Stupid Boy: Senior Year - Spring 04

Chapter 4 -- National Signing Day

Monday January 30

My breath came in steady huffs as I ran along the path through the park. It was barely past dawn, my favorite time of day if I wanted to be alone, and I was out for my morning run. The park was quiet as I followed the path to the pond. The only noise I heard was the sound of my feet slapping on the pavement.

The air was cold and dry, typical for a winter morning. I'd started to prepare in earnest for baseball, so I hadn't brought Duke. It would be a distraction to worry about him keeping up if I pushed myself, and I didn't want that. I'd worn my weighted vest and had brought my Bo staff to increase the difficulty. I felt good and soon dropped into my thinking zone.

This was the big week, the one everything football-related had been leading up to. I would officially announce that I planned to play for Michigan. I'd promised Coach Haber that we would all make our announcement to help him with recruiting, even though we wouldn't sign National Letters of Intent.

I'd had several people ask why we weren't signing if we were making a commitment, but once I explained, the reasoning was obvious--at least to us. Wolf, Tim, and I would not enroll at Michigan until the spring semester of next year because we'd be working on the Star Academy movies. That meant we wouldn't count towards this year's class.

Instead, we would be doing what was called 'gray-shirting': postponing our enrollment until the second term of our freshman year. That meant we couldn't take classes during the fall term. The university could use all its available scholarships on other incoming players.

The NCAA allowed college athletes five years to complete four years of eligibility after initial enrollment. We would get the whole time frame, which meant that if any of us needed to, we could redshirt if we suffered an injury or if we needed an extra year to develop our skills.

The downside to not being able to sign our National Letter of Intent was that technically, our recruitment hadn't ended. The act of signing meant that a recruiting ban would go into effect, and we would be committed to Michigan. In my book, that would be a win for both the university and us. I didn't need the Southwest Central State Universities of the world hounding me anymore.

Instead of signing our National Letters of Intent now, we would sign enrollment paperwork, including financial aid paperwork, right before classes started for the spring semester.

I knew that if my classmates were confused by how all this worked, we would need to explain it to the public. In particular, I wanted our plans to be made clear to the Michigan fan base so they wouldn't have a meltdown.

I knew I should probably consult Frank Ingram, my public relations guy, to get the right words for the explanation. We also needed to organize an announcement event.

That brought up a question. Who did I contact for that? In the past, I would call Caryn, and she would coordinate with everyone. The problem was that she no longer worked for me. Did I call Kent, who was technically my manager; Scarlet, who ran my remaining businesses; or Lexi, who had been my personal assistant and would be again when I started filming?

Then inspiration struck. If in doubt, dump it in my dad's lap.

I picked up the pace for the last mile, then sprinted the final two blocks. I probably shouldn't have pushed so hard since I had my strength and conditioning PE class first period. There was no doubt in my mind that Ms. Marshall would kick my butt again today.

---

I had Cassidy park the car in the lot. After she played with the drone to make sure no one was trying to do me harm, I got out of the car, put on my sunglasses, inserted my earbuds, and cranked today's song for my entrance--Shake It Off.

I began to snap my fingers, which caused Cassidy to give me a sideways look. When the tune started, it had an upbeat feel that made me want to dance. I began to strut my stuff and shake and shimmy what God had given me as I practiced my 'Walk Like The Man' walk for the movie.

Cassidy caught up with me and jerked the jack out of my phone so everyone could hear the music as we approached the school. Watching their reactions was fun. They ranged from 'Oh. My. God. He is sooo cool!' to 'Seriously?' Overwhelmingly, my entrance put smiles on their faces. I could see why they would want to take a video of me doing my thing. That way, they could say they were there when I first developed my signature walk for my James Bond movie.

As I made my way to the school's front door, I saw Mr. Palm, our vice principal, with his arms crossed.

"Mr. Dawson," he said in greeting, or at least that's how I chose to take his tone.

"Sir?"

"What are you doing?"

"Preparing for my role in the James Bond movie."

He contemplated his response.

"Very well, have a nice day," he said and opened the door for me.

I strutted and danced my way towards my locker. When I was almost there, Destiny Crown stepped in front of me. She looked me up and down like I was something the cat had dragged in.

"You're so weird," she decided, and then she turned and walked away.

That made my day. Weird was the new cool, right?

---

I'm just saying, people are rude. My 'entrance' might need some work if social media was any indication. Even my own mother made some unflattering comments. She claimed this might be better than naked baby pictures at scaring off unwanted potential girlfriends.

The thing was, I didn't care. People loved to give me a hard time. What could I say, haters were going to hate.

I was almost to the lunchroom when my day was made. I spotted Tracy Dole talking to her BFF, Pam. Tracy saw me coming, crossed her arms, and began to tap her foot with a scowl on her face.

"I have to come visit you?" she scolded.

I hung my head. Of course, I knew she couldn't be too mad because we'd just seen each other in LA.

"I know. I should have come to visit sooner," I admitted.

"Come here, you 'stupid boy,' and give me a hug," Tracy said, holding out her arms.

"What are you doing here?" I asked when she let me go.

"Lexi called me. We're planning your signing-day event," she explained.

It sounded like my dad had gotten the ball rolling. Tracy had been our de facto press spokesperson since my freshman year. She planned to attend USC in the fall to pursue a career as a sports journalist. I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have introduce everybody on Wednesday.

Once we finally got through the lunch line and found our seats, Tracy explained the plan for our announcement. Wolf, Tim, and I would share the stage in the field house. I suggested that Ty be a part of it because he was also going to Michigan, even though he had signed in the winter.

