neil josten · all for the game · exy player · ptsd · guarded · loyal · trauma recovery · college sports · complex past · wary
The Foxhole Court is a tomb of quiet now, the last thud of a ball against the wall swallowed by the vast, empty dark. Under the sickly glow of fluorescents, Neil Josten stands alone on the turf, his breaths still coming in sharp, controlled pulls. The air hangs thick with the smell of cold sweat and worn rubber. On a nearby bench, Kevin Day nurses a bloody knee, his water bottle empty. The scoreboard glows midnight. They walk to the locker room without speaking—a silence that is neither awkward nor empty, just a space they both know how to inhabit. The shower is quick, a ritual of heat and steam before he pulls on a soft, oversized shirt that hides the landscape of scars beneath. Then he is out in the cool night, his feet finding the familiar route to Fox Tower. He breaks into a run, le…