Feeling the Burn:
While Kris and Caitlyn arrived at their house, they've noticed Deepthi wasn't in the house. After looking around, they saw a Post-It note from Deepthi saying, "Went clubbing with a few friends from USC. Will be back around 1-2 in the morning."
"Damn, she's really getting out there. Looks like that breakup with Prashant really hit her hard," Kris stated.
"Yeah, I mean, she reacted angrily when your dad asked if someone's in her heart," Caitlyn said.
"I guess this is what grief does to a woman," Kris said. "Should we tell your mom and my dad?"
"Kris, don't worry about it. I think she'll be fine," Caitlyn mentioned. "It might not seem that way, but I'm not gonna jinx it."
"If you're wondering what Deepthi's up to after her break-up with Prashant, she's been more socially active while also making sure she's on top of her academic career," Tom Brady narrated.
—- Scene shifts to a night club in LA —-
At an exclusive night club somewhere in downtown LA, Deepthi and some of her future potential classmates she met were partying their asses off before they start school.
"Damn, Deeps, I initially thought you're pretty good at studying, but you know how to party as well," her female Asian-American classmate said.
"Yo, I'm just happy that I'm able to enjoy my youth for once. Didn't get a chance to do that when I was studying back in Chicago," Deepthi said.
"Honestly, I thought students from UChicago were kind of uptight. But I see you vibing with LA nightlife," her female Italian-American said.
"You got that right, Michelle," Deepthi affirmed. "Where'd you find this night club anyway?"
"Well, Michelle's an occasional patron of this night club and since she's a Silver Award Youtuber, we got free access as she promoted the night club," her female African-American classmate said.
"So, what made you want to come to LA?" Michelle asked.
"Well, I just wanted to get away from whatever reminded me of my ex-boyfriend. Originally, I wanted to study at Stanford, but I didn't want to miss out on whatever I missed back in college," Deepthi explained.
"Sounds like you had a bad break-up," her female African-American classmate noted.
"Well, the break-up wasn't the worst part. It was the bloody reason that made it completely worse," Deepthi said, slowly crying.
Michelle, her female African-American classmate Kendall, her female Asian-American classmate Naomi, her female Latina classmate Isabella, and her female white friend Katherine comforted Deepthi when they saw her crying.
"Not to sound invasive, but, did can you tell us what reason he used?" Katherine hesitantly asked while comforting her.
"His reason was that he decided to marry an Indian woman who his parents picked for him instead. I mean, we spent time together for like 3 years. How could he marry someone who he hadn't met before?" Deepthi said while sobbing.
"What a jackass," Isabella said. "If I were dating someone like him and he used that exact same reason your ex did, then I would've kicked him in the nuts to the extent of making sure he couldn't perform in bed."
"Sounds harsh to me. If I were you, I'd just forget about him, focus on your studies, enjoy life, and find someone who won't ditch you like your ex did," Kendall said. "You know, tell me everything that you despise about him. Except for his race and ethnicity."
"As Kendall and Deepthi's friends help Deepthi rant out about the things she despises about Prashant, Deepthi slowly feels better," Tom Brady narrated.
"I also hate the fact that he liked the ice cream here in the States because there are so many flavors. There are also a lot of ice cream flavors in India and that fool assumed pistachio's the only authentic ice cream flavor," Deepthi said, calmly ranting about Prashant. "I also hate the fact that he's a pussy over the fact that he didn't tell his parents about him and I when we were dating. I also hate that his parents have two Mercedes yet he never spent a lot of money on gifts and dates when we were dating."
"Ok, your list is overall strong. Except for the two Mercedes part. That make you sound like a gold digger," Naomi said. "Not to say that you are, but I just saw it that way."
"Well, I had to be the one to spend the most money on our dates," Deepthi revealed.
"Ok, I take that back then. Although I'm not sure if that's true as you had a lot to drink," Naomi said.
After Naomi finished her sentence, Deepthi fell down on the bar floor as she got drunk. Naomi and her friends decide to take Deepthi back to her place. Knowing that she just moved to LA and that she told her friends the address of her residence, Michelle, Naomi, Isabella, Kendall, and Katherine help her out of the nightclub to ensure no dickhead took advantage of her or them. When they put her on the back seat of Naomi's car, Katherine and Isabella become gentle with the way they do it.
While Michelle was driving, she and Katherine they talk about Deepthi.