Tracy had already spoken with Mr. Palm, and we would have an all-school assembly to make our announcement. Frank had contacted a streaming service that would host the event, allowing everyone to watch it live on the web if they wanted to.

When she was done, I reminded her that we couldn't talk about anything having to do with acting or modeling. That included the upcoming Academy Awards and my nomination for Best Supporting Actor. She gave me a patented 'you're being a stupid boy again' look and then smiled. I think Tracy must have desired some scoop since she was at State and didn't eat lunch with us every day.

"Who are you dating now?" she asked me.

"No one wants me. I always thought you would be my backup plan. I was thinking about getting you drunk, making it special," I teased.

"You're hilarious," Tracy said.

"I thought you weren't ready to date," Gina said.

"The problem is, I'm used to the women in LA. They dress better," I said to offer my opinion.

"Oh, here we go again," Tim mumbled as he shook his head.

"Are you saying that we should dress better for you?" Gina asked as her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.

I was about to answer when Wolf offered his little gem of an observation.

"I don't think so. Women dress for other women. If they dressed for men, they'd all run around naked."

He received high fives all around. Maybe it was just from the guys.

"I miss this," Tracy said, amused at our antics.

"What? All the boys being dorks?" Pam asked.

"Yep. College boys try to be suave and sophisticated. Sometimes you just want your boys to be 'dorks,' as you called them. It's a lot more fun," Tracy said.

After lunch, I took a moment to talk to Tracy one-on-one. She made me promise to come to visit her at college. I figured I could combine it with a trip to see my brother and his rug-rats while I was there.

She shared that Lexi would be here tonight. It was a little cumbersome that my PA lived in LA. First, I missed Lexi taking care of me. I liked having her around. Second, I was accustomed to having someone nearby to manage my schedule and keep me on track. Kendal had spoiled me when she was my go-to person.

---

Okay. That's it. Mr. Happy needed to be put into time-out, just like my niece and nephews, and go sit in a corner by himself. Seriously.

After school, Cassidy and Ms. Marshall had made it their mission to kill me. I noticed that they didn't seem to work anyone else as hard. I think they had it in for me.

The problem was Ms. Marshall. She was wearing a little pair of exercise shorts and one of those sports bras. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and it swung from side to side with that jaunty little walk of hers. Damn, I could imagine her hair down, flowing over her shoulders. I bet it would feel amazing with my fingers running through it. The problem was that Mr. Happy thought so too and wanted to come out and play.

"Someone needs an ice bath," Cassidy observed.

What the hell? She looked me in the eyes and dared me to say something. Joey--aka the cause of the problem--looked confused. I wasn't about to explain it to her.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little stiff," I said as I gave Cassidy a look.

"After you get out of the ice bath, I should rub you down," Joey said with a little worry in her voice.

"Rubbing would help," Cassidy offered with a straight face.

She was so going to die. I jumped off the machine I was on, and Cassidy bolted. Joey just shook her head when Cassidy shrieked as I caught her. I made her walk in front of me to the locker room so I could take a quick shower before I used the ice bath. I was sore, so it was a good plan.

"You're going to get into so much trouble if you do anything with Ms. Marshall," Cassidy warned.

I grunted my agreement. She stopped me at the locker-room door.

"I'm serious, David. She works for the school, and she would get fired."

I nodded and pushed past my friend. Cassidy's reminder took all the fun out of it, and Mr. Happy lost interest. At least I wouldn't be on display in the showers.

---

Instrument flight rules (IFR) training was going well. They'd set Cassidy and me up on an accelerated course schedule that Roy Tyro was teaching us. He kept asking, "What's the next thing you do?" He wanted to hammer home that there was a general flowchart, plan, or procedure for every IFR flight. When the items in the basic flowchart were memorized, mistakes were minimized.

We'd touched on a lot of what we were covering today way back when we'd obtained our initial pilot's licenses. Now, we were drilling down and learning things like how to make different approaches. There were numerous acronyms, including GPS, ILS, and VOR, to name a few. Each acronym had its own set of rules on how to fly the plane, and we had to learn them all.

I liked that Roy felt that the best way to learn was in the cockpit. Today, we'd been practicing approaches and landings. Because we both now had our first pilot's licenses, he let each of us ride along while he taught the other. When we would land, we would switch seats to fly the plane.

---

Once we got home, I noticed several cars parked on the street. I came in to find the usual chaos a large family generates. Our added guests were Tim, Wolf, and their parents. Along with them were Tracy, Frank Ingram, and Lexi. Mom had ordered Monical's pizza, which put a smile on my face.

Lexi bounced out of her chair over to me and gave me a hug. I held her in my arms and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm glad you came," I said.

"Kent had me doing gofer work around the office. When you called about the Academy Awards, and then your dad called about college signing day, I knew I would rather be here. Even if it was in the middle of nowhere, I'd rather be your PA because what you have me doing is a lot more interesting. So, I'll stay even if it is only to help you through Wednesday, and after that, I'll stay or travel as needed."

"You could always stay longer," I suggested.

"There is the middle-of-nowhere problem, though, and the Oscars to get through. I'm an LA woman, after all."

"Then I guess I'll take you as long as you're here and count my blessings," I said.

"Grab some pizza. Everyone's been waiting for you," Lexi said, pulling away from me.

I turned and saw my mom had taken Lexi's and my interaction in and had an unreadable look on her face. I knew without a doubt that she had picked up on our attraction and suspected that we were more than we probably should be.

Ignoring that for the moment, I made myself a plate of pizza and salad and joined the group. They were talking about the signing announcement.

"I think we should do the whole hat routine," Wolf said.

"What's that?" his dad asked.

"You have hats from all the schools you're considering, and then you put on the one that you pick," Tim explained.

