Andrew and Willa walked through the parking lot toward one of the mall entrances. Their mission was clear: buy a gift for Luke.
Luke Dunphy's twelfth birthday had been on November 28, that is, yesterday, Friday.
Bad luck that his birthday fell on a Friday, because Mater Dei played that same day at 7:00 p.m. in the state championship quarterfinals. Unlike the break that followed the end of league play, this time there was no pause at all: the state tournament began exactly one week after the section final.
The result was decisive: Mater Dei 46 - Oceanside 20.
Oceanside was the San Diego Section champion, a strong, physical, and disciplined program. They were not weak by any means, but they couldn't keep pace with a Mater Dei team playing at historic levels. Long Beach Poly and Servite had been tougher opponents. Oceanside never took the lead.
Andrew's statistics were once again outrageous:
-23/28 completions (82.1%)
-362 passing yards
-5 touchdown passes
-1 interception
-7 carries - 41 yards - 1 rushing TD
Total TDs: 6
With this game, Andrew reached 63 touchdowns in 12 games (50 passing / 13 rushing).
His 82.1% completion rate was even better than in the previous game. However, there was something unusual: an interception, his third of the season.
A rare mistake for him.
It happened in the third quarter, when they already held a comfortable lead. Andrew, who almost never slows down and never allows himself to relax, let his concentration slip for a second. A rushed throw, a safety who read the play before the receiver, and the ball ended up in the wrong hands.
A minor mistake in terms of the result, but an important reminder that he couldn't afford to get complacent. It was a detail that wouldn't be repeated.
On the other hand, Andrew had officially surpassed his touchdown mark from last year at Palisades, when as a sophomore he recorded 60 TDs in 14 games, an average of 4.2 per game while playing in Division IV and the Los Angeles Section.
Now, at an infinitely more competitive level, he had reached 63 touchdowns in just 12 games, averaging 5.25 per game.
What no one thought possible, Andrew had accomplished: improving his individual statistics after moving up a level, facing elite defenses and historic programs.
There was still a semifinal ahead and possibly a final. If he maintained his current pace, he could finish the season with 70 to 74 touchdowns, a monstrous figure that could even surpass the 72 TDs he posted as a freshman at Palisades in Division V.
But the statistics weren't the only extraordinary thing about the day.
The game was broadcast once again by ESPN nationwide, becoming the fifth televised game for Mater Dei and Andrew this season.
With that, the tie between Mater Dei and LeBron James' St. Vincent–St. Mary came to an end.
Mater Dei became the high school with the most nationally televised games in history. It was inevitable: ESPN had confirmed that games featuring Andrew generated higher numbers than LeBron did at his peak at St. Vincent–St. Mary. There was no way they were going to let that pass.
This quarterfinal matchup reached an estimated rating of 1.79 million viewers, surpassing the 1.75 million from the game against Mission Viejo.
Even so, it didn't top the 2.05 million record set by the Southern Section final against Long Beach Poly. The game was played at the Home Depot Center, which has a capacity of 27,000, and it was filled to 100%.
Although the number was lower than the 35,042 at the section final, it was still an impressive mark: 27,000 attendees for a quarterfinal was more than the attendance at the previous year's state final, Long Beach Poly vs. De La Salle, which drew 26,204 fans.
Everything had been great, but it also had a complicated side. As mentioned earlier, it turned out that the game was on the same day as Luke's birthday. On its own, being a Friday with school already made it hard to do anything during the day.
And then, because of the game, it was impossible to do anything in the afternoon or at night, especially considering that everyone in the Pritchett-Tucker-Dunphy family considered the games sacred and had never missed them for years.
That's why Claire and Phil, although everyone knew that Claire was the one in charge of organizing, decided that the big party would be this Saturday at noon. With all of Luke's friends and schoolmates, a proper birthday party.
Even so, the family did celebrate a bit the night before after the game, with a dinner prepared by Gloria, since Claire simply couldn't handle everything at once with the next day's party looming.
Everything seemed perfectly organized, as if nothing could go wrong. But something did go wrong, not because of the logistics, nor the food or the decorations. Because of Luke.
At dinner, Luke had gotten angry, something completely unusual for him.
Luke, who was absent-minded, mischievous, and the usual target of Alex's jokes, rarely took anything seriously. He never truly got mad.
But last night he did. And worst of all for Andrew, he was somehow to blame.
Luke had felt sidelined. According to him, all the attention at dinner had been on Andrew: on his win, his records, how the game had gone, the next opponent…
Everything revolved around Andrew when, in theory, that was supposed to be his special day.
His birthday?
It had ended up as a footnote at the end of the night, overshadowed by the sports frenzy and the late hour of the dinner.
Luke expressed it in his clumsy, straightforward way. Then, without waiting for anyone to respond, he stood up and went to his room, visibly upset.
Andrew tried to talk to him, but Luke refused to open the door. He felt something he rarely felt after a game: guilt.
