August 10th, 2010
[Pritchett-Tucker House]
Andrew sat in his chair in front of his computer, staring at the screen. He was on Rivals.com, specifically looking at his recruiting profile, which read:
Name: Andrew Pritchett-Tucker
Position: Quarterback (Dual-Threat)
Height/Weight: 6'2" – 198 lbs
Class: 2012
High School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
National Overall Ranking: #7 in the country
Position Ranking (Dual-Threat QB): #1 Dual-Threat QB
State Ranking (California): #1 in California
[The breakout of the summer. With 132 touchdowns over two full seasons and a dominant performance at Dana Hills 7v7, Andrew cements himself as one of the nation's top prospects. His decision to transfer to Mater Dei and take the starting job from a senior QB with a USC offer proves his level. He has the arm, mobility, and presence to lead any offense]
Below that were his stats, all his touchdowns from his Palisades years, his performance at Dana Hills, total passing yards, rushing touchdowns, and more.
Andrew smiled to himself at the numbers. Though, technically, there was one small update they needed to make: he now weighed 201 pounds and had officially reached 6'3".
He also had a 247Sports profile with similar details, though the rankings differed slightly.
He was ranked #7 overall nationally. This ranking, unlike position-specific ones, was for all players in the Class of 2012, meaning he was only being compared to players who would graduate in the same year, not seniors from the Class of 2011 or younger underclassmen.
As for quarterbacks, he was #1 among all dual-threat QBs in the Class of 2012, quarterbacks who both pass and run.
The rankings divided QBs into two categories:
Pro-Style (pure passers)
Dual-Threat (pass and run)
In the state rankings, he was the top-ranked player in all of California among 2012 prospects.
So why wasn't he #1 overall nationally yet?
Because in every class, there are elite defensive players, wide receivers, offensive tackles with NFL-ready bodies… Not all #1 overall recruits are quarterbacks.
The most notable example was Dorial Green-Beckham, a wide receiver from Missouri, who currently held the #1 spot in the overall national ranking for the Class of 2012. His physical profile was overwhelming:
6'6" (1.98 m)
220 lbs (99 kg)
4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash
That kind of size-speed-explosiveness combo was extremely rare. At just 16, he already had the measurables of an NFL receiver.
Of course, the difference between Dorial's 4.4 and Andrew's 4.5 in the 40-yard dash was only a tenth of a second, a minimal gap, even among elite players.
Besides, Andrew didn't rely on his legs to play QB. His primary weapons were his arm, accuracy, reads, and leadership. His ability to run was just an additional tool, one that made him a nightmare for defenses, but it wasn't the core of his game.
And since he hadn't yet played his first official season with Mater Dei, he hadn't been able to claim the #1 national spot. Still, he was pretty confident that as long as he had a strong season at Mater Dei, that top ranking would come.
'It's not like being #1 overall changes much…' Andrew thought to himself, closing the browser tab.
It had been nearly three weeks since Dana Hills ended on July 24th, and during that time, he'd received a flood of offers from colleges: emails, calls, messages, letters...
The entire Pac-10, soon to be Pac-12, had contacted him. He'd even already done his first unofficial visit to UCLA.
He told Derrick, the UCLA scout, that it was just a visit, no verbal commitments, no promises.
Andrew wanted to see the facilities with his own eyes, but more importantly, he wanted to feel the program's seriousness. He needed to know if UCLA had a real future, even a small one. If he was going to spend the next three or four years of his life somewhere, it wasn't just to put up good stats, it was to win titles.
He had no interest in inheriting a dynasty. Programs like Alabama or USC were already powerhouses, too established, with trophy cases overflowing and legendary names hanging in every hallway.
But he wasn't naïve either. He wasn't going to choose the weakest college in the conference. If the team lacked talent, if the coaching staff was a mess, if the administration didn't even care about the program, then no matter how many touchdown passes he threw, he'd go down with them.
He needed a middle ground.
A college that wasn't at the top, but had enough of a foundation to take off. One that had something, even if it was hidden. A school that could have been great but never quite got there.
That was the kind of place Andrew wanted to go.
In addition to the Pac-10, he had also received offers from schools in the SEC, the most competitive and high-profile conference in the country. Without a doubt, the #1 in terms of competition. That's where Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, and others were.
