Chapter 5

Part 4

"You and I collide."

I rolled over in my bed trying to stand up but Cam just wrapped her hand around my wrist and pulled me back down.

"Where are you going?" she asked sleepily.

It'd been almost two weeks since the USC game and waking up next to Cam was actually becoming a pretty standard development.

"I have to pack," I said kissing her good morning as she still refused to let go of my wrist.

"Nope, not a good enough excuse. You don't fly out until tonight," she said smiling.

I kissed her again as she tried to pull me back into the bed but I held myself above it with my arm on the other side of her head.

"It's almost noon," I tried to plead. "I have to leave for Chicago in about an hour."

"Do you have to go?" she asked sweetly.

"You want me to stay and miss it? I don't think they'll like that much if I win."

"Yes, you should stay," she said smiling.

"Okay," I growled laying myself back into my bed beside her. "I'll just stay here all weekend with you."

"Ugh I hate you and your wretched sarcasm," she pouted kicking me softly under the covers. "Get out of my bed."

I smiled at her as I crawled back out of my bed. "Actually it's my bed."

She shook her head. "Nope, nope. It likes me better. Don't you mister bed?" she asked sliding completely under the covers so I couldn't see her.

I lay on top of the lump that I knew was her and lay on her, tickling her through the sheets. "I really have to pack now," I finally decided standing and grabbing my duffel from under the bed.

"I'll help," she said excitedly throwing the covers off her head. "But I'm gonna need a shirt."

I tossed her a white one from the stack I was about to shove into my bag.

"What tie are you going to wear?" she asked patting the clothing already in my bag as if that helped.

"Blue," I replied holding it up.

She shook her head. "You can't wear a blue tie. It clashes with your hair. Go with red."

"Red?"

"Red," she said firmly throwing my shirt over her head and pulling a red one off my tie hooks. "Oh no wear this one!" she shouted excitedly holding up one with Looney Toons all over it that I hadn't worn since high school.

"No way"- I shook my head- "that thing's horrible."

"Oh please!" she pleaded. "It's so nerdy. It suits you."

"You want me to wear a Looney Toons tie on national television?" I asked looking at her pointedly.

"Of course."

"You do realize I'll look like an idiot."

She shrugged smiling. "Look like an idiot? You are an idiot. Might as well look the part," she finished flinging the tie at me.

I threw it off my face and picked her up wrapping her into my arms so she couldn't squirm away.

"Sean! Sean put me down you big lunk-head!" she pleaded as I threw her back onto the bed.

"Stop distracting me. I have twenty minutes to get this all packed."

"I'll miss you."

"It's just a weekend. I'll be back on Monday."

"Hopefully with a trophy in hand," she said grinning.

"Don't jinx it!" threw up my hands at her.

"Oh shut up!" she said hitting me playfully on the arm and kissing me gently. "Just go win your damn trophy so that you can come back. But until then I'll be here sleeping in your mucho comfortable bed."

"All by yourself?" I asked finally zipping up my duffel and throwing it off the bed so I could lie beside her for a second.

"No I ordered a cardboard cut-out of you from your fan-site," she said grinning at me.

"Welcome to ESPN's live presentation of the Heisman. You're watching Sean Miller the junior favorite for the award. What do you think Ditka? Think the junior's going to walk off with the prize?" the announcer asked while I tried not to squeal when they showed Sean looking all together too nervous and wearing a red tie.

"Definitely," Mike Ditka said excitedly into the camera as they cut to him. "I think he's got this in the bag especially after that game he had against USC. Heck I even think this kid's going to walk off with the National Championship."

"I really think the juniors got it. Even if he doesn't there's always next year. I mean this kid could honestly pull a double win," that one guy who's name I can't remember but I think he played for The Patriots said.

Charlie beside me pumped the football excited for Sean while I bit my nails. "When are they announcing it?" I pleaded hoping it would be soon.

"Two minutes," Charlie said checking his watch.

"Does he make a speech if he wins?" Megan asked looking at me expectantly. I shrugged and shook my head to indicate that I didn't know.

"Yeah he does," Charlie said pulling Meg closer to him on the sofa.

"Did you hear it then? Megan asked him and Charlie nodded.

"I want to hear it," Meg said almost as though whining.

"Hopefully you will," Charlie said gloating somewhat. "It's really good I helped him-"

"Shh!" I cut him off as the awkward old man I supposed would be announcing the winner walked up behind the podium. "They're announcing!" I practically shouted standing to get closer to the TV.

"Now for the presentation of the Heisman trophy," the awkward man managed to say as slowly as he possibly could. I think he was merely moments away from having a stroke. He made some horribly long speech about sportsmanship and all the mumbo-jumbo that I decided to tune out until he got to the good part. "I would like to congratulate Sean Miller."

I jumped up and screamed excitedly as Charlie leapt up from under Meg and hopped around with me and Megan laughed at us from the futon.

"Shh! Shh he's doing the speech thingy now!" Megan whined pulling on Charlie's hand to get him back on the sofa and quieting me with a pointed look.

Sean wandered up to the podium looking slightly shell shocked and slightly green. "Um thank you," he said awkwardly. "This is really just as good as it gets. Of course I couldn't have put up any of my numbers without my team. If my dad had never taught me how to throw when I was three. If my mom hadn't gone to all my games and supported all my decisions. If I hadn't signed with Notre Dame and gotten to work with such a great coach. If I didn't have my best Friend Charlie Monroe" (-"Hey that's me!" Charlie yelled at the TV.)- "and all my receivers that worked with some of the worst throws I've ever thrown. Without all of that this would be someone else's," he said holding up the silly trophy. He looked as if he'd just received an academy award. "Not much else to say except that I wish I had my Camera," he finished grinning and winking at the camera.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Do you get it?" Charlie asked as I turned around. "I told him to wink so that you'd get it was directed at you."

I just stared at him blankly not exactly sure what to think.

"Oh!" Megan yelled excitedly. "You're his Camera. How cute is that?"

no it's not done don't be ridiculous. Be excited! I love the epilogue!

Review because this is the last regular chapter. Now talk to Sean for a bit!