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MD - Chapter 11: Mitchell and Cameron leave
🕑 Added 2024-12-14 16:24:24 +0000 UTCSaturday, August 30, 2008.
7:00 AM.
The alarm went off, and Andrew opened his eyes. He got up and started changing in front of the mirror, stretching his arms while yawning. He took off the shirt he used as pajamas, exposing his torso and defined abs.
‘Did I grow a bit, or is it my imagination?’ Andrew thought, observing his reflection. His hair was dark and messy, with a couple of strands always falling over his green eyes.
Andrew stepped closer and then moved back to examine his height in the mirror. Height wasn’t something trivial for him. As a quarterback, the taller you are, the better, since it gives you a better view of the field.
Curiously, he looked at the mark on the wall of his room, one he used to track his height. Standing next to it, he noticed a small difference. "From 1.77 to 1.78... not bad," he murmured, pleased. It was a small change, but enough. He was now among the taller guys in his class.
After that, he finished changing. He searched his wardrobe for a black Nike training shirt. Then he grabbed a matching pair of black shorts from the same brand. Finally, he put on his running shoes.
Since he had the whole day free during the holidays, the first thing he did every morning was go for a run, according to his training plan. Currently, he was running about 8 kilometers.
As a quarterback, he focuses on explosiveness, agility, and endurance, so he doesn’t concentrate on running long distances. Instead, he runs 8km combined with sprints and direction-changing exercises.
After changing, he left his room and headed to the kitchen. It wasn’t time for breakfast yet. He always runs on an empty stomach first, and then it’s time for his first meal. He grabbed two glasses of cold water from the fridge and left the house.
Mitchell and Cameron were still asleep. Their flight was leaving a little later, so it was likely they wouldn't wake up until 8 am.
On the sidewalk in front of his house, he started warming up for ten minutes. After that, he was ready to start. He would run 4km and then turn around to finish the remaining 4km at home.
"Up bright and early as always, young man,"
Andrew, who was doing some simple stretches, looked up and noticed two elderly people sitting in chairs on the terrace. They were his upstairs neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson.
"Hello, Mrs. Bethany and Mr. Jacob!" Andrew greeted them with a smile and a wave.
"Just as enthusiastic as ever," Bethany said, chuckling lightly.
Andrew had a great relationship with the elderly couple, even though Jacob was the typical grumpy old man. He helped them with various tasks like shopping, delivering mail, moving furniture, and so on.
"Of course! It’s a beautiful morning," Andrew said, inhaling the fresh morning air through his nostrils.
"You always say the same thing," Jacob said in his gruff voice. "Shouldn't you be sleeping in like any normal kid your age?" he asked, though it sounded more like a complaint.
It was unusual for a 14-year-old to wake up at 7 AM on a Saturday during vacation—his parents hadn't even woken up yet.
"I can't waste the morning. Well, it's getting late. Bye," Andrew said, turning around and getting ready to run.
"Maximum effort!" he exclaimed as he began running at full speed, quickly becoming a small dot in the distance.
"That kid is crazy," Jacob commented.
"Haha, he's just very enthusiastic. He's a football fan," Bethany said with a smile.
"You mean a monster," Jacob corrected, recalling last year's games in which Andrew played as the starting quarterback in the Middle School district tournament.
Middle school teams compete within their school districts. The school Andrew attends is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), one of the largest and most competitive in the country.
Andrew won two of those district tournaments as starting quarterback, delivering spectacular performances in every game. He was named MVP in both tournaments.
Jacob and Bethany had watched the games. Jacob is a fan of football and is always happy when Andrew kicks butt.
"This year will be a real challenge for Andrew. If they win the district tournament, they’ll be able to compete in the state playoffs. Plus, the district tournaments are much more competitive than in middle school," Jacob said with a serious expression. He was retired, and the thing he most looked forward to this year were Andrew's games.
"You seem more excited than he is," Bethany said with a smile.
"That's not true!" Jacob denied.
...
‘I’m going to have a little sister…’ Andrew thought as he ran.
A few weeks ago, it marked ten years since he died and transmigrated into Andrew’s body. He was adopted by Mitchell and Cameron, characters from a TV show he watched in his past life.
The situation is very strange, but by now, Andrew had accepted his new life. After all, it’s a new opportunity to fulfill his dream. This time, he won’t fail, although technically, he didn’t fail before. He was on his way to becoming a great player, but his heart failed him.
‘Life is good,’ Andrew murmured, smiling as he remembered the ten years since he started living in this new body and with his new family.
Football is still the same as in his past life; he’s passionate about it and loves playing. What’s different here is his family. His uncles and cousins, his grandfather, his new parents, and now a new sister. Before, he was always alone with his grandfather, and after he died, he was left all alone.
‘Let’s give it our all!’ he thought as he increased his speed.
After thirty minutes, he finished his circuit and headed home. He was sweaty, but with the same enthusiastic expression as always.
"Here you go, dear," Mrs. Bethany said as she came downstairs and handed Andrew a cold bottle of water and a towel.
"Thanks!" Andrew said, taking the bottle and drinking it very quickly. "Cold water is the best," he said after finishing the bottle. Then he took the towel and wiped the sweat from his face.
"It was Jacob’s idea," Bethany whispered with a smile.
“Oh… thank you, Mr. Jacob!” Andrew shouted, looking up and waving at the elderly man sitting in a reclining chair.
“Tsch,” Jacob huffed, looking away.
“Always so shy. I’ll clean the towel and return it to you,” Andrew said.
“No need. I’ll take care of washing it,” Bethany said, shaking her head.
“Sorry for the trouble,” Andrew said, scratching his cheek.
“It’s nothing. You always help us,” she replied.
After that, Andrew went inside. It was already eight o'clock, and his parents were awake, preparing breakfast. They weren’t surprised to see him awake at this hour, all sweaty.
“Go take a shower. I’ll make breakfast,” Cameron said from the kitchen.
“Okay. It should be three scrambled eggs with—”
Before Andrew could finish explaining his breakfast, Cameron interrupted, “I know. Three scrambled eggs with two slices of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Accompanied by a vanilla protein shake with a banana and milk.”
Andrew nodded and headed to the bathroom.
“I don’t know how he eats so much and doesn’t gain weight,” Mitchell commented, still not believing everything Andrew ate.
“He burns the calories in his training, and any excess turns into muscle mass, or something like that, he explained,” Cameron said with a puzzled look.
Andrew quickly showered and had breakfast with Mitchell and Cameron, who, after finishing, ordered a taxi to head to the airport. They already had their suitcases and everything else ready.
“Remember, if anyone asks, we went to celebrate our anniversary,” Mitchell said at the door of the house, looking at Andrew. The adoption of the baby was something no one in the family knew. Only Andrew and the two of them.
“Yeah, I got it,” Andrew nodded.
“What if Claire tells you that our anniversary was two months ago?” Cameron asked.
“I’ll reply that we couldn’t celebrate because of Father’s work and that we waited until the holidays,” Andrew answered, having already studied the responses Mitchell and Cameron gave him to handle any situation.
“That’s it, you’ve got it. We’re leaving, be good and have fun. We’ll come back with your new little sister!” Cameron said excitedly, shouting the last part. Mitchell motioned for her to keep it down since it was supposed to be a secret. They said their goodbyes to Andrew and got into the cab.
“The house to myself…” Andrew muttered as he entered and closed the door behind him.
It was still too early to message his friends about the little get-together he was having that night. Most likely, they were still asleep.
He decided to play video games and then do his individual football training.
As he played Fallout 3, Andrew thought about high school, especially football. At this stage, things are more serious compared to middle school.
There’s a state tournament, not just a district one. In his past life, he managed to win the state tournament, although he died right after making the pass that resulted in a touchdown.
State tournaments are closely watched by recruiters from both local and national universities, looking for new talent. Players who stand out in these tournaments can receive sports scholarships from universities with top-tier football programs, which is the first step toward a professional career.
Andrew is confident for two reasons.
First, he has already experienced playing in a state tournament and advancing through all the stages as a starting quarterback.
Second, his level as a quarterback and player has improved compared to his past self. His technique has improved after ten years of training, and his physique is better than Ethan's past one, despite being only fifteen years old, one year younger than before.
However, he will take this stage very seriously, as he can stand out from the beginning and attract the attention of university recruiters or even NFL scouts.
After finishing his gaming session, he used the backyard to practice passes and different drills. He finished at 3 p.m., taking brief breaks to catch his breath and drink water.
‘Messages sent,’ thought Andrew, having already informed his friends about the gathering that night. He told them they could invite their classmates if they wanted.
As for him, he prefers fewer people, as there will be less to clean up afterward. Also, his sleep routine would be affected, but it’s just one day. It’s not a big problem.