"Look, I feel like she might be going through some grief. She drank so much," Michelle said.
"Well, she definitely wasn't in denial. I think she's in the stage of anger," Katherine stated.
"Well, if there's something I learned today, Deepthi's stages of grief will mostly be comprised of just anger," Michelle said.
"Honestly, after hearing about what that dickhead did to Deepthi, I think it's safe to say that I'm not dating any momma's boys ever again," Katherine said. "Not to mention Indian dudes who are goody two-shoes. There's a limit to one's dutifulness toward his or her parents and this dude is too dutiful to his parents. I mean, marrying someone his parents chose for him? That's messed up."
"I think some foreign cultures are dominated by parents. It's rare for someone from those cultures to choose his or her spouse," Michelle said.
"True. Anyhow, I'm driving slowly so that Deepthi doesn't have any accidents in my car," Katherine said while driving slowly.
After arriving at Kris's house, Michelle and Katherine help Deepthi up and Katherine rang the doorbell. Kris heard the doorbell and decided to answer it. Knowing it's Deepthi, Kris expected her to be a little drunk.
"Hey, Deepthi," Kris said as he entered the door. "What happened to my cousin?"
"Oh. You're her cousin?" Michelle inquired. "Hi, I'm Michelle, a friend of your cousin. She got really drunk when she was processing her grief from her break-up."
"Huh, so she told you about Prashant, huh?" Kris said. "Well, looks like she's starting to hit rock bottom."
Michelle and Katherine nodded.
"Her room's upstairs," Kris said while pointing to Deepthi's room to Michelle and Katherine.
After Michelle and Katherine put Deepthi to sleep, they came down the stairs. That's when they saw Caitlyn.
"Huh, I guess Deepthi wasn't lying when she said that she had a step-cousin who's a white blonde woman," Michelle said.
"Not the first time I've heard that," Caitlyn quipped. "Plus, you and your friends can stay for the night and keep her company. I know it's pretty late. Plus, we got more bedrooms than people here."
"Shit, you serious?" Katherine inquired. "We could stay? I'm asking because Deepthi's friends are also here. Just three other women are waiting in their cars."
"Lemme guess. Girls' Night?" Kris guessed.
Michelle nodded.
"Alright, tell them they can come in. But this is a one-time thing," Kris stated.
"Sure," Michelle said.
When Michelle gave the signal for Kendall, Naomi, and Isabella to come inside the Yadav-Killian residence, they came inside.
After they came inside, Kris and Caitlyn served them some hot water as a way of helping them staying sober.
"Thanks for the hot water," Naomi said. "I guess you guys know a thing or two about hangovers."
"Well, my parents aren't just responsible people. They try to find ways to blow off some steam by partying with their friends at night clubs. At times, they tend to over do it. That's if they needed a night to themselves," Caitlyn said.
"How'd you hear about Prashant?" Naomi asked.
"We learned about him yesterday," Kris said. "She was angry when my dad mentioned her family was looking for prospective grooms for her to meet. Even though he knew that no groom can match her strong mentality."
"You mean her free-spirited yet responsible personality?" Kendall clarified.
"If you put it that way, yes," Kris confirmed. "And I think the best way for Deepthi to overcome that grief is if we help her even the score."
"Well, revenge isn't the best solution. But this time, it's ideal," Michelle said.
"Let me guess, you guys want sweet revenge?" Kris inquired.
"Bingo," Michelle said while clicking her tongue.
"Smart decision. The truth is, how're you guys going to get sweet revenge on a guy who lives in Chicago?" Kis questioned.
"Well, that's the thing. We don't know shit about him," Kendall explained. "Although we have a list made by Deeps saying what she hates about Prashant."
"Let me see," Kris requested.
Kendall showed him the list and saw a lot of things that seemed relatable to a dutiful Indian son.
"On point, this list is insanely accurate. To be fair, my older brother has a few of the same qualities Prashant has," Kris said. "For example, my brother's a momma's boy and this Prashant dude is about to marry a woman who acts like his mother. You see any indirect Oedipus vibes right there?"
Kendall nodded. Naomi and the others agreed as well.
"Well, the best thing we could do is probably spray paint his car, saying momma's boy. That is, if he comes to LA," Kris said.
"So, the sweet revenge plan is on the backburner until we learn or see him coming to LA?" Naomi clarified.
