"And your family? Do they know you're going to a summer tournament with an alter ego?" Leonard asked.
"Not exactly. Technically… they just know I'm going out with you guys tomorrow before Preview Night," Andrew replied.
"I can't believe we're actually doing this…" Leonard said, running a hand down his face.
"It's worth it for the thousand bucks and the YouTube video that's gonna go viral," Andrew said, spinning in his chair with a confident smile.
Andrew needed content for his YouTube channel since he didn't have games every Friday like during the regular season.
Howard blinked and asked, "A thousand in total… or a thousand per player?"
"A thousand per player. If you win," Andrew answered.
"What?! A thousand bucks per person in a teen summer tournament? Who's funding this? Tony Stark?" Howard said, stunned.
"Dude, if it were Tony Stark and he only gave a thousand bucks per player for the winning team, he'd be a cheapskate," Leonard commented, shaking his head.
"It's organized by Brady Hoke. The guy's a pretty well-known football coach. A few months ago, he took over as head coach for San Diego State University. Rumor has it his contract was three million dollars for five years," Andrew explained with a serious face.
"I have no idea who that is, but if he makes that kind of money and only gives, what, eleven thousand bucks total as a prize? That's super cheap," said Howard.
"Actually, it's even less. There are only seven players per team. So the winning team gets seven thousand total, though the second place team gets a smaller prize. Nothing for third," said Andrew.
Then Andrew explained he'd be filming everything to upload a video of the summer tournament to his YouTube channel. He needed content for his sports channel, and this was perfect—especially with the alter ego, which would make it feel more random and fun for the audience.
The plan was to film everything with a tiny spy cam he bought, so he could record from inside his helmet like a POV shot.
"Does that even have good resolution?" Leonard asked, eyeing the small camera Andrew was showing them.
"720. Just enough for people to feel like they're inside the helmet with me," Andrew replied.
"Okay, if you're gonna act like Eyeshield 21, we need to remember the lore. The people at the tournament need to buy the character," Howard said with a grin.
Andrew nodded, and that's when they all started going over the lore they had come up with weeks ago, laughing and munching on snacks like they were creating a superhero for their own comic book.
"His dad's American. His mom's Japanese," Leonard began in a serious tone.
"He lived in Japan since he was five. More American features. He played football in local leagues and since the level was really low and he had talent, his father moved back to the U.S. so he could chase his dream," Howard continued.
"And since I have no idea how to speak Japanese, he's… mute," Andrew added with a smile.
"I learned a bit of sign language, though I doubt people will understand it…" he added.
"Good. He doesn't speak, just stares, runs, and scores like the natural-born runner he is. Silent, but deadly," said Howard.
This time, Andrew wouldn't be playing as a quarterback.
He'd be a running back. The main role of a running back is to gain yards by rushing and dodging defenders.
Leonard nodded. "When he scores, he doesn't celebrate. He just stands still, staring, defiant… or makes a subtle gesture, like he's saying, 'That was easy.'"
"Alright," Howard chimed in. "What else? What's the fake name you signed up with?"
Andrew smiled and walked over to his backpack. He pulled out the printed tournament registration form and slid it across the table. The name was written in all caps:
"Mc Lovin… Yasuo… Yamagata," Howard read aloud. Then he looked at Andrew with a strange expression. "Did you seriously register with that?"
"First an American first name, then a Japanese middle name, and a traditional Japanese last name," said Andrew. "It has perfect balance. I think," he added.
"Mc Lovin? Is that even really American?" Leonard asked, confused.
"It is," Andrew said seriously.
"And how did you manage to register with a fake identity?" Howard asked, curious.
"The registration form was online. It only asked for full name, age, position, school… and a digital signature from an adult," Andrew explained.
"A digital signature?" Leonard repeated.
"Yeah. Scanned. You had to upload the signed participation terms as an image attachment." Andrew grinned. "Nothing too complicated. I used a template, adjusted the strokes, scanned it again, and saved it as a PNG."
"And what if they ask something when you show up?" Leonard added. That would be a total fail if they didn't let him play after all the trouble they went through creating the alter ego, filming, traveling there, etc.
"At these kinds of tournaments there's no official verification. All they do is look at a name list and check you off when you arrive," Andrew said.
"Mc Lovin Yasuo Yamagata. Alias: Eyeshield 21," Howard murmured, holding the paper like he was reading a top-secret file. "Mysterious player, mute, with a visor that adds even more mystery… and wearing number 21."
Andrew leaned back in his chair, arms crossed calmly.
"Tomorrow he debuts at Balboa Stadium. And no one's gonna suspect it's me… at least, not until they see the video on the channel," he said with a slight smile.
Leonard, who had been quiet for a few seconds, frowned. "And don't you think that's gonna get you in trouble? Your parents watch your videos. And this one's either gonna go viral or get hundreds of thousands of views minimum, the tournament organizers might see it too."
Andrew thought about it for a moment. It's not like he hadn't considered it.
"Yeah, they'll probably find out. But it's not that serious," he replied calmly. "I'm underage. I didn't sign any legal contract. I didn't use a real person's identity. And if I win… it's just a thousand bucks. I can give it back if I really have to."
At worst, he'd get a scolding from his parents or be grounded—and for a little fun and an epic video, it was a risk he was willing to take.
"Well, we've got time before bed. Let's watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!" said Howard after a brief silence.
"The Order of the Phoenix… again?" Leonard asked, sounding tired.
Just six days ago Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had premiered in theaters, and since then, Howard had become a full-on obsessed fan. He had already seen it three times in the cinema and kept doing marathons of the previous ones without pause.
"Aren't you tired of it?" Leonard insisted. "We could watch literally anything else. I don't know, something that doesn't have teen magic, robes, and people shouting in Latin."
"Respect, please," Howard replied seriously. "This movie has emotional weight, character development, and Hermione Granger at her best."
"Sure… you only watch it because the actress is pretty," said Andrew.
"So what if I do? Hermione's a nerd. Smart, brave, loyal. And Emma Watson is just like her in real life. She's not your typical pretty and popular girl. She's different," said Howard with full conviction.
"Dude, you only saw a few interviews. You have no idea what she's really like," Leonard said, shaking his head.
"Howard, my friend, Leonard has a point. There's a good chance that in front of the cameras she seems kind, polite, friendly… but in real life, she might be a stuck-up actress who hates her fans. Maybe she looks at them like they're weird, obsessive nerds who shouldn't even be near her," Andrew added with a sly smile.
"Shut up!" shouted Howard, not wanting them to ruin the image he had of his crush.
"Just imagine her making a disgusted face when she looks at you," Andrew continued.
"Don't speak blasphemy," said Howard, as he turned up the volume right when the Warner Bros. logo appeared on the screen.
Andrew and Leonard exchanged glances and held back their laughter, then turned their attention to the movie starting.
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