State University was the only school he considered attending because of the Olympic-sized pool in the campus fitness center. In the pre-dawn silence, he jogs around College Circle, starting at his student apartment, passing the lowerclassmen dorms, passing the student union buildings and empty parking lots and lecture halls. He passes the fitness center, its lights blazing because the gyms are open around the clock, but no one is out and about this early. Once the center’s behind him, he picks up the pace, spurring himself on, alternately jogging and sprinting to get his heart rate up. By the time he approaches the fitness center again, a thin sheen of sweat coats his back beneath his T-shirt, and the muscles in his legs are beginning to tremble.
Outside the fitness center, Rory stops at
