The Foxhole Court

During the first week of practice, Neil observes the team’s volatile dynamics. Captain Dan Wilds struggles to manage the friction between Kevin Day and a resentful Seth Gordon. The conflict escalates when Seth attacks Kevin. Coach Wymack allows the fight briefly before intervening and punishing the team with drills.

On Friday night, Nicky brings Neil club clothes from Andrew and insists he remove his brown contact lenses. Neil complies, revealing his natural blue eyes. Andrew, Nicky, Kevin, and Aaron then take Neil to Columbia. During the drive, Andrew suffers a severe withdrawal episode from his medication. At the club Eden’s Twilight, Andrew has the bartender drug Neil’s soda with “cracker dust” (136). Once Neil is disoriented, Andrew demands the truth about his past, threatening to call the police. Neil tries to flee but is intercepted by Nicky, who kisses him while giving him more drugs, causing Neil to black out.

Neil wakes up hungover in an unfamiliar apartment and reflexively attacks Nicky before planning his escape. Pretending to shower, he climbs out the bathroom window and flees. Neil hitchhikes back to campus, calling his teammate, Matt Boyd, to ask him to secure his dorm room. During the ride, Neil invents a cover story: His parents were killed by associates of the Moriyama family, and he is on the run from their murderers.