Page 39 of Playing Dirty

“Look, I told you I wasn’t gonna get any information out of him. We aren’t close, we’re basically strangers, so I don’t know why you’re acting surprised I came back empty-handed.”

Phoenix lets out a little laugh. “It’s calledhope,Theodore. I know you’re not familiar with the term, but the two of us still like to cling to it from time to time.”

“Then you set yourselves up for disappointment,” I rebut before motioning toward Wyatt with my fork. “And you’re the captain too, you know. You’re telling me you wouldn’t be able to hold out for a week if the situation was reversed?”

“Of course I would, but I don’t consider any of those Falcons to be nearly as strong-willed as us. Plus, there’s always the off-chance of letting slip the smallest piece of information, even if it doesn’t seem relevant.”

Nodding, I concede to his point, though it’s still rather moot. “Well, nothing school related came up at all, so I doubt that’s the case.”

“Well, shit,” Wyatt murmurs, drumming his fingers absently on the table top. “Guess we’re gonna have to go about it the old-fashioned way: search and destroy.”

“T’s right. You do play way too muchCall of Duty,dude,” Phoenix says with a laugh.

I chuckle, finally starting to relax with the change of subject. “Seriously. All those video games are gonna rot your brain right outta your skull.”

“And let’s be real. You’re not seriously suggesting we do a blind search of their entire campus to find this thing,” Phoenix rebuts. “There’s no way we can cover all that ground before the rivalry game, even if the entire team went over there every night to look.”

Annoyance briefly crosses Wyatt’s features before he quickly snaps, “I don’t see either of you two coming up with any winning ideas, all right?So bite me.”

“I’m good with my chicken, thanks,” I retort, holding up the piece of poultry speared by my fork before popping it in my mouth.

“Yeah, and I’m pretty happily taken, so I’ll pass,” Phoe shoots back with a playful smirk.

“You’re not exactly my type either,” Wyatt mutters with an eye roll before glancing down at his watch. “But speaking of someone whois, Lexi’s gonna be out of class in fifteen, and she’s all the way across campus.”

Phoenix blinks. “Okay? And your girlfriend can’t walk herself back to the dorm?”

“Oh, she would probably prefer that; she’s too independent for her own damn good. But it’s the only time I’ll have to see her today, so I’ve gotta make it count.”

“Well, let her be independent today, ’cause we’ve gotta start planning raids to Blackmore to find this pennant,” Phoenix retorts, tapping on the table for emphasis.

Wyatt shakes his head. “I don’t think my relationship should suffer because our so-called Man of the Hour failed to dig up any dirt over break.”

“Again, I literally told you that would happen,” I remind our captain, who’s now rising from the table with his tray in hand. “Not my fault you didn’t listen.”

“I’m the captain. You’re the one who’s supposed to be listening tome.”

Chuckling, I shoot him a wry, “Maybe in your dreams.”

After shouldering his bag, Wyatt flips me the bird with his free hand, but it doesn’t stop me from tossing one right back at him.

“So insubordinate,” he gripes playfully. “Tomorrow then. At morning lifting, we’ll start planning.”

“Well, I guess since the captain has spoken,” Phoenix mutterssarcastically before lifting his hand in a mock salute. “Tell Lex we said hi.”

He waves us off, laughing as he crosses the dining hall toward the exit. Phoenix and I share a knowing look, smirking as we watch him take off in a dead sprint the second he’s out the doors.

“He’s got itbadfor the little sophomore,” Phoenix says with a laugh, turning his attention back to his lunch. “Who would’ve thought he’d practically disappear the moment he got a girlfriend?”

I snort, pointing my fork full of food at my roommate. “You’re one to talk. I swear, if I didn’t live with youandyour boyfriend, I’d never see either of you.”

Phoenix rolls his eyes. “That’s a bit overkill.”

“Is it, though?”

All I get is another eye roll and a baby carrot chucked at my face, which I deflect with ease, before he asks, “All jokes aside, how was your break? And the trip?”

Keeping my eyes trained on my plate, I offer up the most basic description I can think of. “Uh, it was…uncomfortable.”