After his debut with Mater Dei at the Dana Hills tournant, Andrew used the break before the second ga to go greet his family. The reception was as if he had just won the Super Bowl.
"You were amazing, Andrew!" Cam exclaid, hugging him so tightly that Andrew nearly lost his balance.
Mitchell, more reserved but just as proud, smiled warmly at him. "An excellent first ga. Flawless, I doubt any other quarterback could’ve done better."
Jay simply gave him three strong pats on the back, which in his body language was equivalent to a paternal hug. "Well done, kid."
Claire crossed her arms with a grin. "I knew you could tear up Division I players just like you did those from D4. That’s for everyone who doubted you."
Phil, of course, was impossible to ignore: he was wearing a custom Mater Dei shirt, a red cap with the initials ’MD,’ and his face painted with little golden details. "Eight touchdowns! EIGHT! That’s gotta be a record, right? They should call you Andrew Touchdown Pritchett-Tucker! No? Too much?"
Claire gave him a side glance, used to her husband’s antics. "Too much, but I do agree, it must be a record or sothing."
Gloria also hugged him enthusiastically. "Andresito, my champion! That last pass was like magic!"
Jay muttered under his breath, resigned, "And that scream of yours made go deaf..."
Manny, always more serious than other kids his age, gave a thumbs-up and simply said, "Good ga."
Alex, with a smirk, added, "Next victims, step up. They’re already getting a taste of what’s coming."
Haley hugged him with a wide smile. "You’re a star!"
"Thanks, everyone," Andrew said with a genuine smile. "Though it’s only the first ga, let’s not get ahead of ourselves."
He chatted with them for a bit longer, then walked over to Leonard and Howard, who had moved away to record from a better angle. He had also noticed them during the ga sitting with Monica and Rachel.
He was surprised to see them all together, especially considering two things:
One: Leonard is very shy, he wouldn’t make the first move with two pretty girls he just t a day ago.
Two: Howard being Howard. The problem isn’t that he talks to girls, it’s what he says when he does. There’s always one overly bold comnt or inappropriate joke that ends with him being ignored or getting death-stared.
"Rachel ca?" Haley asked, curious.
"Yeah, over there," Andrew replied, pointing to a section of the bleachers where the two girls were chatting with the two guys.
"That’s great. I’m coming with you," Haley said decisively, adjusting her sunglasses.
She had clicked with Rachel the day before, the mont she saw Rachel’s shopping bags. The two spoke the sa language: fashion, trends, style.
But the most important thing,and what Haley truly liked, was that Rachel didn’t seem like a fake girl. The sa went for Monica, although she hadn’t clicked as much with her since Monica was 100% focused on Andrew like a true fan.
Of course, she didn’t consider Rachel a friend yet, they had only known each other for a day, but talking to her had been surprisingly easy.
Andrew let out a soft laugh. "You should be thanking . Thanks to one of my fans, you got your new best friend."
"Shut up," Haley said, keeping her composure while giving him a light push on the back to make him walk faster. "And hurry up. The longer we leave them alone with Howard, the higher the chances he’ll ruin everything before we get there."
"That’s a constant risk beyond my control," Andrew murmured, half joking, half serious, as they made their way through the crowd.
From a distance, Rachel spotted them and raised a hand to wave. Monica noticed them too and flashed a big, visibly excited smile. She had her phone in hand, as if restraining herself from taking a selfie. It wasn’t too far-fetched, she had traveled over two hours to be here, and her YouTube idol had just delivered a perfect performance.
Leonard was the first to speak when Andrew arrived. "Eight touchdowns, man!" he said, still buzzing with excitent. "That was a clinical massacre. Are you sure you’re not so kind of Terminator-style cyborg sent by the NCAA from the future?"
"A cyborg wouldn’t have a YouTube channel with that many subscribers. It’d be cold and indifferent, you know? Like a badass," said Howard, jumping into the conversation.
Rachel let out a soft laugh, unsure whether it was sarcasm or if Howard was genuinely debating Leonard’s theory.
Andrew laughed and greeted Rachel and Monica. "I’m glad you both ca."
"I wouldn’t miss it for the world!" Monica exclaid, her eyes sparkling.
