“Click on the end-of-first-half plays,” I told him.
“They were all the busted plays ... Wait a minute,” Coach Hope said as he played each one. “These are all trick plays; they run one at the end of the first half!”
“St. Joe must figure they have nothing to lose by trying a trick play. Two out of six resulted in scores,” I told him.
Coach had me email him the six plays. He left, and I talked to the software team about some of the things I thought we could do better.
“I don’t remember if I forgot to put down the score or not. It would be nice if as the score changed, I could just update it and then each play would capture what it was. There’s too much data entry for each play. We could be getting some data, like the score, from somewhere else.”
They got into a discussion about databases and how it would be easiest to keep track of the score. I made them stop because I was glazing over.
“I take it you can figure it out,” I said, and saw them nodding at me. “Good, because if we ever want this to be effective as a scouting tool, we need to know what they’ll do based on score, down and distance. For example, they’ll be more likely to pass on first and ten if they’re down by two or more scores in the fourth quarter under four minutes.”
“I should have caught that,” Jeff said.
“I appreciate you taking responsibility, but this isn’t about taking the blame. I want you to know I expect you all to make mistakes. What I care about is you telling me and how we handle it.”
Jeff had to go to practice. I spent time with Lily, showing her what I liked and didn’t like with the look and feel. I walked her and Alan through the input process. Lily had a great idea to speed the process up: instead of typing in the number of each player, she suggested putting the players on a grid to the side and using drag-and-drop to drop the player’s information onto the tag.
Mom and Dad finally made us stop for dinner, and then I had to go to the dojo. By now Jeff was back, and they all went back into Mom’s office. We were finally over the boring part, for me, where the groundwork was laid. We were now working with something I could touch and see.
“Stryker slipped through the dark passages, as silent as death. He kept his sword sheathed. He was in a maze of tunnels, trying to get to his friends. But every passageway he picked was lit at the end with enemy troopers making their way to the fighting.
The darkness was certainly sufficient to conceal him, but Stryker had an uneasy feeling that his moves were being monitored, and even anticipated. Several passageways opened up to him, but his options became fewer and fewer as enemy troopers appeared at every turn. Stryker realized that he must continue forward if he were to save his friends. Troopers had also filled the tunnel behind him.
Stryker took a moment to collect himself and consider his options. He checked out his surroundings, and he mentally reviewed his path and what he had seen. He realized that there weren’t as many enemy troopers as he thought he had seen. Those appearing at every turn were probably the same group from the previous turn, running parallel to Stryker.
The realization that the troopers’ numbers were fewer than he’d first thought was of little comfort to Stryker. He now had no doubt: he was being herded,” I read aloud from the book.
Dylan had the notes from the storyboard on how the fight scenes were planned. He’d been working to get the choreography of the fight scene to be as close as possible to what would be shot in the movie. Reading from the book gave me a better idea of the mood the author of the original story was looking for. The script just gave you the lines that were going to be said. Between the storyboard, the script and the book, I was starting to understand the urgency and fear Stryker must be feeling.
Tish had recruited Dylan and two other teachers from the dojo so I could practice the next sword fight.
“Bunch up like you’re at a tunnel entrance,” Tish said as she organized my opponents.
Tish acted as if she just now saw me, and drew her bamboo sword. The others followed suit. I looked around as if deciding to run or fight. When Tish made her first step towards me, I exploded from the wall while drawing my sword in one fluid motion. I had a secret grin on my face because the first five times I’d tried that move my sword had snagged. I think my trainers were surprised as I almost danced across the floor and began my attack.
In a flurry of motion, my trainers began to fall as I slashed my way through them. Then Dylan kicked me in the chest. I leapt backward as if he’d really kicked me, and rolled to my feet. He charged me and I deftly slid to the right and under his tremendous swing. His momentum carried him past me as my sword slid across his stomach. I stood without looking back and started to walk away as he collapsed.
Tish clapped her hands.
“Good! Let’s do it again, from the top, and run the camera,” Tish announced.
Jessup, the director, had requested a progress report on my training. Tish and Dylan were sending him videos of us working. I was steadily getting better, but still had a lot of work ahead of me. I grabbed a quick drink and we reset the scene.
BY THE TIME I GOT HOME, I was sore. Even with Dylan pulling his punches, he had to hit me so that I’d learn. I was starting to get cocky, and looking forward to trying out some of my new moves against Cassidy. I took a hot shower and then watched more game film of St. Joe.
I heard the apartment door open and Tracy and Peggy came up the stairs. Tracy gave me a stern look.
“Have you asked anyone to the Halloween Dance yet?” she asked, making me flinch.
“Peggy, will you go to the dance with me?”
She did a little bunny hop and then jumped into my lap. From the kiss, I assumed the answer was ‘yes.’
“Do you have a costume?” Tracy asked.
“I actually do. Do you want me to try it on?” I asked.
“Sure,” Peggy said.
Why was I not surprised when they followed me into the bedroom to watch me change? They giggled like ... well, teenage girls when I got down to my boxers. I mooned them, making them laugh aloud. I put on my Star Trek uniform. I liked it. I could tell the girls were not as happy. I guess they weren’t Star Trek fans.
“I suppose you have a better idea,” I sighed.
Tracy took off to her car and came back with a bag. She pulled out a white jacket and stethoscope. The jacket said ‘Dr. Love’ over the pocket. I smirked.
“I suppose you’re coming as my sexy nurses.”
“You’ll see. Now take that sci-fi thing off and put this on,” Tracy ordered.
I changed. They wanted me to not wear a shirt under the jacket, and leave it unbuttoned. It looked better than I had expected. I was imagining these two in naughty nurse uniforms when Mr. Happy woke up. The two girls saw my interest and promptly left. Sometimes girls are evil. On second thought, make that often.
Chapter 15 – Halloween Dance
Friday October 31
Sleeping in today was heaven. This must be what it was like to go to college. By the time I went down for breakfast, Mom and Dad had gone to work, and Peggy was at school. I made a quick breakfast and then went up to my room to finish my homework. I did very well on my math quiz.
I went to the office at the appointed time, and Mr. Palm checked my homework. Yuri was waiting with his mom to go in to see Mr. Palm when I came out. She looked at me, and then at him.
“This is the guy you wanted to fight?” she asked him.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“Thank you,” she told me.
“You’re welcome?” I asked, because I had no idea why she was thanking me.