Plans for the future
Winter break starts and rather than take a break, I had more work to do. I filled out and submitted applications for the rest of the schools on my list plus a couple others. Also took the preliminary highlight film I'd worked on with George and emailed the coaches. Said film only covered the first several games in our season but I wanted to establish myself as soon as possible now that I had some support for my case.
All this took a couple days and then I was able to relax a bit. Exchange risky texts with a certain blonde and generally enjoy myself. It's a few days before Christmas when my phone rings. Caller ID says coach.
"Morning Lucio, happy holidays."
I politely return the greeting all the while wondering why he might be calling, he hasn't done something like this before.
"So listen, I just wanted to give you a heads up: you got eyes on you son. I've been contacted by a couple scouts over the last few weeks and they like what they've seen." He starts, "And before you start wondering, they weren't the schools you've applied to."
"Ah, that's a shame. But being noticed is always a plus though." I respond. Shifting in my desk chair into a more relaxed position since the call wasn't about bad news.
"Couldn't agree more. Now we've talked, I know about your plans to go into engineering while playing college ball if possible and I have complete faith in you. Your grades are terrific after all and you're just as good on the court. And just as I mentioned, these scouts are going to notice."
I like how optimistic he's being about this, as if I'll be valued to that high of an extent. It's possible for sure, maybe probable, but it's still nice to hear.
"What I want to tell you is keep an open mind. Those other colleges might not be part of your plan but in the worst case scenario, it pays to have a fallback option. That's just a little bit of advice from me, you get where I'm coming from?"
"Yeah, I do. And I actually do have a couple schools that I applied to as fallback options. They're acceptance rates are higher than my target schools while still having good programs so if the worse does happen, I shouldn't be left high and dry." I explain to him.
"Really? It's great to hear you're being proactive and looking ahead." Yup. I don't think my high intelligence was even needed to know I should have backups and not be cocky. "And the second reason I'm calling, out of the four seven seniors on the team you and Jackson are the only ones looking to play college ball. That makes it easier on me to help you two succeed. So far I'm thinking extra playing time and reaching out to my contacts to get some more eyes on you which should help get word out."
"That would be great honestly. Thank you coach. Really, I appreciate it." Maybe the combination of that and my own efforts in raising awareness will have the affect I'm looking for. "Will that be alright with the other teammates? Me and Jackson playing more minutes?"
"You're welcome. And you don't have to worry about that, I'm going to talk with the team about this after the holidays. Everyone will get the chance to play and for the underclassmen I'll explain that if they're serious, I will do the same thing for them when the time comes. It's how these things work."
I guess. "Then I won't let this opportunity go to waste. You can count on me to bring my a-game."
"That's what I like to hear. And if at any point you want some advice you can come to me. I have some experience with college athletics. Until then, keep playing like you do and think about the future. I'll let you get back to your vacation for now."
We hang up after exchanging goodbyes and I get down to thinking.
I already have a general outline of what I want within the next several years. A five year plan basically.
The first part is finishing off strong with high school. Get good grades, wow on the court, and leverage my talents to get into one of my four choices. And despite MIT being the school for engineering and STEM as a whole, it's actually dropping in terms of preference. Great school but I just think I might be better able to find the variety I want from the others instead. With my ability, I can and want to explore my options while in college and walk away with more than a degree. Furthermore, I still have the NBA route to think about and MIT is a D3 basketball school. Still college ball but I want better. Stanford, Harvard, and UC Berkeley are D1 and would really help my case.
Summertime can be used to train basketball, raise my stats, and level up if I can manage to. And I'll also dive further into my 'job' to make some money; scholarships should cover school but I want a car and a new wardrobe.
Next fall is when things get interesting as I'll be at a college that's still to be decided and that bastion of knowledge will be used for all it's worth. Books, professors, peers, facilities; I'll learn and level up as many skills as I can because that's what college is for. Learning. Well that and making connections and really maturing as a person but although I plan to have fun and find things that interest me, not taking advantage of the college environment would be foolish. My mental stats are too high to make such a blunder.
Along with academics is the opportunity for athletics. Even if I don't get recruited onto their teams, I'll happily take being a preferred walk-on; meaning I'll be on the team after trying out in the fall but no athletic scholarship for me. All I need is the chance to play and show how good I am and after that I'm sure they'll want me on the team. So do well in regular season games to get into the March Madness tournament, do well there, maybe win it all, and then the offers should roll in. Previously, college athletes weren't allowed to profit off their likeliness or take any money for playing but the laws changed last summer so that works in my favor. I don't know if I can reach the level of the highest paid college athlete right now - a deal for $2 million over four years - but I'll certainly try. Just the thought makes me a little giddy, that kind of money could really help my family out. And I would still be in college!
I'm sure I'm not the only amateur athlete contemplating this.
Ultimately, I plan to be in college for all four years, take the time and really use it to my benefit. My steps moving from there are still to be determined however because I don't know what the final outcome will look like. Just as I imagine the NBA might want me in the league, it's possible that my accomplishments in the classroom could net me some equally attractive opportunities. I have no idea what those offers might be so I can't exactly make a decision just yet. No, something like that can't be planed for.
And that's my Five Year Plan. It's ambitious and relies on a lot of assumptions and good fortune but I really do think it's possible. The way I see it, the gamer ability is one of the most versatile and useful powers someone could ask for during these times. It doesn't make you Superman or Goku level powerful where you can bask in your own strength and do whatever you like, instead, you get to be a superhuman with almost no limit on what you can learn.
For example, basketball. Probably my most visible skill and easiest to relate to. It's pretty high leveled and it's also an encompassing skill. Shooting, dribbling, passing, defending; all of that is wrapped up in one skill called basketball and each increase to the skill means increased potential to those areas. To clarify, I could spend hours shooting around by myself and increase the skill a level or two. From there, I could then find someone or a specialized drill to practice defending and quickly increase that facet of the game to the peak determined by the overall skill level. Another example, say I'd been neglecting my ball handling skills so dribbling was at an amateur level while the skill basketball was at intermediate. The gamer ability would allow me to bring ball handling from amateur to intermediate in a short time span as long as I put some work in. Basically it means unlike the average person, I can easily be great in every aspect of basketball. Gives me a certain advantage.
My stats further compound that effect. They haven't increased naturally in a while but I know that every bit of training and studying is another drop in the bucket and eventually it'll reach the tipping point. And once I gain a stat, it's permanent. There's no need to exercise to not lose progress and my mind will probably stay sharp forever. So not only will my basketball skill keep getting better, I'll also always be in shape. A couple years from now, even if I don't grow past my current height of 6'3", I'll have the bonus of being the strongest, fastest, and smartest player on the court.
And that's only basketball. Imagine what I could do with engineering, especially if I decide to start funneling my free stat points from leveling up into intelligence… so broken.
Screw being a Kryptonian, the Gamer is where it's at. I wouldn't trade this ability for anything.
…
George texts me towards the end of the break wondering if I want to hang out. I make the trip over and find him chilling in his room, some anime playing.
We get the expected holiday talk out of the way. Personally, Christmas was really fun this year. For one I had a lot more people sending me festive greetings and in return I sent a lot more out. And secondly, I had more spending money so I was able to buy better gifts. My parents each got an individual gift but I also bought one we would all be sharing: a brand new computer. The thing was fast and had the specs to support the more intensive projects that would let me make the money to pay off the grand I spent on it. So completely worth it.
Soon enough we get to the important stuff.
"I've figured out what I want to do after high school." George sits up beside me on his beanbag chair, "And it's kinda thanks to you."
That clue narrows it down a lot. There's only one thing I could have pushed him towards so that means computers. "Something to do with the digital world?"
"Yup. I was already thinking of IT but now I'm for sure set on majoring in digital arts, focus on animation and game design if I can." That sparks an old memory.
"You told me a while back that you wouldn't mind creating your own anime, you still plan on doing that?" We were watching an anime off his list and it got to a really boring part, he bragged that he could create something way better and I just nodded along. Figured he was talking big but maybe he wasn't.
"Oh that? I still might. If I feel like it. But doing your video stuff and then doing it for the guys made me realize that I like doing that stuff and I could make bank doing it professionally you know. It's the only thing I'm big on so might as well try right?" He explains with a shrug, can't help but feel he's looking for my opinion. So I give it.
"No need to convince me, I know people pay for that stuff and I also know you're pretty good. It's not a bad idea. Does that mean you've figured out which of your schools is best now?"
"Penn State is my favorite so far. Good program and won't bankrupt my parents if I get some scholarships."
"Penn State? Pennsylvania?" I pull up a mental map, "That's a couple states over,"
"I know. I'm getting tired of this place and figured I could use college to experience something new." George shrugs into the beanbag.
"I feel you. Might freeze your butt off though, it's up there with New York and stuff."
"I can deal with the cold." Is his rebuttal so I drop it. I'm sure he's already put some thought into this.
"Need any help? I've seen your formal essays but if you want I can look over the app itself. Or help find some more scholarships."
"That... would be appreciated actually. I'm really hoping to get into this one so I didn't submit it yet thinking I could have you look over it." He gets up and returns with his laptop. "I'd like a second opinion on the prompts, roast me if you have to. I need those things to be perfect."
