(Among the Rockets, just before the game started.)
"Twister!" Otto addressed. "Who's your brother's new friend?"
"Huh?" Twister wondered. Then, looking at the unfamiliar character being briefed by Lars, he continued, "Woah, nobody I've seen before. Probably one of my other gazillion cousins I haven't met. Or somebody he ran into on the promenade who owed him a favor..."
"I'd favor a third theory," Sam interjected. "Pi's not here, and Lars is practically behaving himself around this new guy." As well he might be expected to, thought Sam; this guy he's addressing as DeLuca has an inch on him and ten pounds or so. "He might be a friend of Pi's, or a total stranger who's looking to play a game of hockey."
Otto chimed in. "So, let's give the bunch of 'em--"
"--an experience they'll never forget!!" Reggie concluded.
"Woogie woogie woogie..." all four of them said, as if in response, while each the foursome wiggled the fingers of their left hand, standing briefly in a circle before they took the field.
To: Lewis Carter, Brian Malone
From: Bill DeLuca
Subject: Greetings from California!
...Anyway, I made some friends today. Well, one that I can name right off: Lars Rodriguez. It turns out he lives over on the next block. I think he's in high school, but I might still invite him for my 13th next month. Turned out that his hockey team was down a guy for some reason or other. Anyway we played against this other team made up of this girl who was a year or so older than me, and these three boys the eldest of them being like 11 years old. I tell you, appearances can be deceiving. Those guys could easily hold their own on the B-league imo, if not completely dominate it. In the entire match we were able to squeeze the only point of the game out of 'em, and that was a total lucky shot when I saw their goalie looked like he was about to sneeze and I snatched the puck from their captain for like the fifth time in the game and the clock was at like -0:10 and the sound effect was like thwack followed by ah choo! then it clatters off the goalie's skate back into the net, and it records a point. We went to this ice cream place over on the promenade and gorged ourselves silly; my head still hurts a bit!...
Bill saved his outgoing note before continuing, then went downstairs to the kitchen. When he returned to his room, an IM was waiting for him. He responded.
L_RodOS: just learned they are resurfacing the lot tomorrow, it could take a couple of days or so, do you wanna go surf then?
wsd_310: sounds like a nice idea, only trouble is i just started to learn and i don't have a board
L_RodOS: you could use my brother's
wsd_310: lol tyvm but any board he might use could be too small for me, newa i'd ask him myself. i'll need to go shopping newa, usual just moved into town stuff...
wsd_310: ...don't need snow clothing round here unless you drive up to the snow :D
L_RodOS: ask around about the el nada of 01 XD
wsd_310: yah i read about that in the denver post lol
L_RodOS: newa thanks again bill. we literally couldn't have pulled it off without ya
wsd_310: really? honored, but what about the guy who couldn't make it--piston?
L_RodOS: what about him? afaik he's got ...issues to work through or something. if pi showed up the best we coulda hoped for was a tie
Bill wondered what was going on. Why was Lars being so nice to him, when it was not in his observed general behavior to be nice? Bill's parents, meanwhile, were holding a barbecue lunch the next day, and had urged him to bring whatever friends he'd made thus far for swimming and hamburgers. He tapped out an invitation.
wsd_310: lars, the lasers are invited to my place 130p tomorrow for a bbq. we have a pool. bring towels and bathing suits. piston can come too if his mom and dad let him
L_RodOS: lol cool we'll bring appetites too, c u @ 129p later...much ;)
(A few hours earlier, and right after the game.)
The Rockets held their post-mortem bull session at the Shore Shack. Otto opened the discussion over a round of soda, burgers, and fries. "Man, how were we to know that the Lasers would show up with a guest player with an i.q. equal to that of the other three put together?"
"As much as I thought these four words would never cross my lips, I miss having Pi around," Twister observed.
"That's five," counted Sammy.
"See? I'm getting better at that sort o' thing," Twister countered.
"Actually, boys, you have a point," replied Reggie. "If this DeLuca guy subs for Pi again, our chances for a playoff slot will almost certainly vanish into thin air. It might help to learn more about his background and experience and style of play."
Otto extracted a banknote from his pocket and slapped it onto the table. "Five says he's a clone from the DNA of Teemu Selanne, or even--"(he crossed himself) "--Wayne Gretzky."
"Keep your money, Ottoman," Sam advised, sliding the five back to Otto. "My mom and I received an invitation to a housewarming party at their home this evening. I'll simply introduce myself, congratulate him on his skill, and let him tell me the rest of the story."
"Twister!" Otto addressed. "Who's your brother's new friend?"
"Huh?" Twister wondered. Then, looking at the unfamiliar character being briefed by Lars, he continued, "Woah, nobody I've seen before. Probably one of my other gazillion cousins I haven't met. Or somebody he ran into on the promenade who owed him a favor..."
"I'd favor a third theory," Sam interjected. "Pi's not here, and Lars is practically behaving himself around this new guy." As well he might be expected to, thought Sam; this guy he's addressing as DeLuca has an inch on him and ten pounds or so. "He might be a friend of Pi's, or a total stranger who's looking to play a game of hockey."
Otto chimed in. "So, let's give the bunch of 'em--"
"--an experience they'll never forget!!" Reggie concluded.
"Woogie woogie woogie..." all four of them said, as if in response, while each the foursome wiggled the fingers of their left hand, standing briefly in a circle before they took the field.
To: Lewis Carter, Brian Malone
From: Bill DeLuca
Subject: Greetings from California!
...Anyway, I made some friends today. Well, one that I can name right off: Lars Rodriguez. It turns out he lives over on the next block. I think he's in high school, but I might still invite him for my 13th next month. Turned out that his hockey team was down a guy for some reason or other. Anyway we played against this other team made up of this girl who was a year or so older than me, and these three boys the eldest of them being like 11 years old. I tell you, appearances can be deceiving. Those guys could easily hold their own on the B-league imo, if not completely dominate it. In the entire match we were able to squeeze the only point of the game out of 'em, and that was a total lucky shot when I saw their goalie looked like he was about to sneeze and I snatched the puck from their captain for like the fifth time in the game and the clock was at like -0:10 and the sound effect was like thwack followed by ah choo! then it clatters off the goalie's skate back into the net, and it records a point. We went to this ice cream place over on the promenade and gorged ourselves silly; my head still hurts a bit!...
Bill saved his outgoing note before continuing, then went downstairs to the kitchen. When he returned to his room, an IM was waiting for him. He responded.
L_RodOS: just learned they are resurfacing the lot tomorrow, it could take a couple of days or so, do you wanna go surf then?
wsd_310: sounds like a nice idea, only trouble is i just started to learn and i don't have a board
L_RodOS: you could use my brother's
wsd_310: lol tyvm but any board he might use could be too small for me, newa i'd ask him myself. i'll need to go shopping newa, usual just moved into town stuff...
wsd_310: ...don't need snow clothing round here unless you drive up to the snow :D
L_RodOS: ask around about the el nada of 01 XD
wsd_310: yah i read about that in the denver post lol
L_RodOS: newa thanks again bill. we literally couldn't have pulled it off without ya
wsd_310: really? honored, but what about the guy who couldn't make it--piston?
L_RodOS: what about him? afaik he's got ...issues to work through or something. if pi showed up the best we coulda hoped for was a tie
Bill wondered what was going on. Why was Lars being so nice to him, when it was not in his observed general behavior to be nice? Bill's parents, meanwhile, were holding a barbecue lunch the next day, and had urged him to bring whatever friends he'd made thus far for swimming and hamburgers. He tapped out an invitation.
wsd_310: lars, the lasers are invited to my place 130p tomorrow for a bbq. we have a pool. bring towels and bathing suits. piston can come too if his mom and dad let him
L_RodOS: lol cool we'll bring appetites too, c u @ 129p later...much ;)
(A few hours earlier, and right after the game.)
The Rockets held their post-mortem bull session at the Shore Shack. Otto opened the discussion over a round of soda, burgers, and fries. "Man, how were we to know that the Lasers would show up with a guest player with an i.q. equal to that of the other three put together?"
"As much as I thought these four words would never cross my lips, I miss having Pi around," Twister observed.
"That's five," counted Sammy.
"See? I'm getting better at that sort o' thing," Twister countered.
"Actually, boys, you have a point," replied Reggie. "If this DeLuca guy subs for Pi again, our chances for a playoff slot will almost certainly vanish into thin air. It might help to learn more about his background and experience and style of play."
Otto extracted a banknote from his pocket and slapped it onto the table. "Five says he's a clone from the DNA of Teemu Selanne, or even--"(he crossed himself) "--Wayne Gretzky."
"Keep your money, Ottoman," Sam advised, sliding the five back to Otto. "My mom and I received an invitation to a housewarming party at their home this evening. I'll simply introduce myself, congratulate him on his skill, and let him tell me the rest of the story."