She shrugged. "I didn't know. I wasn't following your great career."
"Who told you?"
"I was home for Christmas break, and I had lunch with Nat. He told me you'd never play again. It's such a stupid sport. Boys and young men mangle their bodies for life."
"It is indeed."
"So tell me,Neely , what happened to the girls? When you're no longer the hero, what happens to all those little sluts and groupies?"
"They disappear."
"That must've killed you."
"Now we're making progress," Neely thought. "Let's get the venom out."
"There was nothing pleasant about the injury."
"So you became just a regular person, like the rest of us?"
"I guess, but with a lot of baggage. Being a forgotten hero is not easy."
"And you're still adjusting?"
"When you're famous at eighteen, you spend the rest of your life fading away. You dream of the glory days, but you know they're gone forever. I wish I'd never seen a football."
"I don't believe that."
"I'd be a regular guy with two good legs. And I wouldn't have made the mistake with you."
"Oh please,Neely , don't get sappy. We were only sixteen."