“I’m scared of his mama,” Fritz said to defend me.
“Trust me, we don’t need her getting involved in this,” I warned them.
Fritz made the call that we couldn’t go surfing, and my side and stomach still hurt, so we skipped the dojo. I changed into workout clothes and hit the gym at Rita’s house, even though I don’t like to run on a treadmill. I needed to burn off some energy, and I didn’t get my run in this morning. When I was done, I did sixty minutes of hell. I was disappointed when I about died doing it. I made myself a commitment to make sure I kept up my conditioning.
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After dinner, Halle sat me down.
“I heard what happened at the beach house. I’m glad you listened to Fritz. One of the scary effects of fame can be a crowd. If people in the back start to push forward, people in front can get hurt.”
“They explained it to me,” I said.
“I expect you’re starting to see that fame is a double-edged sword. While it can open doors for you, you also have to be careful. Our ads for Star Academy are starting to run. They’ll ramp up the week before it opens. With the recent press about your fight and all the interviews Frank has had you do, people will begin to recognize you.
“Whenever you’re in public, you need to start to be conscious of that. People have cell phones that can take pictures and videos. Just assume that everything you do in public will be recorded. The press loves to see someone like you doing something wrong. If you even suspect it might be questionable, reconsider, and then don’t do it,” Halle said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Let’s say you go out to eat and have terrible service. Be sure to overtip your server, or you’ll find yourself on the Internet as being cheap. If I say something to you in jest and you flip me off, imagine it on the front page of the Enquirer or on Hollywood Central. All they’ll see is a picture of the All-American Boy misbehaving. Look at how much fun they have with Blake Seaver and the dumb stuff he does.
“You also have to start caring about what you wear in public. I didn’t pick out your clothes because that was what I wanted to see you in. I personally think you look good in jeans and a t-shirt. Instead, I picked out clothing I knew would be neutral. You should never wear something that could be used to make fun of you. People in this town expect you to look a certain way. They already know you’re from the Midwest, and if they dig, will find you’re a part-owner in a farm. Right or wrong, they’ll judge you for that.
“You need to be seen doing good in the community. You noticed Mom and I attended a mother-daughter event for literacy. I know you have a big heart. Find some things to do, donate some money, be seen being a stand-up guy. The little things will begin to define you in the public eye,” she explained.
“I don’t necessarily want to be seen giving money. I’m afraid people will start lining up with their hands out,” I said.
“Think about it for a moment. Do you honestly believe that people don’t know you have money?”
I thought about it and realized I was fooling myself. I would assume I had money; so would everyone else.
“How do I go about doing this? I’m not from here,” I admitted.
“Caryn is. She’s your manager, so use her. She can call Frank or talk to my mom. I’m sure there’s something you can do this weekend.”
She was right. Our family did do things for the community. It all stemmed from my grandpa and his political career. I recognized that if I someday wanted to follow in his footsteps, it would be much easier if people already knew and liked me. Not that this was all about making myself look good, it really was about helping others. It supported my life goal of making a difference. With my fame increasing, I needed things to remind me what mattered.
“I want for you to get serious,” Halle said with a frown. “The fight needs to be a wake-up call. There are people who target folks like you and my mom. She’s had to learn the hard way what can happen. That’s why her security people wear bodycams, and all her cars have video cameras. That kid targeted you; so will others. You have to be careful with people you meet, because of what they may want from you, especially girls.”
I just nodded. My uncle had given me a similar talk, but now that I was here in LA, it made much more sense. If anything, the hell Pam’s dad Cal had put me through in the name of money and ‘taking me down a peg’ should already have made me a believer. I was glad Halle was a good-enough friend to sit me down and make sure I was aware of what was going on.
◊◊◊
Chapter 22 – You Gave Your Word Friday December 18
Fritz had insisted that we be in a more controlled environment than the baseball field at USC, so I found myself working with Coach Revilla at the baseball training facility. Coach had me work on different hitting drills that didn’t involve a pitching machine or pitcher. He wanted me to learn the exercises I could use when I returned home.
What I liked about my coach was he didn’t get excited like many of my football coaches did. He patiently explained what he wanted and made corrections as needed, but there wasn’t the yelling to get his point across. That didn’t mean that you didn’t hustle. I think he was used to working with professionals, and he didn’t need anything extra to motivate his students.
When we were done, Coach Revilla wanted to talk to me.
“When I took this job, I thought I was going to be working with some actor to try to make him look like he could hit a ball. I’ll be honest: I did it so I could visit my son and his family in LA. I want to ask you something: are you serious about baseball? The reason I ask is that if you plan to play football or act, I don’t want to waste your time or mine. If you’re serious, I’d like to help you.”
Before answering, I had to stop and think for a moment.
“I know what I want to say: I want to play baseball. I’ve always loved the game, and like so many kids, I dreamed of playing in the big leagues. Here’s my problem: right now, it looks like I might end up being very good at playing football. If I stay healthy, which is a big if, and if I go to the right college and we have success, I can write my own ticket.
“As far as movies go, I have no idea how successful I’ll be. I have some things in the works that might set me up for life, and I need to take that seriously. If those go the way I hope, I’d want to pursue them. But both baseball and football have so many unknowns. I could get hurt near the end of college and wind up having spent the next several years pursuing a fantasy and then watch it all go up in smoke.
“But if I had an equal shot at all three? I’d pick baseball. If you could help me get there, I wouldn’t disappoint you; I’d work my butt off to make it happen. But I just can’t promise you that I’ll end up playing baseball. I wouldn’t lie to you, sir,” I said.
“Okay. I understand, and I appreciate you telling me like it is. It’s refreshing to have someone not just tell me what they think I want to hear. I brought Lucas in when I saw you gun down Kris at Dodger Stadium. You have the tools to become a Major League Baseball player, but you need to play against superior competition and get the right coaching.
“I work with USA Baseball to identify talent. In June, they’ll invite 108 of the best baseball players in the nation to their training complex in Cary, North Carolina. Invites will go out starting in February and will continue through the spring. USA Baseball and Major League Baseball cover all costs associated with the event, including the player’s travel, lodging, and uniforms. The lodging is through the USA Baseball Host Family Program. They have a tournament where you’d play on a team with other select players. From that tournament, they’ll select the Under-18 National Team to represent the United States at the COPABE Pan American Championships in Monterrey, Mexico. Is this something you’d like to do?” Coach Revilla asked.