The gift Luke had received had been bought by his parents, a joint family present. Andrew hadn't even gone with them to choose it.
And that's why today, before going to the big celebration, he decided to buy him a personal gift. With the money he earned from YouTube, he could easily afford it.
For Andrew, what had happened last night was unacceptable. He had always seen Luke as a kind of younger brother, not just a cousin.
And Luke saw him almost like a superhero. That's why he had to fix it. Because Luke had been right to be angry. During last night's dinner, Andrew had spent the whole time talking with his grandfather, his aunt, and his father about the game, opponents, and the future.
On top of that, he realized something else: he spent very little time with Luke. His life was packed with practices, games, cameras, school, social life, media pressure, expectations, and without meaning to, he had ended up pushing Luke to the sidelines. Aside from Friday-night dinners after games, they no longer shared time the way they used to.
It wasn't the same with Haley or Alex.
With Haley, he was the same age and shared the same social circle.
With Alex, who was only a year younger, it was the same.
Both of them were integrated into gatherings with Leonard, Willa, Howard, Steve, and the rest, they played board games, watched movies, had fun on a Friday or Saturday night.
Just yesterday it had been like that. After the family dinner, everyone had gone to Willa's house. They played board games, did karaoke, even Just Dance, where Howard showed off his forbidden moves.
And at some point during the night, Willa pulled out an old whiskey her stepfather kept for special occasions.
Howard and Steve ended up drunk. Leonard resigned himself with his usual here we go again with these two expression, and Andrew had to drive them home.
That's why Andrew was at the mall at 10:15 a.m., looking for a gift.
Willa had come with him. She was also going to the birthday party and wanted to buy Luke a gift, but more than anything, she was there because she knew Andrew needed support, even though he would never admit it.
As they entered through one of the mall doors, Andrew pulled his cap down and adjusted it, covering part of his face.
Willa glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile slightly. "Careful there, Mr. Celebrity," she murmured with a hint of gentle teasing. "Wouldn't want people asking for autographs before you even buy the gift."
Andrew raised an eyebrow. "That's the price of being the number one YouTuber," he replied in a dramatic tone. "You'll understand when you finally decide to take your acting career seriously."
Willa scoffed immediately. "Oh, please. Shut up."
"What? I'm serious. Your last movie was Legion. A big debut, twenty-five million dollar budget. But the shoot was in December 2008, right?" Andrew said, and Willa nodded. The film premiered in January 2010 and had a post-production and marketing process that lasted more than six months.
"That was almost two years ago! Did you take a two-year sabbatical or what?" he added in an accusatory tone.
Willa rolled her eyes. "I didn't take a two-year sabbatical. In film, I like to be selective. I don't want to do every mediocre audition that comes along. And I kept working as a model."
"Must be nice," Andrew said, shaking his head as they kept walking without any particular store in mind.
"What do you mean?" Willa asked, raising an eyebrow.
"From that one job alone, you made over a hundred thousand dollars. A huge amount that let you procrastinate for more than a year," Andrew joked, as if delivering a judicial verdict.
Willa was already of legal age. For her role in Legion, a significant supporting part, she had been paid $120,000. A figure that an adult with a degree might earn in an entire year if they made $10k a month, which is far from common.
Willa wasn't offended, she knew perfectly well that Andrew was just trying to annoy her. Instead, she smiled with satisfied arrogance. "I'm awesome, right? I do a shoot that lasts less than a month and I can live for more than a year without taking almost any new work. Keep filming and editing videos, number one YouTuber."
Andrew laughed. He thought it was a clever response, very much like her. Unlike Willa, he had to stay active to keep bringing in money and hold onto the crown of the number one YouTuber in the world.
Willa let out a brief laugh as well, then said, "Alright, enough wandering around aimlessly. Let's focus. What are you going to buy Luke?"
Andrew stopped, thoughtful, as if the question were an impossible riddle. "I don't know…" he finally admitted. "Any ideas?" he added, looking at her for help.
"I have even less of a clue," Willa replied, hands on her hips. "Think about what you wanted when you were twelve. And don't tell me football. I already know you're obsessed, and that if football were a woman, you'd marry her."
"Very funny," Andrew said, with a grimace annoyance. "But I don't know… Luke and I are very different."
Willa thought about it, remembering all the times she'd dealt with Luke: his hyperactivity, his silly games, laughing at jokes that weren't funny, the way he turned any object into a toy, that time he ate food off the floor, or the several times he got stuck on the stairs as if he were part of the furniture.
He really was very different from Andrew.
And even though Willa hadn't known Andrew when he was twelve, it was impossible for her to imagine him like Luke. Too much of a difference.
One was a little hurricane of chaos. The other… well, Andrew at twelve probably already had more discipline than many adults.
Suddenly, Willa snapped her fingers, lighting up. "Comics!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
Andrew shook his head immediately. "No. Luke doesn't like comics."