'I'll have a lot of visitors next year in September...' Andrew thought, half amused, half concerned, imagining all the tours and analysis he'd have to go through to find the perfect college.
Of course, he wouldn't go to all of them. He had to be selective. There were maybe ten serious offers he wanted to thoroughly evaluate, and each one deserved a real campus visit. As for the others, he wasn't planning on visiting them and would politely decline.
Andrew stood up from his chair and looked over at the bed.
There, sitting with her back against the headboard, was Pippa. She had a laptop on her legs and was moving the touchpad with one finger, a bit distracted.
He flopped down beside her, sinking into the comforter, and started kissing her neck softly.
"What's going on? Why so quiet?" he asked, between kisses.
"Nothing," she replied, without looking at him.
Andrew stopped kissing her and raised an eyebrow, then noticed the screen.
Pippa was just on the laptop's desktop. Nothing open. Or rather… something had been open before he came over.
He smirked.
"Oh… were you looking at something inappropriate, Miss Perfect Student?" he teased.
Pippa finally looked at him, a slight frown on her face, "What? What are you talking about?"
"You know… If your literary tastes are anything like Alex's…" Andrew said with a sly grin and narrowed eyes, poking fun.
It took Pippa a split second to realize what he meant, and when she did, her eyes widened in horror.
"Of course it wasn't that!" she said immediately, her voice rising just a bit.
"I'm just saying. I respect it, seriously. As long as you're not imagining any scenes like that with me and some guy, we're good," said Andrew, as if he genuinely believed Pippa liked reading that kind of stuff.
"Ew! I would never imagine you in any scene with another guy! I don't like that kind of thing. I'm not a fujoshi like Alex," Pippa said, clearly indignant.
Andrew laughed, clearly amused. His smile widened even more.
"Relax, I was just teasing you," he said, raising his hands as if declaring his innocence.
"I know you're more into reading scientific articles and spreadsheets."
Pippa shot him a murderous look but then sighed and closed her eyes for a second. She looked back at her laptop and reopened the tab she had minimized.
"I was looking at this," she said.
Andrew turned his head to see the screen.
It was him Facebook wall. At the top, a highlighted notification read:
Andrew Pritchett-Tucker and Rachel Green are now friends.
Andrew stared at the notification in silence. A few days ago, Rachel had sent him a friend request, and he accepted it without giving it much thought. At this point in time, Facebook was still the dominant social network.
Instagram didn't exist yet, nor did Snapchat, and TikTok was a distant dream.
"And?" asked Pippa, crossing her arms.
Andrew looked at her with a raised eyebrow, calm as ever, "And what? She sent me a request and I accepted it. She's become good friends with Haley."
Pippa didn't seem too convinced. She kept staring at him, "You spent a whole afternoon at the beach with her. And with that other cooking-obsessed girl… Monica," she reminded him.
Of course, Pippa had heard about that beach afternoon Andrew spent with Haley, Howard, Leonard, Monica, and Rachel after the summer tournament. She had been on vacation in Europe at the time. Andrew had told her, it would've been pointless to hide it.
"Yeah... but it wasn't just with them. Haley invited me, she was the one who organized it, and Leonard and Howard were there too," Andrew clarified, raising a finger as if making a critical point.
"Oh, well, now I feel sooo much better," Pippa replied in a tone so artificially sweet it was impossible to miss the sarcasm.
Before Andrew could respond, she clicked on another open tab.
"Look," she said, turning the laptop toward him.
Andrew refocused on the screen.
Now it was Rachel's Facebook profile, which was completely public, unlike his own. Pippa, scrolled down until she reached a post with several photos.
They were photos from the day at the beach: playing paddleball, volleyball, football, swimming, sunbathing. Group pictures with everyone laughing, posing. In several of them, Andrew appeared… a little too close to Rachel for Pippa's liking.
One showed Andrew and Rachel teaming up for paddleball. Another had both of them in the water, posing for the camera alongside Howard, wearing gangster-style sunglasses, and Leonard.
And in the final photo, the classic lineup: everyone standing in a row on the sand, smiling. Rachel was right next to Andrew.
The caption read:
"Best summer ever! ☀️🏖️ I learned how to throw a football decently. My dad might not be completely disappointed in me anymore."
Andrew couldn't help but grimace at first as he looked at the pictures. He didn't remember being that close to Rachel, but honestly, he hadn't really paid attention at the time. It was just a group afternoon. Nothing more.
