Chapter 1: The Transition
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Scandal, ABC, or Shonda Rhimes and the characters are not mine. In addition, I have no ownership or affiliation with the NFL.
"Mom, I still don't understand why you took this job. You loved the morning show." 15 year old Gabriel Pope mumbled, looking over at his mother. They were currently taking off on a plane from Chicago to Texas and he was not happy about it, to say the least.
"I took the job for you. There are news shows everywhere, but Walsingham is in Austin and they offered you a scholarship." She told him, looking over and running her hand through his curly hair. "I've already accomplished my dream, now it's your turn."
He sighed, looking out the window and watching the plane climb higher and higher. "I can play football anywhere, Ma."
"But everyone knows that Texas is the place for high school football and Walsingham is ranked seventh in the country. It's pretty much a guarantee to play in college. I just want the best for you, Gabe."
Gabriel just closed his eyes, adjusting his neck pillow and decided to take a nap. He pulled his headphones up from hanging around his neck to over his ears and flicked his music on. Olivia knew exactly how he was feeling. No one wanted to be the new kid, especially in high school and moving from Chicago to Texas would be a huge adjustment. She just wanted better for him than she'd had. At 32, Olivia had faced her fair share of hard times. When she got pregnant at seventeen, she vowed that she would never treat her child the way her parents had treated her.
Olivia had promised herself that she would give her child the world. That was the reason she jumped at every opportunity that Gabriel was presented. When the call had come in January that the athletic director of Walsingham wanted him to join the football program at the private school in Austin, she wasted no time. Gabriel wasn't sure about the change in schools; as a city kid, Texas seemed like a stretch.
"I know you don't see it right now, but it'll all be worth it." She whispered, looking over at her son and trying to convince herself of the same thing.
Olivia then followed his lead, putting in her own headphones and getting in a nap before everything in their lives would change. It was only a short flight, so she didn't have much time left to prepare.
/
"Once you go out there, you're life's never going to be the same. You realize that, right?"
"Is that supposed to stop me? It's not going to stop me."
"I know. Just a last-ditch effort, I guess." James Calloway sighed, putting his hand on the other man's shoulder. "It's been real, Grant. I'm proud of you, boy. And I'm glad to have been with you every step of the way."
He smiled at the James, pulling him into a hug before turning and taking a deep breath. He straightened out his tie and walked out from backstage. He was immediately bombarded by lights flashing and the sound of cameras rolling. It'd been a long time since he'd been this nervous, but he swallowed and put on his charismatic front. Waving at the crowd, Fitzgerald Grant took his place behind the long white table and began his press conference.
He looked out across all of the reporters, a habit he'd picked up many years ago. He crossed his hands on the table, flashed his charming smile and started on the speech he'd rehearsed so many times.
"There's been a lot of speculation lately, so I'm here to lay all of the rumors to rest." He sighed, smirking and ditching the speech. He chuckled, speaking from the top of his head. "Y'all know I hate making scenes, but they made me do this press conference. Anyway, the rumors are true- I'm officially retiring from the NFL. I'm not gonna recite that sappy speech they had me write, but I do wanna say some things. I want to thank the city of Houston and the entire Texans franchise for welcoming me with open arms. I'd like to thanks James Calloway for taking a gamble on me and drafting me all those years ago. Lastly, all those Texans fans out there who accepted this Georgia boy as your QB- y'all made it all possible. The championships, the Super Bowls, everything was because of you guys.. It's been an amazing run, y'all. But everything has to end and my time has come."
"Thank you, Grant!" A voice shouted from the back of the room.
Fitz chuckled, looking down. As the quarterback who brought the Texans their first Super Bowl trips and wins, Fitzgerald Grant was loved by many Houston residents. He, however, was never in it for the accolades or the fans. He just had an immense love for the game.
"Alright, now I'll answer some questions." He said into the microphone.
"What's next for you?" A reporter from the front row called.
"Well, I don't have the answer to that. I guess I'll find that out with you guys." He smiled, looking around and waiting for the next question.
"He could've played for another season or two. At least!" Gabriel stated matter of factly, to no one in particular. He and Olivia were standing at the bag return, waiting for their suitcases to come around the carousel. His attention, however, was on one of the large televisions situated all around the airport.
"Gabe, could you help your mother?! You can just look this up online."
He glanced over his shoulder, not wanting to look away for too long. "Ma, Grant's retiring. This is his press conference. It's something you gotta see live."
Olivia dropped her bag at his words and her head shot up to the television. "Shit." She mumbled, quickly regaining composure and picking the bag up off of her foot. "Gabriel, can you please help me. I promise you'll be able to watch this entire thing online."
"Sorry, mom." He said, turning around and walking over to her. "It's just that now that Grant's out, the Bears might actually have a chance at a ring!"
"I don't think that he was the only thing holding the Bears back…" Olivia said, jokingly as she and Gabriel started toward the rental car area. "Other players have nothing to do with team's that can't get themselves together."
Olivia didn't really have a team, unlike Gabriel, who was diehard Chicago Bears fan. She had preferences, like the Falcons (as she grew up in Georgia) and teams that had players that she had a fondness for. She did, however, have an understanding of the game and was able to hold her own in a conversation.
Once they were outside, Gabriella checked the number on her keys that told her what spot their rental car was in. Making their way toward the spot, Olivia winced, looking toward Gabriel. "Mom…" he groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. It was a small Honda hatchback. Despite his age, Gabriel was already tall, measuring in at 6'2 on a good day. He could already tell that the hatchback would be uncomfortable.
"It's what they gave me! I didn't pick." She exclaimed.
"Yeah yeah…" He mumbled, getting in and pushing the seat back as far as it would go. His knees still stuck up a bit too high.
Olivia couldn't help but giggle, looking over at him. She patted his knee before backing out of the car, furniture, and other belongings were being driven down on a truck, so they were staying in a hotel for a couple days. When everything arrived for the house, they'd move in.
She stopped at a red light and took in the city. This was really going to be a change for them. "Are you excited about starting two-a-days on Monday?"
"Nobody's ever excited about two-a-days…" Gabriel told his mother. He, too, was looking around the city. Noting the differences between Austin and Chicago.
"Well are you excited to play on a team where everyone's on your skill level?" Olivia questioned.
"Not really." He said, turning and staring at the passing scenery. "They're gonna be a bunch of rich preppy boys. They might play like me but they won't be like me."
"Gabe, you don't know that.." Olivia stated, hated seeing him like this, but she honestly believed that the move would be more beneficial. than harmful.
"Ma, are you serious?" He nearly shouted. "It's going to be a bunch of white boys who think they're the next Tom Brady. I'm gonna be the charity case; the black boy there on scholarship. Back home, I fit in...half the kids at my school didn't have a dad or were being raised by some guy who wasn't really their dad. I'm gonna be a walking stereotype to people here- the black boy with no dad, born to a teen mom. I can already hear what they'll call me. It won't be original, but that's not gonna stop a team full of preps. So, no I'm not excited to play with a team of douchebags, even if they're on my level."
They had arrived at the hotel now and were sitting in the parking lot. Olivia stayed silent, slowly pulling the key from the ignition. "I'm gonna go check in." She said quietly, willing herself not to break down. He'd never voiced that he felt that way, so she always assumed that he didn't care about the fact that she'd been a teenage mother or had raised him on her own.
She quickly exited the car, leaving Gabriel alone. He sighed, running his hands over his face. He knew that he'd hurt her, but he'd been holding it in for so long and once he started, he couldn't seem to stop. Gabriel got out of the car, grabbing his and Olivia's suitcases and made his way into the hotel.
Gabriel stood awkwardly behind his mother, as she talked to the woman at the front desk. Olivia received the room keys and turned around to give one to Gabe. Without a word, the two made their way up to the room.
"You can order some pizza or something." Olivia told Gabriel, placing thirty dollars on the end of his bed. "I'm going to take a bath."
/
Olivia closed her book, placing it on the bedside table. "I'm going to the house in the morning to pick out paint colors, if you want to come. If you don't want to, you can stay here and go to the gym or the pool. It's up to you." She said, turning out the light on her side and getting under the covers. "Goodnight, G."
He looked up from his phone and over at her, only seeing her back as she was facing the other direction. "Mom, I'm sorry." He told her.
"It's fine, Gabe."
"You're sad, Ma. It's not fine. I'm not embarrassed by you or the fact that you had me when you were young. I just hate having to explain myself or defend you to people."
"You don't have to defend yourself to anyone. Do you understand me?" Olivia got up, walking over to Gabriel and holding his head in her hands. "It's no one's business. You're not a stereotype or a statistic. You're so much more than your family, your race or your bank account. You know that life is complicated- never black and white. But you're father loves you, believe me. If anyone has anything to say about your parents, tell them to mind their business."
"I love you, Ma"
"Not as much as I love you.." Olivia mumbled, pulling him into a hug and placing a kiss on his forehead. "Now get some sleep, it's been a long day."
AN: After last night's hour of pure FUCKERY, I had to write. So...this is what I came up with. Hope y'all enjoy. Just a little heads up, I really don't know much about football, so don't judge me if something is inaccurate. lol