"Yeah, it was worth it, even though the trip took over two hours," Rachel added, looking at Andrew. "Eight touchdowns. Perfect spiral passes, like sothing straight out of a movie script... It was insane."
"I’m relieved to know you didn’t co all this way just to watch an average QB," Andrew said, placing a hand on his chest.
Rachel laughed, amused by his tone. "Well, easy there. It was only the first ga. Just 25 minutes... I don’t know if that justifies two hours of travel, eh?"
Andrew faked offense but couldn’t hold back a laugh. "So demanding. Fine. I’ll try to live up to the hype in the next gas too."
Rachel looked at him with that signature half-smile of hers, as if testing how far she could keep teasing him. "Good. Because if your level drops... I’m going to have to ask you to give back the beach ti I missed."
Howard nodded several tis. "That’s it, Rachel. Make him sign a performance contract. Minimum entertainnt clause per ga. We need top-tier highlights for YouTube, and the algorithm doesn’t forgive boring gas."
Haley greeted Monica and Rachel, then stayed talking with the latter.
While they chatted, Monica turned toward Andrew. Her eyes sparkled with genuine excitent. "Who’s the next opponent?"
Andrew nodded. "We’re playing Edison High, D1," he replied, clarifying the D1 part since there were a few D2 schools in the tournant, though not many.
At that mont, another ga was underway on the field. There were still about thirty minutes before Andrew had to return to his Mater Dei teammates.
"Wanna watch the ga?" Monica asked, a mix of enthusiasm and shyness in her tone, guessing that he was already paying attention to it. If Andrew said yes... then watching a ga with him would be sothing very few fans of his channel could say they’d done. In fact, she’d be the only one.
"Sure, why not?" Andrew replied, settling into a shaded spot with the group.
They all sat down. Leonard pulled a water bottle from his bag. Howard already had the cara ready in case anything interesting happened. Rachel adjusted her sunglasses with a casual motion, and Haley sat next to her, crossing her legs naturally.
During the ga, Monica used every play as an opportunity to chat with Andrew. She asked him about offensive routes, defensive coverages, and how to recognize a blitz before the snap. Andrew answered naturally, explaining between plays as if they had been talking for years.
’A football talk with Monica Geller...’ Andrew thought, surprised.
Rachel joined in too. At first, she seed more relaxed, but before long, she started sharing tactical insights that were actually well-founded.
Andrew looked at her, slightly surprised. She wasn’t just paying attention, she actually knew what she was talking about.
With Monica, he expected it. In Friends, she was always shown as competitive and into sports, even as kids, they played football and had what they called the Geller Bowl. Plus, she was a subscriber to his channel, so it wasn’t crazy that she understood football when she talked about it.
But Rachel had never shown that side. There was even an episode where they played football and she was a terrible player.
"So, you don’t just talk about fashion," Andrew said to Rachel with a half-smile, clearly impressed.
Rachel glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, smiling with a hint of a challenge. "One thing doesn’t cancel out the other. And I told you, my family is obsessed with football, especially my dad and younger sister."
anwhile, just a few ters behind the group, sitting under another shaded spot, Marcus and Derrick observed in silence. They didn’t say a word. But it was clear they had their eyes on the guy they were most interested in. Now they were analyzing his personality: how he talked to people, how he behaved during breaks, how he carried himself off the field.
Marcus, serious as always, scribbled sothing in his notebook.
Derrick simply crossed his arms, staring intently, with a slight smile on his face.
When the ga in front of them ended in a tight 27–26 finish, Andrew stretched and checked the ti. The window Bruce had given them to regroup was almost up.
"Well," Andrew said, standing up, "ti for to head back."
"Crush them!" said Monica, giving him a light pat on the shoulder with the confidence of soone who already felt like part of the inner circle.
"Yeah, no rcy," added Howard, giving a thumbs-up while Leonard nodded.
Haley just gave a small smirk. Her expression said more than a thousand words: the outco was inevitable.
"I’ll try," Andrew replied.
"Good luck... though I doubt you’ll need it," said Rachel, her smile half encouragent, half challenge.
Andrew flashed them a smile before turning back to rejoin his teammates.
’He’s not arrogant. That’s a big plus,’ thought Marcus, jotting sothing in his notebook.
He had seen the videos and Andrew didn’t seem cocky, but judging soone in person was very different from watching a curated video where they show only what they want you to see.
