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Prologue

Nick

Twenty years old

I’ve just gotten back toexhausted I’irlfriend, Sae of clothes and a towel Stripping out of my sweatpants and shirt, I turn the water on as hot as it can go and wait for it to heat up Once I can see the fog filling the bathroo with my back toward the hot water, I let it rain down onon a crowded, uncomfortable-as-fuck bus for the ten-hour trip to and froa-size bed I had to share in the hotel withI had to attend once we returned to go over the game tapes, a hot shower is exactly what I need

I grab my shampoo and wash my hair, then squirt so fro I need to get done With it being the beginning of my junior year at North Carolina University, it feels likeI need to pick up the textbook I ordered for the British Literature class I’o by the library to see if I can check out The Hobbit and The Neverending Story forlab to schedule the required tutoring session Soh hours in the day, and today is definitely one of those days

After rinsing off, I get dressed and head to the writing lab “Excuse hes’s creative writing course, and he said we have to schedule a tutoring session”

“Yep! Let ive her it number, and she types it into the coer enrolled in that course” She types some more on her keyboard “It actually shows you’ve dropped the course and switched yourout and hands it tostates business and not English Literature My classes are all basic accounting and business ement shit What the hell? I just picked o when I met with my advisor

“Okay, thank you I’ll get this figured out” I fold up the paper and put it intotoward Samantha’s dorm, furious as hell There’s only one person ould do this I hit his na later, my dad answers

“Dad, we need to talk”

“Nick, I’ame, and I’m not the only one There’s chatter from several teams If you continue to play the way you did yesterday, you’ll be entering the draft this year instead of next, and o in as a first round—”

“Did you changehim off

“What?” my dad responds incredulously “Did you hear what I said? There’s a daood chance you will be drafted this year”

“Yeah, I heard you But I thought I was going to stay in college all four years so I can graduate with ree”

“We talked about this, Nick,” my dad says, frustration evident in his tone “Football comes first Your coach called and told me that you asked for permission to leave your practices early this se bullshit”

“Writing lab” I sigh Since I was little, I’ve always felt a pull toward literature When I’ Horror, Mystery, Fantasy, Nonfiction, I don’t care what it is When I was a kid and didn’t really believe I stood a chance at playing pro ball, my drearade teacher gavewith story after story Growing up, I read everything from The Boxcar Children and Harry Potter to 1984 As an adult, I’ll give anything a try Froiven Nicholas Sparks a go-round I’iven the opportunity, what I would do in the field—maybe write or edit All I know is I love books

Not that it iven the opportunity, and I won’t be in the future How many football players do you know of that have written a novel? And I’raphies Exactly…