The day of the game arrived. They were facing the Glendale Hawks, a team from another district, so it was a friendly match.
Despite being a friendly, there was a lot of buzz and excitement during the school day, as it was still the first game, and everyone had high hopes for the team this year. Plus, they would be playing at home.
During the school day, most of the conversations were about the game, with students organizing plans to watch it with friends, guessing by how many points they would win, and especially debating who would be the starting quarterback for today's game: Andrew, the new quarterback who had just arrived from middle school, or Jason, the starting quarterback for the past two years.
Most people were in favor of Jason and his experienced teammates taking the starting positions since they had been on the team longer and performed well last year. However, for Andrew, "almost making the playoffs" wasn't good enough. To him, that was mediocre performance.
After classes, Andrew and his friends headed to practice. However, it wasn't a full regular practice session.
The training focused more on strategy and was lighter, so it didn't last very long. Once it ended, they had a two-hour break before the game.
Andrew left the locker room with Reggie, Archie, Kevin, Steve, and other teammates from his grade who had been on the same middle school team. Naturally, the conversation revolved around the game.
"It's ridiculous that I'm not starting. The coach is blind. Obviously, he's siding with the seniors, but we all know we're better," Reggie commented with a scowl.
"Don't let the coach or the seniors hear you say that, or you'll spend even more time on the bench, Reggie," said Kevin with a slight smile. The others laughed, but Reggie gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed. He wasn't known for being the most patient in the group.
"Kevin, you lucky bastard! You're not complaining because you'll be starting."
"Guard has never been such a competitive position. It was easy to win," Kevin said, shrugging.
The offensive guard's job is to protect the quarterback or open paths for the running backs. There are two starting guard positions.
Kevin is tall and burly, much more so than Andrew and the others. His build is ideal for becoming an offensive or even defensive guard, although his speed is his weak point.
The school's football team wasn't exactly known for having an outstanding offensive line. From the start, Jason had seen Kevin as a valuable asset. Having someone like him on the line meant he'd have at least decent protection on the field—something crucial for executing plays successfully.
"Stop complaining, Reggie," Steve chimed in with a mocking smile. "Hit the weights more and become a guard. It'll be easier for you to start there than taking the spot from Jason's friend,"
The laughter that erupted from the others lightened the mood. In another group of rookies, a situation like this—where the seniors dominated the starting spots—might have caused nervousness or resentment.
However, this group didn't seem upset. There was an almost palpable confidence among them, a certainty that their time would come sooner rather than later.
And the main reason for that confidence was Andrew.
It wasn't just because of his natural talent as a quarterback but also because of the impact he had on everyone around him. Training with him wasn't easy. He was demanding, competitive, and had an innate ability to read the game and find ways to improve, both individually and as a team.
That's why, even though some like Reggie voiced their frustration, most of the group stayed calm.
"Shut up, Steve! You don't even know what it's like to compete for a position. You're just another backup," Reggie shot back.
"And what are you?" Steve replied, laughing even harder.
"I'll get a starting spot before you do," Steve added, his smile widening.
Reggie was ready to fire back another retort, but Kevin stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "Enough, guys. This isn't a competition between us. It's against the seniors. Remember? They're the ones holding the starting spots."
"Tch, fine. I've got an idea for you, Kevin. Don't protect that idiot Jason. Let him get tackled. If they win this friendly game, it'll just give the coach more reasons to keep them as starters," Reggie said, shifting his focus.
Not only would he curse them, but he'd also try to sabotage them.
Kevin looked visibly uncomfortable. He knew Reggie was being impulsive, but he didn't want to get caught up in a mess.
The others watched, waiting for a response, but Kevin didn't know what to say. He didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize his position on the team or his relationship with Jason, but he also didn't want to lose face with the group.
Unsure how to respond, Kevin glanced toward Andrew, and everyone followed his gaze. If Andrew told him to sabotage Jason, Kevin wouldn't think twice; after all, if they lost the friendly game, the coach might reconsider the starting positions, making it harder for the seniors to keep their spots.
Reggie's idea, though venomous and ethically questionable, didn't sound entirely far-fetched. After all, it was just a friendly game, right? And sabotage, though dishonest, wouldn't change much in the grand scheme of things.
"We're not doing that," Andrew said, speaking for the first time.
"Sabotaging him just to get a starting spot isn't the way. If anyone finds out what we did, it'll backfire and make earning starting positions even harder."
Kevin felt relieved. The others nodded, instantly accepting Andrew's decision. Reggie didn't look happy but stayed quiet. He knew there was no winning an argument against Andrew.
As they turned a corner in the hallway, Andrew spotted Leonard and Howard leaning against the wall, speaking in low voices. Their eyes met, and Andrew knew it wasn't a coincidence they were there.
"Go ahead without me… See you at the game," Andrew said, trying to keep his tone casual.
"What's going on?" Kevin asked, and the others looked at Andrew, confused.
The group had a tradition: before Friday night games, they always went to a restaurant together to pass the time before heading to the game. It was a ritual they'd kept since their second year of middle school.