Still, when he read Rachel's caption, he let out a small laugh. It was that perfect blend of dark humor and sarcasm she was so good at.
Pippa, still frowning, narrowed her eyes, "Oh, it's funny to you? Seems like you gave her private throwing lessons too."
Andrew stopped laughing and coughed lightly to regain a serious tone.
"No, no…"
"Oh right, and let's not forget your biggest fan… The girl who has your personal number, is your Facebook friend too, who you invited to watch games, and to grab coffee…" Pippa added, going back on the offensive.
"I see... you're jealous?" Andrew asked.
"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," said Pippa with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
Andrew sighed internally and straightened up a bit, "What do you want me to do? Delete Rachel and Monica from Facebook?"
"I'm not that possessive," Pippa shot back.
"Then what? Should I have said no to Rachel when she asked to meet Monica, a fan who traveled all the way from New York just to see me? Or turn Haley down when she invited me to the beach with Leonard and Howard after winning my first tournament with Mater Dei?"
"No…" Pippa said, getting up from the bed.
She knew the story, how things had unfolded, how they ended up getting close to Andrew.
And if he had rejected a fan who'd traveled thousands of miles, she would've thought that was wrong.
But that wasn't the problem.
"What I mean is that in the pictures you two looked really close. I see my boyfriend on vacation at the beach with two beautiful girls who flew in from New York, and the next day he's at Comic-Con with a friend who gives him an insanely expensive figure to apologize for not coming to his games," said Pippa, pulling a Joker figure from the shelf.
She was referring, of course, to Willa and the gift she gave Andrew.
Andrew sat up from the bed, alarmed the moment he saw the expensive collectible in the hands of his jealous girlfriend.
"Easy now…" he said, raising his hands like he was trying to calm down a lion.
But Pippa wasn't listening. She was staring intently at the Heath Ledger Joker from The Dark Knight.
The figure was a 1/6 scale handcrafted edition, standing 12.2 inches (31 cm) tall and weighing 4.5 pounds (2 kg). The detailing was exquisite, lifelike sculpt, custom tailoring, fully poseable body.
"A figure that, by the way, Willa spent five hundred and twenty dollars on… I know she didn't go to the tournament and you invited her, but isn't that a bit much? Why all the favoritism? I don't see her treating Leonard or Howard like that," said Pippa, still holding the figure in her hands.
A standard figure from Sideshow Collectibles usually costs around $200–$300. But this was a custom artisan version, larger, more exclusive.
Andrew had originally planned to order a standard one, but when he saw this version, he was completely taken with it, and Willa noticed.
Despite his protests, she bought it for him anyway.
In the end, he happily accepted it.
"Put the figure down, Pip…" Andrew said, extending a cautious hand.
But Pippa didn't react.
"It's a strange friendship, I must say," she muttered, still staring at the figure.
"Just like with Regina. You get what I mean?"
Andrew stayed quiet, eyes focused on both her and the $500+ collectible in her hands.
"They're girls who treat you differently than they treat any other guy. Willa, Regina… now Rachel, she barely knows you and yet she's all over you in the pictures. Why didn't she gravitate toward Leonard or Howard? Why doesn't Willa buy expensive gifts for them? Why is Regina only kind to you?"
Andrew swallowed hard.
He knew he couldn't just dismiss or deny what Pippa was feeling.
Friendship between a guy and a girl, especially when one of them is in a relationship, has always lived in a gray area.
Not because something inappropriate is happening, but because the perception and interpretation of those relationships are often charged with deep subjectivity.
Sometimes, they're completely innocent and genuine. Other times, they carry less clear intentions.
But when there's a relationship involved, those friendships often become, at least emotionally, a minefield.
It didn't matter how faithful, honest, or transparent Andrew was, every time an attractive girl showed affection or got too close, Pippa's radar kicked in, like an automatic defense mechanism.
Andrew took a slow step toward her.
"Pippa… I get how you feel. I'm not going to tell you you're overreacting, or that you don't have the right to think that way."
He paused for a moment before continuing:
"But think about it… Regina's leaving for college in another state… Willa's staying here, but she'll be super busy with her acting career. And Rachel and Monica, they're from New York, I only met them a few days ago…"
Pippa lowered her gaze. Her fingers were still holding the Joker figure, but now with less grip.
