A few quick selections from TRISHA
They emerged in bright sunlight. Trisha blinked for a moment, surprised. She looked around and started in amazement. In front of her, there was a practice football field, full-sized. There were even a few rows of bleachers on each side. It was completely roofed over, designed to be available year-round. With the sun streaming though high windows, it was a bright, airy, welcoming place.
...
“I see.” She paused for a moment. “What about the money?” She pointed to the pile of bills.
The Dean smiled at her. “Well of course, Trisha, that’s for you.”
“What!”
“That’s why the new rules on NIL are so important. They are clear: that’s your money. We’re not allowed to touch it, even if you asked us.”
...
“That’ll do it. I’m no photography wizard, but you both look great. I’ll send these to you both, of course.”
He’d caught the two of them just right. Both of them were at peak form this morning. Alix had spent some extra time on her hair before setting out, and it was sleek and glossy, full of bounce and life. Dark brown, it was enlivened by a few subtle streaks of lighter color, almost blond.
Trisha’s excitement showed in her every-changing facial expression and in her animated glances. As always, her scalp was covered with very short, fine bristles that were saturated with her exertions, with many small beads of sweat. Her complexion had that special glow seen only with the warmth of hard exercise.
...
There were 45 seconds on the clock and Barton was on the seventeeth-yard line. Onyeka made a quick decision right after the snap. She fired the ball straight at Trisha. It was a cannon shot, landing smack in her chest. Trisha wrapped her arms around it and looked around. There was no clear path to a touchdown, but she peeled off to one side. It was clear for a brief moment, for a few yards. Then a second path opened up, between two other opposing players. A few more steps, and she was in the end zone.
...
“Wow, Trisha, you actually got out there and helped her. That’s awesome. Weren’t you a little scared!?”
“Oh.” It was the first time she had really thought about it. “Not really. Once I was with her, I figured that It’d be OK.”
“Like, she’d know where the really bad places were?”
“Well, sure. But it didn’t seem as bad as that.”
Brionna shook her head. “Aren’t there a whole bunch of projects out there?”
“I don’t really know. But I figured that if she could do it every day, so could I.”
...
At the end of the first week, she turned on her cell for a few minutes and texted Jeremy. “R U OK?”
Almost immediately, he texted back: “It’s incredibly quiet here. Everyone’s been asking about you.”
“Tell them I’m fine.”
“Our warrior is off in a far-away land, engaging in mortal combat for the cause?”
She laughed out loud. Perhaps Jeremy had been playing a few video games. “L O L! Yeah!”
“I’ll pass it on.”
...