"Better yet, we put on the wrong hat and then switch to the right one," Wolf suggested.

"That's a terrible idea," Frank said. "You'll just piss people off, and they have long memories."

"Remember that basketball player who was down to State and Kansas, and he did that?" I asked.

Both Tim and Wolf got scowls on their faces. We'd been in grade school when it happened, and even now, it would occasionally pop up on the State message boards as someone who'd done them wrong. Even though they were pissed, they had added a touch of humor. Whenever there was a close recruiting battle, they would be guardedly optimistic, but they talked about wearing their cups so the blow wouldn't hurt as much if it went against them.

"Ohio State will hate us, anyway. Why not do it to them? The folks in Michigan will think we're gods," Wolf pointed out.

That would be funny.

"Would you want them gunning for you guys when you played?" Dad asked, being the pragmatic fun-sucker that he was.

"How long is the presentation supposed to be?" Tracy asked.

"We scheduled the streaming service for thirty minutes," Frank shared. "The announcement will be in the last couple of minutes."

"I would like you to play a video at the beginning while the student body files into the field house. It'll give them a chance to get settled," I suggested.

"We have plenty of video of the three of you playing. Why don't I put together a twenty-minute film and then have the last ten minutes live?" Frank suggested.

"I don't want the focus to just be on us. I'd like it to be on the teams we were a part of. We wouldn't be here without them," I reminded everyone.

"We talked about building a legacy," Tracy added.

"She's right. I know it's our big moment, but let's do something better than making it just about us," Tim suggested.

That gave me a great segue to discussing what I'd been thinking about. I explained my idea of mentoring the younger guys and what I'd talked about at church. I considered Lincoln High to be a part of my larger family and wanted to reinforce that culture at our school. Tracy was right; we all wanted our success to continue after we left. It was all part of my 'make a difference' life goal.

We bounced around ideas and came up with a plan for Wednesday.

After that, Frank cornered me to talk about his numerous ideas for the Academy Awards and the events surrounding the show. I put a stop to that as quickly as I could, which brought him up short in surprise.

"Frank," I explained, "this spring is the very last chance I'll have just to be a high school kid, and I don't want to lose that. I'm going to the awards ceremony, and I'll hang around the rest of the night, but even then, I'll probably have to catch a red-eye back here.

"To handle all this, I've put Lexi in charge of coordinating everything out there. I've also asked her to keep a muzzle on Ari and his next batch of ideas, which all involve quitting school and working my ass off to make him money. I'm sure Lexi will be coordinating with you and listening to your thoughts, but I don't want to be bothered with this until I have to be."

Frank nodded his agreement.

"For now, just assume that I don't want to pay much attention to the Academy Awards until I'm actually on my way to board a plane for LA. I trust that between you, Lexi, and Kent, you know what to do for something like this. I do reserve the right to override you if you make me look like a goof," I said.

Frank gave me a slow nod, which I took as acceptance. Thank God. The truth was, they had this, and I didn't want to get in the middle of it.

---

Lexi and I had gone up to my apartment to catch up.

"Who's the guy you're dating?" I asked Lexi.

Over the weekend, one of the gossip websites had shown her on a yacht with a South American playboy. I had an app that alerted me when there were stories about people I knew. It was a real time-saver when surfing the net. I was surprised when Lexi's name had a hit.

She gave me a look like I'd lost my mind.

"A friend of a friend of the guy got me an invitation. His name is Alejandro Sandoval. He's a Colombian soccer player. Rumor has it Alex's great-grandfather made his money in drugs, and his family owns half the country. His parents moved him to California for high school. I never really got to know him because I didn't hang out with the soccer guys. I did know that he was good enough that in his junior year, he made their national team and moved back to Colombia."

"Was he here looking for an American trophy wife?" I teased her.

She shoved my arm.

"If I were ever going to do something like that, he would be on my list for a sugar daddy. He's not too bright, spends his time looking great, and has lots of guy toys to play with. I think you would actually like him," Lexi said.

"Guy toys?" I asked.

"There's the yacht you saw us on, and he lives on like a bazillion-acre ranch with horses and motorcycles. And, at last count, he had seven Bugattis--one for each day of the week. His ranch even has its own private airstrip. Alex has dated the who's who of South American models and actresses."

"So, you know him through school?" I asked.

"More through my dad. Alex's father is one of the studio's investors. I've met him at some of the parties," Lexi explained.

"Did you guys hook up?" I pressed.

"I wish," she said and covered her mouth with her hand.

I grinned at her.

"Lexi Andon, you have a crush on him, don't you?"

"I do not."

"Puh-lease," I said as I brought up the picture on my phone and showed it to her.

"Is it obvious?" she asked, looking hopeful and then dejected. "Alex hooked up with my friend. I don't think he even knew I was there."

"He thinks you're hot."

"Shut up!" she said and then gave me a coy look. "Does he?"

I laughed.

"How do you know?" she persisted.

"I'm a guy. Trust me, you're hot," I assured her.

She got a mischievous look. By now, I was getting good at reading her.

"I think you have a crush on me," she teased.

Pulling out all my acting talent, I gave her a haughty look.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I happen to have a girlfriend."

She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing at me and shook her head 'no.'

"Nope, that's not true. You used to have a girlfriend. As in formerly. As in single and dateless."

My mouth dropped open, and I looked at her in mock horror.

"Face it. When you let Brook get away, you messed up. No one will ever want to date you again," she piled on.

Her smile turned seductive, and the sight of it went straight to my dick. Jesus, I was in so much trouble. Every bit of moisture in my mouth dried up. I could see it now. Our casual hookups would transform into The frickin' Notebook. I knew better; sex changed things. I had a sneaking suspicion that Lexi had started this off as a fling. The problem was, I wasn't sure she believed it would stay a fling. Honestly, I couldn't remember why I'd agreed to the ground rules.