She let out a long, resigned sigh, "You're right," she said quietly, as she gently placed the figure back on the shelf.
She turned away without looking at Andrew, grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair, and put it on.
"I'm going home," she said.
Andrew looked surprised, "Already?"
"Yeah. I need to clear my head a bit."
He nodded slightly. He didn't push her.
He knew her well enough to understand that some conversations needed time to settle.
They left the room together and walked in silence toward the living room.
There were Mitchell, Cameron, and Lily, the adults seated on the couch, chatting over coffee, while Lily played on the floor with her toys. When they noticed the two walking by, they lowered their voices a bit.
"Heading out already, Pippa?" Mitchell asked, raising an eyebrow, it was still early.
"Yes, thank you for everything. It was a lovely afternoon," she replied with a polite smile.
Cameron also said goodbye warmly, though with the sharp gaze he always used when he sensed tension during family dinners.
Andrew walked her to the door, "Do you want me to drive you?"
Pippa shook her head, "No, thanks. I'd rather walk."
She leaned in and gave him a brief, soft kiss. Not passionate, not cold, a kiss that said: "We're still okay… but this is still on my mind."
"Text me when you get home," said Andrew.
Pippa nodded.
Andrew watched her walk down the sidewalk until her silhouette faded from view.
Then he closed the door and went back to the living room.
His parents looked at him immediately.
"What?" Andrew asked, noticing their strange looks.
"Is everything okay with Pippa?" Cam asked, curious about drama, yet genuinely concerned.
Andrew sat down next to them and told them briefly what had happened, speaking with total confidence.
By the end of the story, both Mitch and Cam were nodding repeatedly.
"It was predictable," said Mitch, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yeah," Cam agreed completely.
Andrew raised an eyebrow at them, "Predictable? What do you mean?"
"You spent a beach day with a fan of yours and her best friend. Two girls your age," Mitch pointed out.
"And the next day, your Hollywood actress friend gave you a $500 collectible," Cam added.
"If Pippa hadn't gotten upset or shown some dissatisfaction, I'd have thought she wasn't a teenager," Mitch said.
Andrew looked at them in silence. The only sound was Lily playing on the floor.
Finally, he let out a sigh and shrugged, "You're right," he said, leaning back on the couch.
"You don't seem too worried," said Cam.
"We'll be fine," Andrew replied.
Yes, it was a relationship issue, but nothing serious.
He and Pippa had been together for over a year. They'd only had one serious argument a while ago, after that, nothing major. Their bond was strong. They'd figure it out.
"In other news," said Cam, changing the subject. He set down his cup and picked up a letter.
Andrew looked at it with mild curiosity, "Is that…?"
"YES! Another contact from a college! This time from the University of Nebraska. The legendary Huskers!" Cam said excitedly, nearly squealing.
"Congratulations, son. That makes 27 schools that want you," said Mitchell proudly, raising his coffee cup in a toast.
Their pride was massive, though more subdued now.
They had never expected their son to receive over 20 offers from colleges, and he hadn't even officially started eleventh grade.
They no longer had to worry about paying for college.
It was almost guaranteed now that Andrew would earn a full scholarship.
"Oh, the Huskers… They say they've sold out every home game since 1962" Andrew commented, not particularly excited, more like someone repeating a fun fact than someone genuinely interested.
Their stadium held 85,000 people, so selling it out every game since 1962 was truly impressive, a sign of how deeply the community supported the team.
"You don't sound very excited," Cam pointed out, tilting his head.
Andrew shrugged, unsure of what to say.
"They're in the Big Ten. Five national championships. Their style is super physical, focused on the running game and defense. Doesn't really appeal to me," he finally said.
The Big Ten had never really drawn him in. Tough teams, cold weather, gritty matches… That wasn't the kind of football he like of playing.
He was speed, rhythm, dynamism.
He liked fast-paced, high-tempo offenses.
"A lot of guys would kill for a shot at that college, and you sound like you couldn't care less," Mitchell said with a smile, more to himself than expecting an answer.
Andrew just nodded, unsure of how to respond. He knew he sounded ungrateful, but that wasn't it.
The three of them continued chatting about colleges, the letters and emails that might arrive in the future, and which schools would be the most exciting for Andrew to visit.
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