"Mike, you were totally awesome!"
As soon as Mike finished with Jack and headed toward the rest area, Lena rushed over and wrapped him in a hug.
Standing nearby, Katie and Paige looked at him with a distinct sparkle in their eyes.
Clearly, Mike's dominant performance on the field hadn't just won over the crowd; it had also solidified a certain hero-worship among Lena and the girls.
They were thoroughly captivated.
Meanwhile, the post-game formalities were concluding with the handshake between the coaches.
"Congratulations, Coach George. You have a phenomenal player on your hands..." Coach Cotton extended his hand first.
This game had provided sufficient data to prove that Mike possessed the capability to carry an entire team.
That kind of leadership was the hallmark of a future star.
"Your big guy is pretty impressive, too. barring any unforeseen variables, he's definitely got a shot at the pros..." Coach George replied sincerely.
Although St. Mary's lost, Big Mike's performance was undeniably commendable.
Whether in terms of physical specs or mental fortitude, he had displayed elite potential.
With those two traits combined, Big Mike had the capacity to make a name for himself at the next level.
Hearing Coach George praise Big Mike, a rare smile appeared on Coach Cotton's face.
Discovering and cultivating Big Mike's talent gave Cotton a profound sense of achievement.
Moreover, thanks to the giant's sheer grit, St. Mary's had managed to salvage a shred of dignity from today's defeat.
The two head coaches engaged in a round of mutual professional flattery as they shook hands.
Before parting ways, Coach Cotton spoke up. "George, I'm fascinated by your tactical algorithms. If you have time, I'd love to compare notes privately."
Big Mike was set to graduate in June.
To prevent the team's performance metrics from crashing next season, Cotton wanted to learn from George's coaching methodology.
From the outside, Medford's rapid improvement in such a short timeframe seemed directly correlated to George's leadership.
"It would be my honor to discuss strategy." Coach George accepted with a smile.
Truth be told, he admired Cotton's ability to adapt in real-time. He wasn't going to turn down a chance to network with such an experienced coach.
After happily exchanging contact information, the two head coaches walked off the field, satisfied.
---
"Mike! Mike!"
After the game wrapped up, little SJ (Sean Jr.) appeared outside the Medford rest area, waving frantically at Mike, who was chatting with the girls.
"What is the nature of your inquiry, SJ?" Mike walked over to the fence, teasing him slightly. "Are you here to seek retribution on behalf of the giant?"
Big Mike had limped off the field earlier, clearly nursing some minor structural damage.
It wasn't hard to deduce that Mike was the cause.
"No, Big Mike can handle his own business on the field. I came to give you this..." SJ handed him a small slip of paper.
"What is the significance of this data?" Mike looked at the phone number scrawled on the paper, not immediately following the kid's logic.
"That's my sister Collins' number. She's a fan of yours..." SJ was well aware of his sister's crush.
However, while "betraying" his sister, his sharp eyes noticed Katie and Lena standing behind Mike.
SJ quickly ran the calculations: strictly based on visual aesthetics, his sister might be at a statistical disadvantage.
"Are you attempting to broker a romantic introduction?" Mike asked, amused.
This kid's neural pathways certainly took interesting turns.
"Nothing's decided yet. We don't have enough data on your personality. I'm just creating an opportunity for mutual data exchange..." SJ admitted candidly.
Just then, Collins found them. "SJ! What are you doing? We have to go, Mom and Dad are waiting..."
The St. Mary's team bus had already left, and the Tuohy family, who had come to watch, was preparing to head back.
SJ's unauthorized excursion was delaying the family's schedule.
"This is my sister, Collins Tuohy..." SJ wiggled his eyebrows at Mike and whispered, "Just so you know, she has your poster on her bedroom wall."
Before Mike could process that, SJ turned to his sister. "Collins, this is Mike. I assume you recognize him."
Collins turned bright red, embarrassed by her little brother's maneuvering. She glared at SJ before turning to Mike apologetically. "My brother lacks social calibration. I apologize if he offended you."
"Not at all. Your brother is quite an amusing variable..." Mike smiled, glancing between the siblings.
"That's good..." Collins smiled back.
She wanted to say more, but seeing Mike's handsome features up close caused a momentary cognitive overload. She flustered, "Sorry, we're in a rush..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
Feeling incredibly awkward, Collins just wanted to escape the situation. She grabbed SJ and quickly walked toward her parents.
SJ shook his head helplessly at his sister's reaction.
Deciding to assist one last time, he made a subtle "call me" gesture to Mike before disappearing into the crowd.
---
"Mike, my parents aren't home today. Do you want to come hang out at the farm?" Once the Tuohy siblings left, Lena immediately issued a date invitation.
Perhaps Collins hadn't realized it, but her reaction to seeing Mike was textbook "lovestruck teenager."
Combined with the fact that Collins' appearance rivaled her own, Lena felt a spike of jealousy.
She decided she needed to offer Mike some positive reinforcement to ensure she remained the priority in his thoughts.
"Affirmative. We can classify it as a spring field trip," Mike accepted the offer with a smile.
Spring had arrived. The season for... field trips.
Lena's family farm was vast—perfect for outdoor activities.
"Count me in. I have no scheduled activities today," Katie chimed in, refusing to be left out.
"Me too..." Paige, for some reason, decided to jump on the bandwagon.
Mike was certain that with Paige's genius-level IQ, she knew exactly what kind of "activities" might occur at Lena's farm.
That was definitely not something appropriate for a child.
"Paige, today is not suitable for your participation. How about I take you to the amusement park another time?" Mike placated the little genius, hoping to avoid a scene.
"Fine..." Paige was still a kid, after all, and the amusement park held significant appeal.
She decided to let Mike off the hook for now.
With the consensus reached, Mike handed his helmet to Little George. Under George's envious gaze, Mike left the school grounds with Lena and Katie.
Thanks to his superior physiology, Mike hadn't even broken a sweat during the game.
He could easily wait until after the "field trip" to shower.
---
In the Tuohy family car, on the way home.
"Collins, Mike is statistically popular with the female demographic. If you are interested, you need to be more proactive..." SJ whispered advice to his sister in the back seat.
"Shut up. Who said I was interested? We've barely met..." Collins rebutted weakly.
However, the expression on her face suggested she was protesting too much.
Truth be told, back at the stadium, she had seen SJ run off toward Mike and volunteered to fetch him specifically for that reason.
Her motives were transparent.
As SJ suspected, his sister was smitten.
"So, you have zero interest in Mike? Good. I don't like him either. He looks too much like the villain in a teen drama," SJ said deliberately, playing the reverse psychology card like a pro.
"I..." Collins started to defend Mike but stopped.
Just then, Mrs. Tuohy, who had been eavesdropping from the front seat, turned around. "What are you two whispering about? Does Collins have a crush?"
The Tuohy family was very open-minded, and since Collins was eighteen, Mrs. Tuohy had no objections to dating.
"Is this Mike the Number 23 from Medford? He's certainly an athletic young man..." Mr. Tuohy, who was driving, joined the conversation. "Collins, I don't object to you dating, but before you formalize any relationship, I'd like you to bring him over for dinner."
Mr. Tuohy, a successful self-made businessman who owned a chain of restaurants, was socially astute.
Having overheard his daughter's secret, he quickly proposed a dinner invitation. It was a strategy that maintained his relationship with his daughter while allowing him to vet the boy.
"Dad! What are you talking about? I barely know him..." Collins denied it, trying to cover her tracks.
But parents know their children best. In the front seat, Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy exchanged a silent look. They knew their daughter had fallen hard.
They then proceeded to chat casually about the topic of "Mike."