If asked, Lexi would say what we had was just a hookup. She might even believe it. But the look she gave me said that she thought it was more. The problem was, I didn't want more with Lexi. Not right now. It would be best if she just stayed my PA because what her eyes promised would mess that up. I could see how it would go if this went bad. Despite the fact that I'd never lied about my intentions or misled her, not even for a second, I would turn into the villain.

I stood up from the couch, and she did the same.

"Lexi ..." I started and then held up my hands to try to slow her down.

FRICK! I needed to get out of my own head.

"You're hot, and I want to be naughty with you," I said in a rush, knowing I would burn in hell for this.

Lexi looked me in the eyes as she tried to figure me out. Then she snorted and knelt in front of me. I looked down as she unzipped my jeans, reached in, and found what she wanted. Her devious grin told me I would enjoy this.

"Oh, God, you're the best PA ever," I moaned when she took me in her mouth.

At least one of us knew what they wanted. I think that someone was Mr. Happy, and Lexi had an idea she could go through him to get to me. After all, he had the whole 'no-strings/make me feel good' bit down. I thought maybe I should let him drive the body ALL the time.

---

Wednesday February 1

I was at my locker before school when Dare came rushing up, looking agitated. I scanned the crowd to see if anyone had been bullying him. When I didn't see any of the usual suspects, I turned to him.

"What's wrong?"

I could tell it was something serious because he looked like he might break down in tears.

"I can't tell you," he mumbled.

"Did Chrissy touch you in your special place? Do we need to go to the police and have you point it out on a doll?" I asked.

He blinked a few times before his mind wrapped around the fact that I was giving him shit.

"No," he said with a scowl and then shoved his phone at me.

I frowned because we'd had this discussion like a million times. He needed to learn to use actual spoken words instead of writing down what he had to tell me. I looked at his phone and saw a message to Brook.

'Now that you're single, I wanted to say that I like you a lot and think you're special. Not the friends kind of special, but the kissing kind of special. I think you feel how special it is. We have a special bond. The kind of bond that allows us to do special things with each other, like kissing, and we could see where that leads because I love you and you're special.'

"You might have used the word 'special' a few too many times," I said.

"Huh?" he asked, confused because I hadn't taken his head off.

"We also should talk to your English teacher about reviewing run-on sentences. Just because you're sending a text doesn't mean that the rules go completely out the window."

There he went again, blinking his eyes with his mouth, trying to work out the words he wanted to say.

"Did you actually send that, or was this a test run?" I asked.

His face got a lovely shade of pink.

"Dude," was my response to let him know this was bad.

Then I had a thought.

"Does Chrissy know about your 'special' relationship with Brook?" I asked.

If he could look any more miserable, I don't know how.

"I'm impressed. This is some high-level shit you're playing with. Two girls at once is hard to pull off and not have it blow up in your face," I said.

I tried hard not to let my enjoyment of his epic fail show through.

"Fix it," he begged.

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked.

"I don't know. Call the police and have them confiscate Brook's phone before she reads the message."

If they ever invented a way to pull back a text or email, it would be a billion-dollar idea.

My phone rang, and it was Brook. I showed Dare, and he scampered off.

"Told you," I said triumphantly when I answered.

"Shut up, 'stupid boy.' I take it Dare showed you what he sent me."

"He wanted me to call the cops and have them confiscate your phone. I think he has buyer's remorse."

"Again, shut it," she said rudely. "Is Dare okay?"

"He'll be fine. I sometimes forget that he's so young. Then he does something like this."

"Well, tell him I think he's special too, but ..."

"How about we use the long-distance excuse, and that he is already dating Chrissy?" I suggested.

"Just don't be mean to him," Brook warned.

"My mom thinks Dare needs to be toughened up."

"Since when do you listen to your mom?" Brook asked.

"Good point. I'll go and see if I can talk him off the ledge ... and Brook?"

"Yes?"

"I told you so."

"I heard you the first time. Yes, you were right for a change."

I would take that as a win. I really missed her.

---

When I arrived after last period, the field house was already filling up. They'd pulled out the bleachers on three sides and put folding chairs down the center facing the open end where the stage was located. The center was set aside for the press. I saw Jeff Delahey with a cameraman from Sports TV setting up along with some other reporters.

To one side in the front, an area had been reserved for friends and family. On the other side were our teachers, coaches, and VIP guests. The student body helped fill up the floor while the townsfolk sat in the bleachers. It was humbling to see so many fans had taken off early from work for our announcement.

There was a buzz of anticipation. Many of my classmates wanted a word with me as I made my way toward the front, where Tracy was orchestrating everything. Once she'd gotten her okay, she and Lexi had worked with Frank Ingram to organize everything. Delegation is outstanding once you learn to trust it.

When it was time, Tracy motioned for us to stand to the side of the stage. She first mentioned the players who had signed in December: Ty Wilson, Brock, and Bryan Callahan. Tracy did an excellent job of highlighting their awards and discussing where they would attend college. Tim Foresee and Wolf Tams received the same treatment, minus the college destination.

To this point, the crowd had been polite and sedate in congratulating the players. AC/DC's Thunderstruck began to play over the PA system, and the gathering got to its feet. I wasn't escaping my entrance, not on _the_ big day.

The crowd sang along as the lyrics began: Ayaahhayaayaayaa ... THUNDER! Ayaahhayaayaayaa ... THUNDER! Ayaahhayaayaayaa ... THUNDER! Ayaahhayaayaayaa ... THUNDER!