Kris nodded and proceeded to pull out his phone. Turns out, he took a picture of Prashant while he was looking around Deepthi's room. Surprisingly, Kris was slightly impressed with Prashant's looks but that feeling died down after remembering that dude broke his cousin's heart. After showing them the picture, Naomi, Isabella, and Deepthi's other friends take a picture of Prashant to make sure they remember the face.
"Damn, the guy looks good. I mean, this dude is Prince Charming but a complete momma's to some extent. Just don't know how much," Naomi commented.
After Deepthi's friends left as they gained their mind-body coordination due to drinking the hot water and waiting for a while, Kris and Caitlyn hear Deepthi vomiting. Wanting to make sure she didn't puke on the floor, Kris and Caitlyn checked inside. Luckily, Deepthi puked on the trash can.
"After regaining consciousness, Deepthi wondered where she was. Thankfully, she knew she was in her room and that her dress was still intact," Tom Brady narrated.
"Hey, you good?" Caitlyn asked Deepthi.
"Nah. I'm sorry if I overdrank. I just couldn't get over him," Deepthi said.
"Well, we're here for you. And also, your friends just left. Before they left, they agreed to take sweet revenge against Prashant. And I shared his picture with them. Believe me, they liked what they saw and immediately became a dislike," Kris said.
Seeing her cousin and step-cousin helping him out, Deepthi realized she's got a supportive family to help her out.
"Thanks guys. Also, you're like the coolest cousin I've ever had," Deepthi said.
After exchanging words, Kris and Caitlyn decide to let Deepthi sleep, leading them to hit the hay in their respective rooms.
—- The next morning —-
When Kris woke up 7 am in the morning, he stretched out his body to avoid muscle tightness and injury to his body.
"Speaking of waking up early, Kris's dream was to be a professional athlete in the NFL. Initially, not a lot of Indian-Americans have bodies suitable for playing in professional sports leagues. He knew that playing for a Division 1 college will require a lot of discipline, sacrifice, and dedication," Tom Brady narrated as Kris started his day early morning. "Although he had to stay up a bit at night to tend to Deepthi, he never forgot to follow his routine."
While Kris trained at Beverly Hills High, he does his 3-mile run, linebacker drills, and conditioning.
"His routine included running around the track for 3 miles, performing non-equipment linebacker drills, and doing conditioning," Tom Brady said. "While finishing his workout, he noticed some of his upcoming teammates coming on the field."
"Yo, what up, Kris?" Oliver said while walking to the field.
"What's good, Oliver?" Kris said while working out.
"Damn, you're putting the work before we even started," Jared said, impressed with Kris's dedication.
"Actually, I stayed up late last night tending to my cousin. Turns out she passed out drunk at a party," Kris explained. "This is me burning off that grogginess."
"How many hours of sleep you get?" Peter asked.
"Probably about 6," Kris said.
"Everyone needs eight hours of sleep. It's more better that way," Peter suggested. "That way, you can be firing on all cylinders."
"He's right," Leonard said. "We need around 7-9 hours of sleep. That's why we take and do a reasonable amount of AP classes and extracurriculars, respectively."
"After hearing what Leonard said about sleep, Kris knew it would help him for the better. Yet again, college admissions and scouting are really competitive. Especially since less than 2% of the college athletes get athletic scholarships to study at the university they'll be playing for," Tom Brady explained during his narration.
"Should we get to work?" Kris said.
"Hells yeah. Oh, by the way, since you didn't get our playbook yet, you're just going to block and run a few simple routes. Also, we're going to play man-to-man coverage for the day," a Salvadorian-American football player named Enrique Larrynega said.
"Where's Kevin?" Kris asked as he didn't see Kevin anywhere.
"Oh, his parents are in the middle of a divorce. It's hard-hitting stuff. Rumor has it that his head might not be available for the season because of that," Jared explained to Kris about Kevin's absence.
"Why're you guys just telling me now?" Kris questioned after he was shocked to hear someone who's going through a similar experience of divorce.
"Well, we didn't comparisons to be made. Plus, your parents' divorce was like in the 7th grade. That's like before puberty started for you," Oliver remarked.
"I get the comparisons part. But he should've told me that. Isn't a team supposed to share the troubles of their own teammates on and off the field?" Kris questioned.
"It's easier said than done. Besides, we just mind our own personal business," Leonard said.