Willa looked at him as if he had just insulted the entire entertainment industry. "What do you mean he doesn't? A twelve-year-old who doesn't like superheroes, fights, villains, explosions, blood? Please!"
"Luke doesn't like reading, comics or anything in general," Andrew said completely matter-of-factly.
Willa scoffed, indignant. "Ugh, this generation is lost."
"You sound like my grandfather," Andrew said with a small smile.
"Still, we might find one he likes. Or something to introduce him to the world. Something more visual and epic," Willa insisted.
Andrew looked at her with narrowed eyes. "You don't just want to go to the comic book store, do you?"
"Me? What? No," Willa replied with obvious dishonesty as she grabbed his arm. "Shut up and come on."
Without any chance to protest, Andrew was gently dragged through the mall toward the comic book store.
They walked into the shop and, as always happened when they went to places like that together, they immediately drew attention.
Willa, with her natural diva aura, stood out effortlessly in an environment where girls were a minority. Andrew, for his part, stood over six foot three. Between the two of them, they stood out, by a lot.
The store was calm, fewer than twenty people inside, the soft murmur of pages turning and barely audible background music.
They both moved naturally, as if the place were their natural habitat. Andrew tried to stick to his original plan: not get distracted.
But ten minutes later he had a comic in his hands, flipping through it as if it were the very goal of the morning.
Willa watched him with a satisfied smile. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist," she murmured to herself.
They looked for options for Luke. They tried to find something with more visuals than text, something simple, dynamic, and eye-catching.
But Andrew reached the same conclusion: it was impossible for Luke to sit down and read for pleasure. He had the same attention span as Phil.
After almost twenty minutes, they finally left the store. They hadn't found anything for Luke, but Willa was still carrying a bag full of brand-new comics.
Andrew just looked at her with an expression that said: I knew this was your real plan.
"So, did you think of anything?" Willa asked without the slightest hint of guilt as she adjusted the bag of comics.
Andrew nodded. "Yeah. A Wii."
Willa looked at him oddly. "A Wii, seriously? I mean, a console is a good choice, but I don't know… wouldn't a PS3 or an Xbox 360 be better?"
She clearly preferred either of the other two.
Andrew shook his head immediately. "Not for Luke," he said with absolute certainty. "I've thought it through, and the Wii fits him better than any serious console."
Willa raised an eyebrow as they walked. "Why?"
"The games suit Luke better: Wii Sports, Mario Kart, Just Dance… all of that is perfect for him. Plus, he can play with my uncle. They have almost identical tastes," Andrew replied, then paused before adding, "I don't see him sitting on a couch playing Call of Duty for hours, even if it's fast-paced. Luke needs to move."
Willa couldn't help but smile. "That makes sense. You know him well."
"Yeah," Andrew said. "He's like an energetic, adorable gremlin. If anything can keep him entertained, it's a Wii."
Andrew and Willa went to a large electronics store that sold consoles, video games, and accessories. They didn't waste any time. Without much thought, Andrew chose the main bundle: Nintendo Wii - $199, which included 1 Wii Remote, 1 Nunchuck, and Wii Sports.
Willa took the opportunity to add a gift to complement Andrew's. From the game shelf, she picked three:
-Mario Kart Wii – $50
-Super Smash Bros. Brawl – $50
-Just Dance 2 – $40
Total: $140.
But she didn't stop there.
"Luke needs more controllers if he wants to play with friends…" Willa said, already justifying herself as she grabbed more accessories.
She added:
-1 extra Wii Remote – $40
-1 extra Nunchuck – $20
Willa's final total: $200.
Andrew watched her initiative, approving her choices, then turned his attention back to the accessories shelf.
He looked at the controllers, did a quick mental calculation, and decided to go even further. "If we're going to do this, let's do it right," he murmured.
He added to everything else:
-2 additional Wii Remotes – $80
-2 additional Nunchucks – $40
Total: $120.
That left Luke with four complete controllers, perfect for four-player games. He also added two steering wheels for Mario Kart, each priced at $10.
Andrew spent $339. And with the entire Nintendo setup totaling $539, they had put together a gift package worthy of Christmas, a birthday, and a reward for good behavior all in one.
They both left the store carrying several bags. Andrew walked in silence, thinking about how Luke would react when he saw all of it, until something made him stop dead in his tracks.
Willa took one more step forward and turned around. "What's wrong?"
But Andrew wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed on the display window of a sporting goods store.
There, displayed as if it were a luxury item, was a glorious pitching machine, one that could fire baseballs at different speeds, perfect for training reflexes, coordination, and just having fun.
A slow smile spread across Andrew's face.
Willa looked at him, first confused, then resigned. "That's your 'I'm about to spend more money than I should' face, isn't it?"
Andrew nodded without taking his eyes off the machine. He had just found the final gift, the cherry on top.
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