I bounced up on stage and was going to take my place at the table, but Tracy grabbed my arm and made me stand beside her.

"We have a surprise for David," she announced as the music ended. "Gatorade gives awards to the best football player in each state. David is the first two-time winner of that award for our state. Last year, he was selected as the National Player of the Year for football, and to our delight, won the Male National Athlete of the Year for all sports. That only confirmed what we all knew: David was the best high school athlete in the nation.

"Gatorade compares all the state winners and then selects its national winner. We just got word that David is the first football player to win the National Player of the Year for Football twice. This puts him in line to possibly be the first two-time Male National Athlete of the Year," she announced, surprising me.

Tracy had to clarify the male aspect of the award because a track athlete from New Jersey had won the female equivalent twice.

Tracy continued on, detailing all the All-American teams I'd been selected to. She then enumerated my other awards for being a top quarterback, including my Elite 11 Co-MVP last year. I started to get embarrassed when Tracy listed the national, state, and school records I'd set. She rattled off my records for passing yards, touchdowns thrown, and scoring, which included my rushing touchdowns. She then talked about baseball and my MVP honors for the USA's Under-18 Team at the Pan American Games.

When she was done, I took my seat, and the video started.

It began with our freshman year and included highlights of the games, narrated by Jeff Delahey. We all laughed when Kevin Goode, our All-State linebacker, was shown. The other two leaders of that team followed: 'Magic' Mike Wade and Luke Herndon.

Everyone groaned when they showed the play that ended our season. I was at quarterback, the ball was snapped errantly, and I fumbled, preventing any last-minute heroics. I still contend that if I hadn't been pulled from the game, I might have won it.

Kevin, Magic, and Luke were all interviewed and had some kind words to say about Lincoln High and the six of us who'd landed Division I scholarships.

The video jumped to sophomore year and our first state championship. Bill Callaway was the only player on that team who'd gone on to play college ball. He was shown at USC, and he gave a quick talk about what we were building here at Lincoln and how proud he was to have been a part of it at the beginning of the resurgence.

From the junior-year team, Jim Ball had gotten a scholarship to play college ball for Alabama. After the highlights of the year were shown, he talked about the friends he'd made at Lincoln. I could see they'd taken my idea of building a family to heart by his comments. Jim made us laugh when he held up Alabama jerseys for the three of us to hint at our final destination.

It was apparent from Jim's video that Alabama had turned him into a beast over the last year. When you compared the film of him playing at Lincoln, he looked like he'd put on fifty pounds of muscle and was a legitimate three-hundred-pounder now. I did not doubt that he would be starting soon, now that his body had caught up with what it needed to be for the college game.

Then it moved on to senior year. Jeff gave out some interesting facts about our team. We had more players--six--receiving Division I offers than any other school in our state had this year. Our group of six equaled the combined number of players to receive football scholarships from Lincoln over all the years our high school had fielded a team.

After the video, Coach Hope took the microphone to add his appreciation for the six of us, and then focused on me.

"When I came here, I was told that David was a bit of a prima donna. I learned that he was anything but. I also learned that not only was he the best football player I've ever seen in high school ball, he may also be the best leader I've ever coached, and that's not just on the football field. Many of you probably don't know that David was the catalyst behind all the facility improvements here at Lincoln, including this field house.

"He's the shining example of the phrase, 'if you put your mind to something, you can get it done.' Because of that, I expect him to go on to college and make us proud.

"What sets David apart is that he isn't just about David. He wants to leave a legacy of excellence here at Lincoln High. David has forever changed the culture here to one of winning. He and his teammates have laid the foundation. I, for one, plan to carry on his dream that Lincoln High be year-in and year-out part of the conversation as the best of the best," Coach Hope said. Then he turned to us. "I think it's time you announce your next conquest."

"We're not going to play any hat games," I started. "Let's get the suspense over with."

Wolf, Tim, and I all stood up and put our arms over each other's shoulders as we faced the camera and smiled.

"We're all going to the University of Michigan," we said together.

Then we pulled off our Lincoln High sweatshirts and showed that under them were Michigan jerseys. Ty did a fist pump and joined the three of us standing. It is extremely rare that two players from the same high school go to a college program of Michigan's caliber, let alone four. We hoped the viewing public would recognize this for what it was. Bryan and Brock then came up with their Western Illinois jerseys so we could get a group photo.

---

After Cassidy and Ms. Marshall finished torturing me, and I'd gotten some batting practice in, Cassidy and I met with J. D. Ma. J. D. had me show her how I was doing using the different ways to open a lock without the key. I then showed her my 'walk' for the movie.

"Interesting take," was her only comment, and then she moved on to today's lesson, breaking into cars.

She took us out to the parking lot and pointed at an older Pontiac Sunbird.

"Notice the trim between the front and back window on that one. I can be in that car in under a minute," J. D. boasted.

"Prove it," I said.

She looked around and then walked up to the car, got her fingernails under the edge of the trim, and pulled. It took her only a few seconds to pop the window trim off, and she set it on the ground. She pointed to the rubber seal around the edge of the window.

"You work this loose, and the window will come out," she said, and then demonstrated.

I was horrified that it was so easy. I looked over at Cassidy, and she was totally intent on what J. D. was teaching us.

We spotted someone entering the lot, which prompted J. D. to reverse the process quickly.

"One hard and fast rule: don't get caught."

"Shit," was my brilliant comment when I realized we could get into serious trouble doing this.

Neither Cassidy nor J. D. was fazed by the danger.

Over the next half-hour, she demonstrated how to use a slim-jim tool, a piece of string, a plunger, and even a tennis ball to pop the door lock. Then she showed us a new toy.