"I have to see Veronica…" Andrew replied with the first excuse that came to mind. A clear lie, but no one knew he was now friends with Leonard and Howard or his interest in video games, geek culture, and so on.
"Oh, it's that…" Archie said with a knowing grin, and the others gave Andrew teasing smiles.
"Are you going to give her kisses before the game?" Steve teased, mimicking kissing an imaginary person, and everyone burst out laughing.
"Get lost, or I'll double your training next week!" Andrew exclaimed, and they all started running away, still laughing.
If it had been a game where everyone was starting, they might have complained more, but since it was just a friendly match and only Kevin was a starter, skipping the ritual this time wasn't a big deal.
Once everyone was out of sight, Andrew approached Howard and Leonard, who had gone unnoticed—a skill they had perfected over their years in middle school.
"What's up?" Andrew asked.
"We finally found you!" Howard said, acting nervous for some reason Andrew couldn't quite understand.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, no! The opposite!" Leonard replied, holding out his phone—a 3G iPhone—for Andrew to see.
Andrew looked at the phone screen with curiosity. It was open to the YouTube app, specifically his own channel. The first thing that caught his attention, almost instinctively, was the subscriber count.
There were no longer three digits—he'd hit four! The number read: 1,001 subscribers.
"A thousand subscribers!" Andrew exclaimed enthusiastically, grabbing Leonard's phone to look at it more closely.
"Yeah, finally hit four digits, baby!" Howard cheered, raising his fist in triumph, as if it were his own YouTube channel.
"The last video hasn't even been up for 24 hours, and it's already getting a ton of views. It's on track to become your most-viewed video, and you've gained over a hundred subscribers in just 16 hours," Leonard said with a smile.
"That's great… We need to celebrate!" Andrew said, thrilled by the success of his channel. In less than two weeks, he had broken the 1,000-subscriber milestone—a significant achievement for him.
If things kept progressing at this rate, he'd likely qualify for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which allows creators to monetize their videos through ads. While joining the program required meeting certain thresholds—like subscriber count, watch hours, and content quality—it wasn't an easy feat.
Although monetization wasn't his primary goal, being accepted into the YPP would validate that he was on the right track. It would mean YouTube recognized him as a creator with potential. And let's face it—earning some money wouldn't hurt. He could buy more video games, action figures, and similar things.
"Yeah, let's celebrate! Boys' night at your place tonight!" Howard declared, excited by Andrew's suggestion. He and Leonard had a blast the last time they hung out at Andrew's house and were eager to do it again.
"Not tonight…" Andrew said, and Leonard and Howard's enthusiasm immediately dampened at his refusal.
After Friday night games, the team always gathered at someone's house to celebrate—or, if they lost, to console each other (although losing was rare). It was another tradition Andrew took part in.
It was the one time he stepped out of his room instead of staying cooped up, playing video games or something similar. For his friends and teammates, having Andrew there was important. It was their way of bonding with him—a night he never repeated in other social gatherings or parties.
He had already broken the tradition of eating together at a restaurant before the game; he couldn't break another one now.
"Right, there's the game..." Leonard said, almost forgetting about that important event at school, though it didn't mean much to him.
"Oh yeah... I almost forgot," Howard added, realizing Andrew probably had plans with his teammates after the game.
"How about Saturday? We could hit the comic store at the mall, rent some movies, or head to the arcade, and then hang out at your place," Howard suggested.
'That's a great plan,' Andrew thought, genuinely excited at the idea of visiting a comic store with friends—something he'd never done before. The downside was that he already had plans for Saturday afternoon.
"I've got a date with Veronica…" Andrew admitted, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
"Are you still with her?" Leonard asked, sounding slightly sympathetic, as he could tell Andrew wasn't enjoying the forced relationship.
"Why do I hear pity in your tone?" Howard asked, glaring at Leonard. If any girl had ever agreed to date him, even out of pity, he'd be over the moon—he could die happy!
"Yeah… I'll deal with it soon. But I could cancel on her. My dad asked me to go with him to an event at my sister's daycare—a special event or something like that. I told him I couldn't because of the date with Veronica," Andrew said, now considering a new plan.
He would cancel on Veronica, saying he had to attend an important event for his baby sister. She couldn't get mad at him—it was about his little sister, after all. But instead, he'd visit the comic store with Leonard and Howard.
"Are you sure? What if she finds out? Even if your dad finds out, it'll be bad," Leonard said, sounding a bit unsure.
"Nothing will happen. We'll be discreet," Andrew replied, brushing off the concern with a dismissive gesture.
Finally, he would get to visit a comic store with friends. He wasn't going to miss out on this for a fake date with his "girlfriend" or a daycare event for his little sister. He played with Lily every day after practice; their bond didn't hinge on attending one event.
Visiting a comic store with friends who shared his interests would be amazing!
"Yeah, Leonard, nothing bad will happen," Howard chimed in, eager to visit the comic store with Andrew and show all the nerds there that he had a cool friend.
What could possibly go wrong?
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