Coach Clayton and the rest of the camp staff returned.
◊◊◊
“Grip it and rip it!” David barked at his brother from the sideline.
He’d just sailed another pass. David knew it wasn’t something Phil and Colt usually did. But sometimes, a quarterback got the yips. Something stupid would creep into his throwing motion, and suddenly he couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.
The problem with the yips was it was apparently contagious because Colt did the same thing.
“Stop!” David yelled as he stormed onto the field.
Both Matt and Coach Clayton were too surprised to say anything.
“Plant your damned foot and throw the ball as hard as you can. I don’t care if you hit the goal post, but it has to be better than that. Now run it again!”
Phil sent a smoking ball that bounced off his receiver. He had a stupid smile on his face.
“What the hell! You’re not going to say anything?!” David exploded.
Everyone looked at him in confusion.
“What route were you supposed to run?” David asked the receiver.
“Fifteen down-and-out.”
“What did you run?”
“I’m not sure,” the kid admitted.
“You ran a seventeen-yard down-and-out. If you had turned around at fifteen, you would have seen the ball coming and caught it.” Then he turned to Colt and Phil. “While I’m not happy he ran the wrong route, what I’ve been watching all day is you two aren’t helping them. You’re leaders. Open your mouths if a route is run incorrectly. The only way you get better is if you communicate as a team,” David coached.
Matt started to add his two cents’ worth, but Coach Clayton touched Matt’s arm and shook his head. David took that as his cue to continue coaching.
“Run it again!”
Over the next ten plays, both Phil and Colt looked like the high-level quarterbacks they were supposed to be. At that point, Coach Clayton took over, and David went back to stand next to Coach Mason.
“Next time I do something like that, hand me your clipboard so I can wing it at them,” David quipped.
“Knowing you, it would have sailed.”
That made them both chuckle because everything else thrown today had sailed up until then.
◊◊◊
Corvus and Dare made David demonstrate the VR technology. The large football room, where the whole team met, had a giant screen that could be used to show a game film or display presentations the coaches made.
David put on the headgear and showed them Phil overthrowing a pass earlier.
“Anybody care to say what caused his ball to be overthrown?” David asked as he tilted up the gear so he could see everyone.
When no one answered, David pointed to Matt.
“Help me out. What’s your best guess?”
“He released it too soon.”
“Matt made a smart guess. Release point makes a huge difference in your passing accuracy,” David said and then turned to Matt. “What’s the ideal place to let the ball go?”
“Right over your lead foot.”
David smiled, which pleased Matt.
“That is why Matt was an Elite-11 quarterback in high school. He knows how to throw an accurate ball.
“Now, let me show you how this software can make you a better player. Let me back up,” David said.
He brought the video to the point where the ball was in Phil’s hand over his arm.
“Look at his form. Phil has a nice stance, and the line running from his ankle up his back is all straight. I’ll run it forward in slow motion. Right there, he releases the ball,” David said.
He looked down to show that his hand was right over his lead foot.
“You can see that everything looks flawless. By all rights, that ball should be right on target,” David said.
“It should be,” Matt agreed. “What went wrong?”
“It’s his footwork. Let me show you this one as we only look at Phil’s feet, and then I’ll show you one where he drills his receiver,” David said.
“Did you see the difference?” David asked when the two were done.
They all could see what had caused it.
“If you want to try out the software, we captured today’s camp. The best way to learn it is to do it. I trust that you’ve all played video games. If you get stuck, call your little brother, or ask one of the developers, Corvus or Dare,” David joked.
They’d created a video that explained how to use the VR system, but David felt that asking for directions wasn’t what a man would do. Just ask any woman.
The whole room got up and followed his two friends to the tutoring center where the PCs were. Even Matt went.
◊◊◊
When David got home, Cassidy and Andy were waiting for him.
“We’re going to start our scavenger hunt on Monday, and we need some items,” Andy said.
Cassidy handed him a list and then showed him a box of all the items. They ranged from boxers to t-shirts to sunglasses—not his good ones—to the dog collar that Crystal had made him wear.
“We made a rule that none of them can bother you during the day or when you’re in your room,” Cassidy said.
“Good rule,” David said.
“I told them they had to have that one in place,” Ruth said.
Cassidy and Andy smirked when he jumped. Sometimes Ruth freaked him out when she would suddenly appear like that.
“We asked Crystal, and she told us we could add one task,” Andy said, clearly the spokesperson for today.
“Let me guess: blowjobs.”
“Yep,” Cassidy confirmed.
“I would be all for it … but …” David hedged.
“There are rules,” Andy quickly added and handed him a sheet of paper.
When the act was completed, a text would go out with a picture to all participants. The image had to show proof of a successful act.
“What does that mean?” David asked.
“Do I have to explain what happens when you have a successful blowjob?” Cassidy asked.
“No, I’m good,” David decided.
… and it had to show the daily winner’s face and Mr. Happy.
“How are you going to prove it was me and not a stunt dick?” David asked.
“I know what your dick looks like,” Cassidy said confidently.
The written instructions went on to say that David had to take the picture. Cassidy explained that that way, he could prevent any identifying features from being captured. And everyone had to promise to never reveal that it was, in fact, Mr. Happy.
Even Mr. Happy knew his image would eventually end up on the Internet. It wouldn’t be the first time, so he texted his PR man, Frank, to get his opinion. Frank shot a text back saying to go for it. David assumed that he must need another beach house because his fees escalated when there was a scandal.
“What if two or three want to give me one at the same time?” David suddenly thought.
“Whoever’s text comes in first wins,” Andy said.
“So, no ties?”
“No ties.”
“What does the winner of the hunt get?” David asked.
“You fly them on an all-expenses-paid vacation at the end of the summer,” Cassidy said.
“What vacation?” David asked.
“You got an invitation to Alejandro and Natalia Sandoval’s birthday party in Colombia,” Ruth said.
“Why didn’t I know about it?” David asked.
“Fritz is making sure it’s safe. I guess there are also special rules about flying into Colombia that you need waivers and other things for the trip,” Ruth explained.
“And you got the approval?” David pressed.
“Uh … yes. I guess I left that part out,” Ruth admitted. “We also got approval for all your personal security for the trip. That was somewhat more complicated, but your dad wouldn’t let you go otherwise for fear another Mexico event might happen.”
David agreed that he didn’t want to face down a gunman with a Bo staff again.
“You all know that I won’t make it easy on the girls. I’m not going to just whip it out in the quad,” David said.
“That’s why it’s worth so many points. I actually bet that no one would get you to do it,” Cassidy said.