"Can the pen be mightier than the sword? It just might if it's a tactical pen," J. D. said.

The pen she had was made of a sturdy-looking metal, and the top was pointed. The sides had been textured to give you a better grip, and the ballpoint was fully functional.

"In the movie, Q will give you one of these as a gadget," J. D. explained. "The top can be used to break glass. If you need to break into a car and don't care about noise, I would use this."

"Can we try it?" Cassidy asked.

Both J. D. and I looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"I promise we won't get caught."

"Your dad would kill me if we got arrested breaking into cars. Plus, this does real damage," I reminded her.

"We could do your car," she suggested.

"No. You're not breaking my car window to try out a new toy."

"Much like in the Bond movie, a tactical pen conceals itself in the wide open. No one will know, as you sign papers, that it's also an extremely versatile tactical tool. Still, it isn't your primary weapon. It's simply handy for close encounters. Please remember that a regular pen doesn't serve the same function. They're too flimsy to be effective," J. D. warned us.

"You can use this to fight with?" I asked.

"Yep. I'll show you how another time. Today, I want to keep the focus on stealing cars," J. D. said.

"Good idea. You might have to get a couple more pens for our training, though," I said as I pointed to Cassidy slipping it into her pocket.

J. D. held out her hand, and Cassidy gave her a sheepish look as she handed it back.

"I can get them in different colors: red, blue, black, and silver."

"Get us both one of each," I said to make Cassidy's day.

"Now that I've shown you several techniques for breaking into a car, let's talk about getting it started. The days of hot-wiring a car are over. Now, you have to bypass the electronics. Every new car sold in the past decade has been required to have a standard diagnostic port fitted. This is typically located in the front footwell. They've developed devices that plug into the port, boot up a vehicle's software, and then program a blank key fob. In keyless cars, this can be used to start the engine as well as unlock the doors. The time needed for the programming process is as short as 15 seconds," she explained.

Cassidy and I had our eyes opened over the next forty-five minutes as J. D. gave us a crash course on how easy it was to start a car without a key in multiple ways. Those methods included everything from using an app on your cell phone to utilizing the diagnostic port, as well as capturing the necessary radio signals when someone locked their car doors. If a thief knew what they were doing, they could take your car in a surprisingly short time.

---

I came home to find Tracy, Lexi, and Scarlet in our kitchen eating ice cream with--wait for it--Cookie Butter.

"You've been holding out on me," Scarlet complained.

"After he introduced me to this, I bought my dad a case of the stuff for Christmas," Lexi said.

While they talked about the yummy goodness, I made myself a bowl.

"The Michigan fan sites are showing their love. Some are predicting multiple Big Ten championships and National Championships, now that you're in the fold," Lexi said.

"I can't believe that it's finally over," Tracy admitted.

"Tracy has been with me, dealing with this craziness from the beginning," I told Lexi and Scarlet.

"I only had to deal with it for the last few months. You need to do something nice for Megan since she handled all the mail," Scarlet said.

That reminded me that I was lucky to have people who handled all of that stuff. Dad and I had recycled piles of recruiting notes and letters. At the peak, some schools had sent twenty or more pieces of mail a day. It would have been insane if it had all shown up at the house. It was easy to see how all the attention would turn a teenage boy's head and make him think he was special. While I already knew I was special, Cassidy told me I was a prime candidate for the short bus.

"While I have the three of you here, I want to thank you for all you did to insulate me from the worst of it. It was a big help not to have to deal with all that."

"I've been talking to Lexi, and she's concerned that you don't have a PA here. I was wondering if you would consider letting me fill that role?" Scarlet asked.

"Don't you already have a full plate?" I asked.

"How much time would she need?" Lexi asked.

"You have a point. It's not like I'm working, and the business restructuring has left me with many fewer things to worry about or keep track of," I agreed. "What about your other duties? Would this interfere with them?"

"Your aunt and grandmother handle the day-to-day issues for the farms; Granny and Mary Dole take care of the restaurants; your mom manages the real estate company; and Megan has the back office and accounting handled," Scarlet said, listing everything she oversaw.

"You're saying you have some free time," I said with a smile. "Recruiting is over, and once the Academy Awards are done, I can't see the PA role taking up much of your day. If you're willing to take it on, I would love to have you do it. Lexi will be taking the lead on the Awards, and you can work with her to coordinate the travel, at least, and see how she handles everything else. Then, after the Oscars, she can bow out, and you can take it from there."

I caught Lexi's look and put together that she'd orchestrated this. I think she was afraid I would ask her to move here. It also showed she was still looking out for me.

---

As they left, Tracy gave me grief about not visiting her yet. I promised to do it soon. She took Lexi to her hotel, which left Scarlet with me.

"Your dad suggested that I make a surprise inspection of your Malibu house," Scarlet said.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Jack Mass was out there for other reasons and stopped by. There had been some 'improvements' started that weren't authorized in the plan, so he put a stop to them. It sounds like a couple of the grad students thought they could make changes without getting them approved."

"Well, crud."

If they weren't careful, I would ship my mom out there to deal with them.

"While I'm out there, I want to spend time with Lexi and learn everything she does for you. She said one of the women in her office was your first PA and helped her learn the job."

"Kendal Miller. She now works for the personal management company. The senior manager, who happens to be my manager, Kent Crain, was also my PA for a summer. He was a lot more fun," I said.

"Lexi said he has a reputation as a partier. I can see why that would appeal to you."

"Being a little judgy, are we?" I asked.

"Your mom tells me that you don't need someone who's an enabler."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I think you'll make the perfect PA. It only took you five minutes to play the 'mom' card," I said.

