. "You're lying."
"I'm not lying. I'm just not telling the whole truth. There's a difference."
"What's the whole truth?"
Chuks leaned back. "She broke my heart. I moved on. That's the whole truth."
He picked up his fork.
"Now eat. You're no good to anyone hungry."
THE GIRLS' DORM – 2:00 PM
Vicky was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Zuru was on the floor, doing crunches. Counting under her breath.
"You're going to hurt yourself," Vicky said.
"I'm going to look good."
"You already look good."
"I can look better."
Zizi walked in. "The meeting is tonight."
Vicky sat up. "What meeting?"
"The one Rose called. The garden thing."
"I'm not going."
"You should."
"Why?"
"Because your name is on the list."
Vicky's stomach dropped. "What list?"
Zizi sat on her bed. "The Watchmen's list. Someone reported you."
"Reported me for what?"
"I don't know. That's why you should come."
Vicky stood up. Grabbed her jacket.
"Where are you going?" Zuru asked.
"To find out who put my name on that list."
She walked out.
Zuru looked at Zizi. "That's not going to end well."
"Nothing ends well," Zizi said. "That's why it's called an ending."
THE LIBRARY – 3:00 PM
Mandy was studying. Or pretending to.
Her textbook was open. Her highlighter was out. Her eyes were on the window.
Aaron walked past. Stopped. Didn't sit.
"You're avoiding me," she said.
"I'm not avoiding you. I'm respecting your space."
"Same thing."
"It's not."
She looked up at him. "Then sit."
He sat across from her.
"You look tired," she said.
"I am tired."
"Of me?"
"Of everything."
She closed her book. "Then stop. Stop running. Stop hiding. Stop pretending you don't want what you want."
"I don't know what I want."
"Yes, you do. You're just scared to admit it."
He stared at her.
She stared back.
"Vicky came to see me," Mandy said. "Yesterday. She called me a cunt."
"She does that."
"I know. That's why I like her."
Aaron blinked. "You like her?"
"I like that she's not afraid of me. Most people are."
"Maybe they should be."
She smiled. "Maybe."
He stood up.
"Running again?" she asked.
"Thinking."
"Same thing."
He walked away.
Mandy opened her book.
She didn't read a word.
THE APARTMENT – 7:00 PM
The garden had gathered.
Rose stood by the window. Kelly on the couch. Zara and Chloe on the floor. Nelly in the corner. A few new faces. A few missing.
"Vicky isn't here," Kelly said.
"I noticed," Rose said.
"Should we wait?"
"No."
Rose walked to the center of the room.
"The Watchmen have a list. Ten names. We know seven. We need the other three."
"How?" Zara asked.
Rose smiled. "We ask nicely."
The door opened.
Vicky walked in.
The room went quiet.
"Vicky," Rose said. "So glad you could make it."
"Save it. I know my name is on the list. I want to know who put it there."
"We don't know yet."
"Then find out."
Rose tilted her head. "That's why we're here."
Vicky looked around the room. Faces she knew. Faces she didn't.
"If I find out one of you did this," she said, "I'll burn this whole garden to the ground."
She turned and walked out.
The door slammed.
Rose's smile didn't waver.
"Well," she said. "That was dramatic."
THE DORM – 9:00 PM
Charlie was pacing.
"Thursday," he said. "Two days. We need evidence."
"I know," Oliver said.
"Statements. Witnesses. Someone who saw the coach's nephew at tryouts."
"He wasn't there. That's the point."
"Then we need proof he wasn't there."
Wesley looked up from his book. "You need the sign-in sheet."
Charlie stopped pacing. "The sign-in sheet."
"Every tryout has one. Names. Times. Signatures."
Oliver sat up. "How do you know that?"
"I played in secondary school. Different sport. Same rules."
Charlie grabbed his jacket. "I'm going to the athletic office."
"It's nine o'clock at night. It's closed."
"Then I'll break in."
"You'll get arrested."
"Then I'll get arrested."
Wesley closed his book. "I'll go with him."
"Me too," Oliver said.
They walked out.
Aaron sat alone on his bed. Staring at the wall.
His phone buzzed.
Mandy (9:05 PM): I'm not going to wait forever.
He didn't reply.
Mandy (9:06 PM): But I'll wait a little longer.
He typed: Don't.
He deleted it.
He typed: Okay.
He deleted that too.
He put the phone down.
THE ATHLETIC OFFICE – 9:30 PM
The door was locked.
Charlie jiggled the handle. "Shit."
Wesley pulled out a credit card. Slipped it between the door and the frame. The lock clicked.
"Where did you learn that?" Oliver asked.
"Television."
"That's not comforting."
"It's not supposed to be."
They walked inside.
The office was small. Desk. Computer. Filing cabinets. A stack of papers on the floor.
Charlie went straight to the filing cabinet. "Basketball. Basketball. Basketball."
He found the folder. Flipped through it.
"Here. Tryouts. Sign-in sheet."
Oliver looked over his shoulder. Names. Dates. Signatures.
His name was there.
Coach's nephew's name was not.
"Take a picture," Wesley said.
Charlie pulled out his phone. Click. Click. Click.
"Now we have evidence."
They walked out.
The door locked behind them.
THE DORM – 10:00 PM
Aaron was still awake.
Charlie burst through the door. "We got it."
"Got what?"
"Evidence. Sign-in sheet. Coach's nephew wasn't there."
Wesley sat on his bed. Oliver sat on his.
"You're actually going to do this," Aaron said.
"I'm actually going to do this," Oliver said.
"Good."
Oliver looked at him. "You think so?"
"I think someone should fight for what's theirs."
Oliver nodded.
The room was quiet.
The night pressed on.