"Oh, boy. If I hear that this team's going through a losing streak, he's gonna lose it," Tom Brady narrated Kris's potential reaction if he hears some upsetting news.
"Look, you got a great work-ethic. There's no point in denying that. Plus, our season's probably over before it even starts," Oliver explained.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kris questioned anxiously.
"Well, most of the rising seniors on our team this year can't play no more because they got caught for academic dishonesty. Last year, some computer nerds changed the rising seniors' grades for a buttload of money. Eventually, the IT guys hired by our school found computer cookies and IP addresses leads that led them to the computer guys as they found some grades being published by people whose IP addresses don't belong to teachers," Jared explained.
Kris was shocked. He didn't expect the football situation to be that horrible.
"So that explains why are our roster was low on depth. Anything else that I should know?" Kris said while keeping his composure.
"After the computer nerds were caught, they ratted the players out to save their sorry asses. Because of that, the GPA to participate for our high school's athletic teams was raised from a 2.0 to a 2.7. Also, our football program paid the most heaviest price. Our funding got cut short and we're on our own this year. Plus, the coach isn't gonna be here until next week," Leonard said.
Kris looked pretty frustrated and angry at the same time.
"It's interesting how Indian-Americans can be composed at first, but angry as they hear things they didn't expect," Tom Brady narrated as Kris still looked frustrated and angry.
After Kris processed his frustration and anger, he calmed down for a bit.
"We better get started. If Kevin ain't here, then I'm gonna lead cuz no one seems to give a shit about being accountable and stepping up," Kris said with seriousness.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Our coach ain't even here yet. Plus, practice doesn't start until next week," Peter said.
"So. Then why're you guys here? Kris questioned. "To fuck yourselves?"
Jared, Oliver, and the players on the field were stunned by Kris's language.
"Normally, I'm a chill dude. But when I hear shit that hurts or already hurt our team and the sport we play, I'm not a chill dude. From what I'm seeing right now, you guys ain't committed to turning the team around. You look like you just gave up" Kris sternly said.
"You think we're not committed?" Jared questioned. "We're just getting over the fact our team might be done forever after this season."
"That sounds like giving up to me," Kris remarked. "Although I might be new here, I'm not a coward to give up on a team that's potentially in shambles."
After hearing what Kris had to say, they felt a little better that someone cared about the team.
"To be fair, dude, I like what I saw today. You know how to set an example and you proved that already. If I'm being honest, we doubted your commitment to the team because of apparently perceived stereotypes," Oliver said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kris asked as he was confused.
"What I mean is, you have what it takes to play football for the Beverly Hills Trojans. The guys that wanted to try out either showed no talent, skill, heart, grit, or dedication. You embody all those five virtues on the two days you've came here. Yes, the rising seniors were kicked off the team for academic dishonesty and our funding was cut short. However, our GPA requirement wasn't heightened to a 2.7. The requirement is actually a 2.3," Oliver explained.
"You mean, like Coach Carter's basketball contracts?" Kris clarified.
"I guess you can put it that way. Plus, you got any experience in taking hard classes?" Leonard said.
"Well, I do have a 3.7 GPA. Plus, I didn't take any AP or Honors classes during my freshman year at Palo Alto," Kris said.
"Well, I appreciate that. Plus, according to your schedule, you're taking Chemistry, Drama and Pre-Calculus Honors for the year. That's hell of a workload. But don't worry, we got rising juniors who took the same courses as you and handled it well. They can tutor us," Leonard said.
"Where are they?" Kris asked as he was curious.
"They're already here," Leonard said, pointing out to the rising juniors on the football team.
As Kris met all 12 rising juniors on the team, Kris finally met Pranav Dhulipala, the Trojans' kicker.
"Yo, I'm Pranav. You can call me Prancer. It's a nickname I made for myself," Pranav said while introducing himself.
"I'm Kris. I heard a bit about you," Kris introduced himself. "Should we guys get to work?"
Before everyone on the field started to warm up, Kevin arrived.
"Hey, I thought you weren't coming to practice today," Jared said.
"I couldn't take my parents bickering no more. So I left. After seeing how Kris responded to how our team is potentially in shambles, I realized I also need to step up. Although we haven't decided team captains, we need to hold ourselves accountable for coming late to practice before we name who're the team captains," Kevin said.
Everyone on the field agreed and decided to get warmed up and ready for practice. While practicing, they noticed some pretty looking cheerleaders wearing the school colors of the Beverly Hills Trojans. coming on the track. Not wanting Kris to yell at them, the players decided to ignore the cheerleaders until the end of practice, which was going well because of their dedication being inspired by Kris.
As the guys perform some drills using agility pads they've got out of the football equipment room, the pretty looking cheerleaders noticed Kris.
"Who's the new guy?" a red-haired female cheerleader with a hourglass figure asked. "He looks interesting."
"His name's Kris. He's very smart, but not like the Indian nerds at our school," a black-haired female cheerleader said. "I heard about him from Jared."
"Well, whoever he is, he's pretty good-looking, smoking hot, and smart. Looks like our resident brainiac is about to meet her match," a curly blonde-haired, blue-eyed, female cheerleader with subtle curves said.
Before practice ended, Kevin noticed the cheerleaders looking at Kris with interest. Taking note that Kris might be the next heartthrob of Beverly Hills when he leaves, Kevin decided to remain content. However, he didn't like the cheerleaders looking at Kris because they might distract him.
"Hey!" Kevin shouted. "The hell are you guys doing?"
Kevin confronted the doe-eyed looking cheerleaders who were looking at Kris. When he yelled at them, they snapped out of the pseudo-trance that Kris's good looks and well-built physique put them under
"What's your problem, Kevin? Given the circumstances of what happened last year with the academic dishonesty scandal, we're just seeing how you guys already practice without coach being here," the black-haired female cheerleader confronted. "Also, who's the new dude?"
"Well, none of your business, Melinda. Plus, I know he's attractive. He's also better good-looking than me. Better than Paxton H-Y to say for the least," Kevin explained.
Kevin turned to the blonde-haired cheerleader.
"Well, we're thinking about setting him up with the resident brainiac at our school," the blonde-haired female cheerleader said.
"Lemme guess. She still getting on your nerves?" Kevin asked. "Alicia's condescending attitude really needs to be taken down a notch. I respect her intelligence, but not her arrogance. Not to mention her strong work-ethic should also be praised. I mean, she plays soccer and has a nice figure like Jamie."
"Oh my god, you're disgusting," the blonde haired female cheerleader said. The red-haired cheerleader also reacted with a bit of disgust.
"You do know I'm right here, right?" the red-haired female cheerleader with a hourglass figure said, revealing herself to be Jamie.
"Well, it's not wrong to look and notice, but it's wrong to stare," Kevin argued. "Plus, having these thoughts is normal at this age."
"Well, don't be thirsty. I know what I said sounds somewhat hypocritical as I was also staring at Kris. But you're right. It's normal to have these thoughts. We shouldn't act on them if the people we like and/or admire don't feel the same way we do," the blonde-haired female cheerleader said.
"You got that right, sis. Anyhow, I gotta get back," Kevin said.
After Kevin left, Kevin's sister took a picture of Kris conditioning on the field. Jamie looked at Kevin's sister, who was blushing at the sight of Kris.
"Don't tell me you've a crush on Kris, Cecelia," Jamie said.
"Sorry, I can't help it. Not gonna lie, I'm attracted to people of color," Cecelia admitted. "Plus, he looks pretty cute and sweet."
"At least he's not academically inept or socially awkward," Jamie said. "I thought you had a crush on Paxton H-Y."
"Well, he's hot and stuff. But, he seems to be a bit shallow and is cashing on his good looks and personality. I need someone who can challenge me and I feel Kris might be the one that could do so," Cecelia said.
"Don't you think Kris might be shallow as well?" Jamie said. "I'm just saying. We've only saw him now and we didn't have a proper interaction with him."
"True, but we need to find opportunities to talk to him," Cecelia said. "Plus, school doesn't start until three weeks.
"Don't worry. Since I'm an office assistant this year, I'll find out which classes you and Kris have together," Jamie said. "Although, I'm still planning on trying to set up Alicia with Kris."
"Let me tell you. After meeting Alicia a few times, he'll feel irritated by her nerdiness," Cecelia claimed. "And he'll challenge her way of thinking as platonic rivals rather than romantic interests."
When Jamie left, she looked at Kris one last time before she left with Kevin. After looking at Kris, she slightly blushed and smiled.
—- End of Chapter —-