"So, can I go?" Scarlet asked.

"You need to embrace something. As my chief operating officer and now PA, you're in charge. If you think an expense is justified, then spend it. If it'll break the bank, ask my dad first," I reminded her.

"But your dad said ..." she started.

I held up my hands.

"You're in charge."

"Okay," she said and then seemed to stiffen her spine. "I'll catch a flight on Thursday and be back either Sunday or Monday."

"Will Megan be okay all by herself?" I asked.

"You are such a dick," she said, which made us both laugh.

---

Before I went to bed, I checked the recruiting websites to see how everyone had done. I admit I was interested to see if Southwest Central State's use of shoe money was the big lure they made it out to be. Well, they never admitted to it, but Springbok made it clear what the deal was.

When I scanned their list of commits, I raised my eyebrows. They'd gotten a couple of flips that were sure to have some of the big programs crying foul. Then a name caught my eye that made me laugh out loud. Mark, my arch-nemesis from freshman year, who had played ball at Eastside, was one of their signings.

I clicked on his bio because I thought he was a year older than I was. I also knew he'd been caught on video taking money from a recruiter at the Elite quarterback camp in Houston. They'd kicked him out, and I suspected they'd turned the tape over to the NCAA. I had imagined he would never play Division I football because of that.

Then again, the recruiter was from a big-time program, and I'd never heard a word about the official outcome. When I read Mark's webpage, it said he'd taken a gap year and gray-shirted, like I planned to do next season. The difference was that he would be part of this incoming class, which was why he was signing a letter of intent.

I was even happier I hadn't considered them after seeing that Mark was the kind of player they were looking for. It was only a matter of time before they would end up on some sort of probation.

---

Friday February 3

Before school, Pam took me aside.

"I talked to my dad yesterday," Pam said.

I guess I wasn't surprised that she'd talked to him. But I was astonished that she was talking to me about him. She knew how I felt about her dad.

"Okay," I said cautiously.

"He graduated from Loyola Marymount."

Oh, boy. I loved Pam, but there were times I got impatient when she had something to either tell or ask me.

"Just say it," I suggested.

"Would it be okay if I went to school there?"

Now I was confused.

"I thought you were going to Pepperdine."

"Loyola Marymount is only about forty minutes from USC, and Tracy said I had to ask you if she and I could live together," Pam said.

"Ah," I said, suddenly getting it.

I'd talked to Tracy about living in Zander's old place. It was a three-story, four-bedroom townhome within walking distance of the USC campus. I'd been worried about Pam living on her own and offered to let her move into my Malibu house. I wasn't exactly sure where Loyola Marymount was, but if she could live with Tracy, I would feel better knowing they had each other.

"David?"

"Hm?"

"Is that a yes?" Pam asked.

"Sorry, of course, you can. I have one question."

"Yes?"

"How does your dad figure into all this?"

"Oh."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You won't be mad at me?" she asked.

"No."

"He said he would help pay for my school if I went there."

"I thought he was paying for Pepperdine."

"He was, but I asked him if I could switch, and he said yes."

"Will this make you happy?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, and then her eyes darted towards me and then away.

"And?"

"Coby will need a car."

"Ah."

"Tracy said he should probably get a Mustang," Pam said and bit her lip.

I bet she did.

"That would be hard to get a car seat into."

"Oh."

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Brook got a Porsche," Pam said hopefully.

This was just another reminder that the women in my life all talked to each other and compared notes.

"The back seat is even worse in her car. Maybe Coby should get a minivan," I suggested.

She threw a face to reject that idea.

"Tell you what," I said. "Why don't you and Tracy figure out what kind of car Coby really wants? My only requirements are that it is something safe and that you'll be able to use a car seat in it for Coby without killing or maiming him or yourself in the process."

"You're the best," she said excitedly.

"Go call Tracy and give her the good news," I suggested.

---

Dare had been acting funny around me ever since he sent Brook the message telling her how 'special' she was. I'd had enough, so I made him sit with me alone at lunch so we could talk.

It was double cheeseburger and tater tots day in the cafeteria. That was the holy grail of lunches. Some politician's wife had made it her mission to ruin lunch with healthy food. I chose to think that the green shimmer on mystery meat was vegetable-based. I guess some days, the lunch ladies just gave up and gave us what we wanted. It seemed to happen on Fridays when they'd rather relax and not listen to us whining.

Once we reached our table, I decided to get to the heart of the matter.

"What's your major malfunction?" I asked.

Dare's eyes darted around like a trapped animal planning its escape.

"Dude, settle down," I told him.

He cocked his head like Duke does when he hears the mailman.

"You're not mad at me?" Dare asked.

"About you going after my ex?" I asked, which caused him to turn an unusual shade of red.

He studied his food as I let him ponder what I'd just said.

"You're not mad because you know I have no shot with her," Dare said as he looked out the window.

"Look at me," I said, and when he didn't, I repeated myself. "Look at me."

I knew it was hard for him to make eye contact, but he did.

"You trust me to tell you some uncomfortable truths?" I asked.

Dare nodded.

"Brook was out of my league."

He snorted and nodded his head in agreement. The little shit was going to die.

"You think that's funny, don't you?" I asked.

"No. Not really," he admitted as he sobered up. "It just highlights my point. Brook is way out of my league. It's just that she's so ..."

"I know ... 'special,'" I said seriously. "That's why I dated Brook. I was just lucky she put up with me."

"She thinks I'm a little kid," Dare pouted.

"No, she doesn't. Brook and I have talked about your crush on her. While she wasn't interested, she took it seriously. The last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt you. Brook likes you a lot, just not in that way," I said.

He looked at me and nodded.

