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The first thing that Josten said to the team was that he comes from Arizona.
Now, Andrew will give it to him and admit his accent is pretty good, but Andrew knows a liar, and the way the boy stopped for a second when Allison asked something about the town that Josten allegedly was born was enough.
Neil Josten was a liar and the goalie hated liars.
Andrew should know better than let Wymack and Kevin choose the new recruit, with Riko and his crazy fans, of course something like that would happen. Still, Minyard is a little angry that Riko would send someone like Josten to them.
Kevin had a odd look on his face when Andrew mentioned his suspicious.
"I don't think Riko send him here." The number two said, pausing his rewatching of a last year's exy game. "Leave him alone, Andrew."
But Andrew was sure about that, even through he didn't find anything suspicious on the boy's bag (for god's sake his clothes are horrible, but that wasn't enough reason to end someone) (maybe it is, but Andrew was not that vain).
Andrew was watching the striker very close, and more and more he was sure he was a mole, because:
1. He seems a little too aware of everyone;
2. He never revealed anything about his home life, no mother, dad or siblings, no names, no faces, no hate speech about a bad family either.
3. He looks at Kevin like he wants to kill or kiss him, Andrew can't decide it yet.
So naturally, in the next friday, Andrew took Josten to Columbia with them, a little something in his drink would be enough to make him talk, for sure, and once the boy's tongue was loose enough, Andrew would find out his family's entire history.
Oh, how wrong he was.
The boy not only realized that his drink was spiked, but also fucked up their car before hitching back to palmetto (Andrew would end him for it, because this was a good reason) (Really? A screwdriver in the tires? Who the hell does that?) (And also how did he find a screwdriver?).
The four of them stand there, looking at the car, Aaron was on the phone asking for help, Nicky seems about to cry and Kevin was leaning over the vehicle, looking at the sky like he belonged up there.
"Alright." Kevin was very drunk, his words barely understandable. "Maybe Riko did send him here."
Andrew would kill Kevin too, he decided.
So, that's why too many hours later, when Andrew's lot make it back to Palmetto (with a upset Nicky, a very pissed off Aaron and a Kevin's that was for sure feeling something, but too out of it to express it) (one day, Andrew thought, when I'm a better person, I will take him to the alcoholics anonymous) (today I'm too busy killing Josten through), the goalie went straight to the Foxhole Court, because he had a feeling that's where the striker would be (he was a liar, but his obsession with exy wasn't play pretending). For some reason, his idiot friends decided to follow him, so they all end up in the meeting room of the stadium.
And he was right, Neil was there.
And, for some reason, the rest of the foxes were there too.
"Someone can tell me what the hell is happening here? Why Neil called us?" Allison asked, sitting with Dan and Renee. Matt and Seth and Wymack are sitting too. Odd.
"Oh I would like to know too." Andrew could feel his spite in his voice, he loved it. "Your lovely striker here is a mole."
"The hell I am." Josten spit. "Since I came here, Minyard, you and your shit family have been causing me problems, you accuse me of lying, so fuck it, you wanna the true? You gonna have the true."
"He talks!" Andrew was finding his little drama very funny. "So, what's the truth, liar? How much Riko paid you?"
"Riko did not send me here." Neil seems very offended by that. "He is nothing and have no power over me. Someone send me here, is true, but for other reasons."
"Talk." Wymack said something for the first time, he looked very tired. Andrew noted, probably a little late, that it was barely 8 am of a Saturday.
"My real name is Nathaniel Wesninski, my father was Nathan Wesninski and my mother is Mary Hartford. My family serve the Moriyamas for years. My mother had a debt, so she send me here to pay."
"What." Kevin was paled, and seems more sober than Andrew ever saw him be. "You're a Wesninki?".
"Barely. I got more Hartford blood." Josten (Wesninki? Hartford?) answer.
"Can you go back to your mom's debt?" Nicky yawn, before focus on Neil again, who nods.
"Kayleigh Day and my mom were friends." He looks to Kevin before continue. "Kayleigh help my mom escape my abusive father, she helped my mom became who she is today. My mother killed my father and took his place. So when she realized that her friend's son was in danger, she went to Kengo and asked him to intervene, to stop Riko before he did something else with you. Kengo said no, but agree when my mom asked to protect Kevin. That's why I'm here. If Riko gets too close I'm allowed to kill him."
The room was suddenly very silent, Neil gave Andrew a tiny smile.
"But you know, Andrew is making my job really difficult."
It was his time to smile. Maybe Josten was not that bad after all.
...
"I decided you can stay." Andrew said, two days later on the roof. "I don't like or trust you yet, but you can stay. But I hope you do your job and send the little bird away forever."
"Minyard." Neil had a tiny smile on his face when he looked to the blond. "I'm not going anywhere."
(Months later, Josten would tell Andrew everything about him in that same place, with no lies. Andrew would tell him things he never told no one, and he is not exactly sure when he started to trust the striker, but this is something that he wants to keep) (and one day, Riko eventually stopped talk and decided to act, but Neil was expecting him) (but well, this is another story) (and yes, eventually Andrew and Neil kiss on the rooftop, but this is also another story).