Mater Dei’s second ga was against Edison High. It was more demanding than the first match, but the result was the sa: total dominance.
Andrew led with confidence, distributing the ball to four different receivers and controlling the pace of the ga. Five more touchdowns were added to his personal tally, all on drives that lasted under three minutes. Rick, the offensive coordinator, didn’t need to adjust much, Andrew had full command of the system.
For the third ga, the final one of the group stage, Mater Dei was already qualified, but Bruce kept Andrew as the starter.
On most teams, the quarterback would’ve been rotated out to give the backups so playing ti, but not here. Bruce knew: Andrew needed this tournant as a showcase. And honestly, he just wanted to keep watching him play.
The result was another masterclass. Seven more touchdowns to close the day in style. Twenty total in just three gas. Insane.
Both Marcus, Derrick, and other scouts watching the gas were very surprised, so even left speechless.
Matt Barkley had played in this tournant years ago with Mater Dei and, as a senior, had an incredible run, finishing with 29 touchdowns after playing all the gas.
Andrew already had 20, and he still had 4 gas to go if they made it to the final. If he kept up this pace, he could finish with 40 touchdowns, a record number without a doubt in this type of tournant. More than 10 above Matt Barkley, a 5-star player once considered the best QB of his class when he graduated high school.
Mater Dei finished first in their group with three commanding victories and advanced to the tournant’s round of 16, which would be played the following day.
Around 4 p.m., with the sun still high and the atmosphere electric, Mater Dei officially wrapped up their day. The players were released, though they could stay if they wanted, as so schools still hadn’t finished their gas. Andrew, who had barely broken a sweat in the last match, remained calm.
He had made history in his debut with Mater Dei, but he didn’t let it go to his head. What’s the point of shining in the group stage if you get eliminated before the final?
Before leaving the venue, he said goodbye to Monica and Rachel, who had to return to their hotel in San Diego.
But before they left, Haley spoke up, "While you were out there dismantling elite defenses, we made a plan with the guys. Tomorrow, after you win the final" she said it as if it were an undeniable fact, "we’re going to the beach in San Diego. You in? Howard and Leonard are coming too."
Both were beyond excited. Howard was nearly hyperventilating, as if it were a teenage dream co true. Leonard tried to play it cool, adjusting his glasses and nodding with forced composure.
From spending their sumrs surrounded by geeks at San Diego Comic-Con... to going to the beach with three beautiful girls. Without a doubt, the best upgrade of their lives.
Andrew raised an eyebrow, hesitating for a mont. He had a girlfriend, and although he fully trusted himself and his boundaries, going to the beach with two girls his age, one of them a pretty intense fan, could be misinterpreted. Especially since Pippa wasn’t in the country, still vacationing in England visiting her grandparents.
He knew nothing would happen, he wouldn’t try anything. Besides, it was Monica Geller and Rachel Green. In his past life, they were fictional characters. A show he had loved, an iconic part of his teenage years... and now they were here. Real. Alive, breathing, walking beside him.
Besides, they lived in New York. This wouldn’t happen again. There was no hidden intention. Just a mory to cherish.
"Fine, I’ll go," Andrew said, nodding.
"Great," Haley said with a smile.
Monica held back an enthusiastic "YES!" while making a small victory gesture with her closed fist. Rachel just smiled slightly and said, "I’ll show you my throwing technique."
"Oh, I can’t wait to see that," Andrew said, amused.
The girls said their goodbyes and headed back to the journey ahead: public transportation.
Andrew, Howard, Leonard, and Haley regrouped with Mitch, Cam, Phil, and the others to head ho.
They walked amidst overlapping conversations, going over monts from the ga, laughing, and praising his performance.
Until a stranger’s voice interrupted the mont: "Andrew! Got a minute?"
Everyone turned around at once. Andrew saw a man in his mid-thirties or early forties, wearing comfortable athletic clothing, a goatee, clear eyes, and an aura of calm, steady energy. He didn’t seem nervous or aggressive, more relaxed, but firm. There was sothing in his deanor... as if he already knew what Andrew was worth.
’The man from the bleachers?’ Leonard thought, recognizing him.
"I’m Derrick Monroe, from UCLA," he said, extending his hand with a professional smile.
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