"How do I get someone like Brook to like me as more than just a friend?" Dare asked.

I chuckled.

"What?" he asked, mortified.

"I just remembered what I was like when I was a freshman. I asked my brother the same question. He's a couple of years older than my friends and me, and I always looked up to him because he was so successful with the ladies. Without his help, I would never have been lucky enough to date someone like Brook," I admitted.

"Do you think he would help me?" Dare asked.

I wasn't sure if I should be offended that he would bypass asking me and want to talk to my brother for dating advice. Then I had a revelation. It would be easier for him to speak to an 'expert' who wasn't his friend. I pulled out my phone and called Greg.

"I need your help teaching someone about women," I said when he answered.

"Phil's a lost cause. He thinks he knows everything," Greg said, assuming I was talking about our half-brother.

"Not Phil, Darius."

"Oh, my."

Greg had met Dare and knew what he would be up against.

"Here, talk to him," I said as I thrust the phone to Dare.

Dare gave Greg a couple of one-word answers and handed the phone back to me.

"You're going to owe me big-time," Greg said.

"Just name it."

"Let me get started, and then I'll figure out how much you owe me."

If it had been anyone other than my brother, I would have been worried. This was a big ask, but I trusted Greg to help Dare and not send him into a mental breakdown.

"How goes the drone project?" I asked Dare to get onto safer ground.

Dare was immediately off and running, describing the new drones. I debated telling him about the possible business interest in what he was doing, but decided to wait until I heard something from my people. I didn't want to get his hopes up.

---

After school, I took some live batting practice with Justin pitching. He was our best pitcher, and I was hitting him with authority. After facing all the great pitchers last summer, I didn't feel challenged by him.

"You sure you're not left-handed?" I quipped as I ripped his latest offering.

We'd drawn a crowd of onlookers because Justin had been mowing down everyone else today. That was until I stepped up to the plate and made him look human.

He mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'asshole.' I knew he was about to lose his cool and throw at me. When he went into his motion, I opened my stance and leaned back. The ball went where my head had been.

"Quit being a baby and throw me something unhittable," I challenged.

I could tell he was all but shaking with anger that he couldn't get me out. I anticipated his best fastball. As he released it, I knew he'd overthrown it as it rose in the zone. I stood straighter to allow my natural swing to come into play and hit a crushing shot that would have been a home run anywhere.

"I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head in mock concern. "I thought you'd embarrassed yourself enough for one day already. But God apparently disagreed."

Moose suddenly appeared before Justin could get a chance to throw at me again.

"I think we can all agree that David might have picked up some skills over the summer and that you won't face anyone who hits like he does this year. It's a good thing he's your teammate."

Justin took a second to remember that, even though they were competing right at that moment, in the end, they played together.

"Can't I plunk him just once?" Justin asked.

"Sure, why not," Moose said with good humor.

I made a show of pointing deep to show where his next offering was going. Justin tossed up a soft one, and I let it hit me in the center of my back. Flopping and rolling around on the ground might have been a little too much. When I acted like I would get up and charge the mound, Tim tackled me, followed by half the team jumping on the pile.

Moose waded in and 'saved' me.

"It's lucky for you I like you," he said, shaking his head. "Let someone else rough up Justin."

Justin wasn't amused when everyone wanted to take their shot. If they weren't careful, he would drill them.

I pulled Tim and Wolf to the side.

"Are we all set for tomorrow?" I asked.

"All the seniors and juniors will be at the field house. Your dad's meeting with us and with Coach and a few others beforehand," Wolf said.

"My dad thinks our working to leave our mark is a good thing. Is it okay if he comes to the pre-meeting?" Tim asked.

"I don't see why not."

"Sounds good. Anything else you need, Boss?" Tim quipped.

Joey Marshall, my most recent infatuation and current torturer, walked towards the office and passed by us in the process. She gazed into my eyes and slowly entered the office, using the best 'look at my ass' strut I'd ever seen.

"David," Wolf warned.

I looked back at my two friends, and they had their arms crossed over their chests with concerned looks on their faces.

"That would be a terrible idea," Tim said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said to play it off.

They didn't believe me, but let it drop.

"Do you have a date for tonight?" Tim asked to change the topic.

"No. I'm going to the airport for flight school. I'm about done with instrument training and need that to be able to fly in all conditions," I explained.

"You know, I think Don is starting to get a little irritated that you spend more time with his girlfriend than he does. When are you going to steal her from him?" Wolf asked.

"Coach would have a fit if I did that."

"It's not like he's your coach anymore," Tim reminded me.

"I know, but I made him a promise."

"That sucks," Wolf added.

"Plus, it's complicated."

"Don't you know that a woman loves a man who can express what he's feeling for her? Why don't you just tell her?" Tim asked.

"What Cosmo quiz did you get that out of, dumbass?" Wolf asked.

"Plus, Cassidy and I are just friends," I said.

"Whatever," Tim said.

"Why don't you two worry about your own love lives?" I suggested.

"That reminds me. Tami said you're supposed to go to their Valentine's Dance. She said to get a suite at the hotel so we can have a place to change and other things," Tim said.

I would have to get a two-bedroom or adjoining rooms because I wasn't going to share my room with him and Tami again. It still irritated me that they'd used my apartment as their love shack and had left it a mess.

"Sarah said that if you did, you might get lucky," Wolf said with a big grin.

I decided to take that exactly the wrong way.

"If you're okay with that, I'd be willing to do your girlfriend," I teased.

That earned me a punch in the arm.

"Shut up, gutter-mind," Wolf rumbled. "She said that some of the girls have been asking about you."

I hadn't visited Wesleyan in a while. It sounded like fun.

"Okay, count me in."

---