Sunday, October 8, 2009
The day of Andrew's etup with his subscribers had finally arrived.
Andrew left ho about forty-five minutes early. Naturally, his parents were driving him. The mall was about a approximately thirty-five minutes drive away.
Mitchell was driving, serious and silent, though in his head he had already gone through three possible ergency simulations and an improvised evacuation plan. Ranging from a collective hysteria outbreak to Andrew being kidnapped by a cult of obsessive fans.
'Maybe I'm overreacting,' Mitch thought, changing the music for no apparent reason.
Beside him, in the passenger seat, Cam couldn't be more excited. He was smiling like they were on their way to the Emmys or a red carpet event.
"This is so exciting! It's like watching a star being born... but not a traditional one! An internet one! It's like being there when Elvis started, but with Wi-Fi!" Cam exclaid.
Mitchell glanced at him sideways for a mont. "That's the third ti you've said that. And we've only been on the road for ten minutes," he muttered to himself.
In the back seat, Andrew was calm. Next to him sat Howard, his well-paid designated caraman, carefully holding the cara, and Reggie, who stared out the window, excited and wondering if anyone would ask him for autographs.
Andrew's videos had shown Reggie and his teammates multiple tis, either during warmups or training sessions. They had beco familiar faces: funny guys that people often ntioned in the comnts.
So, when Andrew asked if they wanted to co, they all said yes. Behind their car, a 4x4 SUV followed closely.
It was driven by Kevin's older brother, who had kindly offered to bring the rest of the group: Kevin, Archie, and Steve.
As for Lily, she wasn't part of the trip. She was being looked after by Gloria and Jay, who were thrilled to spend ti with the baby. Gloria more so than Jay.
Reggie, who had been staring out the window, turned to look at Andrew and Howard, "How many people do you think will show up?"
"Mm, it's hard to say," Andrew began, and Howard, who had the cara pointed at the car floor, lifted it up.
Maybe sothing funny or entertaining would co out for the vlog's opening minutes.
"Not all of my subscribers are from Arica," Andrew continued, talking to the cara but also to his friends. "Then, subtract those who don't live in California... and after that, the ones who don't live near L.A. And even if they live nearby, not everyone can make it. So have plans, others didn't get permission, or they're just not interested in a mall etup."
"Realistic, but true," said Reggie, nodding with his arms crossed.
"So, if a hundred people show up, that would be insane, and honestly, I'd already find that incredible," said Andrew, shrugging.
Howard frowned slightly and couldn't help comnting, "That's not a very mathematical conclusion."
Andrew looked at him. "I don't have an Excel spreadsheet, Howard. No graphs, no predictive formulas. I'm doing what I can from the back seat of a family vehicle."
"Good point," said Howard, pointing the cara at him with a solemn gesture. "But you should know you're making estimates based on way too many unknown variables."
"Speak English, Howard," said Reggie, who wasn't following anything. He barely did his howork and passed by the skin of his teeth.
"I ans Andrew's pulling numbers out of thin air, but I respect it," Howard said, laughing lightly.
The three kept chatting, tossing around different possible scenarios for when they arrived at the mall.
"What if no one shows up?" Howard said suddenly. "Absolutely no one. Not a soul. Just the mall security guard staring at us strange."
"That would be sad and humiliating," said Reggie, pulling a mock-pained face.
"I'd give the security guard five bucks to pretend he knows , ask for a picture and an autograph or sothing," said Andrew with a small smile, and the others laughed.
"That's a good one. You could also make a video with a clickbait title like: My subscribers abandoned at the one million special! And a thumbnail of you standing all alone in an empty mall. At least you'd get a million views and make so money," Howard suggested.
"Noted," Andrew nodded with total seriousness, as if it truly was a great video idea with a catchy title.
"By the way... where's Pippa?" Reggie asked suddenly, turning to him with a mischievous smile. "She let you co alone knowing there'll be crazy fangirls waiting for you?"
Andrew gave a faint smile. "With the chance of being sward by a crowd, she didn't want to co. She doesn't like big crowds. Besides, she gave sothing to deal with the crazy fan problem."
As he said that, Andrew lifted his arm and shook his wrist. He was wearing a golden bracelet, with a delicate, almost feminine design. A small shiny plaque was engraved with a ssage:
[To my favorite quarterback. I'll always support you. With love, your girlfriend, Pippa]
Reggie's jaw dropped. "Bro... that is romantic, possessive, and brilliant all at once."
Howard nodded, as if confirming a scientific hypothesis.
"I told you the first ti I saw it. That bracelet's not just a gift, it's a territorial seal. A mark of emotional ownership. And a pretty effective one, by the way," he said, pointing the cara at the bracelet so the inscription could be clearly read.
Andrew didn't hide the bracelet and let Howard capture it on cara.
At first, Andrew had thought the bracelet was too feminine. He'd never really worn accessories like that before.
But as his feelings for Pippa grew, he ended up growing fond of the gift, and the ssage engraved on it.
"I know... but I like it. It reminds of her whenever she's not with ," Andrew said, looking at the bracelet.
Howard and Reggie exchanged exaggerated expressions of agony.
"Ughhh," groaned Reggie, clutching his stomach. "Too much emotional sugar! I'm gonna puke on the cara!" he added, miming a gag.
"Please, that's enough. I can't handle this much perfect love before a public event. You wanna call her real quick so you don't miss her too much?" Howard said in mock outrage.
Andrew couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Don't be envious. Who knows, maybe you'll et a fan who turns out to be your soulmate. Or at least soone might ask for a picture."
"That would be aweso! Not the picture, the first part!" said Howard with renewed enthusiasm at the idea of a romance with a potential fitness girl with powerful quads.
"Just imagine: a fit girl with strong legs sees as the lovable nerdy caraman who pops up now and then in the vlogs and records all the videos," Howard continued, already losing himself in one of his signature fantasies.
"I doubt a nerd who refuses to touch a dumbbell or run ten ters fits the criteria for a hardcore Andrew fangirl," Reggie teased, not maliciously, just being realistic.
The three kept chatting as they neared the mall.
The SUV turned at the last avenue and finally took the entrance into the mall's parking lot.
A big sign overhead read Citrus Grove Mall in sleek, curved lettering, the kind that lit up at night. It was one of the most popular malls in the area: three floors, over a hundred stores, restaurants, and a large open-roofed central plaza with the famous fountain in the middle.
Mitchell stopped the car and took the parking ticket while letting out a sigh, ntally preparing himself, for sothing that could either exceed his expectations... or completely destroy them.
"If soone smashes a store window or starts screaming like you're the Jonas Brothers... we're leaving, okay? I'm not paying for anything," Mitch said.
"Can we not compare to the Jonas Brothers? I won't have fans that crazy. My subscribers are civilized," Andrew said from the back.
"Never say never, son!" Cam sang cheerfully with a wide, excited smile.
They were in the underground parking lot. Andrew checked the ti: twenty minutes to go before the etup. They were early.
He didn't know if a hundred people would show up... or none. He couldn't deny it was making him a bit nervous.
The entrance from the parking lot led to the lower level of the mall. At that hour, many people were coming and going: families, groups of teens, adults carrying shopping bags.
But it was impossible to tell if they were here for the event or just shopping. That uncertainty kept everyone on edge.
Behind them, Kevin, Archie, and Steve's SUV also parked.
They all got out, laughing, completely unaware of what was waiting for them.
Howard pointed the cara at them like it was a news segnt. "Here we are with three key mbers of the Palisades Eagles and recurring personalities from many videos. How do you feel before facing a possible crowd of photo-hungry fans?"
Kevin was the first to respond, slipping into character and smiling confidently, "Focused and ready to sign footballs if anyone recognizes ... I even got a haircut yesterday," he said, solemnly smoothing his bangs.
Archie burst out laughing and stepped forward, looking straight at the cara. "I just want soone to say, 'Hey, you're the best running back on the team!' And I'll answer, 'Yes, I am the best running back on the team.' That's all I need."
"Hey! I'm the best running back on the team," interrupted Reggie, stepping in from the side.
Howard quickly turned the cara toward him, just in ti.
"Who had the most rushing yards in the last ga, huh?" Reggie added with a challenging smile.
"And who scored three touchdowns in the fourth ga? A ga way tougher than the last one," Archie shot back.
"Who dodged four defenders in the second ga against Venice?" Reggie stepped closer, now face-to-face.
"Who blocked like a lineman and then sprinted like lightning in that sa ga during the third quarter?"
Kevin looked at both of them, raised his hands like a neutral referee, and declared, "You both have muscle, speed, and egos. I declare a technical tie until further notice."
Archie and Reggie nodded, locking eyes and shaking hands.
"We'll wait till the end of the season to see who the best running back really is," Reggie said.
"So be it, my friend."
At that mont, Steve walked up from behind, crossing his arms and looking into the cara.
"Well, well... while you two argue, don't forget I was the best wide receiver on the team last year. Andrew's top partner," Steve said with a slight, confident smile as he joined in.
"Should we let that slide or press him a bit?" Kevin whispered toward Archie and Reggie.
"Press him," Archie answered with a knowing grin.
"Then, Steve, I guess you were also the best at warming the bench last Friday," Kevin said, giving Steve a consoling pat on the shoulder.
"Ouch," said Howard, recording everything as the others, including Andrew, burst into laughter.
"Ha ha," Steve laughed sarcastically. "I deserved that, but I've learned my lesson. I'm going back to training hard and I'll earn my spot back. I'll prove it to the coach and the team."
"Yeah, yeah, very noble... but you're still last on the popularity list right now, aren't you?" added Kevin.
"We'll see about that!" Steve shot back, pointing upward as they walked through the underground hallway toward the elevator. "Today the fans will decide. Let's see who's the most requested after the quarterback."
"Are you saying we're doing a ranking today?" asked Reggie, suddenly fired up with competitive energy.
"That's actually a great idea," said Andrew, turning around with an amused smile. "I don't count, because obviously everyone coming today is here for ."
"Humble as always," Howard muttered with a smirk.
"But among you guys... whoever gets the most greetings, photos, or autographs today earns second place on the popularity podium," Andrew added, glancing at Steve, Archie, Reggie, and Kevin.
"And the loser buys the burgers," said Archie, raising his hand like he was signing a contract.
"Deal!" they all said in unison.
The group stepped into the elevator, laughing, full of jokes, adrenaline, and a nervous energy that was impossible to ignore.
They still didn't know what was waiting for them... but they were only steps away from finding out.
-------------------------------------------------
You can read 15 Chapters in advance on my patreon.
Link: s/Nathe07
User Comments
0 comments from readers