Chapter 17: The Competition

Vinny goes back to the Baker cabin to tell Mike what happened. He sees Mike sitting on the front porch. Vinny walks over to Mike. "I just came back from the Boulders." Vinny told him. "You get into another argument with Bill again?" Mike asked him. "No. I went over to tell him I'm not competing in the competition." Vinny told him. "Really?" Mike asked him. "Yeah. I wanted you guys to go rappelling on Thursday." Vinny then said to him. "Thanks Vinny." Mike said to him. "Here's the part where you're going to take back that 'Thank you Vinny'. I went over there to drop out and got dragged right back into it." Vinny told him. "I can't believe you! I hate you!" Mike yelled as he went back into the cabin.

Jake goes in the cabin to talk to Mike. "Mike you can't blame Vinny for this. He tried to call it off but, Bill wouldn't let him." Jake told him. " Vinny is the one who probably wouldn't let Bill get out of it." Mike said to him. "Mike were you there? No you weren't." Jake told him. "You weren't there either." Mike then told Jake. "But, Elliot was and he heard the whole thing. Vinny tried to drop out but, Bill wouldn't let him." Jake explained. "Just leave me alone and go away." Mike told Jake. Jake walks away aggrivated with Mike.

For the next two days Vinny trains harder and gives all he's got and while training his knee gives out on him. It's the day of the competiton and Vinny's knee is killing him. " Vinny are you sure you can compete with that knee?" Tom asked him. " I'm doing this thing no matter what." Vinny told him. "Good luck Vinny." Tom said to him. " Thanks." Vinny said to him. " And remember the Baker motto." Tom said to him. " Which is?" Vinny asked him. " Chin up, charge the mound." Tom told him. "That's a pretty stupid motto Tom." Vinny told him. "The what's your motto?" Tom then asked him. " Shoot first ask questions later." Vinny told him. " That's a different one." Tom told him. " Well that's my motto." Vinny told him.

The rest of the Bakers wish Vinny luck all but, Mike who is back at the Baker cabin because he can't go rappelling unless someone 21 or older goes with him because of how young he is. And since everyone else is either too young, or at the competiton he has no one to go with.

Bill and Vinny start off with the catching part. Vinny has problems with this drill because he was a defensive lineman but, does decent. Bill blows Vinny out of the water and catches all but one ball. Bill is celebrating and Sarah sees a football and puts it in the jug machine (A machine that releases the football automatically.) "Hey Bill!" Sarah yells as she loads the jug machine. Bill turns around and gets nailed in the groin with the football. "You have a dark gift don't ever lose it." Vinny said to her.

The next competition is the fumble drill ( A football is placed ten yards away and who ever recovers it the fastest wins.) They have to start over like ten times because Bill and Vinny keep getting into a wrestling match. When they finally pull Bill and Vinny apart they go to restart. When the person shouted "Go!" Vinny nails Bill in the groin and runs after the football, recovers it and wins.(No refs no penalty) "He cheated." Jimmy said to Tom. "Come on Jimmy no ref no penalty." Tom told him. " That's real fair. Why don't they just fight to the death in a steel cage match?" Jimmy then asked Tom. "If you got one I'll fight him in it." Vinny then told Jimmy. " Vinny I can't believe you stoopped that low. You must be related to Tom." Jimmy told him. " Jimmy no ref no penalty." Vinny told him.

The third competiton is the forty yard dash. Bill runs it first and gets 4.65. Vinny sees this time. Vinny runs it and gets 5.97. "Fuck it he wins this event." Vinny said trying to catch his breath. Jake brings Vinny a bottle of water. " What is this?" Vinny asked him. " It's your special water." Jake told him. " You mean my Russian Vodka?" Vinny asked him. " Yeah." Jake replied. Vinny takes a drink of his special water and puts a mark where he last took a sip. " This way I know if you drank any." Vinny told Jake. Jake just shakes his head at this.

The last competition is the bench press and Bill does 200. " Vinny you can't lift 200." Tom told him. " Tom don't tell me what I can and can't do." Vinny told him. Vinny tells them he can bench 215 like he did in college. Tom can't watch and covers his eyes. Then he hears people cheering for Vinny as he does 15 reps of 215. Vinny wins the bench press event. " You couldn't lift 185 who in the world did you lift 215?" Tom asked him. "I didn't have any alcohol in my system that day. I'm stronger when I drink. It worked in college and it still works today." Vinny told him. " What is wrong with you?" Tom asked him. " I don't know. And the weird part is I was mostly hung over during my senior and junior games that I got in and I did great." Vinny explained to Tom. Tom just shakes his head.

"What's the tie breaker?" Jimmy asked Bill and Vinny. "A race." Bill said to him. "Fine. A race to the gazebo then, into the lake for a swim, then back here to decide who the winner is." Vinny told him. " If that's how you want to lose Vinny." Bill told him. They get ready to start. "Where's Mike?" Vinny asked Jake. " He's back at the cabin. He needs someone 21 or older to go rappelling with him because of his age." Jake told him.

" What time is it?" Vinny asked him. " Four o clock." Jake replied. "And they stop letting people rappell at what time?" Vinny then asked him.

"Five thirty." Jake replied. " They're isn't going to be enough time to do both. I have an idea." Vinny told jake as he walked away. " What's your idea Vinny?" Jake asked him following him.

Vinny walks over to Bill. " Hey Bill let's call this thing a draw and put this whole feud between us to rest?" Vinny asked him. "Are you out of your mind Vinny?" Bill then asked him. " Let's call it a draw this way I don't win and you don't win." Vinny told him. " But, I want to win." Bill told him.

" Fine Bill you win. I'm out of here." Vinny told him as he walked away. " Yes, I beat Vinny! I knew I could do it!" Bill yelled in celebration. Lorraine walks over to Bill. " What's your problem?" Lorraine asked him. " I don't have a problem. And by the way your husband's a loser." Bill told her. Lorraine punches Bill in the face and gives him a black eye. " I love even more now baby." Vinny told her. " And you!" Lorraine yelled at him. "Oh god here it comes." Vinny said to her. " What you're doing for Mike is really sweet." Lorraine said to him. " Thanks baby." Vinny said as he kissed her. Vinny goes back to the Baker cabin to go rappelling with Mike.