The one who made the inflatable comment smirked in triumph as the doors opened on the main floor.
David came to the table with a waffle, an omelet, and a bowl of Cap’n Crunch cereal.
“They have fruit,” Lindsey suggested.
“I’ll grab some on the way out,” David said, ignoring her intended message.
He hadn’t gained any weight this week, even though he was eating about double what he usually did. He guessed it was because Cassidy was taking the workout stuff too seriously. David wasn’t worried because he was willing to bet that the football coaches would rather he be 220 pounds and in great shape than 240 and a step slower.
“What are you doing tonight?” Kirk asked. “Want to get even with the townies?”
“We need to think of a way to end this. I don’t feel like dealing with their crap for the rest of the semester,” David said.
“What did you have in mind?” Kirk asked.
“I was thinking we could just talk to them,” David said, trying to be reasonable.
He received blank stares back.
“If that doesn’t work, then something epic,” David offered.
“Let’s go with Plan B,” Lindsey said.
“They’re not bright enough to listen to reason,” Kirk explained.
“Have you ever tried?” David asked.
He might actually have heard crickets after asking that question.
While David ate, the other three plotted. Several rather inventive suggestions were made: supergluing the tops on shampoo and body-wash bottles; covering a bar of soap with clear nail polish; replacing the soap in the soap dispensers with corn syrup; and David’s personal favorite: putting Kool-Aid in showerheads. They ended up rejecting them all for one reason or another. David would have to think of something truly ‘epic.’
During playing Final Fantasy online his phone rang. At first, he thought it was either Tim or Wolf because the area code was from Oklahoma.
“This is David.”
“David, Coach Michaels.”
“What can I do for you?” David asked.
“I’ve been digging into what happened to cause you to leave. I talked to Tim and Wolf, and they said you know our compliance guy, Stewart Chadwick.”
“He’s an asshole,” David said before he could catch himself.
He heard Coach Michaels chuckle.
“That was the same reaction that Tim and Wolf had. I take it you have a history,” he prodded.
“We do. Unfortunately, I can’t get into the details. The NCAA was involved, and Tim, Wolf, and I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. What I can tell you is that none of us were the actual target of the investigation. In fact, it involved our report of another institution’s potential violation to the NCAA,” David explained as best he could.
“Tim said, and Wolf confirmed, that Stewart had it in for you when he was at the NCAA.”
“I’m not sure how much I can say. I will tell you that Stewart was the lead investigator and demanded that I provide help. Help that, frankly, would have put my college career in serious jeopardy, and I balked at doing that. He’s ambitious and didn’t want to take ‘no’ for an answer. If you want more than that, you’ll have to talk to my lawyers. I don’t want to risk violating my agreement,” David said.
Coach Michaels was quiet for a minute. David was sure his mind was going in a million directions.
“Can I assume that you didn’t break any rules?” he finally asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“I also heard that you’re still a free agent because you didn’t sign any financial aid documents.”
“I can guess where this conversation is going and want to head you off. While I would be in a much better situation at Oklahoma, your athletic department went back on its word. If that wasn’t enough, it is much easier for me to get home and spend time with my kids here at USC.”
“I’ve gotten the Board of Regents and University President looped in. As soon as we hire a new athletic director, I’ve been assured your waiver would be reinstated,” Coach Michaels assured him.
If David had received this call two weeks before, he might well have taken Coach Michaels up on the offer once he found out what USC was actually offering. But at this point, he’d sunk a buttload of cash into tuition and even more into housing. He might be able to afford the hit, but he didn’t grow up with money and wasn’t about to throw it away even if he might receive a partial refund.
The final reason for staying was that he was starting to make friends.
“I would give you one piece of advice,” David offered. “If I were you, I would fire Stewart immediately. Your compliance guy should be both protecting you and working in your best interest. Stewart is working for Stewart.”
“I’m working on it, but firing someone at a university is much harder than in a business. It’s just a matter of time, though,” Coach Michaels said.
“I hope you get it worked out. How are Tim and Wolf fitting in?” David asked.
“Everyone’s impressed. They didn’t slack off while working on your movies. They said you pushed them.”
“Honestly, we all pushed each other. If you give them a chance, they’ll show you what they can do.”
“I plan to,” Coach Michaels assured David. “And our doors will always be open if you change your mind.”
It was nice to know he had options if USC didn’t work out. The truth of the matter was, David wasn’t worried. He might not be the starting quarterback right now, but at some point, Matt would stumble. When David got his shot, he would be ready and never look back.
There were many examples of that. One of David’s favorites was Tom Brady. His rookie year, he was the fourth-string quarterback for the Patriots. By the end of the year, he’d climbed to number two on the depth chart. His rookie season, he hadn’t filled up the stat lines. He was 1 for 3 passing for six yards. His second year, Drew Bledsoe, their starter, was injured. Brady took over and was the starter from that point forward.
David drove to Seamus’s dorm to pick him up for the team-bonding event. The Baseball House was a large old home sandwiched between apartment buildings. The backyard had been turned into a parking lot, where David parked.
The two boys walked around to the front. Seamus pointed to a sign hanging from the railing of the porch. It read: ’Daughter Drop Off Point’. There was another one over the front door: ’Consequence Free Zone’.
“You have to be slagging me,” Seamus commented.
“This may be why they said I shouldn’t bring a date,” David surmised.
“Maybe we’ll be in for a bit of fun.”
“You might be right,” David said as he opened the front door without knocking.
To the right was a living room where four of their teammates were playing a first-person shooter game. On the couch was Mason, their third baseman, in a lip-lock with a young woman.
“I thought I heard you come in,” Andres said from the top of the stairs. “Come up, and I’ll give you the grand tour.”
They followed him up to what looked like the old master bedroom. He opened a small refrigerator.
“Beer?” he offered.
Seamus’s eyes lit up when he saw it was Guinness.
“A man who knows what real beer is,” he said as he popped the top and held it up. “Sláinte.”
David held up his hand.
“I try not to drink in season,” he explained.
“You guys are in for a treat tonight. The Alpha Mus are coming over for a party, and they’re bringing their new pledge class. We’re in the market for a few new jock bunnies,” Andres said with a knowing smile.
“Was one of them with Mason downstairs?” Seamus asked.
“Mason’s a pig, even by our standards. Never mind him; I’ll give you the rest of the tour,” Andres said.
The upstairs was made up of five bedrooms that were all singles. When they went downstairs, Andres told Mason to take it to his room. Across from the living room, they’d turned the dining room into a study area, where Allard and Dustin—another one of the pitchers—were currently reading textbooks. In the back, there was a kitchen.