Mia Hill. College bound with an athletic scholarship. A go-getter with big dreams and a fully thought out plan to make sure they come true.
But with her father's release from prison looming and the inevitable stresses of adulting, everything she wa...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"I think I'm finally starting to get into the routine here."
Brand's voice is full of pride as we make our way across campus in search of food. Our stomach's are doing a collective growl after two hours in the gym, followed by a thirty minute team meeting that felt more like the longest eternity that ever existed.
Okay, that was dramatic.
I think I'm just hungry. Like Uncle Hart said, college ball is no joke.
"We've been here almost three months, man," I point out. "Doing the exact same thing every fucking day. I'd hope you were getting the hang of things."
Brandon nods. "Yeah, I know. But I've officially made it to the point where I don't feel like I need to sleep for four hours straight after strength training. I think I could probably survive on only two, maybe two and a half. That's progress, right?"
"Progress, indeed," I tell my delusional best friend, before delivering a painful reminder. "And right in time to add classes to the mix."
"Fuck, I forgot about classes," he pouts, and I almost feel bad for raining on his parade. "Why can't we just skip the academic part of this whole thing and play ball?"
"This whole thing? You mean our higher education?"
"Yeah," he nods. "I mean, let's be realistic. What will we really need this education for when we're playing in the NFL? I'm trying to manifest the ultimate dream for both of us and the school part is really putting a damper on things."
"I'd love to hear your dad's thoughts on that. The good doctor might have a thing or two to say about the importance of education."
"Damn it. You're right," Brandon laughs. "Why couldn't I be the son of an ambitious construction worker that could care less about college as long as his kids are happy?"
My grin is as smug as it is genuine. "Not everyone's that lucky, I guess."
As we approach the dining hall, I grab the door and we hurry inside, basking in the shot of cool air that hits us, a stark contrast to the late summer heat in California.
We pile our trays high with enough calories to feed a small army and find a table in the back corner. Our usual spot where we can see everyone coming and going, but sitting slightly hidden by a collection of fake plants that do little for the ambience here. Spreading our lunch haul over the table, we jump right into our old pastime of eating and people watching. Which, I have to say, is a lot more fun with the influx of students this week.
The campus has been pretty well empty since we got here, and it's been boring and quiet. But now that fall classes are starting, the thrill of a new beginning buzzes in the air. The place is crowded. Noisy. Amazing. It's a vibe I live for, helped a great deal by the fact that athletes are basically a target for attention from the growing number of females that have been arriving over the last few days.