When he hands it over after putting in the password I find the application already pulled up, guess he really did plan ahead. "I got you bro. This due early January? Then we have time to look it over then."
"Thanks man." We bump fists. "I'm glad you're still as chill as you used to be. Didn't turn into a douche like some other guys."
"No need to worry about that. I remember who my real friends were before I discovered basketball."
"Don't forget became popular. Discovered basketball and became popular." He laughs, "I always said it would be troublesome being popular but you make it look easy, didn't change you too much."
"That's because I spent most of high school among the peasantry and even now I have a goal to focus on. I'm not just popular for the sake of it." I do think gamer's mind helps me focus myself whenever I notice myself getting a big head.
"I guess. But there are pros though. The attention from the girls for sure. You can't say you don't enjoy that," George says leadingly, elbowing my side. "Eh? Come on."
"I do," Very much so.
"Knew it! You'd have to be gay not to notice the difference. Speaking of that, what about Shelby?"
And all of a sudden it feels a little hot in here. "What about her?"
"Well, she's not the hottest and also not really your type," I have a type? More importantly, George noticed I have a type without me having ever dated a girl? "But she's cute though. In a freakishly tall way-"
"She's not that tall. Little above average maybe." I interject.
"Compared to you maybe, she's basically a titan compared to me," He waves that aside, "But I feel like you two have a connection during class. She gives you these looks."
"Really?" Okay, I'm playing dumb here. It's not that I didn't notice them but lately I've been somewhat conflicted about her. Unlike a regular teenager, it's hard for me to only focus on the present and not think about the future. Especially when someone I like could get hurt by my decisions.
"For sure bro. Shelby has a crush on you. How did I notice before you? You're the smart one!"
"Alright man, I have noticed but I've decided it's best that nothing like that happens between us. It's better this way." As expected, he doesn't seem to get it so I continue, "It's kind of personal but I've thought about it and concluded that I'd be a better friend to her than a boyfriend. Neither of us have our lives planned out but just like you I'm going away for college and then who knows where afterwards. There's no room to start a real relationship and I don't want to force it. Not with Shelby."
He stares at me for a moment, questioningly. "You sure that's it?" I just stare back at him in confusion, "You sure that's why you don't want to date her and not because you're scared of what it might mean if you do?"
"Er…"
"What I mean is, you two have been friends for a while and maybe you don't want to risk that. So you keeping her in the friend zone isn't only for her benefit but also yours?" George explains.
His comment pierces straight to the center of something that I'd been thinking of lately. I've always thought Shelby was cute and I've also fantasized about being with her. After this past semester where we've gotten closer as friends, those previous thoughts didn't change but now I also worry about all the things that could go wrong from a failed relationship. And our impending graduation and leaving for college doesn't help.
A sigh escapes my lips. "You're not wrong. That's definitely a concern." He nods slowly.
"I thought so. Is this what you want to do? Stay as friends? Cause I've seen this question online and although people think that's the safe route, some would say you'll never know what you missed out on from not trying."
"The 'you miss every shot you don't attempt,' kind of thing?"
"In basketball terms, yes."
"Honestly man… I don't even know. I'm thinking we stay friends for now because something else came up. Another reason why I won't start something with Shelby."
"Oh?" I can tell he tries and comes up short in guessing what it could be, "What happened?"
"You remember that one girl that came up to me?" I roll my eyes when he asks which one, "Sara. The blonde who wished me luck before the first game?"
"Yeah, she was kinda hot. Wait…"
"She was at Eddy's party as my plus-one and we danced a bit before things got a little… handsy, if you know what I mean."
"You lucky bastard!" George grabs the remote from somewhere and finally mutes that annoying voice. Don't know why yelling is so common in anime. "So you two hooked up? Or are you dating now?"
"No to both actually. We technically did not hookup and we're not dating either. I got the vibe that it was mostly just having fun. Not serious." He nods in thought.
"I guess that checks out with what you said about Shelby. You think you'll have more 'fun' in the future?"
"That's the million dollar question. I kinda hope so but we haven't actually talked about anything."
"Damn. Typical teen behavior." He's not wrong.
"Shut up bro. I know what I'm doing." His flat look tells me what he thinks of that, "I'm just going to see where this goes. Go with the flow."
"Ok. You do you. But you seem to have all the luck so your dumb idea might actually work."
I laugh at that. Dude has no idea just how lucky I am. Or how lucky I could be if I decided on it.
"Alright, change of subject. This bit right here." He scoots in to see what I'm talking about, "I think you could change it into…"
In which the MC shares